Thursday, Jun 12th
Last update07:58:24 AM GMT
Science Glance
A Chinese scientist was arrested while arriving in the US at the Detroit airport, the second case in days involving the alleged smuggling of biological material, authorities said on Monday.
The scientist is accused of shipping biological material months ago to staff at a laboratory at the University of Michigan. The FBI, in a court filing, described it as material related to certain worms and requires a government permit.
A swarm of large asteroids likely lurking around Venus could one day pose an "invisible threat" to Earth if left unchecked, astronomers have warned in new research.
The giant space rocks are believed to be traveling in tandem with Venus as the planet orbits the sun, eluding our detection by staying hidden in the sun's glare. Because their orbits are unstable, a possibility exists – however remote – that the asteroids could break off from their trajectory and one day head on a collision course for Earth.
The findings are just the latest instance in which asteroids have gotten some ominous publicity in 2025. Earlier this year, an asteroid dubbed 2024 YR4 became infamous when astronomers briefly calculated a historically high chance of it impacting Earth.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists predict Hawaii's Kilauea volcano to erupt in the near future after an eruption May 25 sent lava spewing more that 1,000 feet into the sky.
Since December 2024, Kilauea has erupted about once a week, making it one of the world's most active volcanoes, the U.S. Geological Survey says.
Kilauea isn't the only volcano erupting. More than 50 volcanic eruptions have been reported around the world this year. The eruptions contribute significantly to earthquakes of all sizes, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
The Kilauea eruption that produced the 1,000-foot plume occurred in a closed area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park about 200 miles and several islands southeast of Honolulu. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory status report says the lava poses no immediate threat to people who live in the area.
Johann Strauss II's popular orchestral piece "By the Beautiful Blue Danube" has been inextricably linked to space since it was used in the 1968 classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The waltz played as a fictional spaceship docks with a space station, with expansive views of the Earth and the distant stars.
This week, the piece will take a more literal place among the stars when the European Space Agency broadcasts it into space.
As the Trump administration cut billions of dollars in federal funding to scientific research, thousands of scientists in the U.S. lost their jobs or grants — and governments and universities around the world spotted an opportunity.
The “Canada Leads” program, launched in April, hopes to foster the next generation of innovators by bringing early-career biomedical researchers north of the border.
Aix-Marseille University in France started the “Safe Place for Science” program in March — pledging to “welcome” U.S.-based scientists who “may feel threatened or hindered in their research.”
Australia’s “Global Talent Attraction Program,” announced in April, promises competitive salaries and relocation packages.
“In response to what is happening in the U.S.,” said Anna-Maria Arabia, head of the Australian Academy of Sciences, “we see an unparalleled opportunity to attract some of the smartest minds here.”
Earth has a newly-discovered neighbor in the solar system.
But the heavenly body – possibly a dwarf planet à la Pluto – isn't a frequent visitor. Located beyond Neptune, its extreme orbit circumnavigates the sun once every 25,000 years, taking it beyond our solar system.
The new object, named 2017 OF201, was discovered by researchers in an astronomical image database while searching for trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) and possible new planets in the outer solar system.
Sihao Cheng, an astrophysicist at the Institute for Advanced Study’s School of Natural Sciences, led the team that discovered the object, which he described as an "extreme 'cousin' of Pluto," in a comment on his personal website.
Paleontologists have discovered a three-eyed creature with a pencil sharpener-like mouth that roamed the sea for prey more than 500 million years ago.
The fossilized remains of one Mosura fentoni — nicknamed the "sea moth" — were found in the Burgess Shale of Canadian Rockies, presenting researchers with new insight into animal life in the Cambrian period, according to a paper published this week in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
The predator was about the length of an index finger, with three eyes dotting its head and a circular mouth lined with teeth, according to paleontologists at the Manitoba Museum and Royal Ontario Museum who made the discovery. The beast was also equipped with flaps on both sides of its body for swimming, and had intimidating claws extending from its head.
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