Why it matters: A look at the scientific breakthroughs changing the world, explorations in space and in worlds beyond our own and the threats posed to us by our own planet, both out of our control and of our own making.
Dead coral sit on the ocean bed in the Straits of Florida near Key Largo, Florida. Photo: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
Rising ocean temperatures led to a 14% loss of global corals in just one decade, according to a new analysis from the International Coral Reef Initiative.
Why it matters: Coral reefs play a critical role in ecosystems, supporting at least 25% of marine species and roughly $2.7 trillion per year in goods and services, according to the project's network of scientists.
The Great Red Spot seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. Photo: NASA/ESA/STScI
The winds of one of the most recognizable storms in the solar system — Jupiter's Great Red Spot — are speeding up.
Why it matters: This weather report for another world is possible because the Hubble Space Telescope has been keeping a close eye on the storm for more than 10 years.
A Blue Origin booster coming in for a landing in 2019. Photo: Blue Origin
A letter signed by 21 current and former employees of Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin accuses the company of mishandling harassment allegations and raises questions about its culture.
The big picture: Blue Origin is trying to compete with SpaceX and others for lucrative government contracts but it's facing employee attrition rates as high as 20%, according to a report from CNBC.
National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins during a May Senate hearing on Capitol Hill. Photo: Sarah Silbiger-Pool/Getty Images
National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins on Tuesday announced he will step down from his post by the end of the year.
Why it matters: The 71-year-old pioneering physician-geneticist is the only presidentially appointed NIH director to serve in more than one administration. Collins has served in the role for 12 years, longer than anyone else, and has been at the forefront of the U.S. COVID-19 pandemic response.
From left: Actor Yulia Peresild, cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov and director Klim Shipenko. Photo: Roscosmos Press Service/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
A Russian director and an actor blasted off into space on Tuesday to film the world's first movie in orbit, AP reports.
State of play: Director Klim Shipenko and actor Yulia Peresild took off to the International Space Station along with cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov. They are set to stay in orbit for 12 days filming segments for their movie, "Challenge."
The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi for reseach on climate change. Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images
Scientists Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi received the Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday for their work in predicting global warming and the understanding of complex physical systems.
Why it matters: These researchers helped describe and predict the long-term behavior of complex systems, like the Earth's climate, which are characterized by randomness and disorder and are difficult to understand.
Photo Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios. Photo: SpaceX via Flickr
The new era of private spaceflight — heralded by the all-civilian Inspiration4 crew — is at risk of lacking the transparency of missions led by NASA and other space agencies.
Why it matters: Companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are trying to woo more customers in the coming years to help bring about their vision for humanity in space. Bringing in new customers hinges on those people having a clear picture of the risks of space travel.