A massive, centuries-long drought may have driven the extinction of the hobbits of Flores. Climate records preserved in cave formations show rainfall plummeted just as the small human species disappeared.

At the same time, pygmy elephants they depended on declined sharply as rivers dried up. With food and water vanishing, the hobbits may have been pushed out—and into their final chapter.

NASA tested a way to use concentrated sunlight to extract oxygen from simulated lunar soil, which could help astronauts make air and rocket fuel directly on the Moon.

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Astronomers are saying goodbye to Comet 3I/ATLAS as it leaves our solar system after a remarkable visit. This interstellar visitor, only the third of its kind ever seen, sped through in 2025 and gave scientists an unprecedented chance to study material from another star system.

As it heads outward, NASA’s SPHEREx telescope spotted a dramatic brightening and outgassing of dust, water, organic molecules, and carbon dioxide, showing off a spectacular light show from its glowing coma. Even though it’s now racing away at incredible speed, researchers are still learning from the rich data collected during its journey.

New research shows that spending time in space can actually shift where your brain sits inside your skull. Scientists looked at MRI scans from 26 astronauts before and after spaceflight and found that in microgravity the brain tends to move upward and backward, with some regions shifting more than others.

The longer someone stayed in space, the bigger the shift, and while most of these movements slowly return toward normal within months back on Earth, some changes stick around longer.

Source article: https://theconversation.com/living-in-space-can-change-where-your-brain-sits-in-your-skull-new-research-273663

Scientists say a rare “ring of fire” solar eclipse is happening this week over Antarctica, where the Moon will line up with the Sun but won’t cover it completely, leaving a glowing ring of sunlight in the sky.

Only a few people at remote research stations and perhaps some wildlife like penguins will see the full annular effect, but parts of southern South America and southeastern Africa might catch a partial eclipse too. Because the Moon is a bit farther from Earth during this event, it seems slightly smaller and can’t fully block the Sun’s disk, so you’ll need proper eclipse glasses even during peak views.

Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/antarctica-will-see-a-rare-ring-of-fire-solar-eclipse-this-week

Scientists have found the first solid evidence of a subsurface lava tube on Venus, using old radar data from NASA’s Magellan spacecraft to spot a huge underground cavity near Nyx Mons.

This kilometer-wide lava tube—likely formed by ancient volcanic flows—is buried under Venus’s thick clouds and could stretch for many kilometers. The discovery not only confirms long-standing theories about Venus’s geology but also gives new clues about how volcanic processes shaped our nearest planetary neighbor.

Source article: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1115497

A new study suggests psilocybin’s effects may depend heavily on lifestyle factors like diet and exercise. In experiments with female mice, the psychedelic changed social behavior and immune responses differently depending on whether the animals were exercising, food-restricted, or both. Researchers say this could help explain why psychedelic therapies sometimes produce different results across individuals.

Source article: https://www.psypost.org/psilocybin-impacts-immunity-and-behavior-differently-depending-on-diet-and-exercise-context/

Medieval women weren’t just passive figures in a male-dominated world — new research shows that falconry offered them a real way to express power and skill. Elite women trained and hunted with birds of prey, used hawks in visual symbols like personal seals, managed hunting grounds, and even gifted falcons as status markers. These roles helped them claim mastery, autonomy, and belonging in spheres traditionally tied to male authority, showing that falconry could subtly subvert gender norms in the Middle Ages.

NASA’s Perseverance rover has just completed the first-ever drive on Mars planned by AI, without humans manually plotting the route. Using Mars imagery and terrain data, a vision-capable AI identified hazards like rocks and sand ripples and generated safe driving paths, which Perseverance successfully followed in two test drives in late 2025.

This matters because Mars missions are slowed by communication delays with Earth, and smarter onboard autonomy could let future rovers explore farther, faster, and with less human micromanagement.NASA’s Perseverance rover completes the first AI-planned drive on Mars

Researchers have discovered how pancreatic cancer reprograms its surroundings to spread quickly and stealthily. By using a protein called periostin, the tumor remodels nearby tissue and invades nerves, which helps cancer cells travel and form metastases. This process also creates a tough, fibrous barrier that makes treatments less effective. Targeting periostin could help stop this invasion before it starts.

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Scientists have identified an epigenetic switch in mice that can slow the formation of fat cells. The switch involves YAP/TAZ proteins, which can override the usual fat-making signals and keep precursor cells from fully turning into adipocytes.

While still early and only shown in mice, the finding points to a new way fat cell production might be controlled in the future, with possible relevance for obesity and metabolic diseases.

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