The Guardian Science

Did you solve it? A new goat for puzzledom’s GOAT

The solution to today’s puzzleEarlier today I set you a new twist on the Monty Hall problem, which is (according to AI) the most discussed recreational maths puzzle in history.The standard Monty Hall problem is as follows: Continue reading...

science  Aug 17, 2026

NASA News

NASA Challenge Tests Wheel Designs for Moon Base Mobility

As NASA prepares to establish the Moon Base, advancing surface mobility will be key to helping crews and robotic systems travel farther across the lunar surface.  To help advance that capability, the Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge invited public innovators to design and build next-generation lunar rover wheels.  Five teams from 128 submissions and 49 countries advanced to the final phase of the […]

science  Aug 17, 2026

NASA News

Hubble Solves Merger Mystery From Milky Way’s Early Years

New Hubble data shows definitive evidence of a dwarf galaxy merging with the young Milky Way in the earliest phases of its evolution.

science  Aug 17, 2026

Science Daily

Low-fat vegan diet helps people lose weight without eating less

A low-fat vegan diet may help people lose weight without counting calories, shrinking portions, or feeling constantly hungry. In a 16-week clinical trial, people eating mostly fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes consumed about 357 fewer calories per day even though the total amount of food they ate barely changed.

science  Aug 17, 2026

Science Daily

Webb’s mysterious little red dots may be hiding entire galaxies

Astronomers may finally have a clue to what happens to the mysterious “little red dots” that crowded the early universe. By studying a spiral galaxy nicknamed the “Saguaro,” researchers found a compact, bright red center that closely resembles these distant objects—but with something Webb usually can’t see around them: a full galaxy. When the team simulated what the Saguaro would look like much farther away, its spiral structure essentially vanished, leaving only the bright red core.

science  Aug 17, 2026

The Guardian Science

What is Ebola and why is the outbreak in DRC causing so much concern?

Strain of virus with no vaccine has potential to overrun response impeded by conflict and misinformationHealth authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are losing their battle to contain the country’s deadliest Ebola outbreak.DRC’s health ministry declared an outbreak in Ituri province on 15 May, though sequencing shows it had begun in February. It has since spread to five other provinces and is on track to overtake the 2014-16 west Africa outbreak as the largest in history. Continue

science  Aug 17, 2026

Science Daily

Tiny 1.7-billion-year-old fossils could reveal how complex life began

Scientists are searching some of Earth’s oldest rocks for tiny fossils that could reveal how simple microbial life made the extraordinary leap toward plants, animals, and other complex organisms. Solving that ancient mystery may also help determine whether complex life could emerge on worlds beyond Earth.

science  Aug 17, 2026

Science Daily

Caltech breakthrough brings fiber-optic performance to silicon chips

Caltech scientists have created ultra-low-loss optical pathways on silicon chips that approach the efficiency of fiber optics and dramatically outperform existing technology at visible wavelengths. The breakthrough could unlock more powerful lasers, miniature atomic sensors and clocks, quantum systems, and more energy-efficient data centers.

science  Aug 17, 2026

Science Daily

Scientists uncover the hidden nerve network fueling breast cancer

Researchers have uncovered a surprising way triple-negative breast cancer may turn the body against itself. Tumors appear to recruit macrophages—immune cells normally involved in healing and fighting infection—and use them to release a protein called BDNF that draws nerves into the tumor. Those nerves may then help the cancer grow, resist treatment, and potentially spread.

science  Aug 17, 2026

The Guardian Science

AI eyes in the sky: new satellites and artificial intelligence are transforming wildfire detection

Hi-tech cameras orbiting Earth and on the ground, along with AI, help firefighters extinguish blazes before they spreadThe fires in Spokane, Washington, this summer are the latest reminder that when a wildfire is detected can be just as important as where it starts. A blaze found within minutes can often be contained before it spreads. Wait too long, and a small spark can become a major disaster.A new effort to shorten that timeline began in July when a SpaceX rocket carried the first three Fire

science  Aug 17, 2026

Science Daily

Scientists turn DNA into a memory device that uses 100x less power

Researchers combined synthetic DNA with a semiconductor to create an ultra-low-power memory device capable of storing and processing information in the same place. The bio-hybrid technology could eventually help make AI systems and next-generation computers far more energy efficient.

science  Aug 17, 2026

Science Daily

Scientists tracked kids for 8 years — the screen time result was unexpected

An eight-year Finnish study found that children who spent more time on screens tended to show better cognitive processing as teenagers, challenging common assumptions about screen use. Researchers say the key may be balancing physical activity with screen activities that encourage learning, creativity, and active thinking.

science  Aug 17, 2026

The Guardian Science

Can you solve it? A new goat for puzzledom’s GOAT

Take this puzzle by the hornsToday’s puzzle is a new twist on The Monty Hall problem, arguably the greatest maths puzzle of all time.(According to Gemini, who trawled the internet for me, it is the most discussed and debated recreational maths puzzle of all time.) Continue reading...

science  Aug 17, 2026

Science Daily

Animals have been eating nature’s original bioplastic for millions of years

Nature invented biodegradable plastic long before humans did—and animals may have been feeding on it for hundreds of millions of years. Researchers discovered that dozens of animal species possess enzymes capable of breaking down microbial bioplastics called PHAs, a talent once thought to belong only to microorganisms.

science  Aug 17, 2026

The Guardian Science

Starwatch: Vega the bright star will light the way to the constellation of Lyra

Lyra, the lyre, represents the harp played by the Greek poet OrpheusWe turn our attention this week to one of the sky’s smallest constellations. High overhead from the UK after darkness falls, Lyra, the lyre, is easy to find thanks to the brilliant white star of Vega.The chart shows the view facing south and looking up towards the zenith from London at 22:30 BST on 17 August. Continue reading...

science  Aug 17, 2026

NASA News

APOD: 2026 August 17 – A Golden Corona Eclipse

APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 17 – A… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss   APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. A Golden […]

science  Aug 17, 2026

NASA News

Chasing Fire Clouds in Utah

NASA aircraft are sampling smoke lofted high into the atmosphere by one of the most formidable cloud types in the sky—towering, smoke-infused pyrocumulonimbus.

science  Aug 17, 2026

Science Daily

Tiny graphene wrinkles create surprisingly powerful electrical effects

Scientists have discovered that tiny, sharply curved wrinkles in graphene can dramatically alter its electrical behavior, creating surprisingly strong charge separation. The finding suggests future electronics could be tuned by reshaping materials at the atomic scale instead of changing what they’re made of.

science  Aug 17, 2026

Science Daily

A little-known protein may be fueling Alzheimer’s — and scientists found a way to block it

An experimental Alzheimer’s compound prevented damaging protein clumps from forming in the brains of mice, helping nerve cells survive longer and reducing amyloid buildup. The treatment also appeared to improve heart health and slow some signs of aging, raising hopes for an entirely new way to combat dementia.

science  Aug 17, 2026

Science Daily

This 10-cent heart drug cuts hospitalizations by 25%

A centuries-old heart drug costing less than ten cents a day could help keep heart-failure patients out of the hospital. New research suggests low-dose digoxin can reduce heart-failure hospitalizations by about 25%, potentially paving the way for its return as a major treatment.

science  Aug 16, 2026