Science - Tuesday, May 26, 2026

For a split second, a fireball outshone the rivers of molten lava flowing from the Philippines’ most active volcano.

Companies say it’s a better way to dispose of the Cold War-era material — and fix a shortage of nuclear fuel. But the plan has also faced criticism from nonproliferation experts.

Chennai, on India’s southern coast along the Bay of Bengal and with a metropolitan population of about 8.7 million, shines with white LED streetlights in this photograph taken at approximately 9:13 p.m. local time on May 2, 2026, from the International Space Station. Earth observations from the space station let us see how our planet […]

Scientists working at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider may be seeing the strongest hints yet of physics beyond the Standard Model — the decades-old theory that explains the fundamental particles and forces of the universe. By studying incredibly rare particle transformations called “penguin decays,” researchers found behavior that doesn’t fully match theoretical predictions, raising the possibility that unknown particles or forces are influencing the results.

The industry has grown rapidly, straining state budgets. A focus on finances has led to overbilling, fraud and even harm.

Scientists have created a global “treasure map” for rare earth elements by uncovering where the strange volcanic rocks that contain them are most likely to form. By combining thousands of rock samples with seismic images of Earth’s deep interior, the team discovered that these metal-rich rocks tend to appear along the ancient, thick roots of continents. These unusual rocks, once seen as geological oddities, are now incredibly important because they hold many of the materials used in smartphones, electric vehicles, and wind turbines.

The Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations (PUEO) is a NASA Astrophysics Pioneers Program mission designed to detect the most energetic particles in the universe.

While global warming is still a threat, the decision to back away from a worst-case outlook raises questions about whether some risks have been overstated.

When a queen wasp suddenly disappears, her colony doesn’t calmly choose a successor — it erupts into chaos. Researchers found that female wasps immediately begin battling for power, shattering the colony’s social order in a frenzy of aggression. But while some fight for the throne, others quietly become the colony’s unsung heroes, stepping up to gather food and care for the young so the society doesn’t collapse.

The risk of a large explosion has been averted, officials say. But a smaller blast remains possible, and 16,000 people remain displaced.