Science News Round-Up

Blue Origin rocket explodes on the launch pad during an engine-firing test

Blue Origin experienced a rocket explosion on the launch pad during an engine-firing test, highlighting the inherent risks of spaceflight development. Read more: Blue Origin rocket explodes on the launch pad during an engine-firing test - NBC 6 South Florida

Human organoids reveal how to reverse "irreversible" nerve damage

Cambridge scientists have used human brain-and-spinal-cord organoids to identify how neurons lose their regrowth capacity during development, and found that an existing hormone drug can restore this ability, potentially offering new hope for treating irreversible nerve damage. Read more: Human organoids reveal how to reverse "irreversible" nerve damage

NASA selects Astrolab to provide lunar rover for Artemis astronauts

NASA has selected Astrolab, a partner of Odyssey Space Research, to provide a lunar rover for astronauts returning to the Moon under the Artemis program. Read more: Odyssey Space Research partner, Astrolab, Selected by NASA to Provide Lunar Rover for Artemis Astronauts Return to the Moon - PR Newswire

$4 tongue swab test detects tuberculosis within 30 minutes

Researchers have developed an inexpensive tongue swab test that can detect active tuberculosis in approximately 30 minutes, offering a simpler diagnostic alternative for populations with limited healthcare access. Read more: A $4 tongue swab test detects tuberculosis within 30 minutes

Mathematical AI helps researchers crack 50-year-old problem

Researchers have adapted an AI technique originally developed by OpenAI to solve an 80-year-old conjecture from Paul Erdős, using it to crack another long-standing mathematical problem that had remained unsolved for five decades. Read more: Mathematical AI helps researchers crack 50-year-old problem

Glaciers in the 'roof of the world' have suddenly started melting

Glaciers in the Pamir mountains, often called the "roof of the world", have long resisted global melting trends but experienced a dramatic loss of ice in 2025 due to extreme heat. This sudden retreat underscores the growing vulnerability of even the most resilient ice fields to rising temperatures. Read more: Glaciers in the 'roof of the world' have suddenly started melting