Jenna MercerWorld News Correspondent164 articles · Science Official

Jenna Mercer covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Science Official. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

NatureWarming peatlands can turn them from carbon sinks to leaksSpaceBepiColombo begins complex Mercury arrival sequence after eight-year journeyArchaeologyResearchers Map the Lower City of the Assyrian Capital NimrudSpaceDying radio galaxies fade faster than scientists expectedTechnologyCareer advice for STEM professionals and the absurd side of AINatureBBC Earth Showcases Africa’s Wildlife in Stunning 4K FootageEcologyAustralia’s weather bureau forecasts strongest El Niño on record as research links climate change to extreme eventNatureRapid climate change brings wildfire threat to new corners of EuropeScienceAntineutrino detector measures spent nuclear fuel for first timeScienceAustralia’s New Environmental Agency Approves Coal Mine Extension to 2055ScienceClimate experts warn as prediction markets expand into weather bettingScienceNew algorithm sharpens measurement of quantum entanglement at critical pointsNatureDeadly flash flood hits remote Grand Canyon lodge with century of historyNatureDevon Wildlife Trust unveils heathland plan to protect two rare ant speciesArchaeologyGreece Builds Emergency Access Roads to Shield Ancient Sites From WildfiresNatureUK records its hottest summer ever as climate change makes such heat far more likelyScienceTheatre brings physics to new audiences, but what is the definitive science play?ArchaeologyMedieval Cemetery Unearthed During Ghent Resurfacing ProjectSpaceSix international launches scheduled as SpaceX shifts Starlink flights to CaliforniaSpaceSpaceX and NASA postpone next ISS astronaut launch after Dragon capsule leakMedicinePatient motion can degrade dose distribution in proton minibeam therapyEcologyNepal floods show climate breakdown affects all countries, not just the poorestArchaeologyAncient Egyptian princesses buried with weapons show signs of archery useMedicineObesity medicines demand a new model of care, Nature Medicine arguesMedicineScientists identify the main mechanism behind metformin's effectsMedicineInjectable gel converts brain cells into neurons, offering new Alzheimer’s treatment pathDiscoveries20-year study of 400,000 students finds lasting academic benefit from public pre-KArchaeologyArchaeologists Unearth Buried Roman Cities and Frontier BattlesScienceNeuroscientist Steve Ramirez seeks to map and manipulate the physical basis of memoryScienceEvery one of 212 plant-based meat alternatives tested in the UK contained fungal toxinsSpaceNASA’s Roman Space Telescope set to launch on August 30NatureGrizzly Bears in the Lower 48 Remain Protected Under the Endangered Species ActNatureNepal-Tibet flood shows the cost of delaying climate action, expert warnsNatureRestored Cheshire wetland becomes UK's top breeding site for rare black-necked grebeSciencePhysics-based simulations could improve earthquake-damage predictions, why aren’t they being used?SpaceJames Webb Space Telescope observes 72 stars and finds planet formation is a race against timeScienceWest Point’s only climate scientist fired after resisting order to stop teaching human causes of warmingScienceTropical Storm Dolly forms in the Atlantic as fourth named storm of 2026EcologyUK environment secretary warns climate crisis is real after summer of drought and wildfiresScienceGlacial collapse likely triggered deadly flash floods on Nepal-Tibet borderScienceResearchers Reconstruct Calls of Jurassic Insects from Fossil Wing FragmentsSpaceBlue Canyon Technologies unveils new spacecraft mission enablerNatureOrcas Show Coordinated Hunting and Social Intelligence in New Wildlife FootageEcologyIce-rock avalanche suspected in deadly Nepal-Tibet floodScienceHuman Ancestors May Have Climbed Trees with Monkey-Like FeetNatureTraffic noise cancels mood-boosting effects of birdsong, study findsMedicinePersonalized mRNA vaccine shows promise in preventing melanoma recurrenceSpaceNASA's Roman Space Telescope to Launch in 2026, Offering a New View of the UniverseNature«Bear Jam» Traffic in Grand Teton Poses Hidden Risks to Wildlife and VisitorsTechnologyPlanned UK datacentres to emit more carbon than ExxonMobil, analysis findsEcologyCommunity-Led Restoration Drives Conservation Across the Eastern HimalayasNatureEastern Himalayas face structural climate impacts, prompting systemic resilience effortsScienceUnions push for clean energy jobs despite Trump administration oppositionSpaceBad weather delays launch of China's Chang'e 7 mission to moon's south poleScienceFossil fuels may explain why intelligent aliens remain elusive, readers suggestSpaceNASA Funds 18 Futuristic Spaceflight Concepts, Including Swarm of 10,000 Tiny Satellites to SaturnMedicinePostbiotic Compound Shows Promise against Hard-to-Treat Heart FailureMedicineFur seal death marks first Australian mainland mammal fatality from H5 bird fluArchaeologyMedieval nobleman buried with horse and dog found in rare wooden tomb in RussiaSpaceSolar-System-Size 'Dot' From Early Universe May Be a New Type of Cosmic ObjectDiscoveriesDiaspora poets challenge UK nature writing canon with new eco poetry movementEcologyClimate change could triple US days above 105°F, worsening health risksMedicineCOVID-19 may reactivate dormant viruses even in healthy peopleNatureRare footage shows jaguar swimming through the AmazonScienceReform UK deputy leader dismisses climate crisis as economy debate intensifiesScienceWhy Colombia’s magnitude 7.4 earthquake remains dangerous after the main shockTechnologyWhy Virtual Reality Keeps Missing the Mass MarketEcologyWar defenses are reshaping Chornobyl’s contaminated landscapeScienceLong-term action-game training linked to attention gains and EEG reorganisationSpaceAI Becomes Operational Reality in Space MissionsSpaceSpaceX targets another Starship launch this month with booster catch and first Starlink deploymentSpaceSpaceX rocket stage to crash into moon in unintentional collisionScienceCarnivorous plant in China backs Darwin's 150-year-old hypothesisSpaceBuried Ocean on Jupiter’s Moon Europa May Hold Signs of Life, but Reaching Them Is DifficultSpaceNASA and SpaceX study ways to prevent future upper stage lunar collisionsSpaceNASA's MESSENGER spacecraft launched to Mercury in 2004SpaceJodrell Bank Observatory funding cuts draw appeal from artists, writers and scientistsSpaceAir Force adds $11.7 million to Blue Origin rocket cargo contractNatureFred Pearce Says World Is Late but Acting on the EnvironmentScienceNeuroscience suggests handwriting improves memory more than typingSpaceChina Launches Secretive TJS-27 Pair and New Tianlian Relay SatelliteSpaceNASA ended Saturn V moon rocket production on Aug. 1, 1968ScienceSETI Study Urges Search Beyond the Traditional Radio Water HoleSpacePrivate spacecraft sent to rescue NASA's Swift telescope spins out of controlTechnologyIBM scientists claim quantum advantage and challenge others to disprove itSpacePadres visit Giants as Robbie Ray expected to make final start before trade deadlineSpaceNASA Rescue Robot Becomes Uncontrollable During Critical Satellite Servicing MissionSpaceAstronomers Detect Most Distant Ultra-Fast Outflow from QuasarSpaceAsteroid (44) Nysa Revealed as Three-Lobed Object With Small MoonSpaceispace Selects H3 Rocket for 2028 Lunar Lander MissionSpaceNASA Selects Advanced Space for Lunar Rendezvous and Proximity Operations MissionScienceScientists Map Visibility of August 2026 Solar Eclipse Across ItalyArchaeologyCannibalism Evidence Found Among Ancient Human Relatives in Spanish Cave, 850,000-Year-Old Fossils ShowSpaceRocket Lab Wins $266 Million Space Force Deal for Missile Defense Launches from AlaskaSpaceX-ray spacecraft reveals supermassive black hole stirring gas in 'red potato' galaxyNatureSaber-Toothed Cat Spines Reveal Signs of Inbreeding Before ExtinctionScienceNASA Psychologist Begins Each Day at 5 a.m. to Help Astronauts Handle Extreme StressSpaceNASA Marks 50th Anniversary of First Image from Mars SurfaceDiscoveriesTottenham vs Auckland FC: How to Watch Pre-Season Friendly LiveSpaceSpaceX's Starship megarocket makes the 'softest splashdown' ever after launching next-gen Starlink satellites in Flight 13 test (video)SpaceSpaceX Falcon 9 Upper Stage to Crash Into Moon on August 5SpaceElon Musk Plans AI-Generated 'Historically Accurate' Film of Homer's 'The Odyssey'SpaceJames Webb Telescope's 'Little Red Dots' May Be Ancient Globular Cluster AncestorsMedicineCDC Cuts Leave US Less Prepared for Disease Outbreaks, Former Officials WarnScienceHouse Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan Issues Criminal Referral Against Former Special Counsel Jack SmithScienceTrump Administration Allocates $5 Billion for AI-Driven Scientific Research Across 15 AgenciesDiscoveriesSperm whales alter click patterns when boats are near, study findsSpaceExoplanets Smaller Than Mars May Be Unable to Support Alien LifeScienceZelenskyy Appoints Mykhailo Drapatyi as New Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed ForcesScienceSun Contains 55 Percent More Silver Than Previously EstimatedScienceMysterious Molecule Detected on Pluto and Saturn's Moon TitanScienceSatellite Detects Five-Meter Wildfire From Space in Bid to Speed AlertsScienceRadio Astronomer Karl-Heinz Mack Dies, Remembered for Bridging German and Italian ScienceMedicineThird Death Reported in Manhattan Legionnaires’ Disease OutbreakNaturePeppermint Oil Linked to Lower Blood Pressure in Mildly Hypertensive Adults, Study FindsSpaceJames Webb Telescope Uses Einstein Ring to Probe the Distant UniverseSpaceAstronomers Map Magnetic Field of Entire Galaxy Cluster for First TimeScienceIran War Live: US and Iran Exchange Attacks for Seventh Consecutive NightSpaceSkyroot Aerospace Launches India’s First Private Orbital Rocket, Vikram-1Space«Ulysses 31»: The 1980s Cartoon That Reimagined Homer's Odyssey in Outer SpaceMedicineExperimental mRNA Vaccine Targets Lethal Childhood Cancer NeuroblastomaScienceRobert Laidlow’s Debut Album Blends Classical Music with Scientific ConceptsDiscoveriesNew Monkey Species Discovered in Remote Democratic Republic of CongoSpaceSpaceX to Launch 21 Military Data Transport Satellites for US Space ForceSpaceNASA Ramps Up Preparations for Artemis III Astronaut Moon Landing in 2027SpaceNASA and Partners Lay Groundwork for First Human Mission to MarsSpaceSpaceX Starship Flight 13 Launch Scheduled for July 16SpaceSpaceX launches 600th flight-proven rocket, deploying Starlink satellitesSpaceFirst Diagnostic X-Rays Captured in Orbit Using Portable Device on SpaceX MissionScienceFungal networks more than 100 quadrillion kilometers long, study findsSpaceSpaceX Targets July 16 for Starship Flight 13 After Investigating Previous Launch FailureSpaceReflect Orbital Receives Approval for First Space Mirror LaunchArchaeologyGold 'tongues' found in 18 ancient Egyptian tombs on Mediterranean coastSpaceArtemis II Moon Mission Breaks NASA's Streaming Record with 149 Million ViewsArchaeologyMedieval babies and adults buried together in Sweden were not related, study findsScienceHistory warns against putting politicians in charge of scienceScienceNew robotic heart replicates common heart condition to aid researchSciencePhysicists Extract Energy from a Simulated Black Hole in the LabSpaceStartup Tests Nuclear Battery Technology in OrbitSpaceSDA TAP Lab Evolves Into BMC3I TAP Lab and Launches Multi-Phased Program With Catalyst CampusSpaceHayabusa 2 Spacecraft Completes High-Speed Flyby of Asteroid TorifuneSpaceDetermining the Optimal Crew Size for NASA's Lunar OutpostSpaceTelespazio Completes Key Milestone for Upgrading ASI’s Sardinia Deep Space AntennaSpaceNASA Funds Hardware Development for 'Skyfall' Mars Helicopter MissionTechnologyVenus Aerospace raises $91 million to scale rotating detonation rocket engineSpaceD-Orbit to Launch ArkEdge Space Satellites Under New ContractScienceNASA Adds Three European Firms to Commercial Satellite Data ProgramSpaceAstronauts on ISS Capture Fourth of July Fireworks Over Los AngelesSpaceNASA’s TESS Detects Exoplanet Using Microlensing for the First TimeSpaceCentre for Space Futures, Novaspace and SpaceTech Gulf to Build Global Space Capability DashboardSpaceNASA and SBA Partner to Boost Investment in Space Technology CompaniesScienceGene-Edited Humans: Ethical Debate Intensifies as Public Support GrowsSpaceHumanoid Robots May Lead Exploration of Saturn’s Moon Titan Before Humans ArriveSpaceAstronomers Observe Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglow in Millimeter Wavelengths Within Minutes for First TimeScience«Independence Day» at 30: How a Blockbuster Proved the Enduring Influence of «The War of the Worlds»DiscoveriesResearchers Extract Ancient Human DNA from Cave Walls for First TimeScienceSulfur oxides detected around a hot massive star for the first timeScienceMeta Deploys Autonomous Robots to Rapidly Build Solar Plant for AI Data CenterSpace«Flying Saucer» Module Delivered to NASA for Artemis 3 Moon MissionSpacePerovskite Solar Startup Verde Technologies Pivots to Space ApplicationsSpaceAtlas V Rocket Launches Final Batch of Amazon Broadband SatellitesSpaceWebb telescope reveals how Jupiter-sized exoplanet survived its star's deathNatureChina's Great Green Wall Trees Grow Faster Than Natural Forests, Study FindsScienceScientists Shrink Ultrafast Lasers to Fit on a Tiny Chip