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.

Thunder + fiber-optic cabling used for seismic imaging

Thunderstorms make seismic waves that can be used to find sub-surface features.

2026-08-21 · 20:26 UTC
Read article →

One night in Uzbekistan: Why was this one data point so influential?

2026-08-21 · 19:05

‘Off the charts’ El Niño is already the strongest since records began

2026-08-21 · 17:00

Renowned climate scientist James Hansen says the developing super El Niño has already "blown past" previous events with…

Another Better Lower Bound for N=17 Square Packing

2026-08-21 · 16:50

Researchers have improved the lower bound for s(17), the side length of the smallest square that can contain 17 unit…

Greenland meltwater is intensifying European heatwaves

2026-08-21 · 16:00

The cooling of the North Atlantic is creating waviness in the jet stream and high-pressure ridging over Europe, a study…

Cancer-Related Mortality Among US Pilots and Flight Attendants

2026-08-21 · 15:23

Burns improve more rapidly after treatment with fish skin

2026-08-21 · 15:00

Severe burns are often treated with synthetic products ahead of skin graft surgery, but there is evidence that a product…

Tornadoes touch down in New York and Delaware

2026-08-21 · 14:35

Tornadoes swept through New York and Delaware as severe storms brought torrential rain to the Mid-Atlantic.

Kodak's "Pre-Invented" Lunar Orbiter Camera; Or, the Fate of SAMOS Readout

2026-08-21 · 13:52

In the 1960s, NASA's Lunar Orbiter spacecraft used a camera system developed by Eastman Kodak that achieved…

Ebola vaccine trial to start in DR Congo as warning issued over speed of infections

2026-08-21 · 13:44

About half of the 2,500 recorded deaths from Ebola happened in the last 20 days, the WHO says.

Radiation damage to Hubble has been 4.3 years out of phase with the Solar cycle

2026-08-21 · 13:35

Researchers found that radiation damage to the Hubble Space Telescope's detectors over 24 years has been consistently…

Super El Niño could lead to mega CO2 emissions from Indonesian fires

2026-08-21 · 12:45

Intense fires are already burning in Indonesia, and there could be much worse to come as the Super El Niño ramps up

Rocket Report: SpaceX makes its mark on the Moon; ULA names new boss

2026-08-21 · 11:00

Taiwan's effort to develop its own satellite launcher hit a setback this week.

Bodies of two hikers missing for decades found after Swiss glacier melts

2026-08-21 · 10:03

Officials say the bodies of the two Belgians, who went missing in 1992, were discovered after the Trift Glacier receded.

How long could we possibly live? A new estimate is mind-boggling

2026-08-21 · 08:00

Biogerontologists are exploring the upper limit for human life.

Orbital Construction Pioneers

2026-08-21 · 02:03

Orbital Construction Pioneers is developing a patent-pending orbital fabrication process using unconventional materials…

El Niño set to be 'strongest in living memory', says Met Office

2026-08-21 · 00:33

Scientists say the growing El Niño weather pattern is an "unprecedented event" and means 2027 is likely to be the…

Scientists Release Biggest 2D Map of the Universe

2026-08-20 · 21:42

Scientists have released the largest-ever 2D map of the universe, containing 5.6 trillion pixels and nearly 4 billion…

Europe cancels planned upgrades for Ariane 6 rocket

2026-08-20 · 21:40

Arianespace hasn’t publicly disclosed the cost for an Ariane 6 launch.

The Wonders of the Male Human Pelvis

2026-08-20 · 21:01

A new study published in Scientific Reports finds that the male human pelvis has a unique evolutionary adaptation—hip…

Ok, can we actually cool data centers with our pee?

2026-08-20 · 20:53

Jason Kelce joked that people should cool data centers with their pee, rather than potable water -- his suggestion is…

Seeking God in Science Part 10.5: The Mind-Body Problem (Take 2)

2026-08-20 · 19:01

The author acknowledges a significant error in his previous blog post on the mind-body problem: he inadvertently…

Scientific study reveals TikTok videos deactivate key cognitive brain regions

2026-08-20 · 18:54

A Zhejiang University brain-scan study of 56 young adults found that watching TikTok and Instagram Reels videos…

Why Aren't Smart People Happier?

2026-08-20 · 18:38

Research shows that intelligence has virtually no correlation with happiness—people who score higher on IQ tests are…

Strange gamma-ray signal could unlock dark matter’s secrets

2026-08-20 · 18:00

Researchers spotted an unusual gamma-ray signal in three galaxy clusters, which may be a telltale sign of dark matter –…

I should have loved biology

2026-08-20 · 17:50

The author argues that high school biology education failed to convey the genuine wonder and astonishment of biological…

Show HN: We chased a weather balloon across Montana and never found it

2026-08-20 · 17:33

A team launched a high-altitude weather balloon payload called UpLink across Montana in 2025 to test 3D-printed…

Inertia Enterprises finds a way to make its fusion fuel fast

2026-08-20 · 16:00

Fusion power startup Inertia Enterprises reduced the fuel filling process from a week to just a few hours.

Will personalised mRNA vaccines transform cancer treatments?

2026-08-20 · 15:48

A personalised mRNA cancer vaccine has produced positive results in a final-stage trial involving skin cancer, raising…

Two emerging tick viruses that can be deadly are spreading in the US

2026-08-20 · 15:00

Heartland virus and Bourbon virus, which are transmitted by lone star ticks, have killed at least seven people in the US

Read the daily news roundup →