Within the realm of this week’s scientific advancements, we featured the genesis of comet 3I/ATLAS, a gravitational oddity stretching across the African continent, AI crafting completely new viruses, and the billions in losses incurred from climate-related calamities in 2025.(Image credit: Andriy Onufriyenko via Getty Images(left)/International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/Shadow the Scientist (right))Jump to:
This week’s scientific updates surged with amazing astronomical findings, highlighted by fresh revelations concerning the origins of the comet 3I/ATLAS.
The comet, an extraterrestrial wanderer from a place far beyond our own solar system, was initially detected in late June. Presently, scientists are nearing the establishment of its age and source. They have surmised it probably began in the farthest reaches of our galaxy and could even be an artifact from its earliest formations — which might make it billions of years older than our sun.
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Science news this week: A 400-year journey to Alpha Centauri and the sinister AI that might make us reconsider
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Science news this week: NASA discovers optimal proof of life on Mars and scientists craft visible time crystals
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Wolves aid the return of trees in Yellowstone, plus the greatest interstellar entity ever witnessed
Strange gravity signal inside EarthSatellites picked up on an odd gravitational signal emerging from within Earth almost two decades ago, a recent study illustrates
Researchers detected the irregularity in the data from the initial GRACE Satellites, which functioned from 2002 up to 2017.
In 2007, an unusual gravity emerged that encompassed the whole continent of Africa, co-occurring with a geomagnetic jolt within Earth’s gravitational sphere.
This strange anomaly’s indication and the jolt spanned approximately a couple of years, however, eighteen years passed prior to their discovery within the information gathered by satellites researching Earth’s gravitational domain.
Scientists hypothesize that the trigger was a heretofore unknown geological undertaking in proximity to Earth’s core, plausibly stemming from an accelerated redistribution of mass inside our planet’s profound mantle. Even so, additional probes are requisite before scientists fully grasp these unseen operations and their wider impacts.
Explore more planet earth news
—Coral Triangle: The colossal hidden ‘Amazon’ beneath the sea demonstrating some resilience to alterations in climate
—Scientists unearth gold nanoparticles concealed in the needles of spruce trees
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Science news this week: A 400-year journey to Alpha Centauri and the sinister AI that might make us reconsider
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Science news this week: NASA discovers optimal proof of life on Mars and scientists craft visible time crystals
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Wolves aid the return of trees in Yellowstone, plus the greatest interstellar entity ever witnessed
—The Red Sea saw ‘one of the most exceptional environmental occasions on Earth’ 6 million years prior
Life’s Little MysteriesWho was the first to discover America?
The L’anse aux Meadows area, resting on Newfoundland’s northern cape, originates roughly 1,000 years back, close to 500 years prior to Columbus’ arrival within the Americas. Further, the Native Americans were in the Western Hemisphere extensively earlier.
Christopher Columbus was far removed from the earliest individual to experience America — indeed, when discussing widely credited discoverers of the Western Hemisphere, he ranked amongst the very last.
So, who exactly did discover it? Answering this question this week took us on a 23,000-year journey into mankind’s ancient past, touching on Native Americans to Vikings along with Polynesian seafarers, long before European presence upon the continent.
—If this interests you, join our Life’s Little Mysteries newsletter
AI designs new virusesAI can be adopted in order to craft novel viruses. Can we dissuade it from producing the subsequent harmful bioweapon?
As scientists produce new viruses through AI, specialists are inspecting the resilience of present biosecurity standards against this looming potential menace.
In more perturbing reports, we covered scientists crafting an AI capable of composing completely novel viruses. Such viruses include bacteriophages, attacking bacteria rather than humans. The researchers were observant in assuring their models could not form pathogens equipped to infect humans, creatures, or flora.
But given the residual impression that this serves as a preface for a doomsday film, some risk can occur. The scientists behind the revelation tout its prospective usage in destroying antibiotic-resilient superbugs. Yet research beyond reveals a collection of openings and maneuvers for AI models (or harmful human elements employing such) when birthing possibly catastrophic maladies.
The current limitations mean that this hazard remains distant, but society’s makeshift methodologies for AI guidelines signify it might take place faster than anticipated.
Explore further health headlines
—Chemo harms both malign and sound cells. However, scientists presume that nanoparticles can remedy such.
—Diagnostic quandary: A brain ailment resulted in a lifetime of unhappy laughing spasms within a woman
—Lethal mamba bites halt muscular action — in limited instances, antivenom may drive them towards overdrive
Also in science news this week
—Robots receive notable intellectual growth through Google DeepMind’s ‘thinking AI’ — two models sustaining machines’ appreciation of reality
—’Harry Potter’ substances assure Nobel Prize in chemistry among three scientists
—Uncharted species of Jurassic ‘sword dragon’ may resolve a development enigma
—Shackleton’s infamous vessel ‘Endurance clearly sustained quite a few structural shortcomings,’ recent evaluations unveil
Science long readExtreme weather inflicted over $100 billion in damages by June — outstripping US data
The beginning portion of 2025 registered the priciest severe meteorological phenomena within US history.
Forest fires, tornadoes, high-temperature spells and floods: Alterations in climate are introducing a new phase of environmental disasters. Within the long article for this week, we probed the economic consequences surrounding extreme climates — beyond $100 billion in damages by June 2025 — paired with grounds why scientists feel the inclination will degenerate.
Something for the weekend
For those chasing lengthier articles to consider across the weekend, presented are among the superior book extracts, opinions, and science puzzles issued recently.
—’The Big One’ could worsen more severely than COVID-19. Gained from pandemic experiences, here’s what epidemiologist Michael Osterholm states. [Book Excerpt]
—’Health impacts are unfolding in real-time’: Decimation of the CDC by the Trump administration [Opinion]
—China enacts a new pledge aimed towards lessening emissions linked to greenhouse gases — could the nation be viewed currently as a global pioneer within environmental pursuits? [Poll]
Science in motionGlide amidst a Martian maze spanning 1,000-mile, through such absorbing contemporary satellite animation
This marks your opportunity to navigate above a maze-shaped valley upon the Red Planet showcased within an impressive contemporary video.
Intrigued to hover across a distant world’s surface? An updated animation launched by the ESA concerning Mars this period assists in fulfilling such yearnings. Built upon information gathered by the Mars Express spaceship, such recent film immerses viewers amidst a gorgeous journey across the dried-out Red Planet — including conduits carved by historical rivers, above eroded islands, furthermore ascending towards a brilliant view presenting an asteroid-sourced gigantic hole.
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TOPICSScience news this week
Ben TurnerSocial Links NavigationServing as a Trending News Acting Editor
Ben Turner acts as an editor and writer within the U.K., operating amongst Live Science. Encompasses branches counting astronomy, physics, climate change, with tech. An alumnus from University College London displaying a particle physics certificate prior to transitioning into journalism. Aside from composing, Ben indulges within literature readings, embarrassing himself to guitar strums, and chess outings.
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Science news this week: A 400-year journey to Alpha Centauri and the sinister AI that might make us reconsider
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