Bat Cave Footage Offers Clues to How Viruses Leap Between Species

SpaceX just fired another batch of Starlink satellites into space—26 of them—using a trusty Falcon 9 rocket from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base. It’s business as usual for Elon Musk’s company, steadily expanding its internet-from-space megaconstellation.

Editor’s Note: Another day, another SpaceX launch—but that doesn’t make it insignificant. Each Starlink deployment inches us closer to global satellite internet coverage, which could mean better connectivity for remote areas. Of course, critics worry about space junk and light pollution, but for now, SpaceX is full steam ahead. If you’ve ever lost signal in the middle of nowhere, this might eventually be your lifeline.

Norma Swenson, one of the key figures behind the groundbreaking women’s health manual Our Bodies, Ourselves, has passed away at 93. A fierce advocate for natural childbirth and women’s autonomy over their health, Swenson helped create a book that demystified female bodies and empowered generations. What started as a grassroots project became a global phenomenon, selling millions and reshaping conversations about women’s health.

Editor’s Note: Swenson’s work wasn’t just a book—it was a revolution. At a time when women’s health was often dismissed or shrouded in secrecy, Our Bodies, Ourselves gave people the tools to understand their bodies on their own terms. Her legacy lives on in the ongoing fight for accessible, honest healthcare. This isn’t just an obituary; it’s a reminder of how far we’ve come—and how much of that progress traces back to her.

Stunning footage from a Ugandan national park shows a surprising scene—predators like snakes and birds feasting on fruit bats, which are notorious carriers of viruses like Ebola. Scientists think this messy buffet might explain how deadly pathogens jump from bats to other animals (and eventually humans).

Editor’s Note: Most people don’t picture a snake snacking on a bat as a public health concern, but these predator-prey interactions could be a missing link in how viruses spill over into new species. Understanding these chaotic moments in nature might help us predict—or even prevent—future outbreaks.

A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration illegally slashed NIH grants aimed at supporting minority and LGBTQ+ health research, calling the cuts discriminatory. The court ordered the government to reinstate most of the funding, siding with advocates who argued these programs address critical disparities in healthcare access and outcomes.

Editor’s Note: This isn’t just about money—it’s a win for marginalized communities who rely on targeted research to tackle systemic inequities in healthcare. The ruling pushes back against politicized budget cuts that could’ve set back progress on closing gaps in medical treatment and understanding. For researchers and advocacy groups, it’s a validation that these programs have legal (and moral) weight.

Back in the Apollo days, astronauts stumbled across something unexpected on the moon—tiny, fiery-orange glass beads scattered across its surface. For decades, scientists scratched their heads over how they got there. Now, new research suggests these beads are likely remnants of ancient volcanic eruptions that spewed molten material, which cooled into these colorful specks. It’s a clue that the moon’s volcanic past might have been way more dramatic than we thought.

Editor’s Note: This isn’t just a cool lunar oddity—it’s a piece of the puzzle about how the moon formed and evolved. If these beads are volcanic, they could rewrite parts of the moon’s geologic history, hinting at explosive eruptions we didn’t know happened. Plus, it’s a reminder that even 50-year-old Apollo samples are still giving us fresh insights. Who knows what else we’ll learn from moon rocks?