Science News

As the 9/11 attacks on New York's World Trade Centre completed 25 years, its iconic photographs taken from space resurfaced. NASA astronaut Frank Culbertson captured images of a massive plume of smoke streaming from Manhattan from the International Space Station. Culbertson, the only American not on Earth during the attacks, photographed the scene from about 400 km above Earth.

Nepal's NDRRMA has asked families abroad to submit DNA samples to identify missing persons from last month's Bhotekoshi flash floods. Over 5,132 remain missing, including 2,860 from Rasuwa. Death toll stands at 1,367. Samples must be from blood relatives and submitted via authorised forensic labs with identity proof and consent.

Satellite imagery analysed by CSIS shows a sharp rise in construction at Iran's Pickaxe Mountain facility near Natanz in 2026. Analysts say the underground site, likely intended as a nuclear safe haven, is shifting from excavation to internal reinforcement. President Trump has threatened strikes, while the US military tests deep-penetration capabilities at White Sands.

Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy captured NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope as a tiny moving dot in a night-sky timelapse, days after its August 30 launch. The telescope is travelling about 1.6 million km to the Sun-Earth L2 point, where it will study dark matter, dark energy, galaxies and exoplanets. NASA is anticipating Roman's first images in early 2027.

Russia's Rostec is developing low-observable drones to operate alongside the Su-57 stealth fighter, turning it into an airborne drone command node. The US and China are pursuing similar manned-unmanned teaming concepts. AI and autonomy are key, as pilots cannot manually control multiple drones while managing combat tasks simultaneously.

Meteorologist Crystal Egger warns that Super El Niño could bring heavy snowfall to California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. She notes this may benefit the West by rebuilding critical snowpack after a dry start to the water year. Northern states like Pacific Northwest and Upper Midwest may see warmer, drier conditions instead.

OpenAI claims its AI has generated a proof for the Navier-Stokes equations, one of the Millennium Prize Problems. Mathematicians remain skeptical because the document has not been made public. Experts say the claim requires rigorous independent scrutiny to determine whether the proof is valid and free of hidden assumptions or fatal errors.

Venus will reach peak brilliance on September 18, according to NASA's September skywatching guide. The planet will appear as a very bright point low in the western sky shortly after sunset, outshining nearby stars. It should be visible to the naked eye, though a clear, unobstructed western horizon will provide the best chance of seeing it before it sets clearly.

Scientists in India have developed a new type of concrete using treated human waste that can become significantly stronger than conventional concrete. Researchers at Manipal University Jaipur replaced 5%, 10% and 15% of cement in concrete with waste-based biochar. After 91 days, concrete with 10% biochar showed a 21% increase in compressive strength and up to 42% higher flexural strength.

OpenAI researcher Sébastien Bubeck apologised after being accused of threatening mathematician Tristan Buckmaster during a dispute over credit for a Navier-Stokes solution, one of the Millennium Prize Problems. Bubeck said he made the “risk your career” remark after Buckmaster allegedly threatened to approach media with "unfounded accusations". "I was trying to care for him," he said.