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Science

Featuring the latest in daily science news, Verge Science is all you need to keep track of what’s going on in health, the environment, and your whole world. Through our articles, we keep a close eye on the overlap between science and technology news — so you’re more informed.

The US has new guidelines for carbon offsets.

Offsets are supposed to allow companies and consumers to cancel out some of their CO2 emissions — but are notorious for failing. Plant a tree to capture carbon, for example, and that tree could eventually release all the CO2 if it doesn’t survive for hundreds of years.

The Biden administration laid out new guidelines today aimed at making offsets work, although many environmental advocates are still skeptical.


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PSA: Don’t compost your ‘biodegradable’ teabags.

Some teabags made with plastic alternatives (typically within the sealed edges) can potentially harm terrestrial species and don’t degrade in soil, according to a new study from the University of Plymouth.

If you’re in doubt, Which recommends ripping used teabags open to compost the leaves, and bin the bag separately. Otherwise, there’s always loose leaf...


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EcoFlow’s $200 PowerStream is so clever, you might buy a $4,000 solar generator

A mini power plant that turns a standard power outlet into a solar power inlet.

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Starlink succumbs to Russian electronic warfare.

Wait, you’re telling me that consumer tech can be foiled by a determined and well-funded military?

The new outages appeared to be the first time the Russians have caused widespread disruptions of Starlink. If they continue to succeed, it could mark a tactical shift in the conflict, highlighting Ukraine’s vulnerability and dependence on the service provided by Mr. Musk’s company.

Time for Musk to deploy the Starshield! Or, did he?


Norfolk Southern agreed to pay $310 million for the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

The railway company reached a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency that includes $235 million for cleanup, $30 million to monitor water quality, $25 million for a community health program, and a $15 million civil penalty. Norfolk Southern has also agreed to a $600 million settlement with residents after the disaster released hazardous chemicals including carcinogen vinyl chloride.


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First demo of T-Mobile’s Direct to Cell service.

The video call works, barely, and that’s before fighting other LTE-compatible phones for access to the T-Mo service first announced in 2022.

But when the choice is no coverage versus this, well, I’d call that a win. And it’ll only be available for texting later this year in the US, with data coming in 2025 as SpaceX launches more D2C Starlink satellites.


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Tornadoes in Iowa took down several wind turbines.

KCCI reporter Zane Satre saw at least three 250-foot towers snapped by tornadoes, leaving some buckled and on fire. The Des Moines Register reports more than 35,000 people are without power, and the National Weather Service has a tornado watch in effect across most of the state until 9PM CT.


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Neuralink is gearing up to put its brain implant in another human being.

The FDA has given the Elon Musk company a green light for its second patient, the Wall Street Journal reports. Neuralink’s first implant in a human started to detach from that person’s brain, causing him to briefly lose some functions. To try to solve that problem, Neuralink reportedly plans to place the device’s threads deeper into the brain.


Safe and accounted for.

All of the crew of Blue Origin’s NS-25 flight have emerged from the capsule, safe and sound. That includes Ed Dwight, who was selected as the first Black Astronaut candidate in the early days of NASA’s space program but never went to space before today.

“I thought I really didn’t need this in my life,” he said during Blue Origin’s livestream, “but now I need it in my life.”


Screenshot: YouTube
Blue Origin’s capsule is back on Earth.

The capsule parachuted down to the desert too, landing shortly after the New Shepard rocket. One of its parachutes didn’t deploy fully, but Blue Origin’s webcasters say the company has tested for that possibility and that it’s fine. They added that the crew are reporting they’re fine.


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Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket has safely touched back down in Texas.

The reusable rocket that just took the NS-25 capsule into space has now touched down in the desert of West Texas.


A screenshot showing the Blue Origin booster after setting down, silhouetted in a cloud of dust.
Blue Origin’s NS-25 mission just reached space.

At about 3:46 into the flight, Blue Origin confirmed its NS-25 mission had passed into space, and its astronauts were in zero g space. The capsule is now descending back to earth.


New Shepard has launched.

Blue Origin’s rocket engines have fired, carrying its crew of six space tourists skyward.


A screenshot showing the Blue Origin New Shepard rocket launching on May 19th.
Screenshot: YouTube
Blue Origin is launching in one minute.

The walkway is retracted and New Shepard has switched to autonomous mode — the launch now can’t be canceled.


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An interesting statistic.

Blue Origin’s livestream popped this image up, showing that about eight percent of women who’ve flown to space have been on New Shepard.


An image showing statistics from Blue Origin.
T-minus 10 minutes.

Blue Origin is pushing NS-25’s launch a little further back from 10:13.


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Blue Origin has started loading the crew for NS-25 onboard.

The company has also updated its targeted launch time for New Shepard’s NS-25 mission to 10:13AM ET. The livestream is also showing video now.


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Blue Origin has started the livestream for its next crewed launch.

Live coverage should be starting soon for the 25th launch of New Shepard, which hasn’t taken humans aboard in about two years after a booster malfunction on an uncrewed mission paused its space tourism launches in September 2022.

Blue Origin’s rocket is vertical on the launch pad and the company now targeting 9:52AM ET for launch.


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Oura, Clue, and UC Berkeley are teaming up to study perimenopause.

Or the period before menopause, when ovaries gradually stop working. This particular study is aimed at shedding light on the physiological changes that happen during perimenopause and menopause — something that’s still not well understood as menopausal people are often excluded from studies.

Oura’s also adding a Cycle Insights Report feature, as well as including period data when calculating Readiness scores.


At a Beverly Hills mansion, where an electric truck is your only source of power

GM staged a blackout to demonstrate how EVs can power an entire home — and also shore up our aging grid infrastructure.

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NASA’s quiet supersonic aircraft is getting closer to taking flight.

We’ve been waiting for the Quesst X-59 and the return of supersonic air travel for years now, and NASA’s latest update says things are moving along:

A Flight Readiness Review board composed of independent experts from across NASA has completed a study of the X-59 project team’s approach to safety for the public and staff during ground and flight testing.


Four exterior shots of the X-59 experimental aircraft, showing a fighter-jet like shape with sharp angles.
The X-59 rollout in January
Image: Lockheed Martin