Dozens of temporary gas turbines are powering SpaceXAI’s expansion—and fights over permits and pollution
Scientific American
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A mathematician compared the feat to the history-making chess competition in which IBM’s Deep Blue computer beat Garry Kasparov in 1997
The five Platonic solids are the epitome of perfection—at least in mathematics. Topology explains why there are only five of them
Flying leads to positive emotions and optimism in Galahs
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Prior to the announcement, rumors were circulating online among mathematicians over the proof’s origins—OpenAI has denied all allegations
Up and down the Pacific coast, dead gray whales are mysteriously washing ashore—and scientists think they know why
A new study finds sharp contrasts between brain changes in menopause and those during pregnancy and puberty
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OpenAI released 10 AI-generated results over the weekend. Some mathematicians are unhappy with their approach
There’s more to fog than meets the eye
In 2022 researchers detected a very odd photon from an enormous gamma-ray burst that should have been destroyed on its way to Earth
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Music doesn’t just mask stress; it guides our brains back to a calm state
Assistant professor of psychology Jessica Ayers’s new research challenges assumptions about the kind of friendships we need
AlphaGenome Atlas predicts the effect of any single change in the fundamental structure of DNA
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New solutions found to picture-hanging problems
Assisted by AI, companies have more options than ever to track employees, minute by minute, keystroke by keystroke. Does this have the desired effect?
From flashing fireflies to human music, many biological rhythms appear to converge on the same rhythmic range
Discussions
“Much as many of us may not like the notion that wealthy collectors can buy prized fossil specimens, as Dr. Kamat points out, there is at present no legal restriction for doing so. What should happen is that UNESCO or other world organizations should regulate such deals through international consent. That is unlikely to happen quickly nor universally given present…”
— Klaus R
A new executive order calls for more than 1,000 U.S. rocket launches per year by the end of the decade. Rethinking the nation’s spaceports will be key
How people interact with their inner and outer worlds may shape how they approach generative AI
The newfound star S301 orbits the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole so closely that its view of the heavens gets twisted
Autocracy wasn’t inevitable in early civilizations. But when riches were there to monopolize, strongmen and inequalities emerged
Collectively intelligent bricks figure out if they’re in a boat, chair or guitar
A researcher’s social media post that revealed how to break part of a popular encryption protocol has gone viral. But did he really do it with just “good old paper and pencil”?
September 2026 Issue
Around 15,000 satellites currently circle Earth, but nearly two million satellites are planned to launch in coming years. This precipitous rise will bring Internet access to many who lack it but could also have dangerous consequences for astronomy, our planet's atmosphere—and the future use of Earth orbit.
Elsewhere in the issue: The Spy Telescope Hunting for Dark Matter | What Really Happened on Easter Island? | How Clean Tech Became Unstoppable
Huntington’s disease is an inherited condition that gradually robs people of their ability to move, speak and even think clearly—there is no cure
Some voting districts are tilted intentionally toward one party or another—a factor in the midterms. Geometry plays a critical role in gerrymandering
The silliest science awards of the year are here, but the Ig Nobels aren’t just funny business
The Nancy Grace Roman Telescope is headed toward a Lagrange point, a critical position in outer space where gravitational forces behave in specific ways
Experts explain why a monsoon storm turned so deadly
The findings, which were made in mice, may offer a new way to prevent a common chemotherapy side effect that can last well beyond treatment
The Nancy Grace Roman Telescope will probe dark matter and dark energy, discover exoplanets and study stars
Author Sarah Pierce explores dating apps, loneliness and human connection through a novel about a corpse-matching algorithm
The Trump administration has so far been silent on flu, COVID and RSV vaccine guidance for the coming season, even as these diseases kill thousands of people every year
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope will open a whole new window on the cosmos. Here are 10 things it’s likely to show us
In a near-total lunar eclipse, the moon turned red-orange for viewers in North America, Europe and Africa
A floating island in a Canadian reservoir moved more than 30 kilometers across the water—here’s why
The disaster has claimed hundreds of lives, and at least 1,400 people are missing
Giving old mice semaglutide—commonly sold as Wegovy or Ozempic—extends their lifespan remarkably, a new study finds
The world is set to blow past the Paris Agreement’s longtime threshold “within the next few years,” according to a new report
Sermorelin, tesamorelin and other growth hormone peptides are being touted as antiaging elixirs, but what evidence is behind those claims?
The world’s biggest dark matter search saw a particle it cannot explain