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.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), better known as forever chemicals, are gaining notoriety for their ability to linger in the environment and for possible links to health problems. Now, scientists are finding these chemicals in surprising places, including beer. A study published in ACS Environmental Science & Technology analyzed beers brewed across different regions of the United States. The results showed that the highest PFAS levels appeared in beers made in areas where local water supplies are already known to be contaminated.

Morphine and other opioids are commonly used in medicine because of their strong ability to relieve pain. Yet, they also pose significant risks, including respiratory depression and drug dependence. To limit these dangers, Japan enforces strict rules that allow only specially authorized physicians to prescribe such medications.

In contrast, the United States saw widespread prescribing of the opioid OxyContin, which fueled a rise in the misuse of synthetic opioids like fentanyl. By 2023, deaths from opioid overdoses had exceeded 80,000, marking the escalation of a nationwide public health emergency now known as the “opioid crisis.”

Opioids may soon face competition. Researchers at Kyoto University have identified a new analgesic, named ADRIANA, that provides pain relief through a completely different biological pathway. The drug is now moving through clinical development as part of an international research collaboration.

“If successfully commercialized, ADRIANA would offer a new pain management option that does not rely on opioids, contributing significantly to the reduction of opioid use in clinical settings,” says corresponding author Masatoshi Hagiwara, a specially-appointed professor at Kyoto University.

Without the Sun, life as we know it on our planet wouldn’t exist!

Our exhibition, Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth?, explores how our solar system formed and what could lie beyond it! Snap a selfie with a piece of Mars, touch a fragment of the Moon and lay your hands on a meteorite older than our planet. Find out more and book your tickets: https://t.co/TVtRzQsc5T

Earth's ocean contrast: the shallow, turquoise waters surrounding the Grand Bahama Island vs the deep blue of the open ocean🌊

📸 CopernicusEU Sentinel-2

Perseids Over Durdle Door 💫

The annual Perseid meteor shower can be a magical display of falling "stars." This year's show, unfortunately, was hampered by a waning gibbous moon, making it difficult to track the meteors even under dark skies. However, astrophotographer Josh Dury accepted the challenge with this gorgeous time-lapse over Durdle Door, a natural limestone arch on the coast in Dorset, England. There are fourteen meteors captured over a seven-hour integration. The galactic core glows above the horizon as the Milky Way stretches up over the night sky.

Note the glow worm near the bottom of the picture!

Credit: Josh Dury

Next spring, four astronauts will venture around the Moon on Artemis II, paving the way for future missions to the lunar surface & Mars. 🚀🌕🔴

Launch into learning about NASAArtemis with resources & activities in this week's NASA EXPRESS! 📬

https://t.co/nH2ZmXUoOp

What if alien life has been signaling us for centuries, and we’ve missed it? 👽

Astrophysicist Simon Steel and the SETIInstitute are leading the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, scanning space for radio signals from intelligent alien civilizations. But space is noisy, black holes and lightning and cosmic static fill the universe. What if the signals have always been there, and we’re only now learning how to listen?

Tonight, our ESA JUICE
mission will flyby Venus on it's way to Jupiter, following the successful resolution of a spacecraft anomaly that temporarily disrupted communication with Earth.

🔗 https://t.co/NA5ZbVAwMw

Giant worlds beyond the Solar System could be the probe we need to figure out how dark matter manifests in the Universe.

According to a new study, one particular dark matter model could see the mysterious mass accumulating in the cores of giant planets, collapsing into tiny black holes destined to consume the surrounding material over time.

If we can find evidence of the resulting planet-mass object, it might validate the existence of a hefty form of dark matter that doesn't destroy itself.