Science Ticker
A roundup of research and breaking news
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Astronomy
The Parker Solar Probe has launched and is on its way to explore the sun
The Parker Solar Probe just took off to become the first spacecraft to visit the sun.
- Health & Medicine
Rat lungworm disease is popping up in the mainland United States
A disease caused by a parasite endemic to Asia sickened at least 12 people in eight states in the continental United States from 2011 to 2017.
- Health & Medicine
A new Ebola species has been found in bats in Sierra Leone
A sixth species of Ebola has been found, but we don’t know if it can cause disease in humans.
- Health & Medicine
Publicity over a memory test Trump took could skew its results
Many media outlets reporting on President Trump’s cognitive assessment test could make it harder for doctors to use the exam to spot dementia.
- Science & Society
Most Americans think funding science pays off
About 80 percent of U.S. adults say that federal spending on scientific and medical research provides value in the long run, a new survey finds.
- Genetics
North America’s earliest dogs came from Siberia
North America’s first dogs have few descendants alive today, a study of ancient DNA suggests.
- Astronomy
Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft arrives at the asteroid Ryugu
The Hayabusa2 spacecraft says “hello” to near-Earth asteroid Ryugu.
- Astronomy
‘Oumuamua may be a comet, not an asteroid
The solar system’s first known interstellar visitor doesn’t appear to be the asteroid that scientists thought it was.
- Neuroscience
How domestication changed rabbits’ brains
The fear centers of the brain were altered as humans tamed rabbits.
- Neuroscience
Splitting families may end, but migrant kids’ trauma needs to be studied
The long-term effects of separating children from their parents at the U.S. border need to be studied, scientists say.
- Physics
The Large Hadron Collider is getting an upgrade
Revamping the accelerator’s equipment will increase the rate of proton collisions.
- Planetary Science
Opportunity rover waits out a huge dust storm on Mars
NASA’s Opportunity rover is in low-power mode to preserve battery life while a vast dust storm blankets part of the Red Planet.
