Scientific American Content

August 20, 2026

"Physicists pinpoint the perfect crystal site for an ultra-accurate nuclear clock."

Views expressed in this science and technology update are those of the reporters and correspondents. Accessed on 21 August 2026, 0002 UTC.

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Russ Roberts (https://hawaiisciencemonitor.blogspot.com).

Today

Physicists pinpoint the perfect crystal site for an ultra-accurate nuclear clock

Growing crystals “like alchemy,” researchers plotted out the ideal site within the lattice to build a nuclear clock

China’s solar power rollout is harming birds, a new analysis finds

China solar boom harms birds

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A new study finds that China’s solar energy boom is hurting bird diversity

Europe’s summer of wildfires is just a taste of what’s to come

European wildfires could triple

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The area of Europe affected by wildfires is due to triple, a new study finds

Cloud SQL

by Google Cloud

Yesterday

NASA calls off rescue mission for its falling Swift space telescope

The space agency’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which studied cataclysmic cosmic explosions, is expected to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere later this year

Moderna and Merck announce ‘landmark’ trial showing mRNA therapy significantly cuts odds of recurrent skin cancer

Moderna mRNA vaccine prevents melanoma recurrence

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The combined drug works by nudging the body’s own immune system to make proteins that attack and destroy melanoma cells

Some microbes could survive on the moon—that’s a big problem for NASA

Five common microorganisms found on Earth could survive at the lunar south pole, a new study finds, presenting a contamination risk for future human missions

The Milky Way’s fastest star could expose our black hole’s spin

S301 fastest star near SgrA

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The star S301 swoops so close to our galaxy’s supermassive black hole that it could, for the first time ever, reveal that dark behemoth’s rotation

China successfully lands its Zhuque-3 rocket, rivaling Blue Origin and SpaceX

LandSpace lands Zhuque 3 booster

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Beijing’s success shows how close China is to the U.S. in the new space race

Trump to nominate White House aide Heidi Overton to head FDA

Trump picks Overton for FDA

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Overton is a medical doctor with ties to the “Make America Healthy Again” movement