Science

New AI ‘Deep Research’ System Sets Record on Bioinformatics Benchmark, Hinting at Lab-Partner Role

A multi-agent AI dubbed Deep Research tops BixBench, a tough bioinformatics test, suggesting AI could soon assist scientists beyond chat-style Q&A.

#ai, #bioinformatics, #computationalbiology, #arxiv

Six fleeting tracks confirm Migdal effect, bolstering light dark-matter searches

A China-led team reports the first five-sigma observation of the Migdal effect in neutron scattering, validating a key assumption in light dark-matter hunts.

#physics, #darkmatter, #quantum, #china, #neutrons

Oceans Set New Heat Record in 2025, Study Finds, Even as Surface Temperatures Ease

A study finds ocean heat hit a record in 2025, adding vast energy to the upper 2,000 meters—fueling sea-level rise, storms and coral stress.

#climatechange, #oceanheat, #sealevelrise, #marineheatwaves, #lanina

Rare Severe Solar Storm Lights Up Skies Far South as NOAA Issues S4 Radiation, G4 Geomagnetic Alerts

A powerful solar flare and Earth-directed CME triggered rare S4 radiation and G4 geomagnetic storm levels, expanding auroras deep into the U.S.

#spaceweather, #aurora, #solarstorm, #noaa

Antarctic Peninsula Penguins Are Breeding Earlier as Region Warms Rapidly, Study Finds

Time-lapse cameras show gentoo, Adélie and chinstrap penguins advancing breeding by up to two weeks per decade, tracking fast warming on the Antarctic Peninsula.

#antarctica, #penguins, #climatechange, #wildlife, #krill

2025 Ranks Among Hottest Years on Record, Even as La Niña Offered Little Relief

New datasets show 2025 among the three warmest years globally and the fourth-warmest in the U.S., with oceans, ice and extremes reflecting sustained warming.

#climatechange, #globalwarming, #lanina, #extremeweather, #noaa

NASA Taps Seven U.S. Firms to Mature Tech for Habitable Worlds Telescope

NASA awarded seven U.S. companies three-year contracts to advance optics, coronagraphs and servicing tech for the proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory.

#nasa, #exoplanets, #space-telescope, #optics, #coronagraph

China’s EAST Tokamak Pushes Past Greenwald Density Limit in ‘Density-Free’ Fusion Regime

Researchers running China’s EAST tokamak report stable plasmas up to 65% above the Greenwald density limit, hinting at new operating space for ITER-like reactors.

#fusion, #tokamak, #china, #iter, #plasma

Hubble Spots a ‘Failed Galaxy’: Dark-Matter Cloud Cloud‑9 Has Gas but No Stars

Near galaxy M94, Hubble confirms Cloud‑9: a dark‑matter halo filled with hydrogen yet essentially starless, matching long‑predicted ‘failed galaxies.’

#hubble, #darkmatter, #galaxies, #astronomy, #cosmology

Greenland’s Prudhoe Dome Was Ice-Free 7,100 Years Ago, Study Finds, Raising New Warnings on Future Melt

Sediments drilled from beneath northwest Greenland show Prudhoe Dome vanished in the early Holocene, implying modest warming could spur major ice loss.

#greenland, #icesheet, #sealevelrise, #climatechange, #glaciology

Scientists Add 260 New Species to the Record — Even as Many Near Extinction

Kew Gardens and the California Academy named more than 260 new plants, fungi and animals in 2025, highlighting discovery in a time of rapid biodiversity loss.

#biodiversity, #newspecies, #conservation, #taxonomy, #climatechange

Met Office Finds Winter Warmth Bringing More Flowers to Britain and Ireland

A decade of New Year Plant Hunt records shows each 1°C rise in Nov–Dec temperatures brings about 2.5 more wild plant species into bloom.

#climatechange, #phenology, #botany, #metoffice, #citizenscience

Astronomers Precisely Weigh a Rogue Planet After a Lucky Gaia Flyby

A brief microlensing flare seen from Earth and ESA’s Gaia let researchers measure the mass and distance of a Saturn-like rogue planet 10,000 light-years away.

#astronomy, #exoplanets, #gaia, #microlensing

SpaceX opens 2026 with Falcon 9 launch of Italy’s COSMO-SkyMed radar satellite

A reused Falcon 9 lofts Italy’s CSG-3 radar satellite from California, highlighting dual-use Earth observation and Europe’s reliance on U.S. launchers.

#spacex, #earthobservation, #italy, #satellite, #reusablerockets