Computer Science News -- ScienceDaily

• The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced over $1.5 billion in funding for foundational research to bolster American technological leadership. • The investment is being distributed through 12 new notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs) targeting both basic and use-inspired scientific inquiry.

• The Facility for Outreach and Community Engagement (FORCE) hosted events to train the next generation of planetary scientists in public engagement skills. • Visitors toured the facility, met the research team, and explored equipment used to simulate planetary interiors, while interns presented their research at a poster session.

• NASA announced on August 14 that it will host a two-day aerospace expo titled "Max Power" this November. • The event will take place at the Kennedy Space Center, featuring an experience designed to let attendees "feel the Gs."

• AI is being utilized by scientists to develop next-generation batteries designed to replace current lithium-ion technology. • Researchers are using AI to discover novel porous materials, which could lead to the creation of more powerful and efficient energy storage.

• SpaceX set a new spaceflight record on Saturday, August 15, by launching two Falcon 9 rockets just 38 minutes apart. • The missions were executed simultaneously from opposite coasts of the United States to achieve the rapid turnaround.

• A lifecycle emissions analysis reveals that replacing a functional fossil-fuel vehicle with an electric vehicle (EV) is almost always beneficial for the climate, even if the existing car is new. • Although manufacturing a new EV generates an initial "carbon debt," the study finds that this is typically offset by lower driving emissions within three years.

• The International Space Station (ISS) appeared as a silhouette across the face of the sun during a recent total solar eclipse. • This rare visual event occurred as the orbiting laboratory passed directly between the sun and observers on Earth.

• NASA is deploying modified ER-2 jets, based on Cold War-era U-2 spy planes, to investigate wildfire-generated storms. • The agency is utilizing these specific aircraft because their high-altitude flying capabilities allow for the study of weather phenomena that are otherwise difficult to observe.

• The Perseid meteor shower reached its peak overnight on August 12-13, 2026, producing a spectacular celestial display. • The event occurred shortly after a total solar eclipse triggered by the August new moon, creating a rare combination of astronomical phenomena.

• Scientists exploring deep underwater canyons off the coast of Western Australia discovered a diverse ecosystem of elusive marine life, including evidence of the legendary giant squid. • In a separate study published May 14, 2026, researchers identified the mechanism behind a climate change paradox where the upper atmosphere cools while the Earth's surface warms.

• Physicists are investigating a theoretical phenomenon where a single clock exists in a quantum superposition, ticking at two different speeds simultaneously. • This research challenges traditional understandings of time and gravity, suggesting that time may behave more strangely than Albert Einstein's theories originally predicted.