Apr 8th, 2026 - Samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu contain the four genetic "letters" of DNA. The basic ingredients for life as we know it are common in the cosmos. Scientists are still learning which of those ingredients were present on primordial Earth, and how they combined to make life remains an unsolved mystery. However, many researchers now think many of the molecules necessary for life were already present in the nebula that grew into our solar system, which would mean the components for all living things came from space. A  recent study published in   Nature Astronomy ... [Read More]

Apr 7th, 2026 - For male octopuses, losing a specific limb means losing their only chance at fatherhood. For an octopus, exploring the ocean floor with eight highly sensitive arms is a constant game of roulette. These limbs are essential for tasting the world and grappling with prey, but their constant, blind probing makes them a vulnerable target. As a result, it is not uncommon for an octopus to lose one of these appendages to hungry crabs or aggressive fish. Luckily, they have the remarkable ability to regenerate a lost arm over time. Yet researchers have discovered that male octopuses draw a strict, ... [Read More]

Apr 7th, 2026 - These days, the closest grizzly bears to the Sacramento Valley and Sierra foothills — areas that were once part of their vast California range — are at the Oakland Zoo, where admission for a family of four costs more than $100, not including parking. Now, with the wolf population edging up to about 70 animals, the state is considering bringing back grizzlies. A proposal to study the possibility of re-introducing grizzlies to California will have its first hearing before the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water on Tuesday. Backed by the Tejon and Yurok tribes and ... [Read More]

Apr 7th, 2026 - crew during their lunar flyby. Gravitational data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission are depicted in false colors on this image's right side, and chart the basin's subsurface structure. Right now all eyes are on , NASA's historic mission that just sent astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than a half-century. But, as detailed by NASA administrator Jared Isaacman at the space agency's recent "Ignition" event in Washington, D.C., is only the beginning of a larger U.S. effort to populate the moon with astronauts and resource-prospecting robots. ... [Read More]

Apr 7th, 2026 - A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com Rather than blood in the water, sharks are finding drugs in the water. The aquatic predators have tested positive for both legal and illegal drugs in parts of the Bahamas. These substances have the potential to cause behavioral changes in the sharks and indicate that humans have a stronger hand in ecosystem changes than expected, even in isolated places. Scientists found cocaine, caffeine and painkillers in sharks around Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas, according to a study published in ... [Read More]

Apr 7th, 2026 - The four-astronaut crew of NASA's Artemis II mission is now on its way back to Earth after a record-breaking trip around the moon, traveling farther than any other humans have before. As the Orion capsule whipped around the back side of the moon Monday, Earth was out of sight — and the crew was unable to communicate to Mission Control for about 40 minutes due to the moon blocking a connection to the Deep Space Network. "And to all of you down there on Earth and around Earth, we love you, from the Moon," radioed mission specialist Christina Koch ahead of the radio blackout. "We will see ... [Read More]

Apr 6th, 2026 - Four astronauts today became the first humans to make a trip around the moon since the Apollo era — and added new pages to history books for the Artemis era. The Artemis 2 crew reached a maximum distance of 252,756 miles from Earth, surpassing the distance record for human travel that was set during the Apollo 13 mission in 1970 by more than 4,000 miles. NASA astronaut Christina Koch marked the occasion in a radio transmission from NASA's Orion space capsule, named Integrity. "We most importantly choose this moment to challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is ... [Read More]

Apr 6th, 2026 - A pair of bald eagles found themselves in a tangle in Surrey, B.C., before power and fire crews helped a local wildlife rehabilitation group free the birds. Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society said bald eagles will often fight to protect a nest or chicks Listen to this article Estimated 2 minutes The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. A pair of bald eagles found themselves in a tangle in Surrey, B.C., before power and fire crews helped a local ... [Read More]