Scientists have used a combination of imaging techniques to map the internal structure of narwhal tusks at atomic, nano and macroscales. The study examined two male narwhal tusk and skull specimens, employing X-ray computed tomography, scanning X-ray diffraction, scanning small-angle X-ray scattering, tensor tomography and bifringence microscopy, and required beam time at synchrotrons in Sweden, Switzerland and France. Standard morphological measurements and three-point bending tests were also conducted. X-ray analysis showed that collagen fibrils and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles align along the tusk's longitudinal axis, producing a high degree of anisotropy at all scales. Small angular deviations in this orientation generate the observed twist. While the cementum layer forms a left-handed helix, the dentine forms a right-handed helix, creating a double-helix architecture. The double-helix structure contributes to the tusk's stiffness and strength, allowing it to resist bending and twisting forces without cracking and to grow straight rather than curved as in other species. The researchers noted a finer microstructure in the cementum where collagen fiber bundles extend radially, a detail they plan to investigate with micro- and nano-beam experiments. Co-author Henrik Birkedal of Aarhus University said the tusk acts as a historical record of environmental conditions throughout the animal's lifespan, and ongoing rapid changes in the North Atlantic make it valuable to trace these conditions in the tusk's hard tissue.
Breakthroughs from labs, observatories, and clinical trials worth your attention.
Astronomers have identified the fastest known star in the Milky Way, designated S301, which orbits the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* at a distance of about 12 times the Earth-Sun separation and completes an orbit in 8.7 years, traveling at roughly 25000 km per second.
The discovery was made using observations from the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope Interferometer at Paranal, Chile, which combined light from four 8-meter telescopes to track the star's motion.
S301's orbit is highly eccentric and very close to the black hole, providing a unique opportunity to test predictions of Einstein's general relativity regarding spacetime drag around a rotating black hole.
According to the theory, a spinning black hole drags spacetime, influencing the orbits of nearby objects; measuring S301's trajectory over the next decade could determine the spin rate of Sagittarius A*, a key test of the theory.
The study, published in Nature, notes that previous estimates of black hole spin required monitoring multiple stars for decades, while the team hopes to quantify the spin within ten years.
Researchers such as Felix Mang of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics and Dr. Stefan Gillessen, also of MPE, highlighted the unprecedented opportunity to directly measure black hole spin.
Independent astrophysicist Dr. Ziri Younsi of University College London said the finding is important for understanding the evolution of the Milky Way.
The data collected through 2031 will provide enough information to quantify the black hole's spin within ten years, offering new insight into the dynamics of the galactic center.
Scientists using the GRAVITY instrument on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope identified a star, designated S301, with the shortest orbital period among stars near the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole, Sgr A*. Determining the orbits of stars near Sgr A* is challenging because the black hole’s spin can cause precession that weakens with the cube of distance, requiring either high‑resolution imaging of nearby stars or observations spanning thousands of years. The GRAVITY instrument combines light from four telescopes to achieve the resolution of a 130‑meter aperture. Since 2017, the team has tracked stars in the inner region of the galaxy. In 2023, repeated observations allowed the team to determine that S301 completes an orbit in 8.7 years, about three years shorter than any other known star in the area. Its eccentricity is 0.9832, indicating a highly elongated orbit that brings it markedly closer to Sgr A* than previous candidates; modeling shows its periapse occurred early in 2023. The star’s trajectory suggests that its motion is influenced by the black hole’s spin, though the effect diminishes rapidly with distance. Further observations will be needed to refine the orbit and assess the influence of Sgr A*’s spin on stellar dynamics.
LandSpace announced that its Zhuque-3 (ZQ-3) rocket placed a satellite into orbit after recovering its first stage on land for the first time.
LandSpace announced that its Zhuque-3 (ZQ-3) rocket placed a satellite into orbit after recovering its first stage on land for the first time.
The rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 7:35 pm EDT (23:35 UTC) on Tuesday. Powered by nine methane‑fueled engines, the 216‑foot (66 m) vehicle traveled southeast before the upper stage placed the satellite in orbit.
The first stage, built of stainless steel, descended to a landing zone about 240 miles (390 km) downrange and touched down using four extendable landing legs. After a crash landing in December, engineers modified the rocket to use a single engine for the final landing phase and upgraded the heat shield for reentry protection.
LandSpace said the mission was a success and described it as China’s first attempt to recover the first stage of an orbital‑class launch vehicle using landing legs. Dai Zheng, head of the Zhuque-3 project, said the final braking maneuver was executed, resulting in a soft landing and meeting the design goal of a one‑shot reverse‑parking maneuver.
The company will inspect the recovered booster, collect status data and perform maintenance before returning the stage to service for future flights. A timeline for the next launch has not been announced.
China is preparing a lunar mission that will attempt the first landing near the South Pole of the Moon. The mission, designated Chang’e 7, includes a lunar orbiter equipped with high‑resolution cameras, a lander, a rover and a mini‑hopper probe. While the lander’s mass has not been disclosed, it is several times larger than recent NASA‑backed landers such as Firefly’s Blue Ghost. Humans have sent missions to the Moon since 1959, but no spacecraft has ever landed at the South Pole.
The lander is scheduled to touch down near Shackleton Crater, a permanently shadowed region at the lunar South Pole that is of particular scientific interest because of potential water ice deposits. The mission will provide data on the presence and distribution of water in the region, which could inform future lunar settlement plans. The orbiter will map the area from orbit, while the rover and hopper will conduct surface measurements after landing. Success would mark the first Chinese rover operation on the Moon and the first landing at the South Pole.
A French researcher who promoted hydroxychloroquine as a Covid‑19 treatment faced criticism after an analysis identified extensive ethical problems in his publications. In March 2020, as the virus spread globally, Raoult and colleagues published studies suggesting that hydroxychloroquine combined with azithromycin could treat Covid‑19. Statements from former President Donald Trump and television physician Dr. Mehmet Oz described the research as a potential gamechanger, despite concerns raised by scientists such as Dr. Anthony Fauci. An international team of researchers examined 2,674 papers published by the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection between 1994 and 2024 and found ethical concerns in 853 articles. The team reported that Didier Raoult, the institute’s founder, was listed as a co‑author on 758 of those papers. Investigators said at least 78 articles appeared to violate French law on human‑subject research, 343 lacked any recorded ethics approval, and several approvals were applied retroactively. The analysis concluded that the papers contributed to a claim of a Covid‑19 cure, led to shortages of hydroxychloroquine, and diverted attention from other treatments. It also fueled antivaccine narratives that argued the drug could replace vaccines. The retraction of the original article in 2025 did not stop its influence, the team said. The findings were published in the journal Research Integrity and Peer Review. Lonni Besançon, an assistant professor at Linköping University and a member of the research team, said the paper wasted time and was used to push an antivax agenda. Senate investigators later voted to hold Fauci in contempt after he invoked the Fifth Amendment during a hearing on the origins of Covid‑19. The IHU said it conducted its own investigation after being alerted in 2020, transferred its findings to authorities, and cooperated with subsequent reviews. Aix‑Marseille University, which oversees the institute, said it has strengthened its oversight mechanisms and emphasized that research ethics remain central to its policy. Raoult, who retired in 2021, did not respond to questions about the analysis. The department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services declined to comment on the promotion of Raoult’s work.
A Union for Concerned Scientists report found that rising temperatures heighten the danger of pesticide exposure for farmworkers. Heat is the leading weather‑related cause of death in the United States, with OSHA recording 1,042 heat‑related worker deaths from 1992 to 2022, an average of 34 per year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Farmworkers constitute the majority of those exposed to pesticides, even when they do not handle the chemicals directly, the report said. The study noted that many employers fail to post warnings about recently sprayed fields, do not provide protective gear, and offer inadequate training on proper use. Research showed that PVC gloves, commonly used for protection, lose impermeability as temperatures rise, increasing chemical absorption. Chronic pesticide exposure has been linked to cancer, depression, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases and reproductive problems, according to the report. Economists warned that workers should change out of work clothes and shower before interacting with family members to reduce secondary exposure. The findings highlight gaps in occupational safety standards and underscore the need for updated regulations as climate‑related heat events become more frequent.
Fin whales, humpback whales and other baleen whales are now feeding in ice‑free waters off East Greenland, a change documented by researchers in a 2024 study. Sea ice that historically limited access to these coastal waters has receded as regional temperatures have risen, allowing whales to reach areas they previously could not inhabit. The investigation combined aerial surveys conducted in 2015 and 2024, satellite tracking of 15 whales, and observations from Inuit hunters. Sightings of humpback whales were recorded for the first time in 2006, increased to seven in 2007 and rose to 150 ship‑based observations by 2024. An estimated 4,000 humpback whales, 6,000 fin whales and 6,000 minke whales visited the Greenland Sea during the summer of 2024, consuming at least 800,000 tonnes of fish and krill, according to the study. Prof Mads Peter Heide‑Jørgensen of the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources described the transformation as one of the most radical observed in the subarctic, noting that rising sea temperatures and increased food availability drive the shift. Other experts expressed concern that the influx may involve whales moving from West Greenland, a region where whaling occurs, but the study did not confirm a population increase, only a redistribution of individuals. While some baleen whale species appear to benefit from the new habitat, Arctic specialists such as narwhals and belugas are reported to face habitat loss or displacement as whale numbers rise. The findings suggest a broader ecological regime shift in the East Greenland marine environment, though the long‑term impacts on Arctic species and the overall whale populations remain under study.
SpaceX recovered its Starship after 24 days at sea and transported the vehicle to Christmas Island. Elon Musk said the recovery effort was “not looking good” during an August 4 earnings call, but teams in the Indian Ocean kept the craft afloat with air‑filled fenders and obtained close‑up images of the heat shield and engines for future upgrades. The recovered Starship will not be reused because splashdown exposed the engines, stainless steel structure and electronics to salt water and caused damage during a tip‑over after impact. SpaceX plans to retrieve future Starships directly at the launch site using mechanical arms on the launch tower, a method that could speed vehicle reuse. The heat shield consists of roughly 18,000 ceramic tiles, a design NASA used on its Space Shuttle orbiters that required replacement after each flight. Musk said on the earnings call that the heat shield issue is solved, but industry experts remain uncertain whether the tiles can endure the high flight rate SpaceX envisions for lunar, Martian and orbital missions. Recovering the heat shield and subjecting the tiles to laboratory or flight tests may clarify their durability under repeated use.
Research indicates that cities can serve as a refuge for threatened wildflowers in the United Kingdom. Wildflower meadows have declined sharply across the countryside, with 97% lost since the early 20th century and more than half of native flower species reported to be in decline for about 70 years. Factors such as intensive agriculture, pesticide and herbicide use, building development, competition from invasive species, and climate change have contributed to these losses. Urban environments offer low‑fertility soils and a range of microhabitats — including cracks in pavements, road margins, roundabouts, disused railways, riverbanks, and soil beneath trees — that limit competition from grasses and support wildflower establishment. Some local authorities have reduced herbicide applications and limited mowing frequency to encourage wildflower growth, creating additional sites. Even abandoned or derelict areas, when left undisturbed, can function as refuges for plant species. These findings suggest that urban planning and management practices may play a role in conserving wildflower biodiversity as countryside populations continue to fall.