Science & Earth

A Karolinska Institute study found that the speed of alpha-frequency oscillations in the parietal cortex correlates with the brain's temporal binding window and with reported body ownership, based on EEG and rubber-hand experiments with 106 participants published in Nature Communications.

NASA says the four Crew-11 astronauts returned early after a crewmember required medical treatment unavailable on the ISS, and the Crew Dragon Endeavour splashed down safely near San Diego on Jan. 15; officials say the affected crewmember is doing fine.

Four Crew-11 astronauts splashed down off California early on Jan. 15 after an early evacuation from the ISS prompted by an undisclosed medical issue affecting one crew member; NASA says the crew are safe and in good spirits.

A diver at McAbee Beach in late December photographed a juvenile king-of-the-salmon, identified by marine biologists. The Monterey Bay research community says such surface sightings are rare and has reported that warming ocean temperatures may be influencing species ranges, though a definitive cause is undetermined.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 splashed down off San Diego early Jan. 15, 2026, returning four crew members after 167 days aboard the International Space Station. The return occurred about a month earlier than planned because of a medical concern; NASA reported the crew member is stable.

Scripps researchers report that adding ocean impacts to the social cost of carbon raises the global cost by about $46.2 per ton, nearly doubling it to $97.2 per ton and implying roughly $2 trillion in annual ocean-related damages based on 2024 emissions estimates.

NASA says four members of SpaceX Crew-11 will undock Wednesday and splash down off the California coast early Thursday after a crew member reported an unspecified medical concern; the astronaut is reported to be in stable condition.

Astronaut Mike Fincke said he and his Crew 11 colleagues are stable and well cared for after NASA announced an early return because of a reported medical issue, with undocking planned for Wednesday.

Four Crew-11 astronauts splashed down off San Diego after an early return prompted by a medical concern aboard the International Space Station; NASA says the affected crewmember is stable and has not been identified.

A study in Brazil's Atlantic Forest found that mosquitoes caught in forest remnants often carried human blood, and the authors link this pattern to habitat loss and nearby human settlement.

Astronauts on the International Space Station receive basic medical care from crew trained in emergency procedures and from NASA doctors on the ground; the station carries equipment such as an ultrasound and a defibrillator but does not have X-ray or MRI machines.

NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy have committed to develop a compact nuclear fission reactor for the Moon with a target around 2030 to provide steady power for habitats and operations, and the plan followed a December 18 executive order directing NASA to pursue lunar nuclear power.

NASA ordered four Crew‑11 members to return early from the ISS after one crew member fell ill and was described as “stable,” and Mike Fincke handed command of Expedition 74 to Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud‑Sverchkov. The four are scheduled to undock Wednesday and splash down off the coast of California early Thursday.

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke handed command of the International Space Station to Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov; Crew-11 is targeted to undock Jan. 14 and splash down off California on Jan. 15.

Evolutionary biologist Toby Kiers has been awarded the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement and will receive a $250,000 award on April 23; her research maps and studies mycorrhizal fungal networks and she co-founded SPUN and the Underground Atlas to document and protect them.

NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute published a book that reviews the Hubble Space Telescope’s design, instruments, operations and servicing missions, and highlights its major scientific discoveries and cultural and technological influences since the 1990 launch.

The article recounts the Hubble Space Telescope’s history from its April 1990 launch through its first 30 years, noting an early mirror flaw, subsequent servicing missions that restored and upgraded instruments, and Hubble’s scientific and public impact.

The EPA announced it will no longer monetize some health benefits from reductions in fine particulate matter and ozone for at least some Clean Air Act proposals, and the agency says it will continue to account for health impacts without assigning dollar values.

The National Park Service will waive advanced reservations for Horsetail Fall's 'firefall' in February 2026, and the glowing effect is visible for about 5 to 15 minutes when late-day sunlight aligns near sunset.

Israel recognized the Republic of Somaliland on Dec. 26, and President Abdullahi announced plans to open Somaliland's first embassy in Israel.

A coastal storm driven by a jet stream shift is expected to produce a band of snow from southern Georgia to Delaware on Sunday, with the potential for additional accumulation into parts of the Northeast. Exact amounts will hinge on the storm's track and speed.

Kim Greene left a policy career to found Svalinn, which breeds and trains protection dogs sold for about $175,000; the company reported $2.97 million in income and was profitable in 2024.

Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) was discovered on Sept. 8, 2025 and is reported to pass near Earth around April 27, 2026.

SpaceX launched 29 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral on Jan. 14; the Falcon 9 first stage landed on the droneship and the network now has nearly 9,500 active units, according to tracker Jonathan McDowell.

An aerial survey on Jan. 10 recorded 33 North Atlantic right whales in Cape Cod Bay, representing over 8% of the estimated 384 whales worldwide, and researchers reported most were shallow subsurface feeding.

Scientists reported 2025’s global average temperature at 15.08°C, about 1.44°C above pre-industrial levels, and said the last three years have hovered near the 1.5°C Paris limit.

Astronomers using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope found a bright, multicolored bow shock around the white dwarf RXJ0528+2838 about 730 light-years away, despite no detected accretion disc. The structure appears to trace an outflow active for at least 1,000 years, and researchers report a strong magnetic field as a possible partial explanation.

NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy signed a memorandum reaffirming plans to develop a nuclear reactor for a lunar base with a goal of being ready to launch by 2030, and a recent executive order called for a lunar base and reactor by that year.

Researchers used Curiosity data and a Mars-adapted climate model to run 64 simulations of a Gale crater lake and found that thin, seasonally disappearing ice lids could thermally insulate liquid water for decades under cold early-Mars conditions.

A YouTuber demonstrated a handheld device that sends a narrow ultrasonic beam which the air demodulates to produce audible sound only within the beam; the video explains the carrier-wave method and notes lingering questions about safety standards for high-power ultrasound.