Earth

The Wall Street Journal reports on U.S. efforts to challenge China's dominance over critical minerals such as rare earths, which are essential for electronics, electric vehicles and defense systems. The report examines how Washington is working to build alternative supply chains and reduce reliance on Chinese processing and exports.

Researchers are developing new methods to control mosquitoes as warming temperatures lengthen mosquito seasons and expand the range of dangerous diseases such as malaria and dengue. The mosquito kills more people than any other animal on Earth, and scientists warn that longer warm periods give the insects more time to spread illness, prompting renewed focus on innovative control strategies.

A new study warns that North Korea's nuclear weapons tests have caused more than 1,000 earthquakes around the country's test site. Researchers link the seismic activity to underground detonations, raising concerns about structural damage, possible leaks of radioactive material, and the stability of the Punggye-ri test area as tremors continue even after testing paused.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission can approve massive spaceflight projects on its own, even ones that could permanently change how the night sky looks for everyone on Earth. Space law experts note that despite protests from astronomers and dark-sky advocates, the agency is effectively the only gatekeeper, leaving little room for other authorities to block or shape such projects.

Scientists have captured a subduction zone off Vancouver Island in the process of tearing itself apart, suggesting these massive tectonic systems may die piece by piece rather than all at once. The finding offers new insight into how subduction zones end over geological time, with implications for understanding seismic hazards in the Pacific Northwest, where the Cascadia zone poses earthquake and tsunami risks.

A study published in Science argues that a Mega El Niño pattern, producing extreme and prolonged climate swings, triggered the end-Permian mass extinction around 252 million years ago, the deadliest extinction event in Earth's history. The researchers say runaway warming destabilised ecosystems beyond what species could tolerate. The paper is being shared widely, with an open-access version of the full text available.

Four environmental organizations filed a petition Thursday asking the Federal Communications Commission to reverse its approval of a startup's plan to beam on-demand sunlight from space to Earth. The groups argue the agency failed to consider the project's potential impacts on wildlife and astronomy, opening a new front in debates over commercial use of orbit and the environmental review of space-based ventures.

A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck near New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean on September 26, 2026, prompting a natural disaster alert. The available evidence comes from a US embassy advisory posted for Fiji, warning people in the region about the event. The posts collected do not include eyewitness reactions, damage reports, or details on casualties, and no tsunami warning information is given in the evidence, so the full public response is not yet clear.

Asteroid 2024 YR4, discovered in December 2024, has drawn attention from NASA and space watchers worldwide after early calculations suggested a small but nonzero chance it could hit Earth in December 2032. The roughly 40-metre-wide rock briefly topped impact-risk monitoring lists, and astronomers have been refining its orbit as it moves away from view.

A new report suggests scientists may have misinterpreted evidence dating back some two billion years, with potential implications for how Earth's early history is understood. The finding is drawing attention in science media, as re-evaluating such ancient clues could reshape assumptions about the planet's past conditions and evolution.

Google is planning to launch an experimental satellite into orbit, marking Big Tech's first concrete move toward building artificial intelligence data centers in space. The idea is to test whether computing infrastructure can operate off-planet, where solar power is constant and cooling constraints differ from Earth. The announcement has drawn wide attention as tech companies scramble for energy to power the AI boom.

Astronomers report 'groundbreaking' observations of a dead, collapsed star that repeatedly flashes toward Earth as it wobbles, with the pulsing apparently driven by a huge outflow of gas — described colorfully as a giant cosmic 'fart'. The findings offer a rare look at the behavior of a stellar remnant and the material it expels.

The New York Times reports on a scientific discovery connected to an $80 motel room that researchers say could shed light on the origins of life. Details of the finding and the scientists involved remain limited, but the story highlights how an ordinary roadside room became tied to research into how life first emerged on Earth.

A spacecraft built to explore icy moons where life could exist is flying close by Earth, using the planet's gravity to adjust its course. The maneuver is part of a long journey toward the outer solar system, where scientists hope to study oceans beneath the moons' surfaces. The flyby has drawn attention as a milestone in the search for conditions suitable for life beyond our planet.

New research indicates that Earth microbes can survive under simulated conditions of the ocean beneath the ice of Saturn's moon Enceladus, suggesting life there is not out of the question. Scientists see the finding as encouraging for the search for life beyond Earth, since Enceladus's subsurface ocean is considered one of the most promising places to look.

Scientists have observed that the amount of dust in Earth's atmosphere has declined, reversing a previous trend. NBC News reports the shift is described as mysterious, with the cause of the reversal not yet explained. Dust in the atmosphere affects climate, air quality and weather patterns, so researchers are paying close attention to what is driving the change.

An astronomer is tracking how Starlink satellites gradually sink in their orbits, using the drag they experience to measure the density of Earth's upper atmosphere. The approach turns a common headache for astronomers — the growing swarm of satellites — into a global measuring instrument, a 'planetary barometer' for atmospheric conditions that affect satellite lifetimes and space operations.

Google has announced Project Suncatcher, an initiative to test its AI chips in space for the first time. The plan points to putting data-processing hardware aboard satellites, a step that could eventually move parts of AI computing off Earth. The announcement is drawing attention across the tech and semiconductor world, with observers weighing the engineering challenges of running chips in orbit and what it could mean for the future of data centers.

Scientists report that the Earth's crust beneath Italy is 'unzipping,' a process they say is driving seismic activity along the Apennine mountain range. The finding offers a new explanation for the earthquakes that regularly strike the Italian peninsula and is drawing attention for its striking description of how the crust is gradually pulling apart.

Scientists report the discovery of a so-called "fire amoeba", an organism said to survive at temperatures beyond what was thought to be life's upper limit. If confirmed, the find would force a rethink of the thermal boundaries of life on Earth, with implications for the search for life in extreme environments such as deep-sea vents and possibly other planets.

Two earthquakes struck California on Sunday morning with little warning, according to early reports. Details on the magnitude, epicenter and any damage or injuries remain limited, but the back-to-back quakes have drawn attention as residents report feeling the ground shake. Authorities are likely monitoring the area for aftershocks as more information emerges.

Google is preparing to test its AI chips in space, according to a report carried by The Brussels Times. The move suggests the company is exploring how its custom AI hardware performs outside Earth, though details on the mission, timeline and partners have not been disclosed. Observers of the semiconductor and space industries are watching for what this could mean for satellite computing and data processing in orbit.

DARPA is developing a robotic spacecraft designed to service and repair satellites in geosynchronous orbit, some 36,000 kilometers above Earth. The program aims to extend the life of expensive communications and military satellites that currently cannot be fixed once deployed. Interest is focused on how robotic servicing could reshape satellite operations and reduce costs for both government and commercial operators.

A new study found that Earth microbes can survive conditions simulating the ocean of Enceladus, Saturn's icy moon. Researchers exposed microorganisms to the moon's known conditions, including its salty, alkaline water, and found they persisted. The finding suggests life could plausibly exist in the subsurface ocean beneath Enceladus's ice shell, strengthening the case for future missions to sample plumes that erupt from the moon's south pole.

Two earthquakes have struck in Northern California, according to NBC Bay Area. Details on the quakes' magnitude, epicenters and any damage or injuries have not yet been reported. Residents in the affected area are likely monitoring updates as authorities assess whether further shaking or aftershocks are possible.