
A 60-year marmot study, facing termination due to funding cuts, secures a year's extension through unconventional funding
A 60-year marmot study in the US, threatened by Trump administration's science funding cuts, raises over $100,000 through OnlyFans ($6,000) and a marmot-themed cryptocurrency ($88,000+), ensuring one more year of research
AI-generated summary
The marmot study, one of the longest-running animal monitoring projects, faces funding cuts under the Trump administration's revised science priorities.
Scientists who turned to OnlyFans to help save long-running research into marmots have raised more than $100,000 after harnessing the support of another, very modern, funding avenue – cryptocurrency. [...] It has been nice to see crypto be used for good.” [...] The study of yellow-bellied marmots [...] is important, Martin said, as it has illustrated the warping environment around the creatures as the world heats up due to the burning of fossil fuels.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The marmot study will explore sustainable funding models beyond traditional grants.
Likely · Within months
The $OnlyMarms memecoin will fluctuate widely in value.
Very likely · Within weeks

NASA's Swift space observatory, operational since 2004, faces imminent reentry due to atmospheric drag. A rescue mission using Katalyst Space Technologies' LINK spacecraft was attempted but canceled due to control system failures, leaving Swift to eventually burn up in the atmosphere by the end of 2026.
Researchers in Gothic, Colorado, are launching 'Fat Marmot Week' to raise funds for a decades-long study facing federal budget cuts. The initiative follows a severe winter that killed two-thirds of the local marmot population due to record-low snowpack.

Archaeologists have discovered the well-preserved remains of the 13th-century St Clare’s Monastery beneath a sports field in Roskilde, Denmark. Using ground-penetrating radar, researchers identified rooms, cloisters, and a church, prompting discussions on site preservation.
Astronomers have discovered S301, the fastest star in the Milky Way, orbiting the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* at speeds up to 25,000 kilometers per second.

Researchers have discovered that tsetse flies use a combination of tiny teeth, backward-stroking mouthparts, and flexible behavior to feed on diverse hosts. This versatility explains their effectiveness in transmitting parasites between wildlife, livestock, and humans.

A deep lunar eclipse, or 'blood moon', will be visible in North America on August 27-28, with 96% of the Moon's surface covered by Earth's shadow, turning it coppery red or dark orange due to scattered light.