Week of 31 Aug–5 Sep 2026 · Science

Space: Mercury arrival & Mars magma

Phys.org on a Mercury-bound craft’s tricky arrival; ScienceDaily on a vast hidden magma system under Mars; NASA APOD/Artemis notes around the same window.

• Spacecraft bound for Mercury begins 'tricky' arrival
• Deep beneath Mars, scientists find a vast hidden magma system
• APOD: Chasing the Moon’s Shadow

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Biology: fly brains & medieval sheeppox

Ars Technica: second complete fruit-fly brain map, plus sheeppox DNA recovered from medieval manuscripts.

• Second complete map of a fruit fly brain completed
• Medieval manuscripts are "biological time capsules"…

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Math & evolution (Quanta)

• ‘Stunning’ Percolation Proof…
• Genome Duplication Is a Radical Evolutionary Gamble
• Live from ICM 2026: What Is Math For in the Age of AI?

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Synthetic DNA: 8 letters

• Life uses 4 DNA letters. Scientists just made 8 work

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Climate & atmosphere

• Tree species diversity protects forests from climate extremes…
• Atmospheric CH₄ plateau… (Nature)

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Science policy

• Outrage greets NIH pact that could funnel biodefense research funds to Pentagon

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