Today so far 2026-09-22 · 12:01 UTC

A major study found that 7 out of 9 planetary boundaries are breached, highlighting the severity of humanity's environmental impact, while separately the NASA/ESA Mars Sample Return mission has been canceled, representing a significant setback for space exploration. Other notable developments include research into using GLP-1 drugs to treat obesity in children and concerns about the potential collapse of the AMOC and how we might detect it in advance. On lighter notes, physics researchers created a swimmer made of quantum light that breaks Newton's third law, and a dramatic gannet dive photograph won Bird Photographer of the Year.

Behaviorally fingerprinting Ox Alpha's provenance

Researchers analyzing "Ox Alpha," a new language model that appeared on OpenRouter in August 2026, determined it is part of Alibaba's GLM family through behavioral fingerprinting and tokenizer…

2026-08-25 · 15:18 UTC
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Two unvaccinated people die of measles in Pennsylvania

2026-08-25 · 14:54

Cases in the US have hit the highest point since the virus was eliminated, as vaccination rates decline.

Bomb Fishing Is Wreaking Havoc on Indonesia's Coral Reefs

2026-08-25 · 14:29

Indonesian fishers are detonating over 8,000 underwater explosives annually off Sulawesi's coast, destroying…

Brain disease in ex-NFL players 'higher than previously shown'

2026-08-25 · 11:54

A new study says at least one in four ex-NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had a degenerative brain disease but…

Quantum battery upends the rules of charging

2026-08-25 · 10:34

Scientists in Australia have created the world's first working quantum battery prototype that charges faster as it gets…

Screen viewing time from age 1 to 8 years and subsequent academic performance

2026-08-25 · 09:17

A longitudinal study of 502 Singapore children found that higher screen viewing time from ages 1-8 years was associated…

Will muscle-boosting meds be the next big thing after GLP-1 drugs?

2026-08-25 · 09:00

A number of drugs designed to prevent muscle loss and boost muscle growth are being tested in clinical trials.

Volcanoes that made history

2026-08-25 · 04:09

Moon

2026-08-24 · 22:06

Bartosz Ciechanowski's interactive article explores the Moon's appearance and movement in Earth's sky, featuring…

Oceans hit highest temperature on record

2026-08-24 · 19:19

The world's oceans have reached their highest recorded temperature at 21.1°C (70°F), driven by human-caused climate…

Octopus intelligence may be related to never-before-seen mutation

2026-08-24 · 17:57

Researchers discovered a never-before-seen mutation in shallow-water octopuses involving a gap in ribosomal RNA that…

Buyer beware: Those mummified remains might carry toxic spores

2026-08-24 · 16:59

"Mummified remains sold online exhibit signs of biodeterioration, yet sellers provide no safety guidance."

Lack of sleep may cause anxiety by making us less adaptable to threats

2026-08-24 · 15:30

People who were deprived of sleep overnight didn't seem to adapt to being in a potentially threatening space, which may…

Could We Dredge the Netherlands Without Fossil Fuels?

2026-08-24 · 15:07

The Netherlands dredges 30-35 million cubic meters of mud annually to maintain its waterways, essential for Europe's…

Why banishing irrational numbers could trigger a revolution in quantum theory

2026-08-24 · 15:00

Irrational numbers have underpinned quantum mechanics for a century.

Diabetes drug metformin may halve the risk of dementia

2026-08-24 · 13:25

Taking metformin, a type 2 diabetes drug, has been linked to a lower risk of dementia over the following decades, but…

How much water do you really need to drink to keep your brain sharp?

2026-08-24 · 13:14

Water is essential for good brain function, with a handful of convincing studies suggesting that dehydration could be…

Dice discovered that solve decade-long mathematical problem

2026-08-24 · 12:32

After years of searching, mathematicians have found dice that can allow five players to fairly decide who moves first in…

From back pain to cancer, how the interstitium could transform medicine

2026-08-24 · 11:00

For centuries, we’ve ignored the interstitium, but research is now revealing that this body-wide network of fluid is…

Plastic bottles can be turned into edible, vanilla-flavour cookies

2026-08-24 · 09:00

Hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic pollution are created each year.

Nearly 90,000 told to evacuate as wildfire approaches Reno, Nevada

2026-08-24 · 08:34

The fire has burned around 10,500 acres and is completely uncontained, officials say.

China probes use of formaldehyde to keep cabbages fresh

2026-08-24 · 05:40

Using the carcinogen to preserve food is prohibited in China, the world's largest producer of cabbages.

Due to need for 'absolute success,' China delays critical Moon launch to 2027

2026-08-23 · 14:30

"The Chang’e 7 mission does not meet the conditions for launch."

Volcanoes that made history

2026-08-23 · 11:02

Enormous eruptions altered Earth’s climate and societies all over the globe.

Robots compete in boxing, football and sprinting at World Humanoid Games

2026-08-23 · 09:42

The second-edition of the five-day competition kicked off in Beijing, China, on Saturday.

Doomscrolling at work wastes time, but the real cost is what happens after

2026-08-23 · 09:26

Researchers found that employees who doomscroll at work experience reduced engagement not just during scrolling, but…

Risk of transmission of amyloid β pathology via transfused blood products

2026-08-23 · 06:07

The Covid-19 scandal is still unfolding

2026-08-23 · 04:16

Mathematicians will probably become obsolete before anyone else [pdf]

2026-08-23 · 00:14

I appreciate you sharing this, but I'm unable to read or process PDF file content.

Putting mice into hibernation causes a major loss of synapses

2026-08-22 · 11:22

Hibernation cuts down on synapses, but mice seem to retain memories anyway.

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