Discoveries that push science in new directions are happening less often than they did in the last century, according to a new finding that will help to frame debates about how (and how much) to try to spur this type of research.
Why it matters: Scientific advances fuel economies and contribute to improving human health and life — and they are increasingly at the center of geopolitics. Countries are strengthening their scientific institutions to compete for top talent and scientific and technological dominance.
The James Webb Space Telescope has confirmed its first planet orbiting a distant star, and it's a rocky world just about the same size as Earth.
Why it matters: Part of the scientific value of the JWST is its ability to characterize alien planets. This finding opens the door to learning more about what the atmosphere of this planetcould be.
ExxonMobil's own climate science research, which began in the 1970s, accurately predicted the pace and severity of global warming, a new study finds.
Why it matters: The study is the first to examine the performance of Exxon's internal climate modeling as well as its scientists' collaborations with outside researchers. It provides a quantitative assessment of how much the company's executives may have known about the risks of burning oil and gas and when.
The death toll from California's relentless stream of extreme storm systems rose to 18 Wednesday, as the state's National Guard joined the search for a missing 5-year-old boy who was swept away in floodwaters.
The big picture: The latest in the barrage of atmospheric river events that have been unleashing heavy rains and destructive winds across the state was taking aim at the Pacific Northwest Wednesday, as flooding concerns remained in the storm-battered Bay Area ahead of the next major downpour there later this week.
People experiencing long COVID may see their symptoms ease within a year, per a study published in BMJ medical journal Wednesday.
The big picture: The outcome of this new study may provide some hope for the millions of people left newly disabled during the pandemic with a lingering illness that has no effective treatment.
Russia is sending a new Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station to act as a lifeboat for three crew members after their original ride back to Earth sprung a major coolant leak.
Why it matters: Even though the ISS has been continuously occupied by astronauts and cosmonauts for more than 20 years, this technical issue highlights the dangers of living there.
Ocean heat content hit a record high in 2022, a new study found, in a clear indication of continued global warming.
The big picture: The research, published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, indicates that ocean warming is leading to widespread changes throughout the sea, with salty areas getting saltier and fresh regions of the ocean getting fresher.
Experts are increasingly warning of a connection between heavy social media use and mental health issues in children — a hot topic now driving major lawsuits against tech giants.
Why it matters: Seattle Public Schools' recently filed lawsuit against TikTok, Meta, Snap and others — which accuses the social media giants of contributing to a youth mental health crisis — is one of hundreds of similar cases.
The "endless stream"of atmospheric river events is set to refocus across northern California Wednesday, as "high impact" heavy precipitation continues across much of the state, according to the National Weather Service.
The big picture: The latest deadly storm triggered evacuations and the closure of schools and major roads across California this week due to the threat of "torrential rain, widespread flooding, rapid water rises, mudslides and landslides with possible debris flows, heavy mountain snow and gusty high winds," per the NWS.
