Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
Proba-3: we did it! 🛰️🛰️☀️
— ESA Technology (@ESA_Tech) June 16, 2025
Stay tuned for the first images of the mission’s artificial solar eclipse, coming later today!@RedwireSpace @infoGMV @esaoperations @esascience pic.twitter.com/wLNaWXeAma
(Credit: X/@ESA_Tech)
European Space Agency's Proba-3 spacecraft, which was launched from India's Sriharikota, has created the first artificial solar eclipse in space. The Proba-3 satellites flew in perfect formation, blocking the Sun’s bright disc to reveal its fiery corona. This enigmatic outer layer burns millions of degrees hotter than the Sun’s surface and drives the solar storms that can disrupt life on Earth. Since a total solar eclipse is not a regular phenomenon, scientists wanted to study the corona at a regular interval. That's why they conceptualised the Proba-3 mission, which consisted of two spacecraft that fly in formation, simulating the total solar eclipse. Observing the corona is crucial for revealing solar wind, the continuous flow of matter from the Sun into outer space.
A team of international researchers are developing an artificial intelligence (AI) system that decodes brainwaves into text, or simply put, thoughts from brainwaves. While doctors use electroencephalogram (EEG) to diagnose brain conditions, researchers at Sydney's University of Technology (UTS) are using it to read thoughts. The AI Model uses deep learning to translate the brain signals from EEG into specific words. Currently, the AI model has been trained on a small set of words and sentences to simplify the process of recognising each word. The technology has immense implications for stroke rehabilitation, speech therapy in autism, and restoring communication for paralysis patients.
In the dense layers of ancient coal beds in northeast India, scientists have unearthed a leafy secret. The research was sparked by the discovery of fossil leaves that some scientists found to be familiar in the Makum Coalfield of Assam — a region long known for its fossil wealth. After rigorous analysis, the researchers found that fossil leaves resemble modern plant species of Nothopegia genus, which grows thousands of kilometers away, deep in the rain-drenched forests of the Western Ghats. The ancient environment of northeast India once provided a perfect home for Nothopegia. But over millions of years, monumental forces reshaped the landscape. The Himalayas began their dramatic rise due to tectonic movements, bringing with them sweeping changes in temperature, rainfall, and wind patterns. These geological convulsions cooled the northeast, rendering it inhospitable for many tropical plant species, including Nothopegia, which vanished from the region. Yet, the species survived in the climatically stable Western Ghats, making it a living relic of an ancient ecological past.
Do you drink black coffeein the morning? If yes, you should read this with a big smile. Science just confirmed it could be quietly adding years to your life. The research team found that consumption of 1-2 cups of caffeinated coffee per day was linked to a lower risk of death from all causes and death from cardiovascular disease. There was a 14% lower risk of all-cause mortality in the case of coffee with low levels of added sugar and saturated fat, as compared to no coffee consumption. However, the same link was not observed for coffee with high amounts of added sugar and saturated fat. However, drinking more than three cups didn’t offer extra protection, in fact, the connection between coffee and reduced risk of heart-related deaths weakened at higher amounts.
