Blue Marble Space Institute of Science
@bluemarblespace.bsky.social
We are an international community engaged in building a sustainable future and nurturing scientific interest among the public. Our mission is to explore life as a universal phenomenon and empower the next generation of scientists.
Mass extinctions have utterly devastated some life on our planet while opening niches and ecosystems for others, and driving evolutionary processes.
www.popsci.com/environment/...
www.popsci.com/environment/...
Mass death paved the way for the Age of Fishes
With great biological havoc comes great opportunity.
www.popsci.com
January 12, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Mass extinctions have utterly devastated some life on our planet while opening niches and ecosystems for others, and driving evolutionary processes.
www.popsci.com/environment/...
www.popsci.com/environment/...
We could be just a few years away from having clothing that changes our color just like an octopus. And that would be weird π
news.stanford.edu/stories/2026...
news.stanford.edu/stories/2026...
New material changes color and texture like an octopus
Stanford researchers have developed a flexible material with potential applications in camouflage, art, robotics, and nanoscale bioengineering.
news.stanford.edu
January 9, 2026 at 10:02 PM
We could be just a few years away from having clothing that changes our color just like an octopus. And that would be weird π
news.stanford.edu/stories/2026...
news.stanford.edu/stories/2026...
There are a lot of space mission launches set for the year ahead. Which are you most looking forward to? Are there any that you think most likely won't launch on time?
arstechnica.com/space/2026/0...
arstechnica.com/space/2026/0...
Here are the launches and landings weβre most excited about in 2026
A lot could happen in space this year, but let's get real about what actually will.
arstechnica.com
January 9, 2026 at 2:01 PM
There are a lot of space mission launches set for the year ahead. Which are you most looking forward to? Are there any that you think most likely won't launch on time?
arstechnica.com/space/2026/0...
arstechnica.com/space/2026/0...
Jellyfish sleep a third of every day despite lacking a centralized brain, and new research shows they accumulate neuronal DNA damage when sleep-deprived.
www.sciencealert.com/jellyfish-sn...
www.sciencealert.com/jellyfish-sn...
Jellyfish Snooze Like We Do, And It Could Explain The Origins of Sleep
Even a boneless, gelatinous sack lacking a dedicated anus and brain needs its beauty sleep, a new study by researchers from Bar-Ilan University in Israel finds.
www.sciencealert.com
January 8, 2026 at 10:01 PM
Jellyfish sleep a third of every day despite lacking a centralized brain, and new research shows they accumulate neuronal DNA damage when sleep-deprived.
www.sciencealert.com/jellyfish-sn...
www.sciencealert.com/jellyfish-sn...
Blue Marble Space CEO, Dr. Sanjoy Som, has shared a new year message with our newsletter community.
mailchi.mp/bmsis/may-yo...
mailchi.mp/bmsis/may-yo...
May your 2026 be purposeful
As a non-profit, we rely on the generous support of people like you! If you have the means, please consider donating or joining our Supporters Circle today.
mailchi.mp
January 8, 2026 at 6:29 PM
Blue Marble Space CEO, Dr. Sanjoy Som, has shared a new year message with our newsletter community.
mailchi.mp/bmsis/may-yo...
mailchi.mp/bmsis/may-yo...
MIT and Microsoft researchers created an AI system called CleaveNet that designs molecular sensors to detect cancer in its earliest stages through a simple at-home urine test.
news.mit.edu/2026/ai-gene...
news.mit.edu/2026/ai-gene...
AI-generated sensors open new paths for early cancer detection
A new AI model designs peptides (short proteins) that are targeted by enzymes called proteases, which are overactive in cancer cells. Nanoparticles coated with these peptides can act as sensors thatβ¦
news.mit.edu
January 8, 2026 at 2:00 PM
MIT and Microsoft researchers created an AI system called CleaveNet that designs molecular sensors to detect cancer in its earliest stages through a simple at-home urine test.
news.mit.edu/2026/ai-gene...
news.mit.edu/2026/ai-gene...
New JWST observations reveal that ancient galaxies 12.5 billion light-years away were maturing far faster than expected, producing heavy elements and developing complex structures in less than a billion years.
www.caltech.edu/about/news/y...
www.caltech.edu/about/news/y...
Young Galaxies Grow Up Fast
A new multiwavelength survey reveals remote galaxies maturing faster than previously believed.
www.caltech.edu
January 8, 2026 at 3:00 AM
New JWST observations reveal that ancient galaxies 12.5 billion light-years away were maturing far faster than expected, producing heavy elements and developing complex structures in less than a billion years.
www.caltech.edu/about/news/y...
www.caltech.edu/about/news/y...
Astronomers have found starless gas clouds before, but Cloud 9 might be the most pristine one of all, with big lessons for cosmic history.
startswithabang.substack.com/p/astronomer...
startswithabang.substack.com/p/astronomer...
Astronomers are on βCloud 9β with a new, starless gas cloud
Astronomers have found starless gas clouds before, but Cloud 9 might be the most pristine one of all, with big lessons for cosmic history.
startswithabang.substack.com
January 7, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Astronomers have found starless gas clouds before, but Cloud 9 might be the most pristine one of all, with big lessons for cosmic history.
startswithabang.substack.com/p/astronomer...
startswithabang.substack.com/p/astronomer...
BMSIS is hosting the International Astronomical Union symposium #404, titled "Advancing the Search for Technosignatures," which will take place online everywhere from 2-6 March 2026.
For more information, visit: iaus404.bmsis.org
For more information, visit: iaus404.bmsis.org
January 6, 2026 at 10:00 PM
BMSIS is hosting the International Astronomical Union symposium #404, titled "Advancing the Search for Technosignatures," which will take place online everywhere from 2-6 March 2026.
For more information, visit: iaus404.bmsis.org
For more information, visit: iaus404.bmsis.org
New research has uncovered a previously unknown ladybird spider in southern Morocco
www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/new...
www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/new...
New spider species discovered in southern Morocco. It looks like a PokΓ©mon
The male specimens of the family bear an uncanny resemblance to giant ladybugs.
www.goodgoodgood.co
January 6, 2026 at 3:00 AM
New research has uncovered a previously unknown ladybird spider in southern Morocco
www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/new...
www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/new...
A new study explores the first known cremation burial site from 9500 years ago in Africa
news.yale.edu/2026/01/01/a...
news.yale.edu/2026/01/01/a...
Ancient cremation pyre offers glimpse of tropical hunter gatherersβ mortuary practices
A new study coauthored by Yale paleoanthropologist Jessica Thompson provides evidence of the earliest intentional cremation in ancient Africa.
news.yale.edu
January 5, 2026 at 10:00 PM
A new study explores the first known cremation burial site from 9500 years ago in Africa
news.yale.edu/2026/01/01/a...
news.yale.edu/2026/01/01/a...
Happiest of Holidays and Merry Christmas from those of us at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science!
We hope all of your end-of-year celebrations are wonderful and bring you some excitement for the year ahead.
We hope all of your end-of-year celebrations are wonderful and bring you some excitement for the year ahead.
December 25, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Happiest of Holidays and Merry Christmas from those of us at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science!
We hope all of your end-of-year celebrations are wonderful and bring you some excitement for the year ahead.
We hope all of your end-of-year celebrations are wonderful and bring you some excitement for the year ahead.
Video shows a convergence of waves driving a circular sea eruption of water above a round reef in shallow water.
mossandfog.com/earths-belly...
mossandfog.com/earths-belly...
Earth's Belly Button? The Most Bizarre Wave in the Ocean | Moss and Fog
This video captures one of the strangest behaving waves on the planet.
mossandfog.com
December 25, 2025 at 3:00 AM
Video shows a convergence of waves driving a circular sea eruption of water above a round reef in shallow water.
mossandfog.com/earths-belly...
mossandfog.com/earths-belly...
Of the many exciting findings we might get from Europa Clipper when it arrives in the Jovian system in a few more years is figuring out the actual extent of the ice shell on Europa.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Surprisingly thick ice on Jupiterβs moon Europa complicates hunt for life
Revelation is blow to hopes for habitability and future space missions
www.science.org
December 24, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Of the many exciting findings we might get from Europa Clipper when it arrives in the Jovian system in a few more years is figuring out the actual extent of the ice shell on Europa.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
New research reveals how some ants build massive colonies: by trading individual armor for numbers.
entomology.umd.edu/news-events/...
entomology.umd.edu/news-events/...
Ant Societies Rose by Trading Individual Protection for Collective Power | Department of Entomology | University of Maryland
Building prolific ant legions takes tons of resourcesβbut a new study finds that certain species cut corners by
entomology.umd.edu
December 24, 2025 at 2:01 PM
New research reveals how some ants build massive colonies: by trading individual armor for numbers.
entomology.umd.edu/news-events/...
entomology.umd.edu/news-events/...
Our magnetic field may provide a pathway for little bits of our atmosphere to be delivered to the surface of the Moon!
earthsky.org/space/earths...
earthsky.org/space/earths...
Earthβs atmosphere sheds onto the moon!
A daily update by email. Science news, great photos, sky alerts.
earthsky.org
December 24, 2025 at 3:00 AM
Our magnetic field may provide a pathway for little bits of our atmosphere to be delivered to the surface of the Moon!
earthsky.org/space/earths...
earthsky.org/space/earths...
The European Astrobiology Institute (EAI) has published a video highlight from the BEACON 2025 meeting in Iceland!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI6h...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI6h...
BEACON25 After Conference Video
Relive the highlights of BEACON 2025, the 2nd Biennial European Astrobiology Conference, held in ReykjavΓk, Iceland!
Hosted by the European Astrobiology Institute (EAI), with the European Scienceβ¦
www.youtube.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:00 PM
The European Astrobiology Institute (EAI) has published a video highlight from the BEACON 2025 meeting in Iceland!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI6h...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI6h...
Apply by January 15, 2026 for the EAI/COST Action Spring School "Tracking the Evolution of Planetary Systems and Planets" at Liblice Castle, Czech Republic (April 15-22, 2026).
europeanastrobiology.eu/spring-schoo...
europeanastrobiology.eu/spring-schoo...
Spring School: Tracking the Evolution of Protoplanetary Disks: Home β European Astrobiology Institute
The spring school βTracking the evolution of planetary systems and planetsβΒ Β which is co-organised by the COST Action βThe birth of solar systemsβΒ and Β the European Astrobiology Institute (EAI)β¦
europeanastrobiology.eu
December 17, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Apply by January 15, 2026 for the EAI/COST Action Spring School "Tracking the Evolution of Planetary Systems and Planets" at Liblice Castle, Czech Republic (April 15-22, 2026).
europeanastrobiology.eu/spring-schoo...
europeanastrobiology.eu/spring-schoo...
Astrobiology Revealed #29 features Dr. Chunyu Ding discussing the discovery of Mars' first potential water-driven karstic cave system in Hebrus Valles.
www.saganet.org/articles/ast...
www.saganet.org/articles/ast...
Astrobiology Revealed #29: Chunyu Ding β SAGANet
We asked Chunyu Ding about his recent paper, βWater-driven Accessible Potential Karstic Caves in Hebrus Valles, Mars: Implications for Subsurface Habitability.β Chunyu is an Assistant Professor andβ¦
www.saganet.org
December 17, 2025 at 3:00 AM
Astrobiology Revealed #29 features Dr. Chunyu Ding discussing the discovery of Mars' first potential water-driven karstic cave system in Hebrus Valles.
www.saganet.org/articles/ast...
www.saganet.org/articles/ast...
The newest episode of Our Alien Earth, produced by Ask an Astrobiologist Director Mike Toillion, is now available on NASA+ π
Watch The Lava Tubes of Mauna Loa, Hawaii, and all three other episodes now!
plus.nasa.gov/series/our-a...
Watch The Lava Tubes of Mauna Loa, Hawaii, and all three other episodes now!
plus.nasa.gov/series/our-a...
Our Alien Earth - NASA+
A NASA Astrobiology documentary series all about scientific field expeditions throughout the world to better understand the nature of life in the Universe.
plus.nasa.gov
December 16, 2025 at 10:00 PM
The newest episode of Our Alien Earth, produced by Ask an Astrobiologist Director Mike Toillion, is now available on NASA+ π
Watch The Lava Tubes of Mauna Loa, Hawaii, and all three other episodes now!
plus.nasa.gov/series/our-a...
Watch The Lava Tubes of Mauna Loa, Hawaii, and all three other episodes now!
plus.nasa.gov/series/our-a...
The Future Leaders of Ocean Worlds (FLOW) early career group is currently accepting nominations for the 2026 FLOW Leadership Fellows.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
FLOW Fellow Application Form - 2026 Term
Future Leaders of Ocean Worlds fellows are responsible for engaging early career scientists in the NASA ocean world community. Fellows work directly with the Network of Ocean Worlds to organizeβ¦
docs.google.com
December 15, 2025 at 10:00 PM
The Future Leaders of Ocean Worlds (FLOW) early career group is currently accepting nominations for the 2026 FLOW Leadership Fellows.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Edited volume on Space Medicine from the IGI Scientific Publication under the joint editorship of Dr. Krishnendu Ghosh (University of Iowa, USA) and Dr. Devjoy Dev (NYU, USA) calling for chapters from potential contributors of the field.
December 12, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Edited volume on Space Medicine from the IGI Scientific Publication under the joint editorship of Dr. Krishnendu Ghosh (University of Iowa, USA) and Dr. Devjoy Dev (NYU, USA) calling for chapters from potential contributors of the field.
Lorena Soriano is conducting a stakeholder analysis for her Masters thesis on space sustainability. This survey will look at environmental, social, and governance items in space exploration.
π harvard.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
π harvard.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
December 12, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Lorena Soriano is conducting a stakeholder analysis for her Masters thesis on space sustainability. This survey will look at environmental, social, and governance items in space exploration.
π harvard.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
π harvard.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...