Sizing up the 5 companies selected for Europe’s launcher challenge
The European Space Agency has selected five launch startups to become eligible for up to 169 million euros ($198 million) in funding to develop alternatives to Arianespace, the continent's incumbent launch service provider.
The five companies ESA selected are Isar Aerospace, MaiaSpace, Rocket Factory Augsburg, PLD Space, and Orbex. Only one of these companies, Isar Aerospace, has attempted to launch a rocket into orbit. Isar's Spectrum rocket failed moments after liftoff from Norway on a test flight in March.
None of these companies are guaranteed ESA contracts or funding. Over the next several months, the European Space Agency and the five launch companies will negotiate with European governments for funding leading up to ESA's ministerial council meeting in November, when ESA member states will set the agency's budget for at least the next two years. Only then will ESA be ready to sign binding agreements.
By: Stephen Clark
Wildfires are challenging air quality monitoring infrastructure
Ten years ago, Tracey Holloway, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, would have said that air pollution in the United States was a huge success story. “Our air had been getting cleaner and cleaner almost everywhere, for almost every pollutant,” she said. But in June 2023, as wildfire smoke from Canada spread, the air quality dropped to historically low levels in her home state of Wisconsin.
Just last month, the region’s air quality dipped once more to unhealthy levels. Again, wildfires were to blame.
While the US has made significant strides in curbing car and industrial pollution through setting emission limits on industrial facilities and automakers, the increasing frequency and intensity of fires are “erasing the gains that we have obtained through this pollutant control effort,” said Nga Lee “Sally” Ng, an aerosol researcher at Georgia Institute of Technology.
By: Claudia López Lloreda, Undark Magazine
Watch this cucumber squirt out its seeds at ballistic speeds
One doesn't normally associate ballistics with botany, but most of us don't study "squirting" cucumbers—so called because they disperse their seeds by explosively propelling them out into the world. Scientists took a series of high-speed videos, both in the wild and in the lab, to learn more about the underlying biomechanics of this plant's method of seed dispersal. Graduate student Helen Gorges of Kiel University's Zoological Institute in Germany presented the findings at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference in Antwerp, Belgium.
Also known as the "noli me tangere," aka "touch me not," the squirting cucumber (Ecballium elaterium) is often considered a weed or invasive species, although in some regions it's viewed as ornamental. Fun fact: The fruit extract is a powerful laxative. If swallowed or inhaled through the nose, it can be poisonous, causing edemas and necrosis of the nasal mucosa, among other complications. That same fruit, once ripened, can squirt out a stream of mucus-like liquid containing seed pods at high speeds—an example of rapid plant movement.
As glucosides in the sap of the fruit's tissue cells build up, so does the internal pressure, eventually causing the fruit to detach from the stalk. At that point, the pericarp contracts, and both the fruit and the seeds are violently expelled through the resulting hole. The squirting action is further aided by structural changes in the fruit as it dehydrates and its cells coil, bend, or twist in response (hygroscopic movement).
By: Jennifer Ouellette
As California faces court battles, states scramble to save their climate goals
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy, and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here.
When President Donald Trump signed legislation to revoke California’s authority to enforce stricter tailpipe emissions standards and to ban sales of gas-powered cars by 2035, the effects rippled far beyond the Golden State.
Seventeen states relied on California’s Clean Air Act waivers to adopt stronger vehicle pollution rules on their own, including New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Massachusetts, and Washington.
By: Rambo Talabong, Inside Climate News
Ancient skull may have been half human, half Neanderthal child
Back in 1929, archaeologists unearthed several human skeletons (seven adults and three children) while excavating Skuhl Cave just south of Haifa, Israel. Dating back 140,000 years to the end of the Middle Pleistocene, most were classified as early Homo sapiens. But one skeleton was that of a child, between the age of 3 and 5 years old whose features seemed to show a mix of early human and Neanderthal characteristics. A new analysis involving CT scanning may resolve the long-standing debate, according to a new paper published in the journal L’Anthropologie.
Neanderthals and Homo sapiens traded genes frequently during the period when their populations overlapped. "The two came in contact as modern humans began their major expansion out of Africa, which occurred roughly 60,000 years ago," Ars Science Editor John Timmer previously reported. "Humans picked up some Neanderthal DNA through interbreeding, while the Neanderthal population, always fairly small, was swept away by the waves of new arrivals."
Nor is this the first case of a possible hybrid hominid species. In 2018, scientists analyzed a sliver of bone excavated from a cave site in Russia. The findings made global headlines when the team concluded that the individual to whom it belonged—a young girl of about 13, dubbed "Denny"—was the offspring of a Neanderthal mother and a Denisovan father. This suggested that rather than dying out, Neanderthals may have been absorbed by other species; such inbreeding may have been more common than previously thought.
By: Jennifer Ouellette
Oldest wooden tools in East Asia may have come from any of three species
Someone made very sophisticated wooden tools in China 300,000 years ago, and it might have been Denisovans or even Homo erectus.
The digging sticks, curved root-slicers, and a handful of somewhat puzzling implements were all found at a lakeshore site called Gantangqing. They are the oldest wooden tools from East Asia so far. All the previous Pleistocene tools found in the area were made from harder material like stone, bone, or antler. But logic suggests that hominins must have prepared and used softer materials as well. That thought led archaeologists to what is called the Bamboo Hypothesis: the idea that during the Pleistocene, hominins (including our own species) might have used bamboo the way wood gets used elsewhere.
The jury is still out on bamboo, because there is no actual evidence of bamboo tools yet. What we now have, it turns out, are nearly three dozen tools made of wood.
By: Kiona N. Smith
Figuring out why a nap might help people see things in new ways
Dmitri Mendeleev famously saw the complete arrangement of the periodic table after falling asleep on his desk. He claimed in his dream he saw a table where all the elements fell into place, and he wrote it all down when he woke up. By having a eureka moment right after a nap, he joined a club full of rather talented people: Mary Shelley, Thomas Edison, and Salvador Dali.
To figure out if there’s a grain of truth to all these anecdotes, a team of German scientists at the Hamburg University, led by cognitive science researcher Anika T. Löwe, conducted an experiment designed to trigger such nap-following strokes of genius—and catch them in the act with EEG brain monitoring gear. And they kind of succeeded.
Catching Edison’s cup
“Thomas Edison had this technique where he held a cup or something like that when he was napping in his chair,” says Nicolas Schuck, a professor of cognitive science at the Hamburg University and senior author of the study. “When he fell asleep too deeply, the cup falling from his hand would wake him up—he was convinced that was the way to trigger these eureka moments.” While dozing off in a chair with a book or a cup doesn’t seem particularly radical, a number of cognitive scientists got serious about re-creating Edison’s approach to insights and testing it in their experiments.
By: Jacek Krywko
Judge: You can’t ban DEI grants without bothering to define DEI
In mid-June, a federal judge issued a stinging rebuke to the Trump administration, declaring that its decision to cancel the funding for many grants issued by the National Institutes of Health was illegal, and suggesting that the policy was likely animated by racism. But the detailed reasoning behind his decision wasn't released at the time. The written portion of the decision was finally issued on Wednesday, and it has a number of notable features.
For starters, the judge who issued the decision felt compelled to respond to a pair of Supreme Court decisions that were issued in the intervening weeks, which could have potentially limited the scope of his earlier decision. Regardless, the court continues to find that the government's actions were arbitrary and capricious, in part because the government never bothered to define the problems that would get a grant canceled. As a result, officials within the NIH simply canceled lists of grants they received from DOGE without bothering to examine their scientific merit, and then struggled to retroactively describe a policy that justified the actions afterward—a process that led several of them to resign.
A limited verdict
The issue before Judge William Young of the District of Massachusetts was whether the government had followed the law in terminating grants funded by the National Institutes of Health. After a short trial, Young issued a verbal ruling that the government hadn't, and that he had concluded that its actions were the product of "racial discrimination and discrimination against America’s LGBTQ. community." But the details of his decisions and the evidence that motivated them had to wait for a written ruling, which is now available.
By: John Timmer
New evidence that some supernovae may be a “double detonation”
Type Ia supernovae are critical tools in astronomy, since they all appear to explode with the same intensity, allowing us to use their brightness as a measure of distance. The distance measures they've given us have been critical to tracking the expansion of the Universe, which led to the recognition that there's some sort of dark energy hastening the Universe's expansion. Yet there are ongoing arguments over exactly how these events are triggered.
There's widespread agreement that type Ia supernovae are the explosions of white dwarf stars. Normally, these stars are composed primarily of moderately heavy elements like carbon and oxygen, and lack the mass to trigger additional fusion. But if some additional material is added, the white dwarf can reach a critical mass and reignite a runaway fusion reaction, blowing the star apart. But the source of the additional mass has been somewhat controversial.
But there's an additional hypothesis that doesn't require as much mass: a relatively small explosion on a white dwarf's surface can compress the interior enough to restart fusion in stars that haven't yet reached a critical mass. Now, observations of the remains of a supernova provide some evidence of the existence of these so-called "double detonation" supernovae.
By: John Timmer
Rice could be key to brewing better non-alcoholic beer
There is increasing consumer demand for low- or non-alcoholic beers, and science is helping improve both the brewing process and the flavor profiles of the final product. One promising approach to better non-alcoholic beer involves substituting barley malt with milled rice, according to two recent papers—one published in the International Journal of Food Properties and the other published in the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists.
The chemistry of brewing beer is a very active area of research. For instance, earlier this year, we reported on Norwegian scientists who discovered that sour beers made with the sugars found in peas, beans, and lentils had similar flavor profiles to your average Belgian-style sour beer, yet the brewing process was shorter, with simpler steps. The pea-sugar beers had more lactic acid, ethanol, and flavor compounds than those brewed without them, and they were rated as having fruitier flavors and higher acidity. And sensory panelists detected no trace of undesirable "bean-y" flavors that have limited the use of pea-based ingredients in the past.
But replacing barley malt with rice still might strike some beer aficionados as sacrilege. In Germany, "purity laws" dictate that any beverage classified as a beer—including non-alcoholic beers—must only be made from malted barley, hops, water, and yeast. This produces non-alcoholic beers that have more "worty" flavors (due to higher levels of aldehyde) than might ideally be desired. But not every country is as stringent as Germany. The US is much more flexible when it comes to selecting raw materials, including rice, for brewing beers. In fact, Arkansas just passed a bill this spring creating incentives for using rice (grown in Arkansas, of course) in the production of sake and beer.
By: Jennifer Ouellette
New pseudoscorpions with dragon-like jaws discovered in a South Korea cave
Pseudoscorpions may lack the pointy, poisonous tail of their more famous desert-dwelling cousins, but their crab-like front pincers still make them look quite formidable. Now, these small, sometimes overlooked arachnids are getting a closer look. Four new species of these tiny arachnids have been uncovered in the dark caves of South Korea. They have jaws like dragons and are even completely blind, according to a study published July 9 in the journal PLOS One.
What are pseudoscorpions?
Pseudoscorpions are harmless to humans and related to spiders and “real” scorpions. They eat small insects, other arthropods, and larvae. They live in many habitats, and are often found in tiny crevices, under tree bark, and in humid environments full of leaf litter and moss. They also can be found in dark, damp places like caves.
Since South Korea is home to hundreds of unexplored caves and close to countries with several pseudoscorpion species, arachnologists were curious what pseudoscorpions could be lurking in these limestone cave systems and lava tubes spread across two extensive mountain ranges.

“Pseudoscorpions are awesome animals,” Kyung–Hoon Jeong, a study co-author and arachnologist at South Korea’s Jeonbuk National University, tells Popular Science. “We can divide pseudoscorpions in two types–basal lineage and modern lineage.”
The basal lineage cannot move far, making them endemic wherever they live. Scientists can use their distribution to learn more about their geographical secrets, according to Kyung–Hoon.
The modern lineage does a little bit more. They hitchhike on other animals and make houses out of their silk.
Blind dragons
Only five pseudoscorpion species have been recorded from caves in South Korea, compared to the hundreds that have been documented in countries like China. This study brings that total up to nine.
“Many people have believed there is only one species (Spelaeochthonius dentifier) distributed in Korea. However, our result was totally different,” says Kyung–Hoon.
The newly discovered species are named Spelaeochthonius dugigulensis, S. geumgulensis, S. magwihalmigulensis, and S.yamigulensis. Those in the family Pseudotyrannochthoniidae are often referred to as “dragon pseudoscorpions,” due to their large front appandages that resemble dragon jaws.
All four new species strongly adapted to cave living and were only found in a single cave system. These new additions have an orange to brown color. They are mostly blind, and have dragon-like jaws that can clamp down on the smaller organisms. However, they are not all the same.

“Each species in the cave has big differences, both in morphology and genetically,” says Kyung–Hoon. “Additionally, their relevance is supported by the connection between Korea and Japan.”
This indicates that these pseudoscorpions likely were more widespread in East Asia before the Sea of Japan formed between the countries roughly 28 to 13 million years ago. They then likely traveled between the two over water, hitching rides on other organisms.
While the team is still studying these new arachnids, their perfect adaptations to cave life means that they can only survive if their habitat stays intact. Pollution and climate change could threaten these small and endemic animals, according to Kyung–Hoon.
“Our study highlights the conservation value of pseudoscorpions, we believe that the interest of this small animal could bring attention to their habitats and environment,” he concludes.
The post New pseudoscorpions with dragon-like jaws discovered in a South Korea cave appeared first on Popular Science.
By: Laura Baisas
These are the best budget travel headphone deals we’re found during Amazon’s Prime Day sale
Nobody likes a crying baby at 35,000 feet, but not everyone wants to spend $300 just to block them out. Luckily, this year’s Prime Day—running from July 8 to 11—includes real deals on noise-cancelling headphones that won’t empty your travel fund. We’re talking lowest-ever prices on picks that punch above their weight, especially when it comes to ANC performance. They may not have the flashiest branding or materials, but they do the thing: shut the world up long enough for you to focus, nap, or just not lose your mind. These are some of the best value picks from our travel headphones for airplanes guide. And right now, they’re even better values if you’re a Prime member. Remember, if you don’t have an active Amazon Prime subscription, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial here.
Soundcore by Anker Space One — $66.49 (was $99.99)
The Space One headphones from Soundcore by Anker are down to an all-time low. And they come with hybrid ANC that actually works. We’re not saying it’s Bose-level, but it’s shockingly close for less than 70 bucks. These headphones cut up to 98% of ambient noise, offer 40 hours of hi-res wireless playback with ANC on, and include LDAC support and customizable EQ via the app. There’s also wear detection, multipoint Bluetooth, and a collapsible frame. Flagship tricks, just at budget settings. If you’re commuting and want some peace, this is a solid seatmate. Want to upgrade to stronger adaptive ANC, 60 hours of battery life, ultra-fast charging, and more? The Space One Pro is only $113.99 (was $199).
JLab JBuds Lux ANC — $47.49 (was $79.99)
The JBuds Lux ANC are under $50 for Prime Day—$47.49, to be exact. That’s their lowest price of the year, and frankly, it’s a little absurd. These are lightweight over-ears with ANC that won’t fully erase jet engines but does enough to make a difference on a subway or in a coffee shop. Transparency mode is decent. Battery life hits 40 hours. The earcups are soft. Controls are simple. You’re not getting fine-grain control or flashy audio codecs. But if you want basic ANC and Bluetooth 5.3 stability without spending more than a tank of gas, the JBuds Lux are it, and the price is borderline ridiculous.
Skullcandy Method 360 earbuds with brains by Bose — $75.88 (was $129.99)
The Skullcandy Method 360 earbuds are on sale for the first time ever—$79.88 during Prime Day. We wrote about them when they launched in April because they’re tuned by Bose. No, really. Skullcandy partnered with Bose to tweak the ANC algorithms, and it shows. These true wireless earbuds punch above their price in noise cancellation. Calls sound clean. Battery life is solid. Soundstage is surprisingly competent. If you want QuietComfort DNA without big-name pricing, this is the time to try them.
Prefer bass to Bose? The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 Wireless Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones with Multi-Sensory Bass are $124 (was $229).
Beats Studio Pro – Wireless Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones — $169.95 (was $349.99)
If you want all-day bass at half off, the Beats Studio Pro headphones are down to 51% off the $349 list. That’s a big drop for headphones that bring the boom and still play nice with both iPhones and Androids. You get solid ANC, 40-hour battery life, and USB-C wired lossless playback if you want to go hi-res (with detailed sound exhibiting 80% less distortion than standard Beats). Personalized Spatial Audio with head tracking adds a layer of fun without turning everything into a gimmick. No, they’re not studio monitors. But they’re comfortable, thumpy, and surprisingly flexible, offering crystal-clear calls. Whether you’re commuting or ignoring a coworker, these get the job done—just don’t wait past July 11.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Headphones in White — $265.95 (was $449.95)
If you’re willing to spend more for a significantly refined sound signature, Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 Wireless headphones are $265.95 in white—their best price since before Christmas. It’s just one colorway, but that’s a real discount on Sennheiser’s top-tier travel cans. These aren’t just good-looking. They’re backed by the velvety house sound and obsessive quality control we saw firsthand at Sennheiser’s audiophile factory in Tullamore, Ireland—you can read about that here. The Momentum 4s carry that lineage with plush comfort, deep ANC, and a warm, articulate response that holds up across long hauls.
If that’s still too steep, the ACCENTUM Plus is $149.95 (was $249.95), or go leaner with the $99.95 ACCENTUM—both solid budget entries with Sennheiser DNA.
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Premium Noise Canceling Overhead Headphones — $193 (was $348)
The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones are far from the newest, but they’re still some of the most beloved ANC cans out there. Because they still hold up with big, punchy sound, 30-hour battery life, and some smart noise cancellation. Wear detection? Multipoint? Custom EQ? Yep, it’s all in there. Plus, they’re light, comfy, and actually make airplane hum bearable. We reviewed them here and know plenty of people who still reach for them. If you want travel-ready headphones, this is the time to think ahead and skip the airport kiosk earbud regret.
And, thanks to the recently released WH-1000XM6, you can also enjoy a discount on last-generation WH-1000XM5 headphones, currently $298 (was $399).
Sonos Ace headphones — $299 (was $449)
If you’ve made it this far … here’s another top-tier choice with a deep discount. Want to experience immersive spatial audio, whether you’re on the go or the household has gone to bed? The Sonos Ace supports the latest surround sound tracks through Apple Music and the Sonos app. Whether you’re on Spotify or Netflix, they hit all the right notes—from Addison Rae to K-Pop Demon Hunters to an iconic motif on its 50th anniversary … dun dun, duuunnn dunnn. Available in white or black, these headphones also offer flagship-level Adaptive ANC and physical comfort, 30 hours of battery life, and support for lossless listening via USB-C or wirelessly if you have an Arc Ultra soundbar. Thanks to a recent firmware update, you can even use a pair of Ace headphones with one Arc Ultra for a private viewing party for two.
The post These are the best budget travel headphone deals we’re found during Amazon’s Prime Day sale appeared first on Popular Science.
By: Tony Ware
The US Army is selling their horses
The United States military has utilized horses since the nation’s inception, but its equine era is finally ending. On July 2, the US Army announced plans to shutter its Military Working Equid (MWE) program, an organization within the Department of Defense (DoD) that oversees its remaining animals. The decision will save the government an estimated $2 million annually, allowing it to “align more resources with warfighting capability and readiness.”
According to Task & Purpose, the DoD currently owns 236 horses, donkeys, and mules. The MWE Task Force composed of equine veterinarian experts will spend the next year orchestrating their sale, transfer, or donation to “vetted owners,” citing federal law. Meanwhile, army bases in California, Arizona, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas will sunset their MWE programs.
European colonial settlers relied on horses for centuries, but official US cavalry forces are traceable all the way back to the Revolutionary War. However, their adoption was borne out of defeat. At the Battle of White Plains on October 28, 1776, General George Washington’s soldiers were forced to retreat following an attack from a small contingent of British dragoons. Learning from the mistake, Washington later asked the Continental Congress to approve the creation of a light cavalry. By the end of 1776, Washington was expanding his forces to include 3,000 mounted soldiers.
A separate United States Cavalry was not formed until 1861, but it remained a distinct Army branch until World War II. The last actual horse-led charge took place on January 16, 1942, when the 26th Cavalry Regiment stormed Japanese forces at the Battle of Batann near the village of Morong in the Philippines.
The military’s use of horses, donkeys, and mules continued to decrease over the ensuing decades, with the equines primarily relegated to non-combat endeavors and ceremonial processions. Even so, the animals still occasionally returned to war zones. In 2001, Army Special Forces relied on horses provided by Northern Alliance partners during the early days of the Afghanistan invasion.
Despite the MWE’s end, the DoD will continue owning a handful of horses at Joint Base San Antonio in Texas and in the Military District of Washington in DC. In Texas, they’ll remain a part of the historic 3rd Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, while others will pull carriages as caisson units at Arlington National Cemetery. In 2023, officials suspended the memorial site tradition after a damning report revealed significant animal mistreatment, as well as the death of two horses. In June 2025, the caisson program restarted following an $18 million overhaul by the Army.
The post The US Army is selling their horses appeared first on Popular Science.
By: Andrew Paul
NASA, International Astronauts Answer Questions from Florida Students
Students in Big Pine Key, Florida, will have the chance to have NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station answer their prerecorded questions.
At 10:05 a.m. EDT on Monday, July 14, NASA astronaut Nicole Ayers and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi will answer questions submitted by students.
Watch the 20-minute Earth-to-space call on NASA STEM’s YouTube Channel.
The event is hosted by the Seacamp Association of Big Pine Key, Florida, which provides immersive science lessons for youth interested in discovering the sea. The event will be attended by local Monroe County students, as well as national and international campers ages 10-17 years old. The goal of the event is to help students make connections between astronauts training in space and scientists working in the sea.
Media interested in covering the event must RSVP by 5 p.m. EDT, Friday, July 11, to Judy Gregoire at: 305-872-2331 or email at: [email protected].
For nearly 25 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN’s (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network.
Important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and lay the groundwork for other agency missions. As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars; inspiring Golden Age explorers and ensuring the United States continues to lead in space exploration and discovery.
See videos of astronauts aboard the space station at:
https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
-end-
Gerelle Dodson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
[email protected]
Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
[email protected]
By: Gerelle Q. Dodson