The Guardian Science

What is a blue micromoon and when is the best time to see it this weekend?

A blue micromoon is a rare spectacle, though it’s not as blue or as micro as you might imagineThis weekend the night skies will feature a rare spectacle – a blue micromoon. We take a look at what the phrase means and how to catch a glimpse of the event. Continue reading...

science  May 30, 2026

The Guardian Science

‘There is no way to stop this’: ‘Biotech Barbie’ Cathy Tie on her mission to genetically modify babies

The Canadian entrepreneur has always pushed the boundaries of gene editing, once attempting to turn horses into unicorns. Now she is set on modifying human embryos – something her controversial ex-husband was jailed for doingOn a Friday evening in late April, Cathy Tie, the Canadian serial entrepreneur and self-styled “Biotech Barbie”, is centre stage at New York City’s famous Carnegie Hall, performing Saint-Saens’ Piano Concerto No 2 on a gleaming Steinway grand piano, accompanied by an orchest

science  May 30, 2026

NASA News

NASA Awards Contract for Johnson Space Center Infrastructure

NASA has selected seven companies to provide construction, revitalization, and infrastructure improvements at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The Johnson Space Center Multiple Award Construction Contract supports up to $300 million in upgrades to mission‑support facilities, utilities, and equipment across the NASA Johnson campus. All funds must be obligated by Sept. 30, 2026. […]

science  May 29, 2026

NASA News

NASA Hosts SpaceX Crew-11 Astronauts for Public Event at Headquarters

NASA will host a public event featuring three crew members from the agency’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission at 11 a.m. EDT Monday, June 1. The event, which takes place during the crew’s standard postflight visit, will be held in the Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in the Mary W. Jackson building, 300 E. Street SW in […]

science  May 29, 2026

The Guardian Science

Groundbreaking genomic test could spare millions of breast cancer patients chemotherapy

Trial suggests patients with a low test score could be treated with hormone therapy alone with near-identical outcomes‘Like Christmas’: woman’s relief after test finds she can skip chemotherapy Millions of women with breast cancer could be spared chemotherapy with a groundbreaking genomic test, according to the results of a trial that could transform healthcare guidelines worldwide.Treatment for breast cancer, the world’s most prevalent form of the disease, involves surgery to remove tumours. Ch

science  May 29, 2026

The Guardian Science

‘Like Christmas’: woman’s relief after test finds she can skip chemotherapy

Karen Bonham was part of successful trial for genomic test that determines which women with breast cancer can safely avoid chemotherapyGroundbreaking genomic test could spare millions of breast cancer patients chemotherapyA landmark study shows millions of women with breast cancer could skip chemotherapy thanks to a genomic test that determines who needs the treatment and who doesn’t.The randomised international trial specifically looked at whether the test could identify those patients who woul

science  May 29, 2026

NASA News

NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Primary Mirror Gets Last Look

Engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, have completed their final inspection of a key element for the agency’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: the primary mirror. This 7.9-foot (2.4-meter) mirror will collect and focus light from cosmic objects near and far, helping Roman capture stunning panoramas of space. “The Roman engineering […]

science  May 29, 2026

NASA News

Hubble Spies Faint Irregular Galaxy

This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image released on May 27, 2026, features the dwarf irregular galaxy ESO 490-017, roughly 12,000 light-years in diameter and some 23 million light-years away in the constellation Canis Major. The galaxy’s low surface brightness makes it appear as a faint, starry swarm behind brighter foreground stars that are easily recognized by their diffraction spikes. […]

science  May 29, 2026

Science Daily

Protein traffic jams may explain aging, memory loss, and Alzheimer’s

Scientists at Stanford may have uncovered a hidden reason our brains decline with age. Studying the ultra-short-lived turquoise killifish, researchers discovered that the cellular machinery responsible for building proteins begins to jam and malfunction over time. Tiny structures called ribosomes start colliding and stalling while reading genetic instructions, triggering a chain reaction that leads to faulty proteins and harmful clumps linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s.

science  May 29, 2026

Science Daily

Astronomers finally solve Saturn’s decades-long spin mystery

A decades-old mystery about Saturn has finally been solved thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope. Scientists discovered that Saturn’s changing “rotation rate” was never caused by the planet speeding up or slowing down, but by powerful winds high in its atmosphere. Webb’s unprecedented observations revealed that Saturn’s northern lights actively heat the atmosphere, creating winds that generate electrical currents, which then power the aurora all over again in a self-sustaining cycle.

science  May 29, 2026

Science Daily

Hidden driving danger when edible cannabis and alcohol mix

Using cannabis edibles and alcohol together may make drivers far more impaired than either substance alone, according to new research from Johns Hopkins. Even more concerning, common field sobriety tests often failed to detect the cannabis-related impairment.

science  May 29, 2026

The Guardian Science

Don’t shoot for the moon: aiming for ‘above average’ is key to success, maths suggests

Model created by researchers shows better outcomes are often more likely when people are not too ambitiousIt is the end of an idiom for motivational speakers. Instead of shooting for the moon when pursuing life’s goals, researchers say people should be advised to aim a little lower if they want the best outcome.The tip may lack the punch of uncompromising drive, but aiming for merely above average tends to work out better, according to a mathematical model the team created to explore how ambitio

science  May 29, 2026

The Guardian Science

‘It’s an obsession’: the man on a family mission to save the glutinous snail

Ian Hughes is boosting one of Europe’s most at-risk species with science, his sons and some homemade T-shirtsIan Hughes and his son, Ben, are driving through the hills of north Wales with an array of homemade animal artefacts rattling around their car: diagrams, plaster casts, hand-printed T-shirts. They finally reach Llyn Tegid – Bala Lake in English – where, knee-deep in the water, Ian brandishes two glutinous snails.It is a mollusc the size of a fingertip. It is also one of Europe’s most enda

science  May 29, 2026

Science Daily

This bizarre crocodile relative from the Triassic looked like an ostrich dinosaur

Scientists have discovered Labrujasuchus expectatus, a bizarre crocodile relative that looked more like an ostrich-like dinosaur than anything resembling a modern crocodile. It walked on two legs, had tiny arms, and sported a toothless beak—an unexpected combination for a member of the crocodile lineage.

science  May 29, 2026

Science Daily

This newly discovered raptor may have hunted like a giant heron

A newly discovered raptor-like dinosaur from Patagonia is changing how scientists think about ancient predators. Named Kank australis, the 70-million-year-old dinosaur appears to have hunted fish much like modern herons, using a long, flexible neck and specialized vertebrae adapted for swift, precise movements.

science  May 29, 2026

NASA News

Hubble Captures M88 on Journey to Center of Virgo Cluster

This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features the active spiral galaxy Messier 88 (M88), located about 63 million light-years away.

science  May 29, 2026

Science Daily

Scientists say evolution may work differently than we thought

A major research study is challenging one of evolution’s most influential ideas: that most genetic changes that become permanent are essentially neutral. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that beneficial mutations are actually far more common than scientists have long assumed. The puzzle is that these advantageous mutations rarely spread through entire populations. Their answer? Nature keeps changing the rules.

science  May 29, 2026

Science Daily

A silent kidney crisis is spreading far faster than experts expected

A sweeping global study found that chronic kidney disease now affects nearly 800 million people and has become one of the world's leading causes of death. Often silent in its early stages, the condition is also a major contributor to heart disease and may be even more common than current estimates suggest.

science  May 29, 2026

The Guardian Science

Week in wildlife: a baby pangolin, a gorilla super-mum and Formula One geese

This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...

science  May 29, 2026

Science Daily

Twisted graphene reveals a hidden superconductivity switch

Scientists have uncovered a surprising new way to control superconductivity — the mysterious phenomenon where electricity flows with zero energy loss. By pairing twisted layers of graphene with a synthetic diamond material, researchers were able to effectively switch superconductivity on and off by tweaking how electrons interact with their surroundings. Even more intriguing, the material behaved in ways that defied the rules of conventional superconductors, hinting at an entirely new kind of ph

science  May 29, 2026