In a new experiment, scientists used virtual reality to show that the brain can sense virtual infection to trigger the body’s immune system, before the first microbe ever makes contact.

The immune system detects and responds to the presence of a pathogen to eliminate or counteract its toxic effects. However, the delay in this process might weaken its efficacy. A recent report in Nature Neuroscience shows how the neural system primes the immune response in anticipation of a potential infectious threat, even without actual pathogen.

Gordon Cooper joked with mission control on Day 4 of their Gemini V flight 60 years ago: "We just finished off our sausage and eggs that Pete cooked this morning, and he's making the coffee now."

Cooper and crewmate Pete Conrad had little appetite on their 8-day mission and did not eat much of the cold, dehydrated, prepackaged food provided. They each lost more than 7 lbs (3.3 kg) over their spaceflight.

Read more about early space food: https://t.co/8Y38pudbjD

Tiny particles floating in our air.

This visualization shows how tiny particles called aerosols move through Earth's atmosphere from August 1 to September 14, 2024, using NASA's Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) model. These particles, which include sea salt, dust, smoke, and sulfates, can travel thousands of miles and affect air quality and visibility far from their original sources.

By tracking these movements, NASA helps communities prepare for changes in air quality and visibility while advancing our understanding of Earth's complex atmospheric system.

Watch the complete video: https://t.co/YxA4A6hMp0

Exp 73 tested a special leg cuff to protect crews from space-caused head and eye pressure while also unpacking the SpaceX #Dragon and readying it for a station reboost. https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/08/27/head-and-eye-health-dragon-reboost-preps-and-emergency-drill-fill-crew-day/

For more than three decades, satellites have tracked global sea-level change, and a recent analysis shows that projections made in the mid-1990s were strikingly accurate. The findings, published in Earth’s Future, an open-access journal of the American Geophysical Union, come from two researchers at Tulane University.

“The ultimate test of climate projections is to compare them with what has played out since they were made, but this requires patience – it takes decades of observations,” said lead author Torbjörn Törnqvist, Vokes Geology Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

“We were quite amazed how good those early projections were, especially when you think about how crude the models were back then, compared to what is available now,” Törnqvist said. “For anyone who questions the role of humans in changing our climate, here is some of the best proof that we have understood for decades what is really happening, and that we can make credible projections.”

Sometimes scientists use enhanced-color images to reveal subtle variations on the surface of Mars. This view from our Mars Odyssey orbiter highlights details in clouds hovering over canyons in the Margaritifer Terra region in December. More from Odyssey: https://t.co/EouBe2Uve9

The ambitious mission to retrieve samples from asteroid Bennu and return them to Earth is paying off.

Just as scientists had hoped, the asteroid is revealing details about the early days in our Solar System. More than just a simple space rock, Bennu contains not only material from the Solar System, but material from beyond our system.

Ibuprofen and acetaminophen (paracetamol) are among the most widely used pain and fever remedies, but new findings from the University of South Australia suggest they may be contributing to a global health crisis: antibiotic resistance.

In a pioneering study, scientists discovered that each drug on its own can encourage bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics, and when taken together, they appear to intensify this effect.

For decades, scientists thought unbreakable quantum encryption required flawless light sources, a nearly impossible feat. But a team has flipped the noscript using tiny engineered “quantum dots” and clever new protocols.

By making imperfect light behave more securely, they proved that encrypted messages can travel farther and more safely than ever before. Real-world tests have shown that their method outperforms even the best current systems, bringing practical, affordable quantum-safe communication a significant step closer.

POV: You’re looking at the Moon outside of your window on the Orion spacecraft.

This visualization simulates what the crew of Artemis II might see out the Orion windows on the day of their closest approach to the Moon. Learn more: https://t.co/aNSPEPP6Bv

On the evening of September 7, the second (and final) total lunar eclipse of the year will take place—serving up the striking sight of a red “blood moon” in the sky across much of the world.

The totality phase of this September’s eclipse—when the moon is within Earth’s shadow and will appear a deep red—will be visible across Asia, central and eastern Africa, and Australia. These maps from Timeanddate.com show where on the planet the total eclipse can be seen.