https://news.jlopes.eu/science Science news from NASA, Quanta, New Scientist, Smithsonian, and Guardian Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-south-african-river-bacteria-natural.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-south-african-river-bacteria-natural.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:20:03 GMT Every day, millions of liters of polluted water flow through many South African rivers and disappear into the sea. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-eu-curbs-chemicals-food-packaging.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-eu-curbs-chemicals-food-packaging.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:01 GMT New EU restrictions on toxic substances known as "forever chemicals" in food packaging kicked in Wednesday, along with broader rules aimed at cutting packaging waste in the bloc. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-african-grasslands-million-year-earlier.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-african-grasslands-million-year-earlier.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 23:40:04 GMT The iconic grassland savannas of Africa are geographically extensive and important for both local fauna and the global climate. But where did they come from, and how will they change in the future? On... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-aidesigned-viruses-biosecurity-pace.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-aidesigned-viruses-biosecurity-pace.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 23:20:07 GMT Scientists have crossed an important line in biological engineering. In a recent study, researchers used artificial intelligence to design complete sets of genetic instructions for bacteriophages, vir... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-drug-nanoparticles-venous-malformations-mice.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-drug-nanoparticles-venous-malformations-mice.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 23:20:01 GMT Venous malformations are abnormally shaped veins that develop when the cells lining blood vessels grow too fast when they aren't supposed to. Children can be born with them, and as the child grows, th... https://www.newscientist.com/article/2581325-from-the-mine-to-the-grid/?utm_campaign=RSS|NSNS&utm_content=home&utm_medium=RSS&utm_source=NSNS https://www.newscientist.com/article/2581325-from-the-mine-to-the-grid/?utm_campaign=RSS|NSNS&utm_content=home&utm_medium=RSS&utm_source=NSNS Wed, 12 Aug 2026 23:01:00 GMT How Komatsu machines help build Atlassian Williams F1 Team’s FW48 https://phys.org/news/2026-08-glacial-collapse-antarctica-sea.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-glacial-collapse-antarctica-sea.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 23:00:02 GMT With approximately one-third of the world's population living within a day's walk of a coastline, sea-level rise poses a serious global threat. Every centimeter of sea-level rise could displace 1.5 mi... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-unsupervised-free-likelihood-adolescents-engage.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-unsupervised-free-likelihood-adolescents-engage.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 22:40:05 GMT A study involving more than 58,000 adolescents from 21 countries found that "unstructured free time"—defined as periods without adult supervision or activities guided by educational, cultural or athle... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ancient-egyptian-tomb.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ancient-egyptian-tomb.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 22:40:01 GMT Looking inside a newly discovered ancient tomb for the first time is both exciting and terrifying. I was fortunate to experience this recently as director of an international research team carrying ou... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ultrafast-joule-significantly-mxene.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ultrafast-joule-significantly-mxene.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 22:30:04 GMT MXenes are two-dimensional materials made of very thin layers of metals, measured on the atomic scale. They conduct electricity well and have surfaces that can easily interact with other materials, ma... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-space-doesnt-affect-strength-heart.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-space-doesnt-affect-strength-heart.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 22:20:03 GMT It's common to see images of astronauts on the International Space Station exercising, running on special treadmills and pedaling cycles designed for tight quarters. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thousands-of-years-ago-denisovans-might-have-been-huge-especially-compared-to-their-archaic-human-neighbors-180989327/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thousands-of-years-ago-denisovans-might-have-been-huge-especially-compared-to-their-archaic-human-neighbors-180989327/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 22:14:27 GMT New research offers rare insight into our extinct cousins who lived in Asia and who may have towered over petite "Homo erectus" https://phys.org/news/2026-08-graphene-nanowrinkles-reshape-electricity-future.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-graphene-nanowrinkles-reshape-electricity-future.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 22:10:01 GMT Rice University researchers have shown that tiny wrinkles in graphene can change the material's electrical properties, providing evidence for flexoelectricity, a phenomenon in which a material generat... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-dying-star-rare-glimpse-universe.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-dying-star-rare-glimpse-universe.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 22:00:07 GMT Astronomers have captured an unprecedented image of a cosmic recycling project in progress—fragments of a dying star being busted up, stripped and absorbed into interstellar space. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-wildfires-peat-indonesia-tropical-forests.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-wildfires-peat-indonesia-tropical-forests.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 22:00:05 GMT Peatland fires in Indonesia pose a major threat to habitats, wildlife and people. That risk is exacerbated by the country's periodic El Niño warming phases, which bring prolonged drought. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-fast-wildfires-western-forests-recovering.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-fast-wildfires-western-forests-recovering.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:50:01 GMT The severe, drought-fueled fires now burning across much of the American West and Canada may be scorching forests so thoroughly that they cannot recover to the forests they once were, new research sho... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-pain-isnt-european-viper-venoms.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-pain-isnt-european-viper-venoms.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:40:05 GMT For many people, the fear of venomous snakes is linked to one thing: pain. Yet new research led by scientists at Bangor University suggests that, for Europe's vipers, at least, causing pain may never... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-greener-material-decontamination.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-greener-material-decontamination.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:40:04 GMT University of Birmingham scientists who used green chemistry to make a next-generation metal-organic framework (MOF) for capturing heavy metals from wastewater have shown that it is cheaper and more r... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-wars-nations-persistent-escalation-decades.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-wars-nations-persistent-escalation-decades.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:30:01 GMT Military leaders frequently underestimate how big the wars they engage in will get. Gen. Douglas MacArthur predicted U.S. troops could come home from the Korean War in time for Christmas, just months... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-polymer-membrane-high-purity-hydrogen.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-polymer-membrane-high-purity-hydrogen.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:20:06 GMT In Nature Communications a research team led by Professor Tae-Hyun Bae of the KAIST Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering introduced hydrogen-selective transport pathways at the angstrom... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-supernovae-seeded-rocky-planet-blocks.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-supernovae-seeded-rocky-planet-blocks.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:20:03 GMT The building blocks of rocky planets may have begun forming just 100 million years after the Big Bang—long before the first galaxies even existed—according to new research from the University of Ports... https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-historian-at-mit-discovered-the-surprising-truth-about-this-chinese-label-long-thought-to-be-a-souvenir-of-the-boston-tea-party-180989328/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-historian-at-mit-discovered-the-surprising-truth-about-this-chinese-label-long-thought-to-be-a-souvenir-of-the-boston-tea-party-180989328/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:17:23 GMT The saga of the artifact displayed at Boston's Old South Meeting House demonstrates how the study of history evolves https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/08/have-physicists-finally-discovered-glueballs-new-evidence-points-to-yes/ https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/08/have-physicists-finally-discovered-glueballs-new-evidence-points-to-yes/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:13:39 GMT “It’s the strongest evidence yet that particles dominated by a glueball component can exist in nature.” https://phys.org/news/2026-08-soil-myxobacteria-reveal-classes-bioactive.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-soil-myxobacteria-reveal-classes-bioactive.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:10:01 GMT Most antibiotics used clinically are based on natural compounds produced by bacteria and other microorganisms. At the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), researchers are u... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-soil-global-virtual-reality-farmers.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-soil-global-virtual-reality-farmers.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:00:06 GMT Last year, we described Agrilo, an affordable "colorimetric" soil-testing system developed through research at MacEwan University. Using a smartphone camera to interpret color changes, Agrilo measures... https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/aug/12/europe-solar-eclipse-spain-uk-iceland-latest-news-updates https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/aug/12/europe-solar-eclipse-spain-uk-iceland-latest-news-updates Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:00:02 GMT Eclipse witnessed by tens of millions across western Europe as enthusiasts gather along path of totalitySolar eclipse 2026 across Europe: in picturesCruise ships, quiet towns and an all-day festival:... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-europe-worst-medieval-highlights-successive.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-europe-worst-medieval-highlights-successive.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:50:04 GMT New research involving the University of Liverpool has provided comprehensive insights into the largest flood event in Europe over the past millennium—the flood traditionally known as "St. Mary Magdal... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-dna-highlights-genetic-vulnerability-asian.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-dna-highlights-genetic-vulnerability-asian.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:50:02 GMT The DNA of Asian elephants tells a concerning story. Although all four subspecies are under pressure, there are considerable differences in their genetic health. In an article published in the journal... https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2026/aug/12/solar-eclipse-visible-over-houses-of-parliament-and-big-ben-in-london-video https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2026/aug/12/solar-eclipse-visible-over-houses-of-parliament-and-big-ben-in-london-video Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:49:31 GMT People gathered to watch a partial solar eclipse in central London. The eclipse, which reached more than 90% coverage in the UK, was western Europe's first total solar eclipse in 27 years Continue re... https://www.nasa.gov/technology/tech-transfer-spinoffs/nasa-data-helps-commercial-space-plan-living-off-our-moon/ https://www.nasa.gov/technology/tech-transfer-spinoffs/nasa-data-helps-commercial-space-plan-living-off-our-moon/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:40:27 GMT The barren lunar landscape has some important resources, such as water and minerals like iron and titanium, but extracting and processing them will require special equipment. Where those resources can... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-severe-weather-key-predictor-bird.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-severe-weather-key-predictor-bird.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:40:06 GMT Scorching heat waves, severe cold snaps and other extreme weather events are limiting where species can exist—and affecting biodiversity estimates—for more than 500 North American bird species, accord... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-source-tool-automated-lipid.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-source-tool-automated-lipid.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:40:01 GMT In collaboration with the University of Vienna, the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and Heidelberg University, researchers at the TUD Dresden University of Technology have developed an innovativ... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-sugar-swap-production-cancer-therapies.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-sugar-swap-production-cancer-therapies.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:30:01 GMT Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed a simpler way to produce a fast-growing class of targeted cancer therapies, a discovery that could make the medicines easier to manufa... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-traffic-pollution-worsen-taiwan-haze.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-traffic-pollution-worsen-taiwan-haze.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:20:07 GMT Taiwan's air has gotten measurably cleaner over the past decade, yet in many towns the hazy, milky-white sky that blurs mountains and city skylines has not cleared at the same pace. A research team le... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-stellar-stream-milky-tool-dark.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-stellar-stream-milky-tool-dark.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:20:06 GMT In the image above, a faint trail of stars can be seen stretching across the galaxy. These structures, known as globular cluster stellar streams, are coherent stellar structures that retain a record o... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-genetic-tomatoes-fruit-cold-weather.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-genetic-tomatoes-fruit-cold-weather.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:10:01 GMT Every tomato begins with a flower. But before a fruit can grow, an intricate sequence of events must happen in perfect order. The flower's male and female organs must develop together, pollen must be... https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-completes-daring-big-bang-fix-on-the-voyager-2-probe-allowing-it-to-keep-studying-interstellar-space-180989312/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-completes-daring-big-bang-fix-on-the-voyager-2-probe-allowing-it-to-keep-studying-interstellar-space-180989312/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:09:24 GMT Scientists swapped three of the probe’s heating devices for ones that use less energy, and they might do the same with Voyager 1. Both spacecraft launched almost 50 years ago https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/2026-total-solar-eclipse-in-spain/ https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/2026-total-solar-eclipse-in-spain/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:08:28 GMT A total solar eclipse is seen from San Millán de los Caballeros, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. A total solar eclipse – the Moon passing between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of th... https://phys.org/news/2026-08-routine-daily-life-rare-high.html https://phys.org/news/2026-08-routine-daily-life-rare-high.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:00:09 GMT Many people think of negotiation as something reserved for salary talks, car purchases, or business deals: infrequent, high-stake encounters most people would rather avoid. A new study shows that this... https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2026/aug/12/iceland-in-complete-darkness-during-total-solar-eclipse-video https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2026/aug/12/iceland-in-complete-darkness-during-total-solar-eclipse-video Wed, 12 Aug 2026 19:18:25 GMT Reykjavík, Iceland, falls into complete darkness as the solar eclipse reaches totality on 12 August Continue reading... https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/following-pope-leo-vivs-encyclical-the-vatican-announces-a-new-art-triennial-celebrating-human-creativity-and-empathy-in-the-age-of-ai-180989321/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/following-pope-leo-vivs-encyclical-the-vatican-announces-a-new-art-triennial-celebrating-human-creativity-and-empathy-in-the-age-of-ai-180989321/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 19:00:28 GMT More than 100 artists will showcase their art on four continents as the Catholic Church continues to emphasize human creativity and relationships over artificial intelligence tools https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stunning-new-images-reveal-whirlpools-on-the-suns-surface-the-swirling-strutures-might-help-power-solar-flares-180989292/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stunning-new-images-reveal-whirlpools-on-the-suns-surface-the-swirling-strutures-might-help-power-solar-flares-180989292/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 18:19:56 GMT Observed directly in the solar photosphere for the first time, the vortices might braid magnetic fields, thought to be responsible for energy buildups and eventual outbursts. The features also offer c... https://www.newscientist.com/article/2584315-running-with-a-pram-seems-to-reduce-the-risk-of-injuries/?utm_campaign=RSS|NSNS&utm_content=home&utm_medium=RSS&utm_source=NSNS https://www.newscientist.com/article/2584315-running-with-a-pram-seems-to-reduce-the-risk-of-injuries/?utm_campaign=RSS|NSNS&utm_content=home&utm_medium=RSS&utm_source=NSNS Wed, 12 Aug 2026 18:00:00 GMT Pushing a pram while running may reduce the force produced with each foot strike, decreasing the risk of injuries https://archaeology.org/news/2026/08/12/colonial-era-hospital-and-church-excavated-in-lima/ https://archaeology.org/news/2026/08/12/colonial-era-hospital-and-church-excavated-in-lima/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 18:00:00 GMT LIMA, PERU—According to a report in The Art Newspaper, traces of a sixteenth-century hospital and […] The post Colonial-Era Hospital and Church Excavated in Lima appeared first on Archaeology Ma... https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/ames/nasa-upgrades-vertical-motion-simulator-for-modern-mission-needs/ https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/ames/nasa-upgrades-vertical-motion-simulator-for-modern-mission-needs/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:55:36 GMT Imagine stepping into a machine that can make you feel like you’re flying a spacecraft, piloting a next generation air taxi, or landing on the Moon, all without leaving the ground. NASA’s Vertical Mot... https://archaeology.org/news/2026/08/12/nile-delta-necropolis-used-for-thousands-of-years/ https://archaeology.org/news/2026/08/12/nile-delta-necropolis-used-for-thousands-of-years/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:30:00 GMT DAKAHLIYA, EGYPT—Ahram Online reports that a necropolis containing burials dating from the Predynastic period through […] The post Nile Delta Necropolis Used for Thousands of Years appeared firs... https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-divers-discovered-a-162-year-old-bottle-of-guinness-brewed-during-the-reign-of-queen-victoria-and-they-want-to-take-a-swig-180989320/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-divers-discovered-a-162-year-old-bottle-of-guinness-brewed-during-the-reign-of-queen-victoria-and-they-want-to-take-a-swig-180989320/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:28:38 GMT The beer was preserved in a sealed glass bottle and may be safe to sample. The team is also hoping to sequence the DNA of the yeast to recreate what the stout would have tasted like in the 19th centur... https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-the-boogie-board-became-one-of-summers-most-popular-toys-180989316/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-the-boogie-board-became-one-of-summers-most-popular-toys-180989316/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:02:02 GMT Fifty-five years ago, surfer Tom Morey cut a piece of polyethylene foam with a carving knife and created a wave-riding board with a low barrier of entry https://www.newscientist.com/article/2584064-we-should-decide-how-ai-shapes-the-future-not-tech-firms/?utm_campaign=RSS|NSNS&utm_content=home&utm_medium=RSS&utm_source=NSNS https://www.newscientist.com/article/2584064-we-should-decide-how-ai-shapes-the-future-not-tech-firms/?utm_campaign=RSS|NSNS&utm_content=home&utm_medium=RSS&utm_source=NSNS Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMT OpenAI and its competitors want to dictate the role that artificial intelligence will play in our society – it's time to take back control of the narrative https://www.newscientist.com/article/2584050-twisteddoodles-3/?utm_campaign=RSS|NSNS&utm_content=home&utm_medium=RSS&utm_source=NSNS https://www.newscientist.com/article/2584050-twisteddoodles-3/?utm_campaign=RSS|NSNS&utm_content=home&utm_medium=RSS&utm_source=NSNS Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMT This week's cartoon from Twisteddoodles