August 12 total eclipse gives scientists chance to probe Sun's mysteries

Scientists plan to use the total solar eclipse on August 12 in Spain to study the Sun. Experts will examine the magnetic field and atmosphere during the event. "We're incredibly lucky," said astrophysicist Allan Sacha Brun. This rare chance helps researchers understand solar storms that often impact our technology on Earth.

Voyager 2’s 'shocking' discovery at Triton: Why those erupting plumes changed space science forever.

Voyager 2 passed Neptune's moon Triton in 1989 and photographed it erupting, a discovery scientists called the flyby's biggest surprise. Dark plumes rose nearly eight kilometres and drifted downwind. This showed that even the coldest surface in the Solar System could be active, changing how many experts view outer space.

Stanford scientists discover immune cells that explode like microscopic bombs

Stanford scientists discovered immune cells in planarian flatworms that explode like microscopic bombs. These cells, called ruptoblasts, react to the hormone activin by bursting to kill surrounding tissue. "We never expected that a cell could just explode like a bomb," said senior author Bo Wang about this unique immune response.

New Semiconductor Device Unlocks Stable High Temperature Bose Einstein Condensates

A team led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory observed a tunable Bose-Einstein condensate of excitons at high temperature in an atomically thin semiconductor. Principal investigator Feng Wang said, “Our work provides a way to access that hidden structure directly.” This new platform could help build faster, more efficient computing devices.

Marijuana use surpasses cigarette smoking in US, study finds

A new federal study found that marijuana use in the United States surpassed cigarette smoking in 2025. Nearly 44 million Americans used marijuana, while 36 million smoked cigarettes. While marijuana use got popular among young adults, alcohol remained the most used substance. Many people still prefer drinking over these other habits.

SpaceX rocket stage expected to slam into Moon

A SpaceX rocket upper stage will crash into the Moon this Wednesday at 2:35 am Eastern. The 8,800-pound booster will hit the lunar surface at 5,400 miles per hour. Benjamin Fernando said, "It might be possible for folks with a telescope to observe the plume of ejecta created by the impact."

Iron-modified carbon nanofibers cut the energy cost of CO₂ capture

A study published in Sustainable Carbon Materials on 10 March 2026 showed that iron-modified carbon nanofibers cut energy costs for CO₂ capture. Researchers from Central South University found that 10% iron-loaded nanofibers increased the desorption factor by 25% and lowered energy use by 14% compared to untreated carbon nanofibers.

AI Links Mineral Chemistry and Geoscience Data to Guide Exploration

Researchers Taghipour et al. explored how artificial intelligence can integrate complex geoscientific data to improve mineral exploration. Their recent review shows how machine learning models process diverse information like satellite imagery and geochemical assays. These tools help experts identify new deposits more effectively to meet the rising global mineral demand.

Family Bonds Influence Bull Shark Social Lives

New research shows bull sharks prefer spending time with their relatives. Scientists used six years of observations at Fiji’s Shark Reef Marine Reserve to track these social habits. Lead author Natasha D. Marosi said, "To discover that some of these large, apex predators choose to socialise with their relatives is truly exciting."

The World's Rivers Are Running Out of Sand

Industrial sand mining is extracting river sediment faster than nature can replace it. A review of 411 studies since 1974 showed that global demand for construction materials is unsustainable. In Vietnam, hydrologist Dung Duc Tran said, "Between 2015 and 2022, approximately 366 million cubic meters of sand was extracted there."

Artificial Cells Unlock Living Cell Shape Secrets

A research group led by Makito Miyazaki of the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences in Japan used artificial cells to uncover how living cells change shape. They showed that the actin cytoskeleton generates these changes without complex signaling. These findings, published in Science Advances, help advance future regenerative medicine.