2 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Skip to main content

Science Archive

Archives for May 2024

Justine Calma
Justine Calma
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.

Thomas Ricker
Thomas Ricker
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.

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
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.

Justine Calma
Justine Calma
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.

Wes Davis
Wes Davis
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
Wes Davis
Wes Davis
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.

1/4
Wes Davis
Wes Davis
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.
Screenshot: YouTube