Lead Story
NASA's Roman Space Telescope launches today to map dark energy and hunt exoplanets
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set to lift off on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center at 7:26 a.m. EDT on August 30, 2026, after NASA and SpaceX completed their launch readiness review on August 28. Roman carries a mirror the same size as Hubble's but its 300-megapixel Wide Field Instrument captures a patch of sky about a hundred times larger in a single exposure, at similar sharpness, a view that would take Hubble a hundred separate pointings to build. The mission is designed to investigate dark energy, discover exoplanets and map billions of galaxies.
Read more →Lead Story
NASA's Roman Space Telescope launches today to map dark energy and hunt exoplanets
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set to lift off on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center at 7:26 a.m. EDT on August 30, 2026, after NASA and SpaceX completed their launch readiness review on August 28. Roman carries a mirror the same size as Hubble's but its 300-megapixel Wide Field Instrument captures a patch of sky about a hundred times larger in a single exposure, at similar sharpness, a view that would take Hubble a hundred separate pointings to build. The mission is designed to investigate dark energy, discover exoplanets and map billions of galaxies.
FDA approves first RAS-targeted pill that roughly doubles survival in metastatic pancreatic cancer
The FDA approved daraxonrasib (brand name Rasonque, from Revolution Medicines) on August 26, 2026, for adults with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma who have already received prior therapy, making it the first broad RAS-targeted medicine approved for the disease. In the pivotal RASolute 302 trial of 500 patients, those who took the daily pill lived a median of 13.2 months, roughly double the survival seen with standard chemotherapy. The drug had already received Breakthrough Therapy and Orphan Drug designations and works by blocking multiple mutated forms of the RAS protein that drive tumor growth in one of the deadliest common cancers.
Read more →FDA approves first RAS-targeted pill that roughly doubles survival in metastatic pancreatic cancer
The FDA approved daraxonrasib (brand name Rasonque, from Revolution Medicines) on August 26, 2026, for adults with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma who have already received prior therapy, making it the first broad RAS-targeted medicine approved for the disease. In the pivotal RASolute 302 trial of 500 patients, those who took the daily pill lived a median of 13.2 months, roughly double the survival seen with standard chemotherapy. The drug had already received Breakthrough Therapy and Orphan Drug designations and works by blocking multiple mutated forms of the RAS protein that drive tumor growth in one of the deadliest common cancers.
"Smart" nanoparticles light up hidden glioblastoma cells during surgery, then destroy what's left
Researchers described nanoparticles that both illuminate residual glioblastoma cells for surgeons during brain tumor removal and, activated afterward, generate oxygen from tumor hydrogen peroxide to destroy microscopic cancer left behind, in a study covered August 26, 2026 and published in Science Translational Medicine. In mice, the treatment prevented tumor recurrence and produced 100% survival at 60 days, compared with a median survival of just 42 days for mice that received surgery alone, with no detectable neurological or motor side effects. The approach has not yet been tested in humans, but offers a potential way to catch the microscopic cancer cells that make glioblastoma so likely to recur after surgery.
Read more →"Smart" nanoparticles light up hidden glioblastoma cells during surgery, then destroy what's left
Researchers described nanoparticles that both illuminate residual glioblastoma cells for surgeons during brain tumor removal and, activated afterward, generate oxygen from tumor hydrogen peroxide to destroy microscopic cancer left behind, in a study covered August 26, 2026 and published in Science Translational Medicine. In mice, the treatment prevented tumor recurrence and produced 100% survival at 60 days, compared with a median survival of just 42 days for mice that received surgery alone, with no detectable neurological or motor side effects. The approach has not yet been tested in humans, but offers a potential way to catch the microscopic cancer cells that make glioblastoma so likely to recur after surgery.
Germany hits its 2026 solar target six months early, topping 128 gigawatts
Germany's nationwide installed solar photovoltaic capacity surpassed 128 gigawatts-peak in August 2026, the German Solar Association (BSW Solar) announced, meaning the country hit its statutory 2026 expansion target roughly six months ahead of schedule. More than 6 million solar systems are now installed across the country, with solar supplying around a fifth of Germany's net electricity generation in 2025. Reaching the government's 2030 goal of 215 gigawatts-peak will require sustaining annual additions of about 20 gigawatts, close to the pace of the last two years.
Read more →Germany hits its 2026 solar target six months early, topping 128 gigawatts
Germany's nationwide installed solar photovoltaic capacity surpassed 128 gigawatts-peak in August 2026, the German Solar Association (BSW Solar) announced, meaning the country hit its statutory 2026 expansion target roughly six months ahead of schedule. More than 6 million solar systems are now installed across the country, with solar supplying around a fifth of Germany's net electricity generation in 2025. Reaching the government's 2030 goal of 215 gigawatts-peak will require sustaining annual additions of about 20 gigawatts, close to the pace of the last two years.
New two-drug combination shows promise against treatment-resistant prostate cancer
University of Michigan researchers found that combining BET bromodomain and DNMT inhibitors suppressed the growth of "transdifferentiated" prostate cancer cells more effectively than either drug alone, both in cell lines and in mouse tumors, according to a study published in JCI Insight and covered August 21, 2026. The findings target a major clinical problem: androgen receptor inhibitors often work initially against metastatic prostate cancer, but nearly all patients eventually develop resistance as tumors reprogram themselves into more aggressive, less treatable forms through a process called transdifferentiation. The researchers say the same combined-inhibition strategy could potentially extend to other transdifferentiated cancers, including in the lungs and pancreas.
Read more →New two-drug combination shows promise against treatment-resistant prostate cancer
University of Michigan researchers found that combining BET bromodomain and DNMT inhibitors suppressed the growth of "transdifferentiated" prostate cancer cells more effectively than either drug alone, both in cell lines and in mouse tumors, according to a study published in JCI Insight and covered August 21, 2026. The findings target a major clinical problem: androgen receptor inhibitors often work initially against metastatic prostate cancer, but nearly all patients eventually develop resistance as tumors reprogram themselves into more aggressive, less treatable forms through a process called transdifferentiation. The researchers say the same combined-inhibition strategy could potentially extend to other transdifferentiated cancers, including in the lungs and pancreas.