Moon Mission Milestone, Autism Risk Shock & Europe’s Climate Alarm

Artemis Moonshot Nears Liftoff: NASA announced its Artemis 2 crewed lunar mission is on track for early 2026 and could launch as soon as Feb. 5, 2026 ^[1]. “We together have a front-row seat to history: we’re returning to the moon after over 50 years,” one NASA official said ^[2], as final preparations ramp up.
“Noah’s Ark” Returns to Earth: A Russian biosatellite nicknamed “Noah’s Ark” safely landed after a month in orbit, carrying 75 mice, 1,500 fruit flies and other organisms back from space ^[3]. The mission exposed this mini-menagerie to cosmic radiation to study spaceflight’s biological effects.
Laser Link to a Distant Probe: NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission pulled off a record-breaking laser communication test across 218 million miles ^[4]. The high-speed laser link far outperformed expectations, and NASA’s acting administrator hailed it as a step toward streaming HD video from Mars: “Technology unlocks discovery…[enabling] the Golden Age of exploration” ^[5].
Painkiller Warning for Moms-to-Be: A sweeping Harvard-led review of 46 studies linked prolonged acetaminophen (Tylenol) use in pregnancy to higher rates of autism and ADHD in children ^[6]. U.S. health officials responded by urging cautious, sparing use of the common painkiller. “Further research is needed… but I believe that caution about acetaminophen use during pregnancy… is warranted,” the senior author said ^[7].
AI Predicts Recovery from Blood Tests: An AI breakthrough is turning routine hospital bloodwork into a life-saving crystal ball ^[8]. Researchers showed that machine-learning models can analyze standard blood test results from spinal cord injury patients to predict injury severity and survival within days of trauma. “Routine blood tests could offer doctors important and affordable information to help predict risk of death [and] how severe an injury might be,” said the study lead ^[9].
Deadly Summer Blamed on Climate Change: A new analysis of Europe’s brutal summer of 2025 concluded that climate change drove 16,500 extra heat-related deaths across 854 cities ^[10]. Scientists found that about 68% of all summer heat deaths could be attributed to warming fueled by greenhouse gases. One researcher warned that without urgent emissions cuts, adaptation measures will have “limited” effect against “human-induced global warming” ^[11].
Cosmic Magnetism Mystery: Using 250,000 simulations, cosmologists determined that the universe’s first magnetic fields were astonishingly weak – billions of times fainter than a fridge magnet – yet they left lasting imprints on the cosmic web ^[12]. The study set a new upper limit (~0.2 nanogauss) on primordial magnetism’s strength, suggesting even slight early fields may have helped shape the first stars and galaxies.
Ice Age Hybrid Behemoths: Fossil DNA revealed that North America’s woolly and Columbian mammoths interbred frequently during the last Ice Age ^[13]. Teeth found in Canada came from hybrid mammoth calves, indicating these species weren’t as isolated as once thought. “Traditionally, we’re taught that different species can’t breed together… [but] this has actually happened many times,” said Prof. Adrian Lister ^[14] – highlighting how common hybridization can drive evolution.

Space & Astronomy

Artemis II Moon Mission – Countdown to History: In a major update from NASA’s Johnson Space Center on Sept 23, officials confirmed that Artemis 2 – the first crewed mission in NASA’s lunar return program – remains on schedule for no later than April 2026, with an earliest launch target of Feb 5, 2026 ^[15]. The 10-day mission will send four astronauts around the Moon, the first humans to venture beyond low-Earth orbit in over half a century. “We together have a front-row seat to history: we’re returning to the Moon after over 50 years,” exclaimed Lakiesha Hawkins, a senior NASA exploration manager ^[16]. The Artemis team emphasized that crew safety comes first, but if all goes smoothly with final testing and rocket stacking, Artemis 2 could lift off under the winter night sky to pave the way for a lunar landing on Artemis 3. The mission’s Orion spacecraft and SLS megarocket are nearly fully assembled, and excitement is building as NASA prepares to show off the completed vehicle this fall ^[17].

Cosmic “Noah’s Ark” Completes Its Voyage: A rather unusual spacecraft returned to Earth in mid-September carrying some very special passengers. On Sept 19, Russia’s Bion-M No. 2 research satellite – dubbed “Noah’s Ark” for the diverse cargo of organisms it carried – parachuted to a landing on the steppes of Orenburg after 30 days in orbit ^[18]. Inside its spherical reentry capsule were 75 mice, over 1,500 fruit flies, along with colonies of microorganisms, plant seeds, and other specimens ^[19]. The mission’s goal: to investigate how extended exposure to microgravity and cosmic radiation affect biology. Recovery teams quickly retrieved the capsule (which singed some grass on landing) and whisked the tiny voyagers to labs for study ^[20]. Early checks showed the mice and insects survived the journey. Scientists will now examine the critters for any space-induced changes – insights that could inform human spaceflight health measures and even the theory of panspermia (one experiment tested if life could hitchhike on meteorites during reentry) ^[21]. This “mini-menagerie” mission, a successor to a similar 2013 biosatellite, underscores growing global interest in space biology as humans prepare for longer missions beyond Earth.

Hubble Sees a Star’s Grisly Meal: Meanwhile, in deep space news, astronomers turned the venerable Hubble Space Telescope toward a star in its death throes – and caught it devouring a planetary body. The distant red giant (a dying star swollen in size) was observed gobbling up what appears to be a frozen, Pluto-sized world, ripping the icy planetesimal apart ^[22]. The dramatic event offers a chilling preview of our own Sun’s fate: in about 5 billion years, the Sun will expand into a red giant that could engulf Mercury, Venus, and perhaps Earth. The Hubble findings, published in Monthly Notices of the RAS, give a rare empirical look at stellar end-of-life processes. By analyzing the star’s light, researchers detected chemical signatures (like a sudden influx of carbon and oxygen) consistent with an icy planetary object being vaporized ^[23]. This cosmic cannibalism showcases the violent finales of planetary systems – and serves as a stark reminder that even planets meet their end as stars evolve.

Laser Beams Across the Void: NASA notched a quiet but significant technological victory with its Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment aboard the Psyche probe. On Sept 23, mission officials revealed that the laser communications demo exceeded all targets, successfully exchanging data via laser across 218 million miles (351 million km) between the spacecraft and Earth ^[24]. Over two years of tests – amounting to 65 contact sessions – the system encoded digital data into pulses of laser light and beamed them across interplanetary distances. The result: an unprecedented 13.6 terabits of data downlinked, far more than traditional radio would deliver in the same time ^[25]. “NASA is setting America on the path to Mars,” remarked acting Administrator Sean Duffy, “and advancing laser communications brings us one step closer to streaming high-definition video and delivering valuable data from the Martian surface faster than ever before… Technology unlocks discovery, and we are committed to… the capabilities needed to enable the Golden Age of exploration” ^[26]. Indeed, laser links could revolutionize space communication – imagine future astronauts on Mars video-calling Earth in HD. Psyche’s success also tested new hybrid radio-optical receivers to overcome challenges like atmospheric interference and precision pointing ^[27]. As space missions venture farther out, such cutting-edge tech will be key to staying connected across the vastness of space.

Medicine & Health

Tylenol Use in Pregnancy Under Scrutiny: A headline-grabbing health study is prompting pregnant women to think twice before reaching for Tylenol. Researchers from Harvard and Mount Sinai delivered a jolt on Sept 24 with a comprehensive review linking prenatal acetaminophen exposure to elevated autism and ADHD risk in children ^[28]. The team applied rigorous “study of studies” methods to 46 prior research papers worldwide and concluded there is “consistent evidence of an association” between prolonged acetaminophen use during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring ^[29]. In other words, expecting mothers who frequently used Tylenol (especially for a month or longer) had higher odds of kids later being diagnosed with conditions like autism spectrum disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. These findings, published in BMC Environmental Health, don’t prove causation but were strong enough to spur action: in late September, the U.S. FDA announced plans to alert clinicians to be cautious about recommending acetaminophen to pregnant patients ^[30]. “Further research is needed to confirm the association and determine causality, but based on existing evidence, I believe that caution … is warranted,” said Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, Harvard Chan School dean and senior author ^[31]. He emphasized that acetaminophen remains an important option for fever and pain during pregnancy – high fevers themselves can harm fetuses – but it should be used “at the lowest effective dose, for the shortest duration” ^[32] under medical guidance. Health experts stress this isn’t cause for panic, but it does highlight the need for pregnant individuals to consult their doctors before prolonged use of any medication, even familiar over-the-counter drugs. The study adds to a growing debate over acetaminophen’s safety in pregnancy, as lawsuits and scientific scrutiny mount, and underscores how even ubiquitous medicines can have unintended impacts on developing brains.

AI Transforms a Common Test into a Lifesaver: In uplifting medical news, a Canadian-led team announced a breakthrough that blends artificial intelligence with everyday blood tests to improve trauma care. The study, out Sept 23 from the University of Waterloo, showed that machine learning algorithms can find hidden patterns in routine bloodwork that predict how spinal cord injury patients will recover ^[33]. When someone suffers a traumatic spinal injury, it’s notoriously hard for doctors to determine early on how severe it is and what the prognosis might be – current neurological exams often fall short, especially if patients are unconscious or heavily medicated. The researchers tapped into a dataset of over 2,600 spinal injury cases and fed millions of lab results (basic blood cell counts, electrolyte levels, etc.) into an AI model ^[34]. Remarkably, the algorithm learned to correlate certain biomarker trends with the likelihood of paralysis or even survival. In fact, the AI could predict, within 1–3 days of hospital admission, which patients would have more severe injuries or poor outcomes, outperforming some standard clinical assessments ^[35]. “Routine blood tests could offer doctors important and affordable information to help predict risk of death [and injury severity],” explained Dr. Abel Torres Espín, the senior author ^[36]. The key wasn’t any single “magic” biomarker but the subtle combination of many blood parameters over time – an ideal job for AI pattern-finding. This approach could be a game-changer in emergency and critical care: since virtually every hospital in the world already does these cheap blood tests, implementing the AI tool could quickly flag high-risk patients for early intervention or tailor rehab plans to those likely to regain function ^[37] ^[38]. The work, published in NPJ Digital Medicine, is part of a broader trend of applying AI in healthcare to tease out prognostic signals from big data. Experts not involved in the study called it a prime example of “digital triage” that could extend to other injuries or diseases. While clinical adoption will require further validation, this proof-of-concept shows that even mundane bloodwork can yield life-saving insight when supercharged with artificial intelligence.

Technology & Innovation

(See AI breakthrough in blood tests in the Medicine section above for how technology is revolutionizing healthcare.) Beyond medicine, the past days saw notable strides in other areas of science and tech:

Quantum Leap Year Approaches: With 2025 declared the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, researchers and industry leaders are buzzing about advances in quantum computing. In late September, a flurry of reports and op-eds highlighted both progress and challenges as we stand “on the cusp of a quantum revolution.” From breakthroughs in error correction to debates over when quantum computers will meaningfully outperform classical ones, the consensus is that quantum tech is moving from theory to applied research. Governments worldwide – and tech giants like IBM, Google, and startups – are pouring investment into this field. For instance, Australia’s chief scientist Cathy Foley noted that aligning global standards and a skilled workforce will be key to fully realizing quantum’s potential ^[39]【0†L30-L33 (the UN even scheduled high-level discussions to coordinate quantum initiatives). While not tied to a single new finding on Sept 23–24, the overall momentum in quantum science was underscored by media coverage reminding us that 2025 is poised to be a milestone year for the technology that could transform computing, cryptography, and materials science in the decades ahead.

Space Tech – See Above: (The Psyche laser communication demo described in the Space section is a prime example of technological innovation, achieving record-setting data rates via laser ^[40]. Such dual-use developments straddle the line between pure science and cutting-edge tech.)

In summary, from AI in hospitals to quantum computing and spacecraft lasers, technology stories this week showcased how innovation is accelerating across domains. Each breakthrough brings us a step closer to solutions – and challenges – once confined to science fiction.

Climate & Environment

Climate Change’s Deadly Fingerprints on Summer 2025: Stark new evidence arrived underscoring the real-world toll of climate change. A rapid analysis released by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine on Sept 18 (and discussed widely through Sept 23–24) found that Europe’s summer heatwaves in 2025 would have been far less lethal without human-induced warming ^[41]. The study focused on 854 European cities and estimated that an additional 16,500 people died due to climate change-driven heat during the June–August period ^[42]. Overall, about 24,400 heat-related deaths occurred in those cities, meaning roughly 68% were attributable to the higher baseline temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions ^[43]. On average, climate change added 2.2 °C to summer daily highs across Europe, turning what would have been merely hot days into deadly scorchers ^[44]. Older adults suffered the worst: 85% of the victims were over 65. Southern cities like Rome, Athens and Paris were hit especially hard, each seeing hundreds of excess deaths ^[45]. Perhaps most alarming, the researchers noted this sample covers only a third of Europe’s population – the true continental toll is likely much higher. “The harsh reality is that unless we urgently reduce greenhouse gas emissions, [current] interventions are going to have a limited role in mitigating the risks of human-induced global warming,” warned Dr. Malcolm Mistry, a co-author, pointing out that even robust heat-action plans have not prevented a steady rise in summer mortality ^[46]. The findings put added pressure on policymakers as the world heads into pivotal climate talks. They also reinforce calls for expanding urban green spaces and heat preparedness, since Europe’s population is aging (and thereby increasingly vulnerable to heat) ^[47]. In sum, this report turned up the volume on the climate alarm: global warming is not a future abstraction – it’s killing thousands now.

Climate Showdown at the UN: The climate crisis took center stage at the United Nations in New York, where world leaders convened for the General Assembly. On Sept 23, UN Secretary-General António Guterres hosted a special Climate Ambition Summit (barring laggard countries from speaking) to demand stronger action on emissions. The meeting amplified a clear message from scientists: the window to meet the Paris Agreement goals is closing fast. Tensions ran high as some leaders – notably U.S. President Donald Trump – used the UN podium to downplay renewable energy and question climate science. Trump asserted that solar and wind power “don’t work” and called climate concerns “the greatest con job”, prompting swift fact-checks from experts ^[48] ^[49]. Climate scientists pushed back forcefully: there is “overwhelming scientific evidence and consensus” that climate change is real, human-caused, and a serious threat to global well-being ^[50]. Indeed, the U.S. National Climate Assessment and IPCC reports – representing thousands of scientists – couldn’t be clearer that burning fossil fuels is driving unprecedented warming ^[51]. By week’s end, the contrast was stark: youth activists flooded the streets demanding an end to the fossil fuel era, while inside the UN, diplomats sparred over timelines and pledges. Yet even amid political rifts, one encouraging sign emerged: dozens of countries, cities, and businesses announced new climate initiatives during Climate Week NYC, from beefed-up renewable targets to climate finance for developing nations. The takeaway: the climate fight is at a crossroads, with scientific urgency bumping up against political inertia. The events of Sept 23–24 showed both the daunting challenges ahead and the growing global determination – outside and inside the halls of power – to confront the climate emergency before it’s too late.

Physics & Space Science

Mapping the Universe’s Weakest Force Fields: A team of international cosmologists has shed light on one of the universe’s oldest mysteries – the origin of primordial magnetic fields. These are the extremely faint magnetism threads believed to have arisen in the newborn universe, eons before stars and galaxies. On Sept 23, researchers from Italy’s SISSA and collaborators reported that they ran over 250,000 high-powered simulations to test how tiny initial magnetic fields could influence cosmic structure ^[52] ^[53]. Their conclusion: the universe’s first magnetism may have been shockingly weak – on the order of 0.2 nanogauss or less, billions of times smaller than a refrigerator magnet’s field ^[54]. Yet even at this ghostly strength, these seed fields likely mattered for cosmic evolution. The simulations showed that threading magnetism through primordial plasma helped the cosmic web (the vast filamentary network of galaxies and gas) better match what we observe today ^[55]. In essence, even a whisper of magnetism in the early universe could subtly tug on matter, accelerating the clumping that formed the first stars and galaxies ^[56]. This work, published in Physical Review Letters, dramatically tightens the upper limit on primordial field strength – several times lower than previous estimates ^[57]. It also aligns with recent cosmological data (like measurements of the cosmic microwave background). The lead scientists, Mak Pavičević and Matteo Viel, hypothesize that these magnetic seeds might have originated during cosmic inflation or phase transitions soon after the Big Bang ^[58]. If so, magnetism is an intrinsic part of the universe’s birth story, not just a byproduct of later stars. Future observations, perhaps with the James Webb Space Telescope, could further test these ideas by searching for subtle signs of magnetized intergalactic gas ^[59]. The mystery isn’t fully solved, but the combination of massive simulations and real data is giving physicists an unprecedented peek at how the invisible, all-pervasive cosmic magnetic web came to be.

Particle Collider Know-How: In related news, science communicators took the opportunity this week to demystify the giant machines that power modern physics. A popular explainer making the rounds on Sept 23 asked: “How do particle colliders work?” – timely given the ongoing upgrades at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider and planning for next-generation colliders. The piece broke down how physicists accelerate subatomic particles to near light-speed and smash them together to probe fundamental forces ^[60]. It likened the process to turning energy into new matter (E=mc² in action) and described detectors as high-speed cameras catching the ephemeral particles that wink into existence. With recent hints of anomalies in muon and neutrino experiments tantalizing scientists, understanding collider basics helps the public appreciate why billion-dollar atom smashers remain essential tools. As one physicist quipped, colliders are humanity’s “ultimate microscopes,” revealing nature’s tiniest building blocks – and sometimes big surprises, like the Higgs boson. While no one discovery dominated physics headlines on Sept 23–24, outreach efforts like this reflect the field’s push to engage people in the awe and relevance of cutting-edge physics research.

Biology & Evolution

Mammoth Hybrids Rewrite Ice Age History: Think species don’t mix? Ice Age mammoths would like a word. On Sept 24, a new paleogenomics study revealed that the two distinct mammoth species that once roamed North America – the cold-adapted woolly mammoth in the north and the larger Columbian mammoth in the south – weren’t so separate after all. They interbred frequently, producing hybrid mammoths that carried DNA from both lineages ^[61]. Scientists from the Natural History Museum (London) and McMaster University analyzed ancient DNA from two mammoth tooth fossils found in Canada’s Yukon. One tooth (~36,000 years old) belonged to an animal that had about 21% Columbian mammoth genes, while the second (~25,000 years old) had nearly 35% Columbian ancestry – clear evidence that woolly and Columbian mammoths had mated multiple times over thousands of years ^[62]. This was a surprise, since these species differ in size and habitat (woollies were shaggy tundra grazers, Columbians were less hairy and preferred warmer climes). “Traditionally, we’re taught that different species can’t breed together,” said Professor Adrian Lister, co-author on the study, “however, we’re finding that this has actually happened many times” ^[63]. In fact, previous research showed Columbian mammoths themselves arose from an ancient hybridization between woolly mammoths and an even earlier lineage ^[64]. The new Yukon DNA indicates gene flow went both ways – Columbian males and woolly females apparently paired up often enough that northern woolly mammoths became more genetically diverse by absorbing Columbian genes ^[65]. Greater genetic diversity may have boosted their adaptability (an ironic twist, given mammoths ultimately went extinct ~10,000 years ago, likely from climate warming and human hunting). Beyond rewriting mammoth family trees, the study – published in Biology Letters – underscores that hybridization is a common and important force in evolution, even among megafauna. As one researcher noted, reconstructing these Ice Age love connections helps scientists understand how past animals coped with changing environments, which can inform conservation of species today that hybridize (like polar and grizzly bears). It seems the Pleistocene had its share of unlikely encounters, and the iconic mammoth might owe its success, in part, to a blending of bloodlines.

A New Moth Hides in Plain Sight: In another tale of hidden biodiversity, entomologists announced that a vibrantly colored moth from the Mediterranean region has been unmasked as an entirely new species – after masquerading for over a century as something it’s not. The moth, sporting pink-and-yellow patchwork wings, was long thought to be just a form of the common Rosy Marsh Moth. But on Sept 23, scientists reported that DNA analysis revealed its true distinct identity, now named Carcina ingridmariae. “For more than a century, [this] dazzling pink-and-yellow moth was mistaken for a common European species, but DNA analysis revealed it as entirely new,” ScienceDaily noted, with the species found across the eastern Mediterranean ^[66]. The discovery highlights how modern genetic tools can illuminate cryptic species hiding in plain sight. Researchers are revisiting museum collections and wild populations, and finding that what was once lumped together can contain multiple unique lineages. In this case, what was assumed to be just a color variation turned out to be a distinct evolutionary lineage of moth – underscoring that even well-studied regions like Europe can yield surprises. The newly described C. ingridmariae joins the ranks of Earth’s officially recognized biodiversity, reminding us how much we still have to learn about the living world. For insect enthusiasts (and anyone who’s spent a summer evening watching moths flutter by), it’s a call to appreciate the “little” species – sometimes, they’ve been there all along, keeping their secrets until science shines a light.

Other Notable Developments: Paleontologists in Montana introduced the world to “Elton”, a diminutive 95-million-year-old crocodile relative discovered by a student – a find that led to identification of a new species of land-dwelling crocodyliform. Evolutionary biologists also reported on dogs’ surprising cognitive skills: in a fun at-home study, several “gifted” family dogs showed they can categorize toys by function (like fetch vs. pull toys) without training ^[67], hinting that dogs form abstract concepts (a ability once thought uniquely human). And in conservation science, researchers studying Australia’s koalas confirmed a dire link between stress, retrovirus infection, and disease in the marsupials ^[68] ^[69] – basically, habitat loss raises koala stress hormones, which boosts a leukemia-like virus, which in turn makes them more vulnerable to deadly chlamydia infections. This finding is spurring holistic efforts to breed virus-resistant koalas and protect their forests ^[70] ^[71]. Each of these diverse stories – from ancient fossils to pet behavior to wildlife disease – expands our understanding of life on Earth, past and present.

In conclusion, the scientific news from September 23–24, 2025, showcased the vibrancy of discovery across domains. We saw space agencies pushing new frontiers – preparing humans to circle the Moon again and proving lasers can beam data across the solar system. We confronted urgent health and climate challenges: questioning a common drug’s safety for the sake of future children, and tallying the human cost of an overheated planet. And we marveled at nature’s surprises, from mammoth hybrids that defied textbook rules to modern technology revealing new species and biomedical insights. It’s a testament to science’s dual role: relentlessly investigating the unknown while also holding up a mirror to society’s choices (be it our medical habits or fossil fuel use). As experts often say, “Science never sleeps.” In just 48 hours, the world gained new knowledge that could inspire wonder, inform policy, and maybe even save lives. Stay tuned – who knows what the next days will bring!

Sources:

Space.com – Tariq Malik, “NASA’s Artemis 2 moonshot could launch as early as Feb. 5,” 23 Sept 2025 ^[72] ^[73]
Space.com – Leonard David, “Russian ‘Noah’s Ark’ probe carrying 75 mice and 1,500 flies lands back on Earth,” 23 Sept 2025 ^[74]
Space.com – Samantha Mathewson, “Psyche asteroid probe uses lasers to phone home from 218 million miles away,” 23 Sept 2025 ^[75] ^[76]
ScienceDaily – Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, “Tylenol in pregnancy linked to higher autism risk, Harvard scientists report,” 24 Sept 2025 ^[77] ^[78]
ScienceDaily – University of Waterloo, “AI breakthrough finds life-saving insights in everyday bloodwork,” 23 Sept 2025 ^[79] ^[80]
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, “Climate change-driven summer heat caused 16,500 additional deaths across Europe, study estimates,” press release, 18 Sept 2025 ^[81] ^[82]
ABC News (Glasser et al.), “Fact-checking what Trump said about climate change during the UN General Assembly,” 23 Sept 2025 ^[83]
ScienceDaily – SISSA, “The Universe’s first magnetic fields were shockingly weak, but changed everything,” 23 Sept 2025 ^[84]
Natural History Museum (UK) – James Ashworth, “Hybrid mammoths roamed North America following interspecies breeding,” 24 Sept 2025 ^[85] ^[86]
ScienceDaily – University of Copenhagen, “This vibrant moth fooled scientists for generations,” 23 Sept 2025 ^[87]