NASA News

Volunteer Develops Machine-Learning Tool to Identify Rare Clouds

Certain kinds of clouds are misbehaving – appearing more often and lower in the sky than they used to. To help identify the factors influencing these changes, scientists have asked people around the world with cameras to submit fresh images of these clouds as a part of the NASA-supported Space Cloud Watch project.

science  Aug 14, 2026

NASA News

NASA’s COFFIES Uses AI to Predict Storm-Causing Active Regions on Sun 

As humanity looks to the Moon and stars for future exploration, predicting space weather — conditions in space primarily driven by the Sun — is more important than ever.  Now, a team of astrophysicists and data scientists with NASA’s COFFIES (Consequence Of Fields and Flows in the Interior and Exterior of the Sun) has developed a […]

science  Aug 14, 2026

NASA News

Total Solar Eclipse in Sunflower Field

This composite image shows the progression of a total solar eclipse over San Millán de los Caballeros, Spain on, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. A total solar eclipse swept across parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal. A partial eclipse was visible in parts of the U.S., […]

science  Aug 14, 2026

Science Daily

Immune cells flood into the aging brain, Stanford scientists discover

Scientists have discovered that the aging human brain may be far less isolated from the rest of the body than once believed. Stanford researchers found that large numbers of immune cells from the blood begin entering the brain as early as middle age, where they can transform into microglia, the brain’s specialized immune cells. The finding overturns a long-standing assumption that these cells remain largely separate from the body’s immune system throughout life.

science  Aug 14, 2026

Science Daily

Scientists detect a nuclear reactor’s ghostly afterglow for the first time

Nuclear reactors may go dark, but their fuel continues producing a faint antineutrino “glow” long after shutdown. Researchers have now detected that residual signal for the first time, finding it closely matched predictions of radioactive decay inside the reactor and nearby spent-fuel pools. The breakthrough suggests antineutrino detectors could eventually monitor reactors even when they are offline.

science  Aug 14, 2026

Science Daily

World’s first superconducting quantum heat engine could help unlock massive quantum computers

A tiny superconducting engine has successfully converted heat near absolute zero into useful work, demonstrating the first cyclic quantum heat engine of its kind. Future versions could operate autonomously inside quantum computers, potentially eliminating huge numbers of costly, noise-producing microwave cables.

science  Aug 14, 2026

Science Daily

Taking the stairs could protect your heart and help you live longer

Simply choosing the stairs could have surprisingly big benefits for your heart and longevity. A large analysis involving more than 480,000 people found that regular stair climbers were 39% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 24% less likely to die from any cause than people who rarely took the stairs. They also had lower risks of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.

science  Aug 14, 2026

The Guardian Science

I’m a neuroscientist. Here’s why our brains need pop concerts | Bala Subramaniam

Attending a Nick Jonas show with my kids was an invitation to ‘collective effervescence’. We need these shared experiences now more than everThree years ago, I agreed to accompany my children to a Nick Jonas concert. The appeal of the Jonas Brothers, and in this case only one of them, was unfamiliar territory.The concert happened to land on a particularly inconvenient day. As I sprinted out of the hospital, my mind was filled with the “what if’s” and “should haves” about our work that day. Conti

science  Aug 14, 2026

Science Daily

A stress hormone may help the brain repair itself

A surprising stress-related signal may help the brain repair itself after injury. Researchers found that myelin-producing precursor cells rapidly release the stress hormone CRH near damaged brain tissue, helping control how those cells mature and rebuild protective nerve insulation. The same system also influences brain development and the thickness of myelin later in life. The findings could offer new clues about how early-life stress contributes to psychiatric disorders.

science  Aug 14, 2026

Science Daily

Women taking estrogen had fewer signs of Alzheimer’s in their brains

Women who used estrogen-only hormone therapy later in life were less likely to develop dementia and showed fewer signs of Alzheimer’s disease in their brains, according to a large study of more than 21,000 participants. Hormone therapy use was linked to 39% lower odds of a dementia diagnosis and 35% lower odds of Alzheimer’s-related brain changes at autopsy, including amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Biomarker tests also suggested less amyloid buildup among hormone therapy users.

science  Aug 14, 2026

Science Daily

Paleontology rocked by organic molecules found in 66-million-year-old dinosaur bones

Researchers have found strong evidence that original collagen can survive inside dinosaur fossils for tens of millions of years, overturning a long-standing assumption about fossilization. The discovery could unlock hidden molecular clues about dinosaur biology, evolution, and how ancient proteins managed to survive for so long.

science  Aug 14, 2026

Science Daily

The Atlantic Ocean can handle more warming than expected — with one big catch

Scientists have found that the AMOC may be far more vulnerable to rapid warming than to temperature alone. When warming happens slowly, the ocean can adapt, but at faster rates similar to today’s, the massive Atlantic circulation could reach a tipping point at much lower temperatures.

science  Aug 14, 2026

The Guardian Science

From toxic blooms to dead zones, how wildfires transform oceans and lakes

Wildfire smoke and ash can reshape aquatic ecosystems long after the flames have been extinguishedWildfires are an increasing problem in Europe and elsewhere. While their immediate effect on air quality is obvious, they can also trigger less visible but significant environmental effects, including algal blooms.An algal bloom is the rapid growth of algae and other plant-like microorganisms. These blooms can become so dense that they change the colour of the lake and seas. Although most are harmle

science  Aug 14, 2026

Science Daily

Neptune’s tiny moons may be the wreckage of shattered ancient worlds

JWST has uncovered surprising clues that Neptune’s strange inner moons may be the wreckage of an ancient cosmic catastrophe. Researchers detected clay-like minerals on Larissa, Galatea, and Neptune’s rings that form in the presence of liquid water—yet the moons themselves show no obvious water ice. The material likely came from deep inside much larger icy moons that were shattered when Triton was captured by Neptune, destroying much of the planet’s original satellite system.

science  Aug 14, 2026

Science Daily

A massive new cosmic map is revealing black holes, rare stars, and hidden gas

Astronomers have released more than three million new spectra in a sweeping expansion that, for the first time, brings SDSS-V optical observations to the Southern Hemisphere. The data reveal everything from rare stars and glowing nebulae to hundreds of thousands of X-ray sources and supermassive black holes changing over time.

science  Aug 14, 2026

NASA News

APOD: 2026 August 14 – Total Solar Eclipse from Greenland

APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 14 – Total… 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. Total Solar […]

science  Aug 14, 2026

NASA News

A Sunflower’s View of Totality

The Moon slid between the Sun and Earth to produce a stunning celestial show visible from Spain in August 2026.

science  Aug 14, 2026

The Guardian Science

Experience: I found my long-lost twin aged 49

The joy, disbelief and shock of discovering I had a brother the same age as me came with a million questions. How were we separated and why?In 1975, my parents saw an advert in their local Australian newspaper. With the Vietnam war coming to an end, thousands of orphaned children were being evacuated. As part of the American-led Operation Babylift, the Australian government was looking for families who would adopt them. My parents decided to do it.I arrived in Adelaide in April in a shoebox

science  Aug 14, 2026

Science Daily

This common vitamin deficiency becomes far more dangerous when paired with belly fat

A large study of more than 5,500 adults over 50 found a striking combination of risk factors: abdominal obesity paired with vitamin D deficiency was linked to a 123% higher risk of death over six years. Each condition was associated with increased risk on its own, but together they appeared to create a dangerous feedback loop, with belly fat reducing the amount of vitamin D available in the bloodstream while low vitamin D may worsen inflammation and other health problems.

science  Aug 14, 2026

NASA News

NASA’s 737 Reveals New Paint

NASA’s 737 aircraft was painted this week in Oklahoma as it progresses with modifications for use as a reduced gravity test aircraft for the agency. NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, took ownership of the aircraft from the United States Air Force in June.  The aircraft will perform lunar-gravity parabolic flights to validate […]

science  Aug 13, 2026