The Guardian Science

Edge of Armageddon: why does one of the world’s top thinkers believe we’re nearing nuclear apocalypse?

In a chilling new book, theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli says we’re back on the brink – and this time, leaders chronically lack the nous of Kennedy and Khrushchev. So why is he against rearming?Should European members of Nato be rearming in the face of the Russian threat? And if not, I ask Carlo Rovelli, why not? The Italian theoretical physicist seems a good person to answer these questions since his timely new book, 85 Seconds to Midnight, is subtitled A Physicist’s Argument against Rearmam

science  Jun 25, 2026

The Guardian Science

Nature or nurture: can genes shape our behaviour? – podcast

How much do our genes determine about our lives, and could they influence traits like risk-taking, antisocial behaviour or even violence? Ian Sample talks to Kathryn Paige Harden, a behavioural geneticist and professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin who studies how genetic factors shape human behaviour. In her book Original Sin she explores how nature and nurture combine to influence our likelihood of committing crimes, and asks whether the ‘cause’ of our actions matters for

science  Jun 25, 2026

NASA News

A Turquoise Tint for the Black Sea

Phytoplankton added a milky blue hue to the waters of the Black Sea and nearby waterways in spring and summer 2026.

science  Jun 25, 2026

Science Daily

A NASA satellite caught a giant tsunami doing something no one expected

A Pacific-wide tsunami triggered by a magnitude 8.8 Kamchatka earthquake gave scientists their first detailed satellite view of a major tsunami in motion. The observations revealed unexpected wave behavior and helped uncover a larger earthquake rupture than earlier models predicted.

science  Jun 25, 2026

The Guardian Science

The dawn of the designer baby – podcast

Jenny Kleeman investigates ‘Biotech Barbie’ Cathy Tie, the controversial entrepreneur hoping to revolutionise human reproduction by letting parents edit their embryosMeet Cathy Tie: serial entrepreneur, self-described “Biotech Barbie”, and the woman aiming to revolutionise reproduction by using Crispr to edit human embryos.Beneath the tech-startup polish lies a provocative mission: to take the biological lottery out of the hands of nature and place it into the hands of parents. Continue reading.

science  Jun 25, 2026

NASA News

NASA’s TESS Mission Reveals the “Puffiest” Planets Ever Found

NASA has revealed two new “super-puff” planets, giant worlds so light that their density is comparable to cotton candy. Scientists calculate that these Jupiter-sized planets are the “puffiest” worlds ever found.

science  Jun 25, 2026

The Guardian Science

What is China’s SpaceSail, and could it rival Elon Musk’s Starlink?

The company has just a few hundred satellites in low Earth orbit but has state backing and is already reportedly negotiating with dozens of countriesElon Musk’s Starlink has long dominated the satellite internet industry, but a Chinese government-backed project is aiming to challenge its position.SpaceSail has just a few hundred satellites in low Earth orbit compared with Starlink’s 10,000-plus. But the company says it now has enough satellites to begin its first commercial application, is scali

science  Jun 25, 2026

NASA News

NASA at the Ion: Orion Lessons from Artemis II Shape NASA’s Moon to Mars Path

Seven weeks after the Orion spacecraft returned four astronauts from humanity’s first crewed journey around the Moon since Apollo, Artemis II Orion Vehicle Manager Branelle Rodriguez reflected on the mission’s achievements and how it is shaping NASA’s return to the lunar surface and future missions to Mars.  Introduced by NASA’s Johnson Space Center Acting Director of Business Development and Technology Integration Monte

science  Jun 24, 2026

NASA News

La NASA compartirá los últimos avances del programa Base Lunar

Lea esta nota de prensa en inglés aquí. El administrador de la NASA, Jared Isaacman, ofrecerá una conversación virtual el martes 30 de junio a las 2:30 p.m. EDT (hora del este) para compartir las novedades más recientes sobre los planes de la agencia para construir una base en la superficie de la Luna. El […]

science  Jun 24, 2026

NASA News

NASA to Share Latest Moon Base Mission Progress

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will host a virtual conversation at 2:30 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, June 30, to share updates to NASA’s plans to build a Moon Base on the lunar surface. Administrator Isaacman and Carlos García-Galán, Moon Base program manager, will discuss the next set of awards for new lunar lander missions and preview upcoming […]

science  Jun 24, 2026

NASA News

Roman Telescope Comes to Kennedy

In this June 21, 2026, photo, NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope arrives at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard NASA’s Pegasus barge. After offloading and transportation to the spaceport’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, Roman will undergo processing ahead of launch, targeted no earlier than Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. Named for NASA’s first […]

science  Jun 24, 2026

NASA News

NASA’s HiRISE Captures Perseverance Marking a Milestone on Mars

Description NASA’s Perseverance rover appears as a green speck on the Martian surface on June 13, 2026, a day before the robotic explorer marked a distance milestone, having traveled a full marathon (26.2 miles, or 42.195 kilometers) on the Red Planet. Perseverance reached that distance after five years and four months of driving — on […]

science  Jun 24, 2026

NASA News

Euclid View of Milky Way Heart Previews Core Survey by NASA’s Roman

A new look at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy by Euclid, an ESA (European Space Agency) mission with NASA contributions, overlaps with a region scientists will observe with NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, launching later this summer. This sneak peek gives astronomers a major jumpstart on a core Roman survey, helping scientists […]

science  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian Science

Nasa rover detects potential signatures of ancient microbial life on Mars

Perseverance identifies organic carbon molecules in rocks on riverbed that carried water billions of years agoNasa’s Perseverance rover has detected complex carbon molecules in Martian rocks that are already in the spotlight for bearing potential signatures of ancient microbial life.Measurements taken by the rover’s Sherloc instrument identified organic carbon in mudstones from the Bright Angel outcrop as it trundled along Neretva Vallis, a dried-up river that carried water into the planet’s Jez

science  Jun 24, 2026

The Guardian Science

AI helps read papyrus scroll burnt to crisp during Vesuvius eruption

Previously hidden text revealed without unrolling scroll discusses stoic philosophy on ethics, art and human behaviourThe surviving part of an ancient scroll that was burnt to a crisp when Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2,000 years ago has been virtually unwrapped and read with help from artificial intelligence.Researchers uncovered 20 columns of previously hidden text covering more than a metre of charred papyrus without physically unrolling the scroll. The work discusses stoic philosophy on eth

science  Jun 24, 2026

Science Daily

The universe may be hiding conscious minds stranger than we can imagine

What if consciousness isn’t limited to brains like ours? Philosophers Eric Schwitzgebel and Jeremy Pober argue that consciousness could arise in many different forms of life, even in beings built from radically different materials than those found on Earth. Drawing on the vastness of the universe and the likely existence of countless alien civilizations, they suggest it would be surprisingly Earth-centric to assume that only Earth-like biology can support conscious experience.

science  Jun 24, 2026

NASA News

Career Spotlight: Electrician (Ages 14-18)

What does an electrician do? Electricity powers the world, and electricians are the ones who get it where it needs to go. An electrician is an expert who is trained to make sure electrical systems and equipment are installed safely and working correctly. Electricians are involved in a variety of systems, including power, lighting, communications, […]

science  Jun 24, 2026

Science Daily

Scientists discover ancient brain cells that help block distractions

Scientists have discovered a tiny group of neurons in an ancient brain region that acts like a built-in focus filter, helping the brain ignore distractions and zero in on what matters most. When researchers temporarily switched off these neurons in mice, the animals became unusually distractible—similar to what is seen in ADHD—but regained normal focus as soon as the neurons were reactivated.

science  Jun 24, 2026

Science Daily

Scientists discover hidden “footprints of death” that may help viruses spread

Scientists have uncovered a surprising new twist in what happens when cells die. As dying cells break apart, they leave behind tiny “footprints of death” packed with newly discovered particles that help guide the immune system to clean up the remains. But researchers found that influenza viruses can exploit this process, hiding inside these microscopic packages and potentially using them to spread to nearby cells.

science  Jun 24, 2026

Science Daily

Why South Africa’s leopards shrank to half their normal size

A hidden population of South African leopards has revealed a remarkable evolutionary story. Researchers analyzing entire leopard genomes discovered that the Cape Floristic Region’s leopards are not only much smaller than most African leopards, but also genetically distinct after being isolated for roughly 20,000 years. Surprisingly, despite their small population, they have retained much of their genetic diversity.

science  Jun 24, 2026