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In 1879, Edwin Hall discovered an electrical effect thought to need a perpendicular magnetic field; 147 years later, scientists have shown it can work with the field in-plane
For more than a century, the Hall effect has been taught with a simple picture that electricity flows through a material, a magnetic field pushes the moving charges sideways, and a voltage appears across the material. Now, scientists have found a way to make that familiar phenomenon work in a direction once thought impossible.
Scientists poured pink dye into Florida’s Lake Jackson to trace hidden water; about 1 month later, it appeared at Wakulla Spring through limestone caves
A dye was injected into a sinkhole beneath Florida's Lake Jackson and took about five weeks to reach Wakulla Spring, which was evidence that water can move between the two sites through the underground limestone aquifer. The lake is about 19 miles north of Wakulla Spring, and researchers detected distinctive Rhodamine WT dye signals at the spring 35 days after the injection, according to a 2024 study in the Journal of Cave and Karst Science.
In 2024, scientists dyed Michigan’s Peter Lake blue to block sunlight, then added fertilizer; despite the dye, rain washed pigment out and algae turned it green
In the summer of 2024, researchers dyed the water of Peter Lake, located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, USA, with a non-toxic blue dye called Aquashade, then deliberately added fertilizer to the same lake. The experiment wasn't done for beautification.
A ‘devil flower’ with no leaves, no branches, no green part has been discovered in a Thai forest, scientists say its bizarre appearance is hiding an even stranger secret
It has no leaves, no branches and no green parts, and spends much of its life concealed beneath fallen leaves on the forest floor. Scientists have now described a bizarre new flowering plant from Thailand, naming it Thismia daemona, the “devil flower”, for its dark, horn-like appearance.
Video: The C.D.C. Is Waging a Political Fight Over Measles Deaths
After Pennsylvania reported two measles deaths, the C.D.C. took the highly unusual step of challenging the state. Our reporter Apoorva Mandavilli explains how this tension between the Trump administration and states over health issues is creating confusion for Americans.
Is Jon Ossoff the key to Democratic success in 2028?
This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to David A. Graham of the Atlantic about why Jon Ossoff decided to take the fight to Donald Trump in August, and why this has rattled Republicans
A Surge of Russian Sabotage Attacks in Europe, and Musk’s Political War Chest
Plus, your Friday news quiz.
End of the world: Scientists reveal 7 countries most likely to survive a global collapse by maintaining society and food production
With countries fighting wars and natural calamities sweeping away civilisations, it seems a global collapse might be a spark away. But the possibility of entire humanity vanishing off the face of Earth seems a little less plausible with the years of effort we have spent preparing solutions for such situations.
Video: Opinion | The Joke That Started a Political Movement
“For more than a decade, the people in India were scared of questioning the government. Now, finally, people are no longer scared,” Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old Indian university graduate whose viral X post led to the creation of the Cockroach Janta Party, tells Opinion Video.
Video: Why the N.B.A. Banned the Richest Owner in U.S. Sports
A yearlong league probe, sparked by Pablo Torre’s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation, found that the billionaire Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer helped to secure endorsement deals for star Kawhi Leonard, breaking salary cap rules.
iPhone 18 Pro Chip Leak Indicates Major GPU and Memory Bandwidth Improvements
An alleged solder joint diagram for Apple's A20 Pro chip suggests the processor will deliver a number of significant upgrades, including a seven-core GPU, a wider memory interface, and a larger L2 cache for its efficiency cores. The claims come from a Weibo user who says the layout was reconstructed by mapping the chip's solder ball positions and overlaying them with die level images to sketch out where each block of the processor sits.
In 2001, scientists began adding 5 to 6 nanograms per litre of synthetic estrogen to an Ontario lake; after 2 seasons its minnow population collapsed
A tiny concentration of a synthetic hormone was enough to trigger a dramatic ecological change in a remote Ontario lake. In 2001, scientists began adding the synthetic estrogen 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) to Lake 260 in northwestern Ontario, maintaining concentrations of about 5 to 6 nanograms per litre.
In 2010, US scientists released dye into Montana’s Missouri River and tracked it across 41.2 miles; one reservoir held the plume for 8.2 hours, helping predict chemical-spill timing
A river can carry a contaminant far beyond the point where it enters the water, but predicting exactly how quickly that material will travel is not always straightforward. In 2010, scientists with the U.S.
Video: Opinion | What A.O.C.’s Egg Freezing Says About Politics
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Karoline Leavitt may have very different politics, says Kristen Soltis Anderson, but they’re both publicly navigating similar realities: being young women in the public eye and navigating career ambition alongside questions of fertility and family.
Tyfone acquires lendtech Attune for Loanovia business
nFinia developer Tyfon acquires digital account opening and loan origination specialist Attune - find out more about the Loanovia integration here.
Could humans ever communicate with whales?
Ever since the earliest known recording of whale song was made in 1949, researchers have been captivated by the wails, rumbles, clicks, grunts and squeals of their communication. As technology improves, scientists are decoding the intricate patterns that make different species’ vocalisations distinctive. Madeleine Finlay hears from Emma Bryce, a journalist who has spent months investigating human efforts to understand whale song. She explains how this knowledge could help us better protect whales from human-made harms.Credits:1. Valeria Vergara/Raincoast Conservation Foundation2. Footage courtesy of Raincoast Conservation Foundation - Obtained for research under SARA permit XMMS 4 20263. Video by Amanda Cotton/Project CETI4. Footage courtesy of Valeria Vergara and GREMM. Obtained for research under SARA permits QUE-MM02-2016 and QUE-LEP-001-20185. Project CETI6. Project CETI
Scientists added sulfuric acid weekly to an Ontario lake for 17 years, lowering pH from 6.8 to 5.2; decades later its lake trout population remains below half its former level
A lake in northwestern Ontario became the setting for a landmark experiment on the effects of acid rain. For 17 years, scientists deliberately added sulfuric acid to Lake 223 every week, gradually changing the water's chemistry to mimic the effects of acid rain that was damaging lakes across North America and Europe.
OpenClaw that Sam Altman spent billions on and claims to have beaten GTA 6 gets 'largest update in its history'
OpenClaw has rolled out OpenClaw 2.0, marking the most extensive software upgrade in the open-source artificial intelligence (AI) agent platform’s history since its debut last year. Announcing the release, the development team playfully referenced Rockstar Games’ upcoming November title launch with the social post, “HA!
In 1990, the northern spotted owl became a symbol of America’s logging wars; 36 years later, scientists say it is already functionally extinct across large swaths of its range
In 1990, a small bird became an unlikely symbol of one of America’s fiercest environmental battles. The northern spotted owl was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, putting the future of vast stretches of old-growth forest in the Pacific Northwest at the centre of a bitter fight between environmentalists and the logging industry.
A Chicago physicist proposed a way to create quantum images 20 years ago; after two decades waiting for experimental proof, superconductors have finally produced the effect he predicted
Dirk Morr, a physics professor at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), has developed a quantum imaging strategy that uses superconductors as tiny projectors. The research, published in Nature Physics, provides experimental support for an idea Morr first proposed two decades ago.
Does microwaving food make it unhealthy? What the science says
There is something about the microwave that makes it seem less wholesome than a stove. Perhaps it is the speed, the strange humming sound or the long-running fear that radiation somehow gets into the food. But when scientists look at what actually happens inside a microwave, the story is considerably less alarming. Microwaving food does not make it radioactive or inherently unhealthy. In fact, research suggests that, for many foods, microwave cooking can preserve nutrients as well as, or sometimes better than, conventional cooking. Scroll down to read more....
Why 1000 citizen scientists from 25 countries across the world buried their cotton underpants
What happens when you bury a pair of cotton underpants in the ground and come back two months later? For nearly 1,000 citizen scientists in Switzerland, the answer offered an unusual window into the hidden world beneath their feet.
How did Trump get so rich?
Jonathan Freedland speaks to Dan Alexander of Forbes about how Donald Trump made so much money last year at the same time trade wars, military wars and a rising national debt hurt the US economy
Creatine: is there truth behind the hype?
Creatine has become the go-to supplement for anyone wanting to give their fitness a boost and build muscle. It’s even made it out of the gym, with influencers touting its cognitive benefits. But what’s the science behind creatine, and does the evidence stack up? Madeleine Finlay hears from science editor Ian Sample and Dr Justin Roberts, professor of nutritional physiology at Anglia Ruskin University
Fishy business: who really profits when sardines go viral?
Once a cheap store-cupboard staple, sardines are fast becoming a luxury food item. Last year, #SardineGirlSummer saw influencers promoting the health benefits of sardinemaxxing, while sardinecore became the must-have fashion trend. Now, demand is accelerating just as Morocco’s sardine stock has collapsed, causing shortages on supermarket shelves. The Guardian travels to Matosinhos in Portugal, the cultural home of the sardine industry, to investigate who is profiting from the boom, how it has affected local fishermen, and what sustainability looks like in an era of global heating
Scientists turned plastic bottles and corn waste into protein-rich cookies; the food could help tackle hunger problem and also feed space crews
Researchers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIU Carbondale) are working on a technology that turns plastic waste from a water bottle into part of a cookie. For this, they programmed yeasts to convert material from plastic waste and agricultural waste into proteins, fats, acids, vitamins and flavouring molecules.
Mojtaba Khamenei seen, heard in rare video amid health concerns
A new video of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has surfaced amid growing mystery over his health, appearance and whereabouts.
In 2007, scientists used NASA satellite measurements to reveal 14 areas of moving water beneath West Antarctica; one hidden lake had drained about 2 cubic kilometres in three years
Antarctica may look like a vast, frozen and unchanging landscape, but deep beneath its thick ice lies a surprisingly active world. In 2007, scientists reported findings based on measurements collected by NASA’s ICESat satellite between 2003 and 2006, revealing major changes in the surface of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and signs of water moving through hidden lakes far below.
Gemini on Pixel 11 Pro testing ‘Device help’ tool
On the Pixel 11 Pro, we're seeing a new "Device help" tool for the Gemini app that provides personalized and conversational assistance...
Scientists checked 109 owl nests in Turkey and found live snakes inside 44% of them, with a surprising twist
A nest box occupied by a Eurasian scops owl might seem an unlikely place to find a live snake, yet that is exactly what researchers repeatedly encountered in central Türkiye. Across six breeding seasons, they inspected 109 owl nests and found the small worm snake Xerotyphlops vermicularis in 44% of them.
Scientists overturned hundreds of rocks in Barbados and finally found the world's smallest snake after 20 years
After nearly 20 years without a confirmed sighting, scientists in Barbados have finally rediscovered the world’s smallest-known snake. According to the Associated Press, the tiny Barbados threadsnake was found beneath a rock during an ecological survey in central Barbados, bringing an end to a search that had seen researchers turn over hundreds of rocks in the hope of finding the elusive reptile.
Meet Jerry Xu, the 17-year-old Massachusetts student who built an AI program that turns protein structures into strings of numbers; he won $90,000
Imagine, what if a protein's complex 3-D structure could be converted into a simple string of numbers—and that string could help scientists understand what the protein does? That’s the premise of an innovative AI model developed by 17-year-old Jerry Xu of Lexington, Massachusetts, who earned $90,000 in the Regeneron Science Talent Search for his research, states an online report by the Society for Science.
Apollo 15 astronauts collected tiny green glass beads from the Moon in 1971; more than 35 years later scientists found evidence of water inside, changing what we knew about the lunar interior
In 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts David Scott and James Irwin noticed something unusual on the Moon: tiny green flecks scattered across the otherwise grey surface. They collected samples and brought them back to Earth, unaware that the material would decades later challenge a long-held belief about the Moon.
In 2011, scientists injected yellow-green fluorescein dye into Maui’s wastewater wells; 84 days later, it appeared near the Pacific, supporting an underground wastewater connection
For years, environmental groups and residents near Lahaina, Maui, suspected that treated wastewater pumped underground was somehow finding its way into the Pacific Ocean, a concern later confirmed by a University of Hawaii tracer study that Earthjustice and other groups cited in their legal campaign against Maui County’s disposal practices. Divers had documented unusual submarine springs bubbling up off Kahekili Beach Park as early as 2007, and elevated nitrogen isotope readings in nearby macroalgae hinted that these springs carried something other than ordinary groundwater, according to USGS-led research on nearshore groundwater discharge at the site.
Meet Mythreya Dharani, the 18-year-old New Jersey student who built an AI model to predict how individual tumors will respond to the chemotherapy drug cisplatin
Mythreya Dharani’s achievements in the high school science research arena are few and far between. The Society for Science, which organizes the prestigious Regeneron Science Talent Search, announced that 18-year-old Mythreya from New Jersey developed an AI model to predict how individual tumors would respond to the chemotherapy drug cisplatin.
A new snake species discovered in the jungle has been named after Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash; here’s why scientists chose the rock star’s name
A newly described snake from the forests of New Guinea has been given a name familiar to rock fans around the world. Scientists have named the non-venomous species Lielaphis slashi, or Slash’s groundsnake, after Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, whose real name is Saul Hudson.
Jill Lepore on why the artificial state is ‘doomed’
This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to historian Jill Lepore about how this latest AI backlash could influence those all-important elections in November. Are we seeing the beginning of the end of the 'artificial state'?
It's finally raining, but the drought's not over
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 supplies
Scientists discovered four snakes curled together in a burrow for 38 million years as the volcanic ash preserved their remarkable fossils
A snake fossil discovery in Wyoming has given palaeontologists an unusually close look at the lives of these ancient reptiles. Four complete skeletons belonging to a newly recognised species, have helped researchers understand an early member of the ‘boa family’ and the history of small, burrowing snakes in North America.
Meet Seth Nabat, the 18-year-old California student who built a two-network machine-learning system to track particle collisions; he won $40,000
Every year, nearly 1,900 of the nation’s most promising high school seniors submit original research to the Regeneron Science Talent Search (Regeneron STS), the oldest and most prestigious science and mathematics competition in the United States. According to the Society for Science, which runs the competition, the Regeneron STS recognises and empowers young scientists who are developing ideas that could solve society’s most urgent challenges.
The ultra rich are collecting fossils. And that’s bad for science
One of the UK’s best fossil collections has been sold overseas in what experts have called a loss to the nation. The collection, which is now on display at the Natural History Museum in Abu Dhabi, was gathered on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. As dinosaur fossils sell to private collectors for increasingly large sums, scientists are worried that domestic museums are being priced out of the market, and in turn scientists are missing out on the opportunity to make new observations. To find out how fossils became big business and what it could mean for research, Madeleine Finlay hears from science correspondent Nicola Davis
'Needs to be moved to hospital now': Imran Khan's health in jail deteriorates
NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Tuesday raised the alarm over jailed ex-PM Imran Khan’s worsening health, saying his medical reports were “alarming” and pointing to anxiety, heart palpitations and high blood pressure.
'They were Indian, so we didn’t count them': US cleaning business owner faces scrutiny over racial profiling
I teach my team to profile every client:"They were Indian so we didn't count them as a lead" "She is a typical Karen so we gave her a partial refund" "They were ghetto so we requested photos of their house" You need to know who's on the other side of the phone.
In 1948, scientists left a giant fossil on an Arctic island because they could not carry it; 78 years later it became a record-size new predator
Nearly 80 years ago, a British expedition discovered the battered remains of a giant fossil on the peak of an Arctic island. Unable to take it with them, they snapped some pictures, took some bones and left the fossil to be ravaged by the icy winds and rain.
The trouble with getting used to miracles
Success has a strange effect on wonder. It turns miracles into infrastructure!
The mindblowing invertebrates you have never heard of
Each year the Guardian runs a competition to find the invertebrate of the year. To find out more about the 2026 nominees science editor Ian Sample hears from climate reporter Petra Stock, environment reporter Oliver Milman and Science Weekly co-host Madeleine Finlay. They each nominate an incredible invertebrate that you might never have heard of, and argue why their choice should come top. Vote for your favourite now and the winner will be unveiled on 17 August
We’re reading less. And it’s making us stupid
Books have never been trendier, but studies show that as more and more things compete for our frazzled attention spans, we’re reading less and less. This is a problem because reading has a wealth of cognitive benefits that we’re in danger of missing out on.To find out why declining literacy could affect everything from memory to IQ, Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian’s science editor, Ian Sample. She also hears from Prof Falk Huettig, an experimental psychologist at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics and author of The Perks of Being a Bookworm
Video: How We’re Covering an ‘Identity Crisis’ in Politics
Recent primary wins have posed critical questions for both Republicans and Democrats as they head into the fall midterms. Carolyn Ryan, managing editor of The New York Times, shares how reporters approach coverage of shifting political dynamics.
In 1967, US satellites hunting secret nuclear tests detected a flash from deep space; the accidental signal became the first observed gamma-ray burst
For more than half a century, gamma-ray bursts have remained one of the most puzzling events observed in space. These bursts are sudden flashes of gamma rays, a very high-energy form of light.
Iran Releases Rare Mojtaba Khamenei Video To Counter Explosive Reports On His Health
In 2018, scientists found just 39 surviving clams in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon; they bred them and have since outplanted 65 million
After decades of environmental decline, Florida's Indian River Lagoon is beginning to show signs of recovery. With funding from NOAA Fisheries' Office of Habitat Conservation, the Indian River Lagoon Council is leading a system-wide effort to restore the habitats that once sustained the lagoon's fish and wildlife.
Scientists create OnlyFans account for marmots to fund research
UCLA professor Daniel Blumstein and his team started an OnlyFans account to raise money for their research amid government funding cuts
In 1934, scientists heard reports of mushrooms causing visions of tiny people; in 2026, DNA linked the phenomenon to one species in China and the Philippines
In 1934, Western scientists first heard reports from Papua New Guinea of wild mushrooms causing visions of tiny people, a phenomenon called "mushroom madness." Nearly a century later, DNA sequencing has confirmed that a single, identical mushroom species causes these same hallucinations in communities thousands of miles apart in China and the Philippines.
Trump unbound: the making of an imperial presidency
Donald Trump’s second term is unlike his first. The politicians who challenged him are gone. The lawyers who once pushed back now choose their battles. What remains is an imperial president with almost no internal checks - using executive power to reshape everything from the economy to immigration and even the presidency itself.
Scientists studied animal bones in South Australia’s underwater caves; those near light carried algae marks while bones in total darkness remained remarkably pristine
Animal bones resting on the floors of South Australia's underwater caves are revealing far more than the identity of the creatures they once belonged to. According to a new study published in PLOS One, the cave environment itself leaves distinct "fingerprints" on bones, helping scientists reconstruct how they were deposited, the environmental conditions they experienced after deposition, and the processes that affected their preservation over time.
New Gemini overlay for Wear OS rolling out to Pixel Watch
Gemini on Wear OS is getting a new overlay design that takes after Neural Expressive on Android phones to boost cross-device consistency.
Business owner and attorney deliver demand notice to Savannah leaders over liquor license dispute
The owner of a Savannah event venue and her attorney have sent city officials a 14-page legal demand, requesting $500,000 in lost revenue and a formal review of the West Savannah alcohol overlay that has blocked the business from obtaining a liquor license.
Video: How the Migrant Crisis in Ceuta Ignited a Backlash Against the Far Right
A sudden migrant surge from Morocco into the Spanish territory of Ceuta attracted the presence of far-right, anti-immigrant politicians. But many locals say they don’t want their multicultural home to be used as a political prop.
Which type of thinker are you? + US explosive diarrhoea outbreak
Madeleine Finlay is joined by Ian Sample, Guardian science editor, to discuss three eye-catching science stories including an investigation that has identified four distinct types of thinker. Also on the agenda is the unprecedented cyclosporiasis outbreak in the US which has now been linked to two fatalities, and the funding cuts that threaten the iconic Jodrell Bank world heritage site, home to the Lovell telescope
Google Earth’s potential disinformation nightmare
A new feature briefly allowed Google Earth users to overlay AI-generated images on locations of their choosing
How J. Robert Oppenheimer brought together thousands of scientists to build the world's first atomic bomb
Prior to 1945, nuclear weapons were just an idea that could be discussed in theoretical physics literature. This changed when J.
Innocent Canadian man spent 18 months in prison after police missed underscore in username
A Canadian man who spent 18 months in prison has been fully acquitted after an appeals court found that a minor error in a police request led investigators to wrongly identify him in a child exploitation case, CTV News reported.
Video: Opinion | What Happens to America’s Political Parties After Trump?
Democrats have an anger problem. Republicans have a Trump problem.
Video: Opinion | A Doctor Weighs In on the Health Tracking Craze
If a fitness enthusiast like Joe Rogan wants to scan his body ad nauseam to track his wellness, that’s fine, says Dr. Rachael Bedard on “The Opinions.” But using those scans to look for medical abnormalities can lead to costly, potentially harmful follow-up tests.
AOC 2028: could she be the first female US president?
Leftwing Democrats are having their political moment in the sun, with Zohran Mamdani in New York, Adbul El-Sayed in Michigan and the endless calls for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run for president in 2028
Florida sixth grader Naboshree Santra developed biodegradable soilshade balls designed to reduce evaporation and retain moisture; the 11-year-old is now competing for a $25,000 science prize
An 11-year-old schoolgirl from Oviedo, Florida, has created a simple tool to help farmers save water during dry weather. Naboshree Santra, a sixth grader at Jackson Heights Middle School, made special soilshade balls that break down naturally.
India’s 'looksmaxxing' economy: More science, more spending, fewer taboos
What’s in your latest beauty haul?
After World War II, a few snakes reached Guam; they now number up to 30,000 per square mile, and scientists found 19,000 hidden genetic changes
After World War II, a small number of brown tree snakes somehow made it to Guam, likely hidden in cargo, and the island has been dealing with the consequences ever since. Today, the snakes are so widespread that in some parts of the U.S.
Hubble finds four hidden stars just 65 light-years from Earth that astronomers could never see before
Astronomers have directly detected four previously hidden white dwarfs orbiting nearby red dwarf stars, solving a long-standing observational challenge and improving our understanding of how close binary star systems evolve. The newly confirmed stellar remnants lie within 20 parsecs (around 65 light-years) of the Sun and had remained concealed because their faint light was overwhelmed by the much brighter glow of their companion stars.
He topped IIT-JEE with AIR 1, turned down Computer Science, chose Physics instead — today his discoveries are taught around the world
For most IIT aspirants, securing an All India Rank (AIR) 1 in the IIT-JEE is the ultimate dream. It is often seen as a passport to the country's most sought-after engineering branches, lucrative careers, and global opportunities.
Scientists found a 2,865-pound predator from before dinosaurs ruled Earth; now 2,000 ordinary people are helping reveal its skeleton
A huge fossilised skeleton weighing 1,300 kilograms (2,865 pounds) that was found in southern Poland is currently being chipped out of solid rock by a group of more than 2,000 public volunteers.
Scientists attach cameras to whale sharks, capturing how the world’s biggest fish hunts like never before
For decades, marine scientists have watched whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), the world’s biggest fish, from boats and while snorkelling. They could only catch glimpses of the world’s largest fish gliding through tropical waters.
Inside science's 'forbidden experiment': Why scientists kill 9 million sea lampreys every year in the Great Lakes of America
At the June meet-and-greet organised by the GLFC, half a dozen sea lampreys posed for the cameras at the Capitol. One of them even sucked on the palm of Representative Bill Huizenga, as per a CNN report.
In 2025, US scientists poured 16,500 gallons of lye and bright pink dye into the Gulf of Maine, the first federally approved attempt to reverse the ocean's rising acidity
On an August morning in 2025, a research vessel in the Gulf of Maine released 16,500 gallons of sodium hydroxide (lye) into the ocean while a plume of bright pink dye spread across the water's surface. To onlookers, the vivid pink patch looked alarming.
Aboriginal people harvested channel millet for thousands of years, and scientists have now found the native grass carries 12 copies of each chromosome
Seen from the air, Channel Country in outback Australia looks like a vast, living tapestry. A web of rivers and creeks fans out across more than 280,000 square kilometres of desert, creating one of the world’s last truly free‑flowing arid river systems.
Trump scores own-goal as World Cup overflows with politics
TOI correspondent from Washington: Spain won the World Cup but Donald Trump nearly stole the moment of glory.
Scientists have found an ancient sea worm with jaws made from a mysterious 'bio-metal' never encountered before, a discovery that could rewrite what we know about nature
Imagine you’re playing “20 Questions” and you start with the classic opener: “Animal, vegetable, or mineral?” Most of the time, a sea worm would be an easy answer: animal. But one particular marine species, the ancient and still-living bristle worm Perinereis cultrifera, complicates that simple choice.
A Quebecer noticed a strange circular pit on Google Maps while planning a trip; scientists have now confirmed it is a 390-million-year-old meteorite impact crater
In late 2023, amateur astronomer Joël Lapointe was doing something very ordinary: Mapping out forest roads for a summer road trip in Quebec. While zooming around northern regions on Google Maps, he spotted something that looked anything but ordinary.
An asteroid shattered near Jupiter’s gravitational gateway 800 million years ago; scientists say the debris may have bombarded Earth for 150 million years
A massive asteroid that broke apart around 800 million years ago may have sent a huge number of rocky fragments towards Earth, the Moon and Mars, according to a new study led by researchers at the Southwest Research Institute.
Scientists used children’s ‘silly sprinklers’ to solve a physics problem Richard Feynman could not; the reverse version spins 50 times slower
If you’ve ever watched a “silly sprinkler” in action (those bright, looping contraptions that twist and spray water in wild patterns) you’ve probably just seen them as summer fun. But a group of mathematicians have turned these backyard toys into tools for solving a famous physics puzzle that stumped even Nobel Prize–winning physicist Richard Feynman.
Video: Opinion | The ‘Devil’s Bargain’ at the Heart of American Politics Now
This week: the Todd Blanche hearing, Lindsey Graham’s legacy and progressive infighting.
Are American politicians too old?
The debate about how old is too old to serve in public office has resurfaced this week after the shock death of the Republican senator Lindsey Graham and the surprise return of Mitch McConnell, the 84-year-old senator who published a photo of himself in hospital after a long absence from the spotlight
Scientists discovered a plastic-eating fungus in the Amazon rainforest that survives without oxygen and could one day help tackle landfill waste worldwide
Deep within the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest, scientists discovered a fungus with an extraordinary ability that could offer new clues in the fight against plastic pollution. Known as Pestalotiopsis microspora, the fungus can break down polyester polyurethane, a widely used type of plastic, and use it as a source of carbon.
How tiny pollen grains helped solve a brutal murder: The fascinating science behind nature's invisible crime scene evidence
Blood, fingerprints, and weapons aren't the only evidence investigators look for at a crime scene; pollen is another. Pollen grains are one piece of evidence that has helped solve some of the highest-profile murder cases in recent years, one grain at a time.
Dhar's Saraswati is Gayatri: Science ends 900-year mix-up
BHOPAL: Wrong goddess. Wrong identity.
Two giant Asian praying mantis species are spreading across Europe, helped by climate change and urbanisation, and scientists warn they are threatening pollinators, frogs and lizards
Two giant Asian praying mantis species are rapidly spreading across Europe, leading scientists to officially classify them as invasive threats to native wildlife.
Scientists finally know why gold never tarnishes, and the secret lies in its self-protecting surface
For thousands of years, humans have valued pure gold because it stays bright and shiny without becoming dull. Now, scientists have discovered that gold has a tiny self-protection system that actively stops oxygen from damaging its surface.
They're Building Half A Bridge to Save Science...
Today’s post is about science: what you can do now to protect it from unprecedented threats, and how your action is the first half of a long-term program that Congress must take up next. Let me start with describing the embryonic state of science advocacy. There are many well-meaning organizations: the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Research!America, and subject-specific organizations such as the Society for Neuroscience and the American Physical Society. Their general approach is to emphasize the common good: the remarkable value that science and innovation have provided to all Americans. However, these organizations are offering an incomplete solution. Before I start, a preliminary: If you already know about the threat, go ahead and weigh in with OMB at this link. Ideas about what to say come from Research!America and the American Physical Society. You have until Monday, July 13 at 11:59pm Eastern. Then come back here and read the rest of this post. Finally, get in touch with whoever is likely to be your next member of Congress in 2027. The threat: An end to merit-based science… The onslaught of attacks on science is accelerating. It’s not just cuts to grants, which was the last battle. That battle is not done yet, but there is a new and worse threat. Now comes a proposed public rule from the Office of Management and Budget. The rule would take decision-making power over grants away from experts and put it into the hands of political appointees. Former NIH official Elizabeth Ginexi wrote an excellent summary of what OMB is trying to do, which is codify the executive branch’s ability to award or terminate grants, for arbitrary cause or no stated cause. Since World War II, a necessary step in scientific grant-making has been consideration of scientific merit. This approach has made America into a dominant scientific superpower, the envy of the world. Of course, political considerations do come into the mix. The proposed rule tilts the balance dramatically away from merit. …but why? Many people have difficulty comprehending why Russell Vought and OMB would want to damage science in this way. If you’re a working scientist, you are likely to be particularly uncomprehending. Who would hurt an activity so self-evidently good? The answer is: this is part of the program to replace the rule of law with a personalist regime. OMB Director Russell Vought, a Christian nationalist, would like to implement what legal scholars call a “unitary executive,” and what I would call a dictatorship. Or if you like, a personalist authoritarian regime. I am a working scientist. This rule will debilitate my research. It may chill the speech of scientists for speaking freely in the public sphere. It is a form of personalizing power and decision-making within the executive branch. In short, it sacrifices science in the service of tyranny. To Russell Vought, a decrease in the quality of science might be an acceptable cost. He might even consider it an added benefit to weaken a pillar of soft U.S. power based on knowledge and skepticism. The professional societies are building half a bridge The nonprofits are asking you to make public comment. Public comment is like building the first half of a bridge. Before implementation, OMB is compelled by law to have a period of public comment. Rules have to be consistent with the law and the Constitution. They express the federal government’s stance toward how those laws will be implemented. When a presidential administration works in good faith, these public comments are used to inform their eventual action, and sometimes mitigate it. The comment period reflects our First Amendment right to petition our government. The executive branch is then supposed to take those comments into account - completing the bridge between us, the people, and our government. Project 2025 seeks to take away the second half of the bridge. We have to replace it. The first half of the bridge Organizations like AAAS, Research!America, and SfN are partly right. You should certainly comment. Their core model is earnest: if enough of us make noise, then we will achieve change. This idealistic point of view is offered in good faith. That point of view is also currently bullshit. The fundamental reason is that the federal rulemaking process has two parts: There has to be a period of public comment. OMB makes the final rule…but is free to disregard public comment. Oops. That’s a loophole. However, not all is lost. Congress can complete the bridge Congress has enormous power. That power suggests a roadmap for how to proceed. This lawless administration is still going to issue that rule. Nonetheless, your comments still play an essential role. Here are two steps you can take. Step 1: Send your comment to your Representative and Senator. Whether they are Democrats or Republicans, many of them support science. Whatever you wrote as public comment in the Federal Register, also send it to your member of Congress. You can include information about jobs in your district or state by looking at Joshua Weitz’s ScienceMatters interactive map. Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and give your town, zip code, or state, then deliver your message. Step 2: Politicize the hell out of science. You heard me, politicize it as an issue. We hear a lot from the old scientific establishment about science being nonpartisan. This is obsolete, sentimental thinking. Under normal conditions, it was true. But we can no longer make that assumption. We can keep on pretending, but we’re putting science at risk. There is a way forward. Rules are subordinate to the law…and Congress makes laws. Therefore Congress can step in. In this fall’s election, it is likely that Democrats will retake the House of Representatives. That puts at least one chamber of Congress in the hands of Democrats. They are far more inclined than the current Congress to investigate and legislate. This opens a path to undoing the damage. It also creates a permission structure for pro-science Republicans to find a way back from the brink. We have to encourage them. In the House, every district is up every two years. In your district, contact both of the major party candidates. If your state has a Senate race, contact those candidates too. Specifically mention the proposed OMB rule. Ask for two things: For this year’s appropriations process in August and September, ask that amendments be added to stop the implementation of the new rule. Those amendments should support peer-reviewed science and stop political interference. Looking ahead to next year, ask the Congressman/Congresswoman/Senator to work to hold hearings in 2027 on the importance and benefits of peer-reviewed science for health and prosperity. What hearings and amendments will accomplish Congress can use its investigatory power to summon heads of agencies and the director of the OMB. That will allow fact-finding regarding the consequences of this rule. Congress can override the rule through the appropriations process. They can write into statute a requirement to follow peer review and best scientific practices. In this way, Congress can stop the attacks on science. Postscript: Moving forward Now I have a request for you, to help me. As many of you know, I ran for Congress in order to save democracy and science. Although I did not win, that battle continues by other means. I met and heard from thousands of supporters both here in New Jersey and nationally. I learned that pro-science, pro-democracy activists have the potential to become a much greater force. In the weeks and months ahead, I will be building ways to harness that energy. I will be announcing those plans soon. In the meantime, an important step is to wind down the Congressional campaign, which has a few remaining bills to pay. Please help me retire that last debt.
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