Science Explorist

Myspace is planning a comeback — and this time, it wants to offer something very different from today’s algorithm-dominated social media.

Chris and Tim Vanderhook, the current owners of Myspace, confirmed in a new documentary that they intend to relaunch the once-dominant social network. There is no announced launch date yet; the brothers say they are waiting for the right time.

The potential revival arrives as frustration grows around modern social platforms built around recommendation algorithms, endless feeds, and maximizing the amount of time people spend scrolling. Myspace co-founder Chris DeWolfe argues that algorithms have played a major role in making modern social media more addictive by constantly predicting and serving content designed to keep users engaged.

Reports about the planned reboot suggest Myspace could return to some of the ideas that made the original platform distinctive: chronological posts, profile songs, customizable profiles, the famous Top 8 friends list, and less dependence on algorithmic recommendations.

Music could also remain central to its identity. When the Vanderhooks acquired Myspace, they viewed its artist community as one of the platform’s most valuable features. Their previous attempt to rebuild the network failed spectacularly—the brothers say they ultimately lost more than $150 million trying to revive it—but they still haven't abandoned the brand.

Whether nostalgia and a less algorithm-driven experience will be enough to compete with Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and other established platforms is another question entirely.

Source: Merritt, M. (2026). Myspace owners say they want to relaunch the site. Morning Brew. Additional reporting: PEOPLE.

More than 180,000 U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico are now facing 48-hour water shutoffs as a historic drought pushes the island into an escalating water crisis.

Residents across San Juan and surrounding municipalities are being placed on rotating rationing schedules after critically low reservoir levels forced authorities to restrict supplies. Some communities can expect to have running water for 48 hours, followed by 48 hours without it.

The drought has intensified rapidly. San Juan recorded its driest July in more than 120 years, while nearly 68% of Puerto Rico was reported to be experiencing drought conditions. Forecasts indicate that a strengthening El Niño could suppress rainfall and prolong the dry conditions.

Hospitals, elderly-care facilities and other critical services are being prioritized for tanker deliveries, while families and businesses are having to store water or find alternative supplies. Governor Jenniffer González has acknowledged that there is no clear timetable for when the rationing will end.

But drought is only part of the problem.

Residents and local officials have pointed to Puerto Rico's aging water infrastructure and chronic service disruptions that existed long before the current emergency. San Juan's mayor had already taken legal action against the island's water authority over outages and maintenance concerns.

The crisis is also raising questions about federal involvement. As the rationing unfolded, Puerto Rico's resident commissioner called for an emergency declaration that could unlock FEMA assistance, while reporting indicated that the White House had not yet publicly responded.

For more than 180,000 people, reliable access to something as basic as running water has suddenly become uncertain.

Source: Castro, A. (2026), Newsweek. Additional reporting and verification: Reuters, Associated Press.

California built a bridge for wildlife — and the animals started using it before construction was even finished.

In late May, trail cameras captured three mule deer walking across California’s first wildlife overcrossing built over a state highway, spanning U.S. 97 in Siskiyou County near the Oregon border. The deer appeared just about 15 hours after construction crews had finished work for the day.

The location was chosen for a serious reason. Between 2015 and 2020, more than 50 deer and 16 elk were recorded killed by vehicles along this stretch of highway, making it one of Caltrans District 2’s worst wildlife-vehicle collision hotspots.

The new crossing is enormous — approximately 100 feet long and 140 feet wide. Caltrans is also installing roughly two miles of eight-foot-high fencing to steer animals toward the bridge, along with escape “jump-outs” and a reinforced concrete culvert that provides another route beneath the highway.

And the mule deer may only be the beginning. Caltrans has reported additional wildlife, including a bobcat, using the structure while work was still underway. The surrounding landscape is also important habitat for elk, black bears, mountain lions, gray wolves and other species.

Researchers from the UC Davis Road Ecology Center and Caltrans are monitoring the area with roughly 100 cameras to see how animals respond to the crossing over time.

It is an early but encouraging demonstration of a simple conservation idea: when highways divide natural habitat, reconnecting that habitat can give wildlife a safer alternative to crossing through speeding traffic.

Source: Kat Kerlin, “Deer Are First Animals to Cross California’s First Wildlife Overcrossing,” UC Davis, June 3, 2026; California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), U.S. 97 Wildlife Crossing Project.

Two bison gave birth less than an hour apart — then formed a parenting partnership scientists had never documented in wild bison before.

On April 27, 2007, along the shoreline of Hebgen Lake near Yellowstone National Park, biologists Jennifer Jones and John Treanor watched two female bison give birth at almost the same location.

Normally, a bison mother isolates herself with her newborn. But these two females did something very different.

They stayed together.

Each cow licked and cleaned the other female’s calf. They consumed birth material from each other’s delivery sites, and within minutes, both newborn calves were nursing from BOTH mothers — a behavior known as allonursing.

For the next five and a half hours, the two mothers remained together and aggressively drove away other bison approaching the newborns.

That cooperation may have provided an important survival advantage. Newborn bison are vulnerable to predators such as wolves and grizzly bears, so having two alert adults guarding two calves could potentially reduce the burden on each mother while increasing protection.

Researchers could not determine whether the females were related, and both were experienced breeding-age adults, leaving the reason for their extraordinary cooperation uncertain.

The observation was later published as a scientific report describing what the researchers called cooperative birthing behavior and allonursing in Yellowstone bison.

More than a century of wildlife observation has shown us how bison usually behave — but moments like this are a reminder that wild animals can still surprise us.

Source: Jones, J.D. & Treanor, J.J. (2008). “Allonursing and Cooperative Birthing Behavior in Yellowstone Bison, Bison bison.” The Canadian Field-Naturalist, 122(2), 171–172.

BREAKING: A fast-moving wildfire north of Reno has exploded to roughly 15,000 acres, with evacuation orders still in effect as firefighters race to contain the blaze.

The Bug Fire, which ignited near the California-Nevada border on August 8, expanded dramatically within little more than a day. CAL FIRE’s latest update lists the wildfire at approximately 15,000 acres and just 3% contained.

Communities around Cold Springs and other parts of Washoe County have faced evacuation orders and warnings as the fire pushed through extremely dry terrain. Some evacuation restrictions were lifted earlier Sunday as crews made progress around populated areas, but officials continue to report evacuation orders elsewhere in Washoe County.

Firefighters have attacked the blaze from both the ground and air. Earlier reports indicated that crews had successfully protected structures, with no structural losses reported at that stage of the response. Road closures and power shutoffs have also affected communities in the North Valleys as authorities work to keep evacuation routes clear and firefighters moving safely.

The fire’s cause remains under investigation. With conditions capable of changing rapidly, residents near affected areas are being urged to follow official evacuation instructions rather than waiting until flames are close.

Source: CAL FIRE Bug Fire Incident Updates; 2 News Nevada; KOLO 8 News Now.

Menstrual blood may hold an unexpected key to repairing cartilage damaged by osteoarthritis.

Scientists have found that microscopic particles released by stem-like cells collected from menstrual blood can stimulate human cartilage cells and encourage production of the materials needed to maintain healthy joint tissue.

The research focuses on menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MenSCs). Instead of transplanting the cells themselves, researchers isolated their extracellular vesicles — tiny packages carrying proteins, lipids and genetic signals that cells use to communicate.

When these vesicles were applied to human chondrocytes, the cells responsible for maintaining cartilage, researchers observed increased production of important extracellular-matrix components, including collagen II and proteoglycans. Tests on osteoarthritic cartilage samples also showed molecular changes consistent with improved cartilage maintenance and repair.

Intriguingly, the study included cartilage obtained from older, postmenopausal women and found that the vesicles could influence sex-hormone receptor expression as well — suggesting their biological effects may remain relevant even in aging joint tissue.

The potential is significant because osteoarthritis already affects roughly 595 million people worldwide, and that burden is expected to rise as populations age.

But this is not yet a replacement for joint-replacement surgery. The experiments were performed in cells and cartilage tissue in the laboratory. Further animal studies and eventually human clinical trials will be necessary to determine whether the treatment can safely regenerate cartilage inside living joints.

Still, turning something normally discarded during menstruation into a potential source of regenerative medicine represents a fascinating new direction for osteoarthritis research.

Source: Kugaudaite, G., et al. (2026). Menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stromal cell extracellular vesicles stimulate chondrocytes and cartilage extracellular matrix synthesis in vitro. Scientific Reports, 16.

Data centers need water to cool. People need water to survive. When supplies are limited, that difference matters.

Behind every AI request, cloud backup, video stream, and online service sits physical infrastructure—massive data centers packed with servers that generate enormous amounts of heat.

Keeping those servers cool can require substantial quantities of both electricity and water.

Many facilities use ev***rative cooling, where water absorbs heat and is then released into the atmosphere as v***r. Other cooling systems repeatedly circulate water but must periodically discharge a portion called “blowdown” because salts, minerals, and treatment chemicals become increasingly concentrated.

The concern becomes especially serious when large data centers are built in drought-prone regions or communities already facing pressure on groundwater and municipal water systems.

Supporters point to jobs, investment, and tax revenue. Critics argue that communities deserve to know exactly how much water a proposed facility will consume—and whether residents could eventually face higher utility costs, stressed aquifers, or tighter water restrictions.

Importantly, data centers do not all have to rely heavily on drinking-quality water. Alternatives include closed-loop cooling, reclaimed wastewater, and air-based cooling systems, although each comes with its own energy, cost, and climate trade-offs.

As AI infrastructure expands, the real question is not whether society should have data centers. It is where they should be built, how efficiently they should operate, and whether local water supplies are being protected first.

Source: MOST Policy Initiative. (2026). Data Center Water Use. MOST Policy Initiative Science Note.

Flea treatments protect our pets—but some of the chemicals they leave behind may be harming wildlife.

For decades, millions of pet owners have routinely used “spot-on” flea and tick treatments on cats and dogs. Now, growing scientific evidence is raising serious concerns about what happens after these powerful insecticides leave our pets.

Two commonly used ingredients, fipronil and imidacloprid, are highly toxic to insects and aquatic invertebrates. Although their agricultural use has been banned or heavily restricted in the UK, they are still found in veterinary flea treatments.

And they are escaping into the environment.

Researchers have detected these chemicals in rivers and waterways, with contamination occurring when treated pets swim, are washed, shed treated fur, or when residues are washed from owners’ hands, bedding and clothing into wastewater systems.

The problem may extend far beyond rivers.

Scientists studying bird nests found that songbirds were collecting chemically contaminated pet fur as nesting material. Nests containing greater amounts or numbers of insecticides were associated with more unhatched eggs and dead chicks—raising concerns that routine flea treatments could be affecting wildlife in unexpected ways.

The issue has now reached the UK Parliament. In 2026, a House of Lords committee called for tighter controls on over-the-counter topical flea treatments and urged more individualized parasite treatment based on an animal’s actual risks rather than automatically applying chemicals every month.

Some veterinarians are already moving toward other treatment strategies, including oral medications where appropriate, which can reduce pesticide residues on an animal’s fur and skin.

This does NOT mean pet owners should simply stop protecting animals from fleas and ticks. Parasites can cause serious disease. Instead, experts recommend discussing the safest and most appropriate prevention strategy with a veterinarian and taking precautions to keep recently treated pets away from natural waterways.

Source: Neill, P. (2026, August 5). “Calls to ban ‘toxic’ pet flea treatments that harm UK wildlife and environment.” The Guardian. Research findings also reported in Science of the Total Environment and evidence presented to the UK House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee.

Imagine paying six figures for a luxury BMW—then finding a Spider-Man promotion waiting on your dashboard.

BMW is facing backlash after promotional banners for Sony’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day began appearing on the infotainment screens of compatible vehicles in more than 70 markets.

The promotion reportedly reaches BMWs built after July 2020 running Operating System 7 or newer. When the car starts, drivers may see a Spider-Man banner on the Control Display. The important detail: the full 19-second animation, complete with music and synchronized ambient lighting, does not automatically play—the driver has to tap the banner to launch it. The campaign began July 27 and is scheduled to end August 10.

Still, many owners are unhappy that promotional content is appearing at all inside vehicles they already purchased. Some BMW owners online have described the move as tacky and intrusive, with one owner complaining about seeing it in a car costing more than $100,000.

BMW rejects the idea that it is turning dashboards into advertising space. The company describes the Spider-Man feature as an optional, limited-time experience connected to its broader partnership with the movie, which also features BMW vehicles. BMW says it has no plans to introduce conventional advertising into its cars.

The controversy is particularly striking because a BMW executive said in 2023 that the company did not intend to sell dashboard advertising, describing the vehicle interior as a private space. For critics, the new promotion raises a much larger question about connected cars: when manufacturers can remotely change what appears on a vehicle's screen after purchase, how much control does the owner really have?

Source: MacRumors, August 6, 2026; BMW Group, July 28, 2026.

☄️ One of 2026’s best meteor showers is about to light up the night sky — and this year, the Moon won’t spoil the show.

The annual Perseid meteor shower is approaching its peak, bringing fast, bright meteors, occasional spectacular fireballs, and glowing trails across the sky.

For 2026, NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office forecasts maximum Perseid activity on August 13, with excellent viewing expected during the night of August 12 into the pre-dawn hours of August 13. Even better, the shower coincides with a new Moon, creating unusually dark conditions for spotting fainter meteors.

For the best experience, head somewhere far from city lights, give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness, and watch from late evening through the hours before dawn. No telescope or binoculars are needed. Although the meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, they can streak across virtually any part of the sky.

Perseid meteors slam into Earth’s atmosphere at roughly 132,000 mph (59 km/s). NASA describes them as exceptionally fast and bright, frequently producing colorful, persistent wakes—and the Perseids are particularly well known for producing impressive fireballs.

These meteors are tiny fragments left behind by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Every August, Earth passes through this stream of ancient comet debris, turning tiny particles into brilliant streaks of light high above our planet.

Source: NASA Meteoroid Environment Office; NASA Science, Perseids Meteor Shower; NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, 2026.