Jan 30th, 2026 - Are you ready for a bona fide moon shot? The upcoming Artemis II mission is one of the most exciting space excursions in recent memory. It'll be the first time humans have flown to the moon since December 1972, when the landmark  Apollo program wrapped up, and NASA began shifting focus toward the space shuttles that would stay closer to home in Earth orbit.  Artemis II is a chance for NASA to gather valuable new data from a spaceflight of this magnitude and to continue testing its new Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft that will carry the astronauts. The 10-day ... [Read More]

Jan 30th, 2026 - Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... On a recent afternoon, Carl Jackson and his family were hunting for pythons on a dirt road about 30 miles east of Naples in Big Cypress National Preserve. Jackson said he turned his truck around to retrace his tracks. A few miles down the road he noticed something — python tracks crossing the road, and they were over the tracks of his tires. The snakes must have just crossed! He jumped out of the truck and followed the tracks, which seemed to be from a smaller snake, into the underbrush between the road and a canal. Within seconds he saw a big ... [Read More]

Jan 29th, 2026 - China is betting on 'optical' computer chips – will they power AI? As generative artificial-intelligence models become more sophisticated and eat up more energy to produce images and videos, the electronic chips that power them are reaching their limits of speed and efficiency . Optical chips – semiconductor chips that run on light rather than electricity – could solve these problems, say researchers working in the field. Such chips, also called photonic chips, are still years away from being integrated into consumer computers and are unlikely to wholly replace electronic ... [Read More]

Jan 29th, 2026 - The National Reconnaissance Office, the agency overseeing the US government's fleet of spy satellites, has declassified a decades-old program used to eavesdrop on the Soviet Union's military communication signals. The program was codenamed Jumpseat, and its existence was already public knowledge through leaks and contemporary media reports. What's new is the NRO's description of the program's purpose, development, and pictures of the satellites themselves. In a statement, the NRO called Jumpseat "the United States' first-generation, highly elliptical orbit (HEO) signals-collection ... [Read More]

Jan 29th, 2026 - In Minneapolis and communities nationwide, trust is built on reporting that follows the facts wherever they lead -- even when powerful institutions resist scrutiny. Support journalism that stands firmly for the public's right to know. Already a member? Scientists on a research vessel off the central California coast spotted a waved albatross, marking just the second recorded sighting of the bird north of Central America. Scientists on a research vessel off the central California coast spotted a waved albatross, marking just the second recorded sighting of the bird north of Central America. ... [Read More]

Jan 29th, 2026 - Reading time 3 minutes What do you see when you look up at the sky? Whether you find clear blue stillness or rolling storm clouds, you're barely catching a glimpse of the incredibly complex dynamics playing out overhead. But when viewed from above by a cutting-edge weather satellite , these dynamics reveal themselves. The first images from the European Space Agency's (ESA) Meteosat Third Generation-Sounder 1 satellite (MTG-S1) offer a stunning view of Earth's atmospheric chaos. This satellite, launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, in July, uses a remote ... [Read More]

Jan 29th, 2026 - It's quick and easy to access Live Science Plus, simply enter your email below. We'll send you a confirmation and sign you up for our daily newsletter, keeping you up to date with the latest science news. Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Join the conversation Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Editor's note: This article was updated on Jan. 29, 2026. It was originally published in May, 2025, when the related study was released as a preprint. The study has now been peer-reviewed and accepted in the Open Journal of Astrophysics , ... [Read More]

Jan 29th, 2026 - Researchers at Oregon State University have collected new data about an elusive forest carnivore "renowned for its cuteness" that was nearly driven to extinction in the 20th century. The coastal marten, also known as the Humboldt marten, is about the size of a ferret and lives in coastal forests. Only four isolated populations of the species still exist, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service . Two colonies live in northwestern California. Another two live in western Oregon.  The species is listed under the federal Endangered Species Act and was threatened by mid-century ... [Read More]