SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " planet " 908 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Bill Frist Wants to Take Politics Out of Climate Change
Bill Frist, a surgeon who also served as Senate majority leader, has emerged as an outspoken advocate for environmental health. “A healthier planet means healthier people,” he said.
Scientists Turned Earth’s Radio Waves into Music. Listen to the Eerie Sounds Made by Lightning and Solar Storms
Lightning, auroras and polar winds become an eerie album of planetary sound.
Perfect Vinyl Forever and the Art and Science of Record Cleaning
Miguel Barrio interviews Steve Evans of Perfect Vinyl Forever about the art and science of record cleaning over on our YouTube channel, and you can watch it here.
Walk the Scottish coast that changed science
A new trail on Scotland's east coast takes travellers into Earth's ancient past, where scientists proved the planet was vastly older than anyone had imagined.
Can citizen science save the world’s wildlife?
Can smartphones save the planet? Learn how citizen science and AI-powered apps are providing crucial data to protect global biodiversity.
Scientists have now made the most comprehensive tally yet of deep-sea exploration — 43,681 dive records dating back to 1958 — and found that humans have directly seen less than 0.001% of the deep ocean floor, an area roughly the size of Rhode Island, leaving the vast seafloor across 66% of Earth’s surface essentially unobserved.
Humanity has sent cameras to the Moon, Mars, Venus and the outer planets, but on Earth itself there is still a larger frontier that has barely been looked at directly. A 2025 study in Science Advances has now put a number on that gap: since 1958, researchers have compiled 43,681 records of dives deep enough […]
NASA's Hubble spots a stellar sparkler for the Fourth of July
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured a spectacular red, white, and blue view of one of the Milky Way's oldest star clusters to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary. Hidden within the ancient cluster are clues to how exploding stars helped transform the young universe into one capable of forming planets and, eventually, life.
Alien life on nearby 'super Earth' much likelier than we thought, study claims
A recently discovered "super Earth" located around 25 light-years from our planet is not as massive as previously thought, raising the chances that it has the conditions to support life.
We Could Seed Alien Life Elsewhere in the Universe—But We’ll Never Undo the Devastating Consequences, Scientists Caution
This “would be equivalent to a planetary invasion,” expert warns.
Amendment 60: Final 2025 Due Date Extended for C.2 Solar System Science
C.2 Solar System Science solicits proposals for research, data analysis, data preservation, and tools that support investigations to help ascertain the
Scientists Sound the Alarm: Antarctic Discovery Is More Disturbing Than Anyone Feared - Futura-Sciences
The Frozen Continent Is Changing Faster Than We Thought Antarctica has always been a tough nut to crack for scientists. Its complex and sometimes baffling phenomena have long made it mysterious, and recent findings suggest its influence on our planet’s climate could be much greater than we thought. In September...
MOMENT OF SCIENCE: Two planets lighter than cotton candy
Astronomers have discovered two planets the size of Jupiter, but get this: their densities are so low, they’re estimated to be lighter than cotton candy!
Climate scientist who “proved” humanity is warming Earth says government report got it wrong
A pioneering climate scientist is challenging a U.S. government report that cited his research while reaching what he says is the exact opposite conclusion. Benjamin Santer and his colleagues say decades of satellite data clearly reveal the atmospheric “fingerprint” of human-caused climate change. Their new peer-reviewed analysis argues the report contains major scientific errors and should not be relied upon in climate policy decisions.
NASA’s Webb Studies How Planet Survived Death of its Star
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is giving us new insight into the far-future of solar systems like our own, as the agency continues to reveal the secrets of
Sony Shutting Down PlayStation Store for New Purchases on PS3 and Vita
Sony has announced the closure of its PlayStation Store on the PS3 and Vita, beginning next month in certain countries.
Sony will cease production of discs for new PlayStation games in 2028
New games sold for PlayStation consoles will only be available digitally and won’t be sold on discs effective January 2028, Sony has announced. The move applies to all PlayStation games released from that point on, including those made by Sony and those released by third parties. The PlayStation group calls the change “a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs,” according to a PlayStation blog post reviewed by Game File in advance of its publication. As movies, TV and music have shifted from physical media to an age of downloads and streaming, Sony’s move could speed the demise of physical media in a gaming. The industry has offered consumers games via cartridges, cassettes, floppy discs, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays across a 50-year stretch. Sony has been reporting to investors in recent years that PlayStation games have been increasingly purchased as downloads, not as discs. The most recent figures show nearly four in five purchases of full games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were purchased digitally in the past year. Stats like that may cause today’s news to carry an air of the inevitable. But Sony’s declaration for 2028 is still likely to produce a shock, as the biggest gaming platform on the planet that uses game discs leaves them behind. Discs going away, but the fate of game boxes is unknown Sony is committing to still selling games in physical retailers even after they drop discs in 2028. Just how those games will be sold—in boxes with codes inside, as cards marked with digital redemption codes—is unclear. Digital games will also continue to be sold in the online PlayStation Store. New games released for PlayStation consoles prior to January 2028 will be unaffected by the policy change, Sony says. That means the PS5 games of 2027, be they a new Madden, a new God of War, a new Call of Duty, a new Sly Cooper (one can dream?), would still potentially be offered on disc. PlayStation 6 implications Sony’s timeline for a transition to a no-disc era will also spin up more speculation about the timing and configuration of Sony’s next-generation console, the probable PlayStation 6. “This pretty much guarantees that PS6 won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest,” Piers Harding-Rolls, senior games research analyst at Ampere Analysis tells Game File. Harding-Rolls also concludes from today’s news that “the base version of a PS6 will not include a physical media drive,” as Sony looks to keep costs down on the device. Sony itself is saying nothing about the PS6 today: not its timing, nor how it might or might not support internal or external disc drives in order to run disc-based PS4 and PS5 games, should the console be backwards compatible. The many signs this was coming Industry support for games being released on physical media has been waning. As has consumer interest in them. PC games effectively went all-digital years ago, thanks to the popularity of playing games through Steam and other digital storefronts. The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that kept much of the global population home helped shift shopping patterns toward downloads. Sony’s own data shows PlayStation game downloads being an uncommon consumer choice a decade ago and now becoming the norm. On consoles, physical media has been in such decline that Sony and Microsoft both launched their current gen Xbox Series and PS5 consoles in 2020 with cheaper versions that lacked disc drives. In early 2024, Phil Spencer, then head of Xbox, told me that ““[w]e ship games physically and digitally, and we’re really just following what the customers are doing.” He added that the game industry had become an outlier in still supporting disc-based entertainment, even as movies and TV have bailed on discs in favor of downloads and steaming: “Gaming consoles themselves have kind of become the last consumer electronic device that has a drive. And this is a real issue, just in terms of the number of manufacturers that are actually building drives and the cost associated with those. And when you think about cogs that we’re going to go put in a console—and as you have fewer suppliers and fewer buyers—the cost of the drive does have an impact.” Last year, the Nintendo’s Switch 2, which uses cartridges rather than discs, introduced the concept of game-key cards, which are physical media that contain no game, just a prompt for a download. Even disc-based games aren’t what they once were, now frequently containing just stubs of games rather than the whole thing. The website Does It Play has tested over 3000 games and found that, for example, that the disc version of this year’s hit 007: First Light, only contained the game’s first mission, with the rest needing to be downloaded. Beyond all that, last week brought the news that Grand Theft Auto VI, likely the biggest game launch this decade, will debut for PS5 and Xbox Series without a disc-based version. Today’s big news comes to you for free. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and ensure more of my work is possible, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Discs helped define PlayStation However the trends in entertainment may be going, it is still remarkable to see PlayStation ditch discs given their importance in PlayStation history: In the late 1990s, the first PlayStation’s support for games on relatively cheap CD-ROMs instead of traditional game cartridges allowed the upstart console to outmaneuver cartridge-based systems from Nintendo and Sega, as it drove down game prices down in the process. (The cheaper disc format even prompted Final Fantasy VII maker Square to taunt Nintendo in a magazine ad, saying that if the game was “available on cartridge, it’d retail for around $1200.”) PlayStation devices often doubled as machines for watching movies and TV on the latest disc-based formats. In the late 2000s, for example, Sony’s pricy PS3 gained traction as a go-to device for playing then-novel Blu-Ray discs. In 2013, Sony effectively roasted the digital game-sharing restrictions proposed by rival Microsoft for its upcoming Xbox One console by showing how games could be shared for the then-upcoming PS4. In a 21-second clip that has over 20 million views on YouTube, one PlayStation executive simply handed a game box—presumably with disc inside—to another, who said “thanks.” Sony’s possible motivations The PlayStation announcement today cites “consumer preferences” and a shift away from discs among “the broader entertainment industry,” but does not delve into the decision-making process that brought Sony to this point. Sony is not discussing the economics of this move (I asked!), but there are a number of potential factors: Abandoning discs will spare Sony the cost of manufacturing and shipping them, which analysts and industry veterans I spoke to said could account for $1 or so of a game’s retail price. For first-party games, that’s direct savings for Sony, though the amount is limited by the winnowing percentage of people who were even buying the disc-based versions. For third-party games, Sony could pass the savings on to partners or just retain the better profit margin for themselves. As the 2024 comments from Phil Spencer alluded to, leaving discs behind could mean leaving disc-drives behind, allowing Sony to produce consoles more cheaply. Switching to digital-only for games could diminish the risks of copies of new games leaking. It would also seemingly make second-hand sales of used games impossible, pushing more people to buy their own copies of games. These economic benefits for Sony could be boons for the games industry overall, Ampere analyst Piers Harding-Rolls tells Game File. Among other things, it could free publishers and retailers from having to worry about securing an inventory of game discs when trying to sell games, he noted. “If there is a way to streamline the business of games retail, I generally think it’s a good thing for the industry as it removes unnecessary costs,” Harding-Rolls said. “This will help offset pressure on margins from other directions – development and staffing costs for example.” Should the industry shift from game boxes that contain discs to smaller, cheaper game cards, Harding-Rolls said, that reduces pressure on publishers and retailers. “The advantage of everything going digital for the industry is that sales can be tracked much more easily and there is less commercial risk for publishers wanting to continue selling via retail,” he said. The shift to no discs will also likely impact game development timelines, as developers will no longer face the same urgency to have a build ready to submit to PlayStation for the production of a disc, as industry experts noted around GTA VI’s no-disc news last week. Instead, projects may gain weeks of development time, in the event delivery deadlines for platform approval move closer to release date. Preservationists’ likely worries While millions of gamers have shifted to digital, there are still people who associate game discs—and only game discs—with actual ownership of PlayStation games. That portion of the gaming community spoke up last week about wanting to buy a version of GTA VI that they could hold in their hands, could lend to a friend and could potentially pop into a well-preserved PS5 console three decades from now and still see it run. Such gamers didn’t want to worry that they’d merely purchased a digital copy that could lose access to the game if, say, the company behind the game someday turns of the servers that transmit downloadable copies. Digital copies of games are inherently less long-lasting, because consumers aren’t actually buying a game (on a disc), just buying access to the game. The fine print in online gaming shops notes this, as does a recent law that went on the books in California in 2025. That lasw requires game publishers doing business in the state to refrain from words like “sell” when offering digital copies of games, unless they explicitly tell consumers that what’s being sold isn’t the game itself but a potentially revocable license to access it. A Sony spokesperson noted to Game File that “[w]ith all digital content, including games, movies, and music, players are purchasing a personal license for non-commercial use.” Regarding the fears of PlayStation games being lost to time in an all-digital era, the rep also noted that Sony remains “committed to delivering experiences from past generations to the new platforms our players are using.” They noted that PlayStation has used emulation and remasters to keep offering its classic games to modern gamers. It’s true that many consumers have become accustomed to not having physical copies of new music albums or movies, but the relative precariousness of digital copies of games is in fact being highlighted today by…. Sony’s other big announcement: the upcoming closure of the PS3 and PS Vita online stores Sony said today that it will be closing the online marketplaces for its PlayStation 3 console and PS Vita handheld in most countries in July 2027 (sooner elsewhere: August 2026 for the PS3 store Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua; late 2026 for PS3 in other Latin American countries and the Middle East). “We know this news may be disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who hold a special place in their hearts for this generation of gaming,” Sony said in its announcement, saying the move “was not an easy decision for us to make.” Sony said that PS3 and Vita marketplaces “are no longer able” to support modern commerce systems, prompting a “need” to close the shops and focus on more modern PlayStation platform stores. The news may spark some deja vu. Sony announced back in March 2021 that it planned to take the PS3, Vita and PlayStation Portable marketplaces offline that summer. The move would have caused some 2,000 digital-only games to become unavailable for new purchasers, according to a VGC analysis at the time. Fans complained loudly. By April 2021, Sony walked back the PS3 and Vita shop closures, with then PlayStation boss Jim Ryan saying “it’s clear that we made the wrong decision here.” This time around, Sony is giving a longer notice period in most regions. The closure of those stores is still likely to cut off access to new purchases of digital-only PS3 and Vita games. The current PlayStation 5 marketplace sells PS5 and PS4 games, as well as a selection of PS1 and PS2 games. It does not sell PS3 games, because games for that platform can’t run on the system (some are offered via a PlayStation Plus streaming option). Vita games also aren’t sold via PS5. Sony says digitally purchased PS3 and Vita games will be downloadable after the stores’ shutdowns “for the foreseeable future.” Sony’s move contrasts with Microsoft’s Xbox platform, which continues to sell and support games from all four Xbox console generations. But it puts it in line with Nintendo, which disabled purchases in the marketplace for its Wii console (a contemporary of the PS3) in 2019. Nintendo discontinued purchases in the online shop for its 3DS portable (a contemporary of the Vita) in 2023. The big questions about Sony’s 2028 post-disc era Will Microsoft follow suit, ending support for new disc-based games on Xbox platforms and therefore all game consoles, too? Whether Microsoft does or not, will third-parties that can no longer release games on discs for PlayStation, simply ditch the disc options across the board? Given the GTA VI no-disc experiment launching this November, will more game publishers decide to forgo disc-based offerings even in 2027? How will no-disc PS5/6 games be packaged and sold in brick-and-mortar retail stores? What becomes of game sharing in an all-digital era? Will Sony modify its current set-up, which currently allows some sharing of digital games across a pair of consoles, to allow more casual lending? (See for example, Nintendo’s year-old system of letting players lend a digital game to another player in a “family group” for up to 14 days.) Will there be a version of a PS6 with a disc drive? Or will a drive be offered as an add-on? And how will gamers who want to retain access to PS4/PS5 disc-based games react to whichever configurations Sony chooses to offer? What will the final disc-based PlayStation game be?
The best new science-fiction novels published in July 2026
Sci-fi fans can enjoy a new Red Dwarf novel – the first for 30 years – this month, as well as sci-fi horror from Paul Tremblay and a journey to Planet Happy with Riley August
Editorial: Keep up congressional pushback against Trump’s anti-science agenda
For about a decade, hundreds of deep-sea buoys off America’s coasts have been monitoring the conditions of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The streams of publicly available data they produce inform weather reports, generate valuable information about the planet’s changing climate and help the maritime industry and even the military maneuver the high seas.
Aligning patient and planetary health: planetary health diet adherence and inflammatory bowel disease prognosis across Western and Eastern cohorts
npj Science of Food - Aligning patient and planetary health: planetary health diet adherence and inflammatory bowel disease prognosis across Western and Eastern cohorts
16 gorgeous images from the 1839 Awards’ Color Photography Contest
All the beautiful shades of our planet and its creatures.
'The fate of Earth depends on a delicate balance': Our planet may survive the death of the sun after all, new models hint
When the sun dies, it will become hundreds of times its current size and engulf the innermost planets. Earth may escape this infernal fate, according to state-of-the-art stellar evolution models.
Astronomers find biggest super-puff planets yet, lighter than cotton candy
Comparable to shaving foam, astronomers find the wispiest planets yet. They're in the southern "flying fish" constellation.
'Super puffy': Scientists ponder extreme low density of two planets
International researchers are engaged in a complex study of two planets in deep space that appear to have an average density lower than that of candy floss. The planets orbiting star TOI-791, located ...
We almost had a smartphone in the 90s. Why did it fail?
In the early 90’s, a company called General Magic began working on a portable device that would allow people to check email, make phone calls, even play games. It was basically a smartphone. But it never caught on.On today’s show, a theory about why this device failed. General Magic had generous investors, world-class talent and creative freedom. But is it possible what they needed was constraints?Support:Planet Money+Read: Our book: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life Our weekly longform Planet Money newsletterOur weekly Indicator round-up newsletterFollow: InstagramTikTokYouTubeFacebookThis episode was hosted by Erika Beras and Emma Peaslee. It was produced by Emma Peaslee with help from Sam Yellowhorse Kesler and James Sneed. It was edited by Marianne McCune and fact-checked by Charlotte Isidore. It was engineered by Jimmy Keeley with help from Cena Loffredo. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money’s executive producer.
Europe’s Deadly Heat Wave: A Jolt for Climate Action, or Just for A.C.?
Heat-related deaths and disruptions to daily life are forcing politicians to reckon, in different ways, with a rapidly warming planet.
Scientists find evidence of vast hidden magma systems inside Mars
Researchers from the University of Oxford have uncovered evidence that Mars once hosted enormous, Earth-like magmatic systems deep beneath its surface—despite the planet lacking the plate tectonics long ...
AI designs the ideal burger for taste, health, and planet
Stanford researchers developed an AI tool that creates novel burger recipes optimized for individual preferences. The implications for science go well beyond food.
Asthma, maternal health, climate disasters: How Detroit’s health director is tackling city’s health disparities
Detroit health director discusses tackling childhood asthma, maternal health, climate disasters through Health in All Policies approach.
This week in science: Exoplanetary salt clouds, ancient families and laughter's origin
Hosts from NPR's science podcast Short Wave talk about an exoplanet with pink, salty clouds, the surprising social structure of ancient human relatives and the origins of laughter.
Could the history of Mars be set in stone? Meteorite discovery may offer clues to Red Planet's past
Garnet found in a 4.4-billion-year-old meteorite gives potential insight into the history, development and geological processes of Mars.
NASA’s TESS Mission Reveals the “Puffiest” Planets Ever Found
NASA has revealed two new “super-puff” planets, giant worlds so light that their density is comparable to cotton candy. Scientists calculate that these Jupiter-sized planets are the “puffiest” worlds ever found.
Two ‘super-puff’ planets are as wispy as cotton candy
TOI-791 b and TOI-791 c are about the size of Jupiter, but 28–35 times less dense.
Perseverance Finds Complex Organic Compounds in Strange Mars Rocks
Another potential ancient life sign on the red planet?
Meteorite reveals a lost moon-sized world from the dawn of the solar system
A rare meteorite has revealed evidence of a massive lost world that once orbited the young Sun before being destroyed in a catastrophic collision. The discovery suggests some early planets formed from dramatically different materials than Earth and Mars, rewriting part of the solar system’s origin story.
Famous Pink Planet Mystery Decoded: JWST Says Salt Clouds are the Culprit
This Magenta world's strange atmosphere made no sense until JWST found intriguing clouds made of salt.
Grape seeds from Texas are going to space
Your next bottle of red could come from seeds that orbited Planet Earth.
Earth’s mantle may be hiding an ocean’s worth of water 410 miles down - Futura-Sciences
An estimated 4.4 billion years ago, a series of planetary collisions delivered the vast majority of Earth’s water budget to a world whose surface was still a bubbling, glowing ocean of molten rock. As this global magma ocean slowly cooled and crystallized over millions of years into the planet’s first...
Will NASA’s SkyFall Mars helicopter fleet sink science at the Red Planet?
Mars researchers are wrestling with the potential costs of a flashy new NASA mission to the Red Planet
Adler Planetarium's Zooniverse people-powered research initiative is set to hit milestone
The Sun may not engulf Earth after all, scientists say
Need some good news on a Friday after a long week? The Earth may not be engulfed by the expanding fireball of the dying sun, which has long been assumed to be our home planet's ultimate fate, according ...
Student research in Yellowstone could help scientists understand life on other planets
Arizona State University doctoral candidates Tanner Barnes and Vince Debes both enjoy a good hike. But when they set out on trails in places like Yellowstone National Park, they are not just taking in the sights — they are collecting samples that could answer some of science’s biggest questions: how life survives in extreme environments, how planets become habitable and what signs of life scientists should look for beyond Earth.
'Toy Story 5' did not miss a crucial Easter egg. Yep, it's the Pizza Planet truck.
Did you catch it?
Living Longer Is Big Business. These Stocks Will Benefit.
Longevity healthcare could be big business for companies like Planet Fitness, Abbott, and Hims & Hers.
Planet Labs CEO Will Marshall Says Business ‘Booming’ Thanks to AI at All-in
Planet Labs CEO Will Marshall joins Ashley Mastronardi on NYSE Live to discuss AI
Are all redheads born with freckles? Science reveals a surprising truth - Futura-Sciences
Why Rare Redheads Get So Many Stereotypes Redheads are already something of a rarity on this planet—think unicorns but with sunscreen in their bag! In fact, it’s estimated that only about 1 to 2% of the world’s population has natural red hair. The highest concentrations are mainly in Scotland and...
MOMENT OF SCIENCE: NASA set to launch new project
NASA missions have been exploring beyond our planet for nearly 7 decades! Now, NASA’s latest mission is almost ready for launch… 8 months ahead of schedule.
Is gambling the reason we have pro sports?
To hear author David Bockino tell it, gambling has always been a key ingredient of pro sports in the U.S.—it’s as American as apple pie. Bockino is the author of the new book Over/Under: An Unexpected History of Sports Betting. So what gave rise to this new wave of sports gambling? And what are we risking placing so many bets on games? Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — Prediction markets are threatening national security. Who’s gonna fix it? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+
Saint Louis Science Center to reopen James S. McDonnell Planetarium with unprecedented upgrades
The Saint Louis Science Center will reopen the James S. McDonnell Planetarium on July 18, featuring revolutionary new technological upgrades to the space’s sound, visuals, and capabilities. Alongside the new upgrades, the Science Center will introduce two new live shows that take full advantage of the planetarium’s updated features. “This equipment allows us to match […]
NASA’s Webb Catches Exoplanet Getting Roasted
One well-done gas giant, coming right up! That’s the latest from researchers analyzing NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s observations of HD 80606 b, an
From Pakistan to Indiana: climate change and patient health
Climate change and patient health share one warming planet. A Pakistani Hoosier student links Pakistan's floods to climate change health equity in Indiana.
Scientists Horrified as Huge Heatwave Hits Antarctica
Record-breaking temperatures are hitting Antarctica, which is extremely bad news for the planet's delicate climate.
Here's how to watch every FIFA World Cup match for FREE from anywhere on the planet
The biggest football competition in the world returns. We'll show you where to watch the World Cup online from anywhere.
Alien planet spins revealed a hidden clue to how worlds form
Using the Keck Observatory, astronomers measured the spins of dozens of giant planets and brown dwarfs orbiting distant stars. They found that giant planets can spin faster than much more massive brown dwarfs, challenging simple assumptions about mass and rotation. The results suggest that magnetic fields and formation processes play a major role in determining how fast worlds end up spinning.
It’s my tree. Why can’t I cut it down?
Can the government stop you from cutting down your own tree? In many towns and cities these days, removing a tree now requires a permit. You might have to pay a fee, or promise to plant replacement trees. But sometimes, the city won't let you cut down the tree at all, even a tree in your own backyard.That's because trees are important for air quality, for flood control, and for public health. They help keep neighborhoods cool on hot days. But some think that tree protection laws have gone too far — that they might even be unconstitutional.On today's episode, it's the latest showdown between property rights and local zoning laws. Typically, towns and cities enjoy a lot of power when it comes to zoning and permits. They can ban certain types of buildings. They can make you paint your house a certain color. But can they make it illegal to cut down a tree? And what does it mean to "own" a piece of property anyway?Support:Planet Money+Read: Our book: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life Our weekly longform Planet Money newsletterOur weekly Indicator round-up newsletterFollow: InstagramTikTokYouTubeFacebookThis episode of Planet Money was hosted by Jeff Guo and Amanda Aronczyk. It was produced by James Sneed and Emma Peaslee, edited by Jess Jiang, and fact-checked by Vito Emanuel. It was engineered by Robert Rodriguez and Cena Loffredo. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.
See a Diamond Planet, an Exploding Star and a Black Hole Up Close in a New Immersive Virtual Reality Experience
Informed by science from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and astronomers worldwide, this “documentary that you can walk through” visualizes the cosmos in a 3-D introduction to the universe
621 trillion miles of fungi networks crisscross the planet
A new map explores the vast underground world supporting all life on Earth.
Scientists warn of record heat, threats to climate monitoring
Planetary heating is intensifying and key climate indicators are deteriorating, top scientists said Thursday, warning
Pfizer's 2025 Impact Report Highlights Progress Across Patients, Planet, and Responsible Business
Here at Pfizer, we are in the business of breakthroughs, and while our focus is on making advancements that impact patients’ lives, we are also aware of our work’s broader impact on the world. Every year, we take stock of the impact our work has on the world, the environment, and people themselves in our Impact Report.
Planetary Science Institute enters new era under Amanda Hendrix
The Planetary Science Institute is entering a new chapter under the leadership of Director and Chief Executive Officer Amanda Hendrix, who took over the Tucson-based nonprofit in May 2025 following
GREX-PLUS Science Book v2
GREX-PLUS (Galaxy Reionization EXplorer and PLanetary Universe Spectrometer) is a mission candidate for a JAXA strategic L-class mission to be launched in the 2030s
We Surveyed Scientists About Aliens. Their Answers Were Revealing.
Here's what they said.
Planetary Science Analysis and Assessment Group Support
Earlier this year it was announced that NASA’s Planetary Science Division to cease financial support for planetary science Analysis/Assessment Groups (AGs), effective the end of April 2026.
Why Does the Trump Administration Keeping Attacking Science?
The Trump Administration's multi-prong attack on American science seems to come down to ideology, plain and simple.
Planetarium show explores the science of the sun and moon
A live presentation at Samford University’s Christenberry Planetarium will examine how Earth’s closest celestial neighbors continue to shape life on our planet.
NYU Launches Earth Systems Institute
Interdisciplinary science and tech hub aims to develop pioneering solutions for a changing planet
Planet nine mystery deepens as new discovery challenges hidden planet theory
Astronomers have spent years searching for a possible hidden giant planet far beyond Neptune. Unusual orbits among distant Kuiper Belt objects have fueled the Planet Nine theory, but recent discoveries are challenging the idea by showing more stable motion than expected. If Planet Nine exists, it may be much farther away than originally thought.
Strange Stars Look Suspiciously Like They've Been Eating Planets
Like angry stellar Pac-Men.
Science 4 Everyone: How far away is Earth compared to other planets and the sun?
What is planetary conjunction? Storm Team4 meteorologist Ryan Miller explains how big planets are and how close they actually are to each other.
Kaleidoscopic meteorite could be a piece of a 'lost world' from the early solar system — Space photo of the week
A rare meteorite found in the Sahara Desert may be evidence of a long-lost "protoplanet" that formed in the early solar system before being destroyed in a colossal collision, a new study suggests
World Ocean Day Celebration at Seacoast Science Center
For Seacoast Science Center, this year marks a remarkable 35 years of providing outstanding coastal and ocean education at Odiorne Point State Park along the New Hampshire seacoast! World Ocean Day, a global celebration that honors our one shared ocean, presents the perfect opportunity for us to invite our community to come together and celebrate the ocean that connects us all.On June 20th, the Center will host its flagship World Ocean Day celebration from 10 AM to 2 PM. Enjoy hands-on games, educational activities, naturalist-led tide pooling sessions, music, and much more! You’ll also have the opportunity to meet local scientists, divers, artists, and conservationists who are dedicated to safeguarding our one world ocean. See the schedule and the organizations joining us on our event web page: https://www.seacoastsciencecenter.org/world-ocean-dayWe can’t wait to see you by the coast for learning, discovery, and plenty of fun, all aimed at inspiring the conservation of our Blue Planet!
AJ Patton
Scope of work: A.J. Patton founded 548 Capital and 548 Development to help transform communities and their impact on the planet, developing solutions for the housing, environmental and economic issues facing inner cities. In 2022, he combined the firms into 548 Enterprise.Biggest professional win: 548 Capital rehabilitated a once-decrepit 79th Street building into a sustainable project with 28 affordable units, each with energy-efficient lighting, high-performance windows and state-of-the art HVAC systems, and it will soon include solar photovoltaic rooftop panels.Other contributions: Patton, a member of Crain's 40 Under 40 Class of 2022, is a member of the American Council on Renewable Energy’s Accelerate program, the Chicago Business Leadership Council banking and finance co-chair and a member of the World Leaders Forum board.Crain's 40 Under 40 Class of 2022
Scientists Find Chunk of Lost Planet in Desert
"It’s incredible to think there was once a world this large."
Scientists Find Chunk of Lost Planet in Desert
"It’s incredible to think there was once a world this large."
A Critical UV Legacy: A Hubble Roadmap for HWO Science Readiness
The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will provide the first opportunity to directly image and spectrally characterize terrestrial exoplanets
HERMES: HiERarchical Modelling for Exoplanet Science
ESA's Ariel Space Mission will characterise the atmospheres of approximately 1000 exoplanets to quantify population-level trends.
When science answers to politics
The White House Office of Management and Budget has proposed new rules that would require political appointees, not scientists, to decide which research…
When science answers to politics
The White House Office of Management and Budget has proposed new rules that would require political appointees, not scientists, to decide which research…
A Moonlit Earth as Seen From Artemis II
An astronaut’s photo, taken en route to the Moon, reveals our planet and its place in space in a novel way.
Scientists Say Supermassive Black Holes Could Be Surrounded by Millions of Planets
Scientists have found planet and star formations somewhere that was the last place they thought it could occur.
Why ocean science is still one of the worst-funded scientific fields worldwide
For a planet that is 71% ocean, humanity spends a surprisingly small amount of time (and money) trying to understand it. Ocean science sits in a strange place in the research ecosystem. It underpin…
148 Michigan politicians sign ‘no utility money’ pledge
148 Michigan politicians pledge to refuse utility campaign donations as frustration grows over DTE and Consumers Energy's political influence.
New book offers tips to translate climate science into political gains
At a time when climate politics in the United States and globally remain deeply polarized, Will Hackman, a climate advocate and political operative, argues that the climate movement needs a new language — one rooted less in doom, guilt and abstract planetary crisis, and more in people’s everyday lives, health, safety, costs and communities. In […]
New book offers tips to translate climate science into political gains
At a time when climate politics in the United States and globally remain deeply polarized, Will Hackman, a climate advocate and political operative, argues that the climate movement needs a new language — one rooted less in doom, guilt and abstract planetary crisis, and more in people’s everyday lives, health, safety, costs and communities. In […]
Scientists Think a Cosmic Particle Accelerator Shot a Mystery Particle Right at Earth
A gigantic "blazar" may have fired a beam of light-speed particles at our planet, creating a 2023 "ghost particle" detection.
Planetary Health Diet May Lower Obesity Risk at Menopause
The planetary health and low-insulinemic diets — rich in plants and whole grains and low in red and processed meats and fried foods — can aid weight management during menopause, a recent study shows.
Scientists stunned: a hidden Earth mechanism may reveal how continents were born - Futura-Sciences
The Great Puzzle of Plate Tectonics Our planet’s lithosphere—the robust outer shell—hasn’t led a quiet life. Broken into multiple rigid plates, these vast rafts of rock incessantly jostle and drift, thanks to two mighty geological engines: subduction and oceanic accretion. At mid-ocean ridges, plates pull apart, creating new lithosphere from...
The Next Step in Trump's War on Science
OMB's new rule attempts to politicize funding for scientific research. It goes far beyond OMB's legal authority.
Urgent alert: a mysterious asteroid forces surprise action from astronomers - Futura-Sciences
The Asteroid with (Almost) No Bite The talk of the space community lately is 2024 YR4, a near-Earth asteroid discovered late last December. As it turns out, its orbit crosses that of our home planet—yes, a classic ‘potentially hazardous asteroid.’ But before you start updating your end-of-the-world playlist, here’s the...
What would proof of alien life look like? Here's what scientists are really looking for | BBC Sky at Night Magazine
The scientific community tends to employ ‘confidence of life’ detection scales: a multi-step ‘ladder’ that begins with biosignatures.
How to watch Jupiter and Venus as they join in the sky this week
You may have noticed two bright "stars" in the west after sunset. Those aren't stars but rather two planets: Jupiter and Venus. And they're on their way for a beautiful meet-up in the days ahead.
Scientists map the ocean’s invisible workforce of microbes
USC Dornsife research reveals how tiny sea-faring organisms compete for nutrients, recycle carbon and help regulate the planet’s climate
13-year-old Londoner wins top prize at national science fair for his work in asteroid detection
Thirteen-year-old Siddharth Patel, a Grade 7 student at London's Clara Brenton Public School, won the Platinum Prize in Discovery in the junior category for his project, "Automating Asteroid Detection Criteria to Strengthen Citizen Science for Planetary Defense."
Small Business Month Launches Nationwide
/PRNewswire/ -- Mediaplanet announces the launch of Small Business Month, a national campaign debuting within USA Today and online. This initiative brings...
Future of Personal Health—Mental Health Campaign
Media Planet recently spotlighted the mental health story of Special Olympics Minnesota athlete, Kayte Barton in a story titled, "Closing the Mental Health Gap for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities” as part of their Mental Health Awareness Month campaign. The story details how Kayte leveraged her own challenges accessing mental health care to help develop Special Olympics Strong Minds, the mental discipline of Special Olympics Healthy Athletes®.
Astronomers finally solve Saturn’s decades-long spin mystery
A decades-old mystery about Saturn has finally been solved thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope. Scientists discovered that Saturn’s changing “rotation rate” was never caused by the planet speeding up or slowing down, but by powerful winds high in its atmosphere. Webb’s unprecedented observations revealed that Saturn’s northern lights actively heat the atmosphere, creating winds that generate electrical currents, which then power the aurora all over again in a self-sustaining cycle.
Fertitta Entertainment Agrees to Acquire Caesars Entertainment in $17.6B Deal
HOUSTON, LAS VEGAS AND RENO, NEV. — Fertitta Entertainment Inc., a private holding company controlled by the NBA’s Houston Rockets governor (i.e. owner) Tilman Fertitta, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire casino and gaming giant Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR) for $17.6 billion. Fertitta Entertainment plans to finance the acquisition through a combination of equity, assumed Caesars’ outstanding debt (approximately $11.9 billion) and new committed debt financing arranged by a consortium of 10 banks. Under terms of the agreement, Caesars shareholders will receive $31 in cash for each outstanding share, which represents a 49 percent premium to the company’s unaffected stock price on Feb. 25 (the last trading day before rumors of a potential transaction were reported) — $20.77 per share. Upon completion of the transaction, shares of Caesars Entertainment common stock will no longer be listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. Caesars operates several major Las Vegas Strip properties, such as Caesars Palace, Harrah’s, Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood, Horseshoe, The LINQ Hotel, Flamingo and The Cromwell. Fertitta Entertainment owns Golden Nugget Hotels & Casinos and operates more than 450 full-service restaurants around the world, including Landry’s, Rainforest Café and Morton’s. According to the press releases issued by both companies,…
Antarctica’s ice sheet hit a climate tipping point 1 million years ago
A new study suggests Antarctica’s ice sheet hit a climate tipping point about one million years ago, making it far more reactive to temperature and CO2 changes. Researchers warn this surprising sensitivity could offer clues about how the continent may respond to today’s warming world.
Planet Fitness summer program encourages teens to prioritize physical, mental health
Local Planet Fitness Clubs are opening their doors to teenagers throughout the summer.
From Hubble to HWO: Bridging the Frontier of White Dwarf Exoplanet Science
White dwarf stars, the endpoint of stellar evolution for 97% of stars in our Milky Way