Tuesday, March 31, 2026

NASA's countdown clock has officially begun for the Artemis II mission, with the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft on schedule to launch four astronauts around the Moon on April 1 at 6:24 p.m. EDT, marking the first crewed lunar mission since 1972.^[1]

A study of nearly 96,000 people found that just a few minutes of vigorous daily exercise—enough to cause breathlessness—was associated with significantly lower risks of eight major diseases, including a 63% reduced risk of dementia and 60% lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those who did no vigorous activity.^[2]

Scientists have discovered 24 new deep-sea amphipod species in the Pacific Ocean's Clarion-Clipperton Zone, including an entirely new superfamily called Mirabestioidea that represents a previously unknown branch on the evolutionary tree of life.^[3]

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has completed acoustic testing that blasted the observatory with sound waves equivalent to a jet engine from 100 feet away, a key milestone as the next-generation telescope prepares for a launch window opening as early as fall 2026.^[4]

Scientists have discovered a hidden "critical point" in supercooled water where two different liquid forms of water merge, potentially explaining why water behaves so strangely and has unique properties essential for life.^[5]

Air China has resumed flights to North Korea after a six-year pause, reestablishing commercial air travel between China and the isolated country.^[6]

The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association have released the first updated cholesterol management guidelines since 2018, calling for earlier screening—sometimes in childhood—and personalized risk assessments that include genetic factors like lipoprotein(a).^[7]

NASA has released new Hubble Space Telescope images of the Crab Nebula taken 25 years after the iconic observatory first photographed it, revealing that the nebula is still expanding from a supernova explosion nearly a millennium ago.^[8]