Science

Planetary scientists analyzing oxygen isotopes in lunar soil from the Apollo mission sites conclude that meteorite bombardment over 4 billion years could only have delivered a tiny fraction of Earth’s water, forcing researchers to rethink a long-held theory. A close-up view of a portion of a ‘relatively fresh’ crater, looking southeast, as photographed during the

The Vela Junior supernova, also known as RX J0852.0-4622 or G266.2-1.2, exploded a few thousand years ago, leaving behind a glowing nebula, but scientists couldn’t answer just how far away it was and how big the explosion was. That has changed with the discovery of a still-forming star, Ve 7-27. Using the Multi Unit Spectroscopic

Analyzing data from more than 268,000 people, researchers found that genes involved in thiamine (vitamin B1) metabolism play a key role in gut motility, opening new avenues for personalized treatments of constipation and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Díaz-Muñoz et al. identified therapeutically tractable mechanisms involved in the control of gut motility, including a previously unrecognized

Image of the Day for January 27, 2026 Weeks of intense rain overwhelmed rivers and reservoirs, displacing hundreds of thousands of people. NASA Earth Observatory Jan 27, 2026 View more Images of the Day: Residents of southern Mozambique who live or farm near rivers are accustomed to heading to higher ground during the wet season.

To an untrained eye, the aircraft engine sitting outside of a Cincinnati facility in December might have looked like standard hardware. But NASA and GE Aerospace researchers watching the unit fire up for a demonstration knew what they were looking at: a hybrid engine performing at a level that could potentially power an airliner.   It’s something new in the

As NASA fosters technologies needed to live and work farther away from home than ever before, the agency’s Technology Transfer program has the sole mission of getting those innovations into the hands of companies, entrepreneurs, and, ultimately, everyday people. The agency’s Spinoff publication has captured this endeavor for half a century, sharing stories of space

Space-based technology could help track plastic and other flotsam by its ‘fingerprints.’ In late 2025, scientists reported that, for the first time, they were able to detect concentrations of plastic pollution on land using NASA’s Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) sensor aboard the International Space Station. The technology has inspired marine researchers to

With the Webb telescope’s unprecedented sensitivity, scientists are learning more about dark matter’s influence on stars, galaxies, and even planets like Earth. Scientists using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have made one of the most detailed, high-resolution maps of dark matter ever produced. It shows how the invisible, ghostly material overlaps and intertwines

In February 2007 the Supreme Court heard a case that hinged on about 15 minutes of video evidence from two police vehicles' dashboard cameras: footage showed the front end of a police car as it pursued a driver in Georgia before it rammed into the back of the driver’s car, which subsequently crashed. The driver

A large study from France published by The BMJ reports that people who consume higher amounts of food preservatives may face a slightly increased risk of developing cancer. These additives are commonly used in industrially processed foods and drinks to extend shelf life. The researchers emphasize that more studies are needed to fully understand the