High School Students Nationwide Help Monitor Solar Activities with Radio Antennas by M. Akhavan-Tafti et al.

Purdue University is launching a new award called the Neil Armstrong Space Prize, named after its legendary astronaut graduate. The prize will recognize outstanding contributions in space exploration, tech breakthroughs, and human accomplishments beyond Earth—keeping Armstrong’s pioneering spirit alive.

Editor’s Note: Space nerds, take note—this isn’t just another trophy. By naming it after Armstrong, Purdue’s tying today’s innovations to the legacy of the first moonwalker. It’s a nod to how far we’ve come and a push to keep dreaming bigger, whether that’s through cutting-edge research or daring missions. For anyone tracking the next era of space, this prize could spotlight the people and ideas leading the charge.

Google’s DeepMind team rigged up two robotic arms to play endless table tennis against each other—not just for fun (though it does look cool), but to sharpen the AI brains behind future humanoid robots. Think of it as high-tech sparring: the more these machines practice dynamic, real-time tasks, the better they’ll handle unpredictable real-world scenarios.

Editor’s Note: This isn’t just a quirky lab experiment. Training AI through physical interactions like this could be a game-changer for robotics, helping them learn coordination and adaptability—skills crucial for everything from factory work to assistive tech. It’s a small volley toward bigger leaps in how machines understand and navigate our world.

Scientists have just released a groundbreaking global atlas mapping fungal biodiversity, and it’s full of surprises. Turns out, some of the richest fungal hotspots aren’t where you’d expect—think dry grasslands or Arctic tundra, not just tropical rainforests. This could reshape how we protect ecosystems, since fungi are invisible power players in everything from carbon storage to medicine.

Editor’s Note: Fungi are the unsung heroes of the natural world, quietly keeping ecosystems alive. This atlas isn’t just a cool science project—it’s a heads-up that we might be overlooking critical habitats because we’ve been too focused on the usual suspects (like flashy rainforests). If conservation efforts don’t account for these hidden fungal hubs, we could lose way more than we realize.

The U.S. government is reportedly working behind the scenes on a plan to wind down PEPFAR, a landmark global health initiative credited with saving millions of lives from AIDS. While details are scarce, the move could signal a major shift in America’s role in fighting the disease worldwide—raising concerns about the future of HIV treatment and prevention in vulnerable regions.

Editor’s Note: PEPFAR isn’t just another program—it’s been a lifeline for over 20 years, providing antiretroviral drugs and prevention tools in hard-hit countries. If scaled back, it could leave gaps in care for millions, especially in Africa where the program has been transformative. This isn’t just about budgets; it’s about whether the U.S. will keep leading one of the most successful global health efforts in history.

Turns out Uranus isn’t as chilly as we thought—new research shows it’s actually leaking internal heat, which throws a wrench in what we learned from Voyager 2’s flyby back in the '80s. This unexpected warmth could reignite interest in sending a dedicated mission to the ice giant.

Editor’s Note: Uranus has always been the oddball of the solar system, tilting sideways and hiding secrets under its bland blue haze. This discovery shakes up old assumptions and gives scientists a fresh reason to lobby for a closer look. A new mission could finally answer why Uranus behaves so differently from other planets—and maybe even teach us more about how planetary systems evolve.