Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. In 1959, countries around the world sent their most talented students to Romania to compete in the first-ever International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). Ever since, the rules have remained simple, even if the problems are not: over two days, each…
China has approved a brain implant that enables people with paralysis to move their hands. The regulatory nod, granted to Neuracle (Borui Kang Medical Technology) in Shanghai, is the world’s first approval of an invasive brain–computer interface for commercial use. Neuracle’s brain chip, called NEO, is a coin-sized device containing eight electrodes that is placed…
Following NASA’s Artemis II mission successfully splashing down on Earth, engineers started diving into detailed analysis of data to assess how key systems and subsystems on the Orion spacecraft, SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, and systems at the launch pad at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida performed. The Artemis II test flight successfully…
As rumored for months, Tim Cook is stepping down as Apple CEO. He will shift to an executive chair role on September 1st, 2026, when Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering John Ternus will lead the company. The move comes after a “thoughtful, long-term succession planning process,” according to Apple. Cook will still contribute to…
As new fossils and microscopic traces keep reshaping what we know about Neanderthals, a fresh DNA analysis from a cave in Poland adds an important piece to the puzzle, showing how these ancient humans may have moved across Europe. In a study published in Current Biology, an international team analyzed nine Neanderthal teeth discovered in…
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Jeff Bezos’ rocket company, Blue Origin, blamed a bad engine Monday for a failed weekend launch that left a satellite in the wrong orbit, dooming it. Launches of the huge New Glenn rocket are grounded until Blue Origin and the Federal Aviation Administration complete their investigation. The rocket blasted off…
A continent-like shelf beneath the Martian surface hints that a vast ocean once covered up to a third of Mars, reshaping the long-running debate over its watery past. This artist’s impression shows how Mars may have looked about 4 billion years ago. Image credit: M. Kornmesser / ESO. While it is widely accepted that Mars…
April 20, 2026 3 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Trump’s order on psychedelics could have far-reaching science consequences A new executive order could make it easier for researchers studying how psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin, LSD and ibogaine may be useful in medicine By Jackie Flynn Mogensen edited by Claire Cameron Psilocybe mushrooms…
It’s a view that only a handful of humans have ever witnessed: a distant Earth disappearing behind a huge moon. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, who commanded the Artemis II mission around the moon, posted a spectacular video on X of…
Environmental groups have sued the Trump administration over its approval of BP’s huge new ultra-deep oil drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico, 16 years to the day since the company’s Deepwater Horizon disaster caused the worst oil spill in US history. In March, the administration approved a plan by BP to drill for oil…
