Science

Heavy smoke from wildfires is darkening skies from the US Midwest to the East Coast, in photos

Heavy, pungent wildfire smoke darkened skies in the U.S. on Thursday from the Great Lakes to parts of the East Coast, reducing visibility and prompting warnings that breathing the air outside could be dangerous.

Four engine failures abort Starship's 13th launch bid at the last second

The world's biggest rocket was grounded Thursday when four of its 33 engines failed to ignite, leaving SpaceX to replace two engines ahead of a new launch attempt early next week.

Dinosaur-loving nine-year-old boy recognised by Guinness World Records as youngest museum curator

Anderson Taylor of Cambridge, Illinois has officially been recognised by Guinness World Records as the youngest museum curator in the world.

Scientists discovered Amazon fungus that eats plastic even without oxygen

Why your heat pump isn’t saving you money – and what could change that

The right mix of energy upgrades saved houses as much as €1,150 annually, according to a new study.

SpaceX abruptly scrubs Starship test flight

The flight was the first mission planned by Elon Musk after SpaceX went public on Wall Street in June, with a record initial public offering of $135

Pluto fly-by mission wakes after long sleep nearly 9.5b kilometres from Earth

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft went into a planned hibernation mode on 7 August, 2025, and woke on 23 June using commands stored on its main computer.

Electricity price fall 'positive signal' for switch from fossil fuels

Electricity Retailers and Generators Association chief executive Bridget Abernethy says wholesale prices are at some of their lowest winter levels in more than a decade.

Supreme Court battle over traditional owner consultation pauses flood works

The Victorian government and a regional water authority have admitted they did not property consult with traditional owners before approving a controversial flood plain restoration project.

Chinese scientist’s sodium battery leap; petition to boot Argentina: SCMP’s 7 highlights

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting…

US confronts floods, heatwaves, smoky skies all at once amid Trump aid cuts

Across the US this week, different disasters – from Canadian wildfire smoke darkening the skies in the Midwest and northeast to extreme heat along the east coast to catastrophic flooding in Texas – are disrupting daily life and putting…

SpaceX aborts Starship launch at the last moment

US entrepreneur Elon Musk attributed the cancellation to an engine failure