Gadget

Researchers in China have developed a DNA “cassette tape” that stores data at densities far beyond current drives. By encoding digital files into DNA strands embedded on tape, the system allows compact, sustainable archival storage. A 100-meter DNA tape could hold 36 petabytes, reshaping the future of data centers.

Researchers have engineered a cobalt-nickel-vanadium alloy that stays tough even at –186°C, resisting the brittleness that plagues most metals in extreme cold. Using atomic-scale design, the team created dual structural patterns inside the alloy that block cracks and preserve ductility. In lab tests, the metal absorbed far more strain than conventional steels.

NASA has successfully reconnected with the TRACERS spacecraft after a period of silence. The team is assessing onboard systems and working on recovery to resume science operations. While progress is being made, full restoration will take time, with updates to follow via NASA’s TRACERS blog.

Nintendo made a host of announcements at the Nintendo Direct showcase on Friday. The company announced a new Mario Tennis Game, a new Yoshi game, and confirmed the release date for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured a rare protostar about ten times the Sun’s mass blasting twin jets nearly eight light-years long. The beams carve through the glowing Sharpless 2-284 nebula, offering astronomers a vivid glimpse into how massive stars form and shape their galactic environment.

On Sept. 10, 2025, SpaceX launched 21 satellites from Vandenberg, beginning the SDA’s first Transport Layer constellation for secure U.S. military communications. Built by York Space Systems, the satellites mark the first operational step toward a 126-satellite network linking American forces worldwide with encrypted, laser-based connections.

NASA has certified a helicopter-based lander training course in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains to prepare Artemis astronauts for Moon missions. The high-altitude terrain creates lunar-like visual illusions, forcing pilots to master landings in dusty, slope-filled conditions. Over two dozen astronauts have now trained in this challenging, realistic simulation.

NASA’s Perseverance rover has uncovered iron-rich minerals in Jezero Crater rocks that on Earth often link to microbial activity. The discovery suggests Mars’ lake basin may have been more hospitable than thought. Still, scientists caution that only Earth-based analysis can confirm whether these are true biosignatures.

Italian astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a white dwarf orbiting a blue straggler star in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae, located 15,300 light-years away. The rare system, among the youngest detected, sheds light on stellar mass transfer and offers vital clues to the evolution of binary stars in dense clusters.

Perseverance rover snaps turtle-shaped rock in Jezero Crater, a geologic oddity shaped by erosion and human pareidolia. The picture was snapped on Sol 1,610, August 31, 2025, at Jezero Crater, by the rover’s Sherloc and Watson instruments, fitted to its robotic arm, which capture visible and ultraviolet images of rock surfaces.