== yjc, paywall?
George Lucas Reveals Why Yoda Talks Backwards

I had to figure out a way to get people to actually listen — especially 12-year-olds.

The sun might be spitting out particles that create water on the moon

With only lunar soil and a basic ingredient from the sun — which is always spitting out hydrogen — there’s a possibility of creating water.

NASA Orbiter Spots Curiosity Rover Making Tracks to Next Science Stop

The image marks what may be the first time one of the agency’s Mars orbiters has captured the rover driving.

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer’s disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

About one in nine people aged 65 and older has Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia.

Ghana’s first genetically modified crop: Why we created a new cowpea variety,

Recent research conducted in northern Ghana has demonstrated that Songotra-T is resistant to the legume pod borer and offers environmental and economic benefits.

== pretty much every creature fears at least one other
Some shark bites may be ‘survival instinct’ rather than planned attacks, contrary to media portrayal

An international team of researchers have found that there might be an additional, little-discussed motivator causing sharks to bite: self-defense.

== gotta luv science, and, well, bright people
New quantum optics theory proposes that classical interference arises from bright and dark states of light

Researchers propose that classical interference arises from specific two-mode binomial states, which are collective bright and dark entangled states of light.

== yjc
Government censorship comes to Bluesky, but not its third-party apps … yet

Earlier this month, Bluesky restricted access to 72 accounts in Turkey at the request of Turkish governmental authorities.

== yjc
Chasing butterflies around the globe changed this photographer’s worldview

Lucas Foglia spent 3 years following the longest butterfly migration route. Now he advocates for refugees.

== haven’t included Mike’s posts but I had seen the NYT article (didn’t read)
Three bad reasons to be polite to AI

Smart people give dumb reasons why people should say “please” and “thank you” to ChatGPT.

A carnivorous ‘bone collector’ caterpillar dresses in the remains of its prey

It creeps along spiderwebs, feeding on trapped insects and decorating its silk case with their body parts.

Semiconductor nanowires capture diffuse sunlight to split water and store energy as hydrogen

Shankar uses carbon nitride derived from urea—a widely available chemical used in fertilizers—to absorb sunlight which excites electrons to a higher energy level. A titanium dioxide catalyst facilitates hydrogen production.

== yjc, most of us are in BC
Study finds gaps in British Columbia’s extreme heat response plans

The study found significant differences in how municipalities within the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley regional districts are preparing for heat events.

Blocking a surprising master regulator of immunity eradicates liver tumors in mice

Blocking the activity of the protein turns formerly “cold,” or immune-resistant, liver tumors in mice into “hot” tumors teeming with cancer-fighting immune cells.

The truth about stress

From the benefits of the ‘good kind’ to the exercise that only makes it worse.

Thy has been on the radio for six months

Turns out she isn’t real.

Century-old mystery of plant communication solved: Plants signal stress through negative pressure mechanisms

The solution lies in the negative pressure that exists within a plant’s vasculature, which is required for keeping water inside its stems, roots and leaves when it’s dry.

Superbug-fighting paint promises cleaner hospitals and safer public spaces

Scientists have trialed a new paint-on resin product that incorporates bacteria-killing chlorhexidine, which is often used by dentists to treat mouth infections and for pre-surgical cleaning.>

== rattlesnakes were part of life in Lethbridge
What rattlesnake venom can teach us about evolution

Researchers found that some rattlesnakes are producing simpler venoms containing fewer and more focused toxin families than complex venoms—a surprising discovery that challenges long-held ideas about how living alongside a variety of other species influences evolution.

Engineer reinvents ceramics with origami-inspired 3D printing

Researchers have developed a new class of ceramic structures that can bend under pressure—without breaking.

== wonder what the risk to other satellites was
Chinese engineers used gravitational slingshots to rescue a pair of satellites

The engineers used the gravity of Earth, the moon, and the sun to guide the satellites to their proper orbits.

== opinion piece, rather political
The Webb Telescope is making incredible discoveries: It may go dark

Even in the depths of space, there’s no escape from politics.

== unfortunately US only
A new interactive tool models natural hazards fueled by climate change

Researchers developed a novel, interactive dataset to track and predict the occurrence of climate change–fueled extreme events on a county level, through the middle and end of the century.

A new druggable cancer target: RNA-binding proteins on the cell surface

Researchers show that one RNA-binding protein on the cell surface, NPM1, could be a potent, selective target for treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML), as well as solid tumors.

== didn’t find this article particularly enlightening, have not read paper
It’s about (space-)time: Scientists explore new dimension for light

Time and space rethought: A new look at these old dimensions in physics opens doors to new phenomena, such as so-called space-time-topological events, and their technological applications.

== paywall?
Scientists Say They Can Calculate the Cost of Oil Giants’ Role In Global Warming

Climate advocates hope this sort of model could result in court rulings that make polluters pay. The oil and gas industry contests the science.

Hubble Celebrates 35th Year In Orbit

In celebration of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s 35 years in Earth orbit, an assortment of compelling images have been released today that were recently taken by Hubble.

Quantum Messages Travel 254 km Using Existing Infrastructure For the First Time

The demonstration suggests that quantum communications can be achieved in real-world conditions.

Stroke Patients Have High Levels of Microplastics Clogging Their Arteries, Researchers Find

Cells in plastic-filled plaque also showed signs of altered gene activity, but it’s unclear why.

Is the universe really infinite?

How we understand the wider cosmos from our tiny observable bubble of space.

Engineers Found Evidence of Hydraulics in an Ancient Pyramid, Maybe Solving a 4,500-Year-Old Mystery

See how Egyptian engineers might have used water to shape history’s greatest monuments.

== https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/23/coral-reef-bleaching-worst-global-event-on-record
Most of world’s colourful corals go white in record-breaking bleaching

Bleaching-level heat stress from Jan. 2023 to March 2025 impacted 84% of reefs.

Move more, think sharper: How physical activity boosts brain health in aging

brisk walk, a splash of water aerobics, or even a light jog around the block—if your heart rate goes up then so too will your brain health.

Electricity-conducting organism named after Native American Tribe may advance bioelectronic devices

The electrical conductivity of cable bacteria, unusual among bacteria, is an adaptation that optimizes their metabolic processes in the sediment environments in which they live.

Shining a light on DNA: A rapid, ultra-sensitive, PCR-free detection method

As a means of analyzing changes in DNA, genetic testing has long relied on PCR (polymerase chain reaction) as the gold standard.

New study reveals how solar coronal holes spray solar wind like a sun garden hose

The team solved a key puzzle—why solar wind measurements differ between L5 and Earth-orbiting L1 observatories.

Scientists recreate deep space chemistry linked to first metabolic systems on Earth

Prebiotic molecules central to life’s earliest metabolic processes—chemical reactions in cells that change food into energy—may have been born in deep space long before Earth existed.

Tiny dips in sea level reveal flow of climate-regulating underwater waterfalls

These hidden waterfalls are a key part of the global ocean’s overturning circulation—a vast conveyor belt of currents that moves heat, carbon, and nutrients around the world, helping to regulate Earth’s climate.

Variation in exhaled droplet characteristics may explain why some people are disease ‘superspreaders’

oplets expelled through the nose and mouth of infected people as they breathe.

Ultrasound-activated nanoparticles wipe out biofilm infections in lab tests

In up to 80% of chronic infections, bacteria form biofilms—a slimy substance secreted by the bacteria which forms a protective matrix around them.

An AI tool grounded in evidence-based medicine outperforms other AI tools—and most doctors—on USMLE exams

“Artificial intelligence isn’t going to replace doctors but a doctor who uses AI may replace a doctor who does not.”

Adolescents who sleep longer can perform better at cognitive tasks

Adolescents who sleep for longer—and from an earlier bedtime—than their peers tend to have improved brain function.

Scientists improve gravitational wave identification with machine learning

Binary systems consist of two massive objects, like neutron stars or black holes, spiraling toward each other. As they merge together, they generate ripples in spacetime—gravitational waves—which give us information about both objects.

== yjc, political/economic opinion/perspective, paywall?
Rare Earth Elements Aren’t That Rare

China is limiting US access to critical minerals in response to tariffs, but the move isn’t as devastating as Beijing wants it to be.

Mystery of medieval cemetery near British airport runway deepens

A medieval cemetery unearthed near Cardiff Airport is continuing to confound archaeologists, as the mysteries surrounding it are multiplying.

Anthropic Warns Fully AI Employees Are a Year Away

Managing those AI identities will require companies to reassess their cybersecurity strategies or risk exposing their networks to major security breaches.

Companies Ditch Fluorescent Lights in Battle for Office Return

Research studies have shown that light can have an impact on nonvisual brain function during cognitive tasks, particularly those that involve sustained attention.