Monday, July 20, 2026

Astronomers have detected an atmosphere on a rocky exoplanet in the habitable zone of another star for the first time, observing helium escaping from LHS 1140 b, a world about 48 light-years from Earth that orbits within its star's habitable zone.^[1]

Researchers have identified a rare CO chondrite meteorite as the likely object that struck Earth 66 million years ago and killed the dinosaurs, using advanced nickel isotope analysis of samples from the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary.^[2]

Paleontologists have discovered a previously unknown branch of the marsupial family tree from fossils found in Queensland, suggesting a distinct marsupial order survived in Australia for approximately 35 million years.^[3]

Scientists at the University of Sydney have created cosmic dust from scratch by recreating space-like conditions in laboratory glass tubes, producing material containing complex carbon-rich molecules similar to dust found between stars.^[4]

NASA's Psyche spacecraft has returned science data from its May 15 Mars flyby, with its instruments successfully detecting neutrons emitted by Mars, characterizing the planet's magnetic field, and capturing multispectral images ahead of its 2029 asteroid arrival.^[5]

University of Tokyo scientists have developed a new super-strong glue made of small molecules that can grip even non-stick surfaces like Teflon yet washes away completely with alcohol, using fluorine atoms to enable multiple weak molecular interactions.^[6]

Washington State University researchers have discovered a molecular "winter lock" that keeps fruit flies and other animals in a less active winter state, revealing how a gene called timeless helps organisms coordinate seasonal behavior through alternative protein production.^[7]

A clinical trial found that fluvoxamine, a low-cost antidepressant, significantly reduced fatigue and improved quality of life in 399 adults with long COVID compared to placebo.^[8]

Researchers have found an explanation for "The Hum," a mysterious low-frequency sound reported worldwide for decades, concluding that many cases likely involve low-frequency tinnitus rather than external sound sources.^[9]

The United States and Iran continue to exchange strikes in the Middle East, with a US service member killed in northern Iraq during detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone, while Iran has targeted infrastructure in Kuwait and Bahrain.^[10]