NASA is testing a "cryocoupler" — an in-orbit refueling device developed by L3Harris — designed to transfer cryogenic propellant between spacecraft during missions. The technology is seen as a critical step toward enabling long-range deep space missions that require refueling beyond Earth orbit. Successful testing could significantly extend the range and capability of future space exploration.
Peenemünde, on the Baltic island of Usedom in Germany, was the wartime development centre for the V-2 rocket, which devastated European cities during World War II. The same scientific work later underpinned the Apollo moon missions and peaceful space exploration. Today the town is a tourist destination offering a sobering lesson on the dual nature of technological progress.
Stanford researchers found that the human body does not age at a steady pace but instead undergoes rapid biological changes at two distinct points: around age 44 and again around age 60. These bursts involve sharp shifts at the molecular level, including in lipid metabolism and cardiovascular function. The findings were based on biomarker analysis across thousands of volunteers.
The European-Chinese SMILE spacecraft has reached its target science orbit. The mission, a joint project of the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is designed to study how the solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetosphere. The milestone was reported on 27 June 2026.
Dr Michał Zabdyr-Jamróz of the Jagiellonian University warns that while record temperatures are dangerous, urban planning is equally to blame for the health risks of heat waves. A lack of green spaces, excessive concrete and poor infrastructure turn cities into "frying pans." The expert calls for changes in spatial planning and architecture to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Industrial designer Sarah Ali created Brew_Lab, a futuristic vending machine concept that brews coffee representing three different points in the future, based on climate projections from NASA and the UK's Royal Botanic Society. The centrepiece is Mars 2126, an edible scent added to regular coffee to simulate the flavour of beans grown on Mars a century from now. Ali, 35, developed the project as her MA dissertation at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, exploring how climate change could alter coffee's availability and taste.
A designer working with NASA and agricultural experts has created a coffee that tastes like it was grown on MarsMA student Sarah Ali created the coffee as part of her 'Brew_Lab' projectThe project reflects on how climate change might affect the availability and composition of coffeeA designer working with experts at NASA and the UK’s Royal Botanical Society has produced a coffee that tastes like it was grown on Mars a hundred years from now. The red planet-flavored Mars 2126 coffee — an ‘edible scent’ added to a regular cup of joe — is a product of Brew_Lab, a project by industrial designer Sarah Ali. The project is centered around a futuristic vending machine that brews coffee from three different dates in the future, based on climate projections.Ali, 35, produced Brew_Lab to conclude her MA in Material Futures at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, and exhibited the project at Milan Design Week in April 2026, as well as CSM's degree show which runs until June 21.“This is very much a climate futures project” said Ali to TechRadar, “and the way I got to Mars was through the fact that if we keep on doing what we do now, our future in 100 years time might be that Earth won’t be able to facilitate all the things we need it to.”“It’s a little bit speculative,” she continued, “but what I found really cool was that people at NASA were already testing what food and drink would be like on Mars. There’s a lot of investment in that space.” The Arabica successors(Image credit: Sarah Ali)As well as providing passers-by the chance to try a cup of Martian mud from 2126, the project also includes an edible scent designed to predict the taste of coffee grown in Sierra Leone in 2080. This uses the revived stenophylla species of coffee bean, which is more resilient to climate change than the industry-leading arabica bean.The third and final flavor, Brazil 2027, is used to emphasize the frailty of the Arabica bean, with crop yields expected to fall by as much as 80% by 2050 (via University of Florida).To design the scent profiles of each coffee, Ali used machine learning models fed by data from NASA’s Dr. Gioia Massa, and Kew Gardens’ Dr. Aaron Davis, a world- leading coffee expert.A post shared by Scentible (@scentible.co)A photo posted by on “Dr. Davis has studied 127 different coffee species, of which only 7 to 12 are likely to survive into our future” adds Ali. Brew_Lab uses rare, hardy racemosa beans for its Martian brew, and Ali explained that NASA’s research on agriculture allowed her to factor in the effect of gravity on our perception of taste on the final product.“I thought of Mars because it’s a very extreme scenario”, Ali said, “and the extreme scenarios allow us to really understand what’s happening. How do we think about things differently, to avoid that future or prepare for it.”Still, it might take a few years yet for the best coffee makers to add a ‘Martian’ setting.
Shanghai Microport MedBot's Toumai remote surgery robot has received EU approval and can now be marketed freely across the European Union. The certification follows its use by a London surgeon to perform the UK's first long-distance operation on a patient in Gibraltar, 1,500 miles away, via a 5G connection. The three-part system handles abdominal and pelvic procedures.
A Chinese medtech firm has gained EU approval for its remote surgery robotMedbot’s Toumai system can now be moved and marketed freely in the European UnionThe approval comes after Toumai was used for the UK's first long-distance surgeryA Chinese medical technology firm has gained EU approval for its remote surgery robot following its use by a London surgeon to operate on a patient 1,500 miles away in Gibraltar. Shanghai Microport MedBot’s Toumai is a three-part remote surgery system that allows doctors and surgeons to perform operations on the abdomen and pelvis.The system is composed of a surgeon console, patient cart, and vision cart, with robotic ‘limbs’ allowing operators to perform operations. The system uses 5G connectivity to connect the surgeon console to the vision cart over long distances. The approval follows Toumai’s successful use by a London surgeon to perform the UK’s first long-distance teleoperated surgery, a full prostate removal on a man with prostate cancer in Gibraltar.Dr. Proskar Dasgupta performed the operation using the teleoperated system on 62-year old Paul Buxton in March 2026. Speaking to the BBC, Buxton said it was a “no-brainer” to take part in the experimental procedure and become “part of medical history”.The robot will see you now(Image credit: Getty Images)Gibraltar, a small UK territory just south of Spain, has a single hospital within its borders, meaning residents may need to travel 1,500 miles north to the UK for more complex procedures. However, Toumai and remote surgery systems like it allow patients to be treated by experts without traveling to meet them. Dr. Dasgupta said to the BBC that he felt “almost as if I was there” while conducting Mr. Buxton’s procedure. On June 22, Shanghai Microport MedBot announced that the Toumai robotic surgery system had received the CE Mark — an EU stamp of approval required to sell products in its common market As South China Morning Post reports, this allows the system to be "moved and marketed" freely in the EU, meaning the company is free to offer Toumai to healthcare providers in any of the EU’s 27 member states.This will be welcome news for MedBot, which made 73 per cent of its revenue from overseas sales in 2025, up from 20 per cent in 2023.
Scientists warn that tectonic stress along the San Andreas and San Jacinto fault lines in southern California has reached its highest level in 1,000 years, exceeding that threshold in some areas. This points to a growing risk of a major earthquake that could affect millions of people in the Los Angeles region.
Europe is experiencing its most severe and widespread heatwave on record, with France logging its hottest ever day and night, and the UK and Switzerland breaking June temperature records. Despite warnings triggered by the deadly 2003 heatwave, governments have repeatedly failed to adequately prepare. Climate scientists say carbon pollution is making the events hotter and more frequent.
Scorching summer of 2003 triggered first efforts to deal with the problem but heatwaves still have devastating impactOn Wednesday, Pierre Masselot received a text from his daughter’s nursery – less than 50 miles from the weather station that was the first this week to break the UK June temperature record – asking parents to collect children early because the school buildings were getting unbearably hot.Similar scenes were repeated across Europe this week as the continent swelters through its most severe and widespread heatwave on record – an oppressive force made hotter by carbon pollution and less bearable by repeated failures to prepare for it. France experienced its hottest day and night on record, while the UK and Switzerland both broke their heat records for a June day. Continue reading...
New research shows that palm oil, coconut and soy cultivation are responsible for driving more species to extinction than previously estimated. Large-scale plantations of these crops destroy natural habitats at a massive scale. The findings strengthen the case for reducing consumption of products derived from these commodities.
Scientists have developed a flexible skin patch equipped with artificial intelligence that analyses health data directly on the patient's body. The device can interpret medical information almost instantly and monitor heart activity with high accuracy, functioning like a personal cardiologist worn on the skin.
The concept of "Great Lechia" — a supposed Slavic empire covering most of Europe for thousands of years — is firmly rejected by archaeologists and historians as unsupported by any evidence. The article questions whether scientists' sharp, dismissive responses to believers actually help change minds or instead reinforce the myth. The author explores more effective ways of engaging people who hold alternative historical beliefs.
Scientists used artificial intelligence to recreate the final moments of a Pompeii resident who died during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, apparently shielding his head with a mortar. The technology allows researchers to animate and visualise archaeological remains and their context. Researchers hope AI will not only help reconstruct the past but also better protect invaluable archaeological heritage.
Scientists have for the first time directly measured the magnetic fields of seven ultra-hot Jupiters — giant exoplanets orbiting extremely close to their stars. The findings were published in Nature Astronomy. The research may help explain what conditions allow planets to retain atmospheres and water, crucial for the search for life beyond our Solar System.
Record heatwaves have reached Poland, with temperatures in many parts of the country potentially exceeding 40°C this weekend. A recent study shows that extreme weather events already cost European households an average of nearly 3% of their annual income. Experts warn that the financial toll will grow as climate change intensifies.
Linguists in Louisiana are feeding centuries-old nursery rhymes and folklore recordings into their own AI model in an effort to help preserve the endangered Cajun language. The project aims to give the local community control over its own digital linguistic heritage. It is one of the first large-scale uses of AI to protect a minority language.
Scientists explain why the second of Venezuela's twin earthquakes was especially destructive to buildings. The short interval between the two powerful quakes weakened structures already stressed by the first, while varying soil types amplified shaking unevenly. These combined factors explain why some buildings collapsed while neighbouring ones remained standing.
June 2025 was Europe's hottest June on record, exposing the failure of successive governments to prepare for extreme heat. Scientists say climate change is now having a severe impact on daily life across the continent. Experts are calling for urgent adaptation measures.
LunAres is a lunar-Mars analogue habitat in Poland, created by the Space is More team after winning ESA's Moon Challenge in 2015. The facility allows crew members to be fully cut off from the outside world, simulating conditions of long space missions. Research conducted there helps develop procedures and address psychological challenges before real missions take place.
Prof. Michał Kosiński argues that hallucination — constructing interpretations of reality rather than directly reading it — is the fundamental mechanism of both biological and artificial brains. He sees this as a shared feature linking human cognition with the operation of AI models. The article is a brief summary of the professor's remarks, without detailed elaboration of his argument.
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