Science and Environment Roundup: Earthquakes, Exoplanets, Fungal Networks, and More

Space Lasers Show How Venezuela’s Earthquakes Reshaped the Earth’s Crust New satellite imagery reveals how much terrain has shifted in the wake of the twin quakes. The Search for Another Earth-Like Planet Just Took a Big Step Forward Astronomers have discovered a rocky exoplanet that has an atmosphere and sits within the habitable zone of a solar system. There’s a Global Network of Fungi Under Your Feet. This Is the First Complete Map A new study has succeeded in mapping, on a global scale, the fungal network that supports plant life and helps regulate our planet’s climate. New Firefighting Technologies Could Help Battle Blazes Like Those in France and Spain Climate change is upping the odds of major wildfires, creating a need for new tools to combat them. Mysterious Compound Detected on Pluto and Titan Something on Pluto and one of Saturn’s moons, Titan, absorbs light in a way unexplained by anything in spectroscopic databases. It’s Becoming Clear Why Black Holes Never Run Out of Fuel Black holes eject powerful energy jets that blow away the surrounding gas to great distances. So how can they continue to grow? Good News! Turns Out the Earth Will Never Be Swallowed by the Sun A new study suggests that when our star becomes unstable in 5 billion years or so, Earth may avoid being engulfed by its fiery demise. Fans Flocked to World Cup Host Cities—Causing 80 Percent of the Tournament’s Emissions The latest estimates reveal that the majority of greenhouse gas emissions from large-scale events such as the FIFA World Cup stem from spectators traveling to host cities. Scientists Have Identified a New Fossil Species of Axolotl in Mexico Ambystoma quetzalcoatli is the first fossil salamander to be formally identified in Mexico, revealing that axolotls have inhabited the country for millions of years. The 2026 El Niño Is on Track to Be the Strongest on Record This climate phenomenon could cause a massive global temperature spike and cause economic losses of $10 trillion by 2032. Astronomers Have Found a Sugar Molecule in Deep Space for the First Time Ever Researchers identified traces of erythrulose, a monosaccharide, thousands of light-years away.