A free, daily newsletter for anyone who loves science, inspiration and awe ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
September 12, 2025—The risks of intermittent fasting, a clash over geoengineering and 3D laser scanning to reconstruct crime scenes. —Robin Lloyd, Contributing Editor | | The Bullet Cluster as seen by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) consists of a larger cluster of galaxies (left) and a smaller cluster (right). The appearance of the latter provides its name. The hot gas seen by the Chandra X-ray Observatory is shown in magenta, and the mapped dark matter in blue. Note the dark matter surrounds the two clusters, whereas the hot gas lies between them. Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, CXC; Science: James Jee (Yonsei University, UC Davis), Sangjun Cha (Yonsei University), Kyle Finner (Caltech/IPAC) | | - A mesmerizing new JWST image of a swarm of galaxies called the Bullet Cluster is sharpening astronomers' view of dark matter. | 5 min read
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How 3D laser scanning can be used to reconstruct the crime scenes like the one where Charlie Kirk was fatally shot. The scans help investigators revisit angles and vantage points. | 6 min read - Scientists clash over whether or not to use geoengineering—human-made interventions to preserve polar ice, such as launching aerosols into the atmosphere to cool the planet's atmosphere. | 6 min read
- A child in Los Angeles County has died from a rare brain disorder that develops after a measles infection. Experts underscore the need for widespread vaccination to protect the most vulnerable. | 3 min read
| | Not So Fast Intermittent fasting, in which people habitually abstain from food for long stretches of the day in an attempt to lose weight and improve their health, might be ineffective and lead to losses of muscle mass as well as other health risks. In a 2021 study, people who simply consumed fewer calories daily without time restrictions ("continuous eaters") lost more abdominal fat than people who participated in intermittent fasting. Weight loss was the same across both groups. The fasting approach also can lead to higher blood-sugar levels, which "may pose a significant risk for people with type 2 diabetes," per a study of people fasting during Ramadan, reports freelance science writer Frederik Jötten. In an analysis of several intermittent fasting studies, people who participated in the approach saw either little or no insulin-resistance benefit. How it works: Many studies that purport to show the benefits of intermittent fasting fail to include an appropriate control group, says Stefan Kabisch, a physician studying endocrinology and metabolic medicine. For example, fasting subjects in some studies were compared with people who did not change their diet rather than with people who cut calories using a different method. What the experts say: "Until recently, short-term studies all showed positive effects of intermittent fasting. Now there are more and more long-term observations with initial indications that it could also have negative effects, especially on cardiovascular disease," says Stephan Herzig, a professor at the Technical University of Munich who studies metabolic dysfunction. | | Invest in Public Education Universal, standard public education is "no small part" of what made the U.S. a world leader, write the editors of Scientific American. It is a common good that should be nurtured, not attacked with funding cuts, funding diversions to private-school vouchers and curricula and book offerings shaped or censored by politics. Limits on quality public-school education affect the approximately 50 million children in the U.S. attending public school. Schooling in this country was a tuition-based privilege until the mid- to late 1800s.
Why this matters: Attacks on public education "fall heavily on science education," limiting children's opportunities to ask questions of the natural world that ultimately can yield the fruits of progress such as medicines and spacecraft, the editors write. What the experts say: Appropriate funding for public education should include the following, the editors write: "Higher teacher salaries. Better buildings, not just stadiums. More reliable transportation. More comprehensive, influence-free textbooks. Better laboratories. More subject options. Better training in trades. More preschool." | | | | |
MOST POPULAR STORIES OF THE WEEK | | -
Small, Easy Acts of Joy Mean Big Gains in Happiness. | 5 min read
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How the Math of Shuffling Cards Almost Brought Down an Online Poker Empire. | 6 min read
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What's the Smallest Particle in the Universe? | 4 min read
| | The public can submit names to travel along with four astronauts on NASA's Artemis II, set to orbit the moon next year, I read this week on our site (just the names, not the people with those names). That news brought to mind the famous Pioneer Plaque, which a space-obsessed creative director sought to replicate in 2017. Looks like his effort was a big success, which I appreciate particularly because my uncle gifted me a replica of the art on the plaques launched to space 53 years ago on the Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 probes. The art is reproduced on a white tile mounted on the cover of a lacquered wooden box. I hope you too have cool family members who help you connect with the wonders of space and visual communication. | | Have a pleasant weekend. Please send any feedback, questions, comments or thoughts on your favorite space art to: newsletters@sciam.com. —Robin Lloyd, Contributing Editor
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