Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Paleontologists from the University of Chicago discovered Spinosaurus mirabilis in Niger's Sahara Desert, the first new Spinosaurus species identified in over a century, featuring a distinctive scimitar-shaped head crest and interlocking teeth adapted for catching fish.^[1]

Microsoft researchers published a breakthrough in Nature demonstrating glass-based data storage using ordinary borosilicate glass that can preserve information for at least 10,000 years, storing the equivalent of two million books on a palm-sized glass tile.^[2]

Scientists at Gladstone Institutes discovered that red blood cells absorb large amounts of glucose under low-oxygen conditions, explaining why high-altitude populations have lower diabetes rates and pointing toward a potential new diabetes treatment strategy.^[3]

University of Surrey researchers found that retaining water in sodium-ion battery materials nearly doubles their charge capacity, and the same technology can desalinate seawater while storing energy, potentially addressing both renewable energy storage and freshwater scarcity.^[4]

NASA announced plans to roll the Artemis II rocket and Orion spacecraft back to the Vehicle Assembly Building after engineers encountered an issue with helium flow to the rocket's upper stage, potentially delaying the crewed lunar mission to April.^[5]

Mexican army forces killed Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, known as 'El Mencho,' the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and one of the most-wanted drug traffickers in the Western Hemisphere, triggering widespread violence and security measures across Mexico.^[6]

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said nuclear talks with the United States have produced 'encouraging signals' as Oman confirmed a third round of indirect negotiations will take place in Geneva on Thursday amid ongoing tensions over Tehran's nuclear program.^[7]

ESA's Proba-2 satellite captured a 'ring of fire' annular solar eclipse from orbit on February 17, as the moon covered 96% of the sun over Antarctica for up to 2 minutes during the first solar eclipse of 2026.^[8]