Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the Universe or we are not.
Both are equally terrifying.

— Arthur C. Clarke

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Updated: 12 hours 34 min ago

Start-up reveals ‘artificial egg’ to resurrect extinct birds, but scientists say the work misses the point

Wed, 05/20/2026 - 7:45pm

The science of de-extinction does not exist, but Colossal Biosciences’ “artificial egg” is an interesting technical feat

Categories: Astronomy

Screen time limits can protect children’s health, U.S. surgeon general advisory says

Wed, 05/20/2026 - 6:20pm

The Trump administration warned that too much screen time for children has been linked to poor sleep, bad behavior, and less physical and social activity

Categories: Astronomy

An Ebola outbreak is spreading fast. Should you be worried?

Wed, 05/20/2026 - 5:16pm

A deadly Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa is raising international alarm. Still, experts stress that the chance of a pandemic is low

Categories: Astronomy

These bizarre fossils represent some of the earliest moving, sexually reproducing life ever discovered

Wed, 05/20/2026 - 2:00pm

New trove of fossils reveals that ancestral animals likely emerged in the deep sea

Categories: Astronomy

Vaccines for Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreak are being developed, but none are ready yet

Wed, 05/20/2026 - 12:30pm

A decade after Ebola vaccines changed outbreak response, a new epidemic in central Africa is caused by a strain the world never fully prepared for

Categories: Astronomy

NASA’s Psyche captures gorgeous Mars crescent photo on way to asteroid

Wed, 05/20/2026 - 10:45am

NASA’s Psyche snapped images as it flew by Mars last week. The spacecraft used the planet’s gravity to give itself a boost on its journey toward its target asteroid

Categories: Astronomy

The Colorado Avalanche is dominating the NHL—Denver’s high elevation could be the reason

Wed, 05/20/2026 - 9:00am

Denver’s hockey team is studded with stars, but training and playing the game some 5,000 feet above sea level may give their athletic performance a boost over that of their rivals

Categories: Astronomy

NASA’s plan for a nuclear reactor on the moon could change space exploration forever—if it works

Wed, 05/20/2026 - 6:00am

Nuclear power could enable long-term lunar missions, but NASA’s timeline may be too ambitious

Categories: Astronomy

Did the last common ancestor of humans and apes walk like a gorilla? A new study offers a clue

Wed, 05/20/2026 - 5:00am

Some extinct human ancestors and modern-day apes appear to share wrist traits that raise the question of whether our last common ancestor walked on its knuckles

Categories: Astronomy

Extreme heat is breaking records in the East. Here’s why

Tue, 05/19/2026 - 6:42pm

A Bermuda high parked over the western Atlantic is pulling sweltering air up from the south, challenging records in parts of the eastern U.S.

Categories: Astronomy

The U.S. just experienced its hottest 12 months on record

Tue, 05/19/2026 - 4:00pm

March was a scorching 9.35 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the 20th-century average for the month, capping the hottest 12-month stretch for the U.S. since records began in 1895

Categories: Astronomy

SpaceX punts Starship V3 launch to May 21 as investigation opens into Starbase worker’s death

Tue, 05/19/2026 - 3:00pm

SpaceX is now targeting the evening of May 21 to launch the latest and largest version of its Starship megarocket for the first time

Categories: Astronomy

What it’s like being stuck in a hantavirus quarantine for six weeks

Tue, 05/19/2026 - 2:45pm

Scientific American spoke to one of the people who are currently being monitored for possible hantavirus infection at the National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska

Categories: Astronomy

‘Sensational’ proof topples decades-old geometry problem

Tue, 05/19/2026 - 12:15pm

The sudden resolution of a well-known conjecture highlights the growing adoption of AI as an assistant in high-level mathematics

Categories: Astronomy

New NASA Hubble image captures a rare, turbulent galaxy

Tue, 05/19/2026 - 10:45am

The new image shows the galaxy NGC 1266, a transitional object with a clutch of young stars that likely collided with a smaller galaxy 500 million years ago

Categories: Astronomy

Scientists race to develop Ebola drugs as outbreak surges

Tue, 05/19/2026 - 10:00am

Clinical trials for treatments against Ebola Bundibugyo virus are ‘in a strong position’ to be launched quickly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda

Categories: Astronomy

Math puzzle: Fix the matchstick equation

Tue, 05/19/2026 - 7:00am

Fix the matchstick equation in this math puzzle

Categories: Astronomy

Female beast hunters battled leopards in ancient Rome

Tue, 05/19/2026 - 6:30am

Mosaic depictions of a weapon-wielding female gladiator are the first physical evidence showing women in ancient Rome could be skilled beast hunters

Categories: Astronomy

NASA dreams of a nuclear power plant on the moon. Here’s why

Tue, 05/19/2026 - 6:00am

To build its moon base, NASA needs a lot of power

Categories: Astronomy

Which problems will quantum computers solve—and when?

Tue, 05/19/2026 - 6:00am

Quantum computing could lead to revolutions in cryptography, materials design and telecommunications. But fulfilling those promises could be many years away

Categories: Astronomy