Science Daily

More than 1,000 genetic switches reveal why female immunity is different

More than 1,000 genetic switches behave differently in male and female immune cells, helping explain why women are much more vulnerable to autoimmune diseases such as lupus. Female immune systems appear genetically tuned for stronger inflammatory responses—a powerful defense against infection that may also make dangerous immune misfires more likely.

science  Aug 20, 2026

NASA News

APOD: 2026 August 20 – The Elephant’s Trunk in Cepheus

APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 20 – The… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss   APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. The Elephant’s […]

science  Aug 20, 2026

The Guardian Science

The threatening thaw: climate professor on heatwave risks to tipping point of permafrost

Prof Gustaf Hugelius warns wildfires could accelerate release of methane and carbon as vast regions approach irreversible thresholdsHeatwaves and wildfires are not just scorching forests, they are adding to the tipping point risks in the world’s vast permafrost regions, which contain three times more carbon than all the living vegetation on Earth.This is a major concern for Gustaf Hugelius, a professor at the Bolin Centre of Climate Research at Stockholm University, Sweden, and a leading authori

science  Aug 20, 2026

The Guardian Science

It’s finally raining. Will it be enough to end the drought? – podcast

After a summer that has seen England and Wales experience the driest July since records began, rain is finally on the horizon. But with reservoirs at ‘exceptionally low’ levels, will there be enough rain to replenish stocks? Madeleine Finlay hears from Dr Anna Murgatroyd, a lecturer in hydrology at Newcastle University, about how much rain we need to see us through next summer, why we’re now at increased risk of floods, and what we can all be doing to take better care of our water suppliesSuppor

science  Aug 20, 2026

NASA News

An Uncommon Drifter in the Denmark Strait

A large iceberg, observed in summer 2026, had drifted more than 1,000 kilometers south from the northeastern Greenland bay where it likely originated.

science  Aug 20, 2026

Science Daily

AI-designed “intrabodies” could unlock new treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and MND

Researchers have developed a new way to turn ordinary antibodies into tiny disease-fighting molecules that can work inside human cells, potentially opening new paths for treating Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s disease, and motor neurone disease.

science  Aug 20, 2026

Science Daily

MIT physicists discover electrons rebuilding like ice inside a quantum material

MIT physicists found that two electronic phases inside the same quantum material emerge through surprisingly different mechanisms—one smoothly and the other in expanding pockets resembling growing ice crystals. The discovery could help explain how exotic properties such as superconductivity and magnetism develop and coexist.

science  Aug 20, 2026

Science Daily

Researchers reveal deeper workings of brain’s information hub

The brain has a remarkably flexible system for handling uncertainty and changing situations. Researchers found that the frontoparietal cortex constantly shifts how it communicates with other brain regions depending on what information is needed to make a decision. Rather than simply becoming more active when things get difficult, this network appears to reorganize itself in real time.

science  Aug 20, 2026

Science Daily

A mother’s age can shape her offspring without changing their DNA

Scientists have found evidence that the effects of a mother’s age on her offspring may be driven by reversible changes in gene activity rather than permanent DNA damage. The discovery raises the fascinating possibility that biological information from mothers, grandmothers, and even great-grandmothers can shape the health of future generations.

science  Aug 19, 2026

NASA News

NASA TechLeap Prize: Orbital Clarity Challenge

The Orbital Clarity Challenge — the sixth in the NASA TechLeap Prize series — is a collaborative effort between NASA’s Heliophysics Division, Flight Opportunities program, and Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation. The Heliophysics Division studies space weather, including how it heats and expands Earth’s outer atmosphere during intense solar activity, creating orbital drag through atmospheric density changes. The […]

science  Aug 19, 2026

NASA News

NASA Updates Next Steps for Commercial Swift Boost Mission

Due to an ongoing commercial spacecraft attitude control issue, NASA and Katalyst Space announced Wednesday the LINK spacecraft will not capture or boost an agency satellite to a higher altitude to extend its science mission as planned. However, LINK still will attempt to conduct rendezvous and proximity operations with NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to […]

science  Aug 19, 2026

NASA News

Human-Related Microbes May Survive Moon’s South Pole, NASA Finds

Lee esta historia en español aquí. Some of Earth’s microbes likely to hitch a ride to space with human explorers could survive in the shaded nooks and crannies of the Moon’s South Pole region, NASA scientists say.  Published on Aug. 19, 2026, in Science Advances, these findings highlight a need to better understand microbial persistence […]

science  Aug 19, 2026

NASA News

Ancient Milky Way Merger

This artist’s concept, released on Aug. 17, 2026, depicts a collision between our Milky Way galaxy and a dwarf galaxy known as LKH that happened about 12 billion years ago. A study of data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, recently published in the journal Nature Astronomy, shows definitive evidence of a dwarf galaxy merging with the young […]

science  Aug 19, 2026

The Guardian Science

Astronomers detect fastest known star in Milky Way

Star’s extreme proximity to Sagittarius A* means it could open new window onto black hole’s fundamental propertiesAstronomers have detected the fastest known star in the Milky Way, hurtling around the supermassive black hole at the heart of the galaxy.The star, called S301, travels at around 25,000km per second, 100,000 times faster than a commercial plane. It is also the closest known star to the Milky Way’s central black hole, Sagittarius A*, approaching it around the distance of Saturn to the

science  Aug 19, 2026

NASA News

NASA Establishes State Hubs to Grow Technical Aerospace Workforce

NASA has awarded approximately $10.5 million to seven institutions to help strengthen and streamline state-based pathways for students into skilled technical jobs in the aerospace industry. The awards were made through the new NASA Aerospace Skilled Technical Workforce Hubs initiative, or NASA State Hubs. This investment in state ecosystems is designed to accelerate the development […]

science  Aug 19, 2026

NASA News

Career Spotlight: Mechanic (Ages 14-18)

What does a mechanic do? Machines and engines are all around us. They power everything from cars and boats to airplanes and even rockets. Mechanics are experts who know how machinery works, especially engines, and how to fix them. When you think of a mechanic, you might picture someone working on cars. But mechanics can […]

science  Aug 19, 2026

Science Daily

Coffee drinkers have less fat, more muscle, and surprising hormone differences

Coffee drinkers may be getting more than an energy boost. A Finnish study found that people who drank more coffee tended to have less total and abdominal fat, more muscle, and healthier metabolic markers despite having similar BMIs. Higher coffee intake was also linked to lower levels of certain amino acids associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes risk.

science  Aug 19, 2026

Science Daily

Scientists turn probiotic bacteria into tiny drug factories for pancreatic cancer

Engineered probiotic bacteria were able to infiltrate pancreatic tumors, stimulate cancer-fighting immune cells, and slow tumor growth in animal studies. Even more strikingly, the treatment worked better when combined with chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy.

science  Aug 19, 2026

Science Daily

Tiny quantum engines reveal useful energy hiding in “waste heat”

A tiny machine made from just an atom and particles of light may sound impossibly simple, but it raises a surprisingly difficult question: what counts as heat, and what energy can still do useful work? University of Basel researchers have developed a theoretical framework that brings quantum physics and thermodynamics into better agreement for these microscopic “light engines.”

science  Aug 19, 2026

Science Daily

Pollen has a surprising problem — and honeybees have found a way around it

Honeybees can apparently detect when their food has the wrong balance of essential nutrients and adjust how much they eat to avoid potentially harmful excesses. They also transform pollen into remarkably well-balanced “baby food” for their larvae, revealing a sophisticated nutritional strategy hidden inside the hive.

science  Aug 19, 2026