Earth · Oct 25, 2026
Fires in New Guinea release more carbon than in all of 2015
Thick smoke from fires has covered parts of New Guinea for weeks, and Papua New Guinea's fire emissions have already passed the 2015 total.
Sunday, October 25, 2026
In this edition
- EarthFires in New Guinea release more carbon than in all of 2015
- TechnologyNASA fires an RS-25 Moon-rocket engine for a full 500 seconds
- HealthOne extra year of school linked to lower dementia risk decades later
- DiscoveryA Saharan 'antennae' tomb is dated for the first time
Every fact comes straight from primary sources, listed below.
The stories
Technology · Oct 25, 2026
NASA fires an RS-25 Moon-rocket engine for a full 500 seconds
NASA fired RS-25 engine No.
Health · Oct 25, 2026
One extra year of school linked to lower dementia risk decades later
A UK policy change raising the school leaving age led to a modest but measurable drop in dementia diagnoses, especially among those at higher genetic risk.
Discovery · Oct 25, 2026
A Saharan 'antennae' tomb is dated for the first time
A 54.5-meter stone monument in Western Sahara, with two long lines of stones like antennae, held a single burial dated to about 4,400 to 4,100 years ago.
Sources & credits for this edition
Sources
- NASA Earth Observatory Image of the Day: Fires Char New Guinea (Oct. 22, 2026)science.nasa.gov ↗ · used in Fires in New Guinea release more carbon than in all of 2015
- NASA: RS-25 Engine Tests at NASA Stennis (Oct. 23, 2026)nasa.gov ↗ · used in NASA fires an RS-25 Moon-rocket engine for a full 500 seconds
- NASA Image and Video Library: NASA Conducts RS-25 Engine Test in Support of Future Artemis Missions (SSC-20261021-s00941H, Oct. 21, 2026)images.nasa.gov ↗ · used in NASA fires an RS-25 Moon-rocket engine for a full 500 seconds
- NIH news release: An extra year of secondary school lowered dementia diagnoses later in life (Oct. 23, 2026)nih.gov ↗ · used in One extra year of school linked to lower dementia risk decades later
- Barcellos et al., Education Reduces Dementia Incidence and Mitigates Genetic Risk, PNAS (2026), DOI 10.1073/pnas.2529506123doi.org ↗ · used in One extra year of school linked to lower dementia risk decades later
- Soler et al., Chronology and Funerary Practices Associated with Antennae Tumuli in Western Sahara, African Archaeological Review (2026), DOI 10.1007/s10437-026-09666-8 (open access, CC BY 4.0)link.springer.com ↗ · used in A Saharan 'antennae' tomb is dated for the first time
Image and footage credits
- Lead image: NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison, NOAA-20 VIIRS data · Public domain (NASA Earth Observatory imagery)
- Lead image: NASA/Danny Nowlin · Public domain (NASA image; NASA media usage guidelines)
- Lead image: Illustration: NIH / National Institute on Aging · Public domain (NIH image, U.S. Government work)
- Lead image: Soler et al., African Archaeological Review (2026), CC BY 4.0 (cropped) · CC BY 4.0