A study published in Nature reports the most extensive integration of human brain cells transplanted into mice ever recorded. The transplanted neurons survived more than a year and formed functional synaptic connections with host neurons, opening a new window into research on Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases.
The BBC reported on September 16 that the latest satellite data shows the Earth has lost more than 12 trillion tons of ice from Greenland and Antarctica over the past 47 years, a staggering figure highlighting the profound impact of climate change on polar ice sheets. Scientists warn that at current melt rates, global sea levels could rise several meters by the end of the century, threatening the survival of coastal cities and island nations.
NASA has extended the Roman Space Telescope’s expected mission lifetime from 10 to 22 years—nearly double the original projection—through a single ultra-precise engine burn. The breakthrough means humanity will have far more time to use it for dark-energy research, exoplanet detection, and frontier cosmology.
A natural-science research consortium announced on September 14 that a continuous trackway of footprints left by an adult Tyrannosaurus rex has been identified for the first time in a Late Cretaceous geological formation in North America. Individual prints approach the size of an adult human foot, marking the first concrete trace of an adult T. rex in motion. The discovery provides new physical evidence for the study of the species’ gait, social behaviour and the wider Late Cretaceous North American ecosystem, and is being described by the field as one of the most significant trace-fossil finds in decades.
Italian theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli has released a new book titled ‘Reality and Shadow: New Horizons in Physics,’ systematically challenging the traditional understanding of the nature of reality, quantum gravity, the arrow of time and the role of the observer in the current physics community. In the book, Rovelli extends his research on relational quantum theory and loop quantum gravity, further proposing the core view that ‘reality is a network of informational relations’ and advocating a shift of physics from an ‘objective-entity’ paradigm to a ‘relational-structure’ paradigm. Since the book’s release, it has attracted wide attention from the international scientific and philosophy-of-science communities, with several well-known physicists and philosophers having publicly responded, some supportive, some skeptical, and some believing that the questions raised by the book are more valuable than the answers given.
A new analysis combining data from NASA’s MESSENGER mission and the European BepiColombo probe shows Mercury is shrinking far faster than scientists had previously believed, with global contraction leaving visible fault scarps across the planet’s surface. Researchers say the rate of cooling and contraction carries major implications for understanding the thermal evolution of small rocky planets, the durability of their magnetic fields, and the broader geological history of the inner solar system. The findings also raise fresh questions about how Mercury has retained a magnetic field despite being a small planet with a slowly solidifying inner core, a long-standing puzzle in comparative planetology.
Spaceflight Now reported on September 13 that SpaceX completed the 700th launch of its Falcon rocket family in the early hours of the day from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, sending the final three O3b mPOWER medium-Earth-orbit satellites for Luxembourg-based operator SES into orbit, formally closing out the multi-year medium-Earth-orbit satellite internet upgrade program. The Falcon family has crossed from maiden flight to 700 missions in just over a decade, averaging more than 60 launches per year and becoming the most frequently launched and most reusable rocket series in commercial spaceflight. The success not only cements SpaceX’s lead in the reusable launch and commercial launch services markets, but also gives SES a fully upgraded capability to deliver differentiated services to government, maritime, aviation and telecom operator customers around the world.
French rail equipment manufacturer Alstom has announced plans to build a new battery-electric train fleet in the UK. The UK government stated that the related production and maintenance work will support thousands of jobs domestically and highlights the important position of rail equipment manufacturing in industrial policy. The partnership is seen as one of the key measures for the UK to advance low-carbon transport and upgrade its domestic manufacturing base.
The European climate agency Copernicus Climate Change Service officially confirmed that August 2026 was the hottest month globally since temperature records began, with global average temperatures significantly exceeding pre-industrial levels, marking a further acceleration of global warming with profound implications for global ecosystems, agriculture, and public health.
German private aerospace company Isar Aerospace successfully launched its Spectrum rocket into orbit from European soil, becoming the first European private company to achieve this milestone.