The Little Probe That Could: Why Voyager 1 Matters, and Why NASA Just Switched Part of It Off
This week, NASA announced it had shut down one of that spacecraft’s remaining science instruments — not because the mission has failed, but to keep
Category: Science
$3 million prize goes to duo whose research led to first sickle cell CRISPR therapy
Dr. Swee Lay Thein and Dr. Stuart Orkin won the $3 million Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for their work toward a functional cure for
Science news this week: Physicists witness faster-than-light darkness pinpricks, humans are still evolving, and some polar bears are getting fatter than ever
April 18, 2026: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over
American Bald Eagle at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
An American bald eagles flies away from its nest and tree at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, March 13, 2026.
Photos: How overfishing in Southeast Asia is an ecological and human crisis
A rare look at one of the world’s most critical and understudied environmental crises. Southeast Asia produces more than half of the world’s fish, yet
How a Japanese poet’s diary helps scientists reconstruct solar cycles
Researchers used a Japanese poet’s diary to track solar events that took place over 800 years ago.
700-year-old mummy from Bolivia contains earliest confirmed evidence of strep throat bacteria in the Americas
A DNA analysis of pathogens from a pre-Hispanic mummy revealed that the bacterium that causes scarlet fever and strep throat was present in the Americas
New pain-relief opioid could be much less addictive than morphine, rodent study finds
A new and potentially safer opioid has been tested in lab rats, and the results suggest it relieves pain with a lower risk of addiction
Experimental drug doubles one-year survival in pancreatic cancer
A new drug that works by making tumors more susceptible to chemotherapy and the immune system has increased survival in those with advanced pancreatic cancer
Science behind the scenes
Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the fascinating world of constructed languages, our behind-the-scenes look at a vast science museum collection, and how some mathematicians
Did King Arthur really exist?
The stories about King Arthur are almost certainly false or greatly exaggerated, but did the man himself exist?
Science history: Doctor autopsies the brain of a man who couldn’t speak — and reveals the seat of spoken language — April 18, 1861
Dr. Paul Broca conducted an autopsy on a patient known as “Tan,” who had aphasia, or the inability to speak. Broca’s work identified a region
Archaeologists discover perfectly circular ancient Egyptian temple that may have been used for sacred water rituals
The temple included a network of water infrastructure, revealing the importance of the ancient city and the Nile.
NASA’s SPHEREx Observatory Maps Interstellar Ice in Milky Way
An observation made by NASA’s SPHEREx mission reveals vast frozen complexes in the Cygnus X star-forming region of the Milky Way galaxy. The chemical signature