Science & Earth

Heavy January snowfall eased immediate venue concerns for the Milano Cortina Winter Games, but scientists report long-term warming has reduced reliable natural snow at many historical and potential host sites.

A group of experts warns that human reproduction beyond Earth is not yet safe or well understood and calls for coordinated research and ethical oversight; existing human data from long-duration missions are limited.

Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for Spalding County after a reported significant fuel release at or near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport; cleanup crews are working while a visible petroleum sheen remains on the Flint River and officials have not disclosed the cause or volume.

On Feb. 2, 2026, a SpaceX Falcon 9 launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base carrying 25 Starlink satellites; the first stage landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You and the upper stage reached preliminary orbit about nine minutes after liftoff.

Experts say fewer very cold days in recent decades, combined with human adaptation to milder winters, makes this cold snap feel more intense for many Americans; data show a national decline in subfreezing days and larger regional drops in places like Albany.

The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) coalition has moved from shaping health policy into environmental discussions with the Environmental Protection Agency; Administrator Lee Zeldin announced new restrictions on five chemicals and the agency says it will publish a 'MAHA agenda' in the coming months.

The sun produced an X8.3-class flare from Active Region 4366 and NOAA says related coronal mass ejections could reach Earth around Feb. 5, possibly sparking auroras; timing and visibility remain uncertain.

Researchers analyzed hair samples from 48 Utah residents dating back to 1916 and found lead concentrations were much higher before the EPA's 1970 regulations, with a steep decline in levels after that period.

Illumina will sequence up to 4,000 samples from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's Frozen Zoo, representing about 1,300 species, and selected samples will support multiomic research with data shared with SDZWA and its collaborators.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has demanded information from major diesel engine manufacturers about DEF system failures and said the agency will use the data to inform rulemaking and actions in 2026.

The simulation hypothesis argues we might be living inside a computer-like simulation based on Nick Bostrom’s projection of future technology, and the idea has drawn interest and skepticism from scientists and the public alike.

The Met Office has issued yellow warnings as snow and heavy rain are expected across parts of the UK, and some transport services and local flood warnings have been reported.

China has begun building a gigawatt-scale open-sea solar farm off Shandong province covering about 1,223 hectares and expected to produce roughly 1.78 billion kilowatt-hours a year; the project, built by China Energy Investment Corporation, includes integrated fish farming but no independent environmental analysis has been released.

A sandstone slab found in 1958 with an 18.5 cm fossil footprint has been confirmed as Australia's oldest known dinosaur fossil, dated to about 230 million years ago in the earliest Late Triassic.

NASA's Perseverance rover identified thousands of bleached, kaolinite-rich rocks across Jezero crater, and a December 2025 study reports their chemistry matches Earth clays formed by long-term water exposure; researchers say the rocks' exact source in or beyond the crater is still undetermined.

NASA astronaut Chris Williams will answer prerecorded STEM questions from students in Pennsylvania during an Earth-to-space call at 12:20 p.m. EST on Feb. 5, streamed on NASA's Learn With NASA YouTube channel.

Expedition 74 crew prepared for an upcoming SpaceX Crew-12 Dragon visit and completed maintenance on science hardware aboard the International Space Station.

Researchers at Kyushu University identified a tiny new ladybird beetle, Parastethorus pinicola, on a pine tree at the Hakozaki campus as part of a three-year review of Stethorini; the study also named a second new species, Stethorus takakoae.

Researchers off Vancouver Island matched over 1,000 underwater sounds to eight rocky reef fish species using an acoustic localization array and video, and a machine-learning model identified species from sounds with up to 88% accuracy.

Researchers, including biologist Dr. John Bradshaw, report that several common cat actions reflect parental instincts rooted in wild-cat biology; typical examples include delivering prey, grooming and head-butting, and sleeping close while kneading.

Botanically, hemp and marijuana are generally considered forms of Cannabis sativa, but U.S. law separates them based on THC content; a new federal rule tightening THC limits in finished products is scheduled to take effect in November.

February's night sky includes a full moon on Feb. 1 and evening views of bright planets such as Venus and Jupiter.

No Americans have landed on the Moon since 1972, and NASA's Artemis program — including Artemis II — represents years of work aimed at returning humans to the lunar surface, with a crewed lunar landing goal moved to 2028.

NASA will send four astronauts on Artemis II for a planned 10-day crewed flight around the moon to test Orion's life-support, navigation and communications systems; launch could occur as early as Feb. 6 pending a launchpad fueling test.

World Wetlands Day is observed on Feb. 2 and marks the 1971 Convention on Wetlands; Canadian groups say wetlands store large amounts of carbon and are declining in many developed areas.

Gladys West, 95, died of natural causes, her family announced on X, according to NPR. West spent 42 years at the Naval Proving Ground and helped develop models of Earth's shape that contributed to GPS.

Researchers report that autopsies of camels in the United Arab Emirates found large clumps of plastic, called polybezoars, and the authors say these are linked to about 1% of camel deaths there.

Researchers report that polar bears near Svalbard have shown improved body condition since about 2000, even as sea ice in the Barents Sea has declined sharply.

Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza, and Palestinian authorities reported at least 30 killed; the Rafah border crossing is scheduled to reopen with limited passage and Israeli security clearances.

A young coyote swam about a mile to Alcatraz and is currently on the island; the National Park Service says it plans to trap and relocate the animal before seabird breeding season.