🚀 NASA gearing up for more moon missions in 2026

NASA plans to issue three more lunar mission task orders through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services program in 2026. This includes an orbiter designed to map the Moon and eventually succeed the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus expects the orbiter task order later this summer or early fall 2026. The agency continues $22 million annually for LRO operations in its FY2027 budget request. This suggests the new orbiter will complement LRO before any retirement is decided. 🛰️

🦴 Wool waste helps heal bone better than collagen

Scientists developed a bone-healing scaffold from keratin extracted from sheep's wool. This material was tested by researchers at King’s College London, and published in Biomaterials Advances in 2026. The keratin membrane showed that the newly formed bone had a more organized architecture than tissue from a conventional collagen membrane. This process, called guided bone regeneration, aims to create ideal conditions for coordinated tissue rebuilding. Moving forward, this suggests agricultural waste can become a key player in regenerative medicine. 🦴

📚 NTA cancels 3 UGC-NET papers due to major errors

The National Testing Agency (NTA) decided to re-conduct three UGC-NET papers after finding multiple errors in the exam held between June 22 and June 30 this year. The affected subjects are Sociology, English, and Commerce, which are vital for Assistant Professor and PhD eligibility. Errors included spelling mistakes like 'Putzer' for Ritzer and repeated questions across cycles. The NTA committee recommended re-conducting these papers to ensure a fair examination process. The English paper is scheduled for September 9th, followed by Commerce on the same day, and Sociology on September 10th. 🧐

📈 India's $20T goal: 5 growth engines key

An Equirus policy report suggests India can reach a $20 trillion economy by 2036 by adapting five core growth engines. This roadmap hinges on improving human capital, markets, services, governance, and currency. The report notes that services, currently at 54% of GDP, must grow past 65% to drive this massive expansion. Key reforms include a 10-year tax holiday for cold storage and restructuring the sovereign fund. Success depends not just on speed, but on the quality of these systemic changes. 🚀

⚽ Ronaldo hints at final season for football career

Cristiano Ronaldo has signaled that the upcoming year might be his last season of playing football. The 41-year-old Portugal captain spoke to Vogue about leaving a spectacular legacy. He has scored 976 goals for his clubs and country over more than two decades. This follows Portugal's failure to win the World Cup this year. Ronaldo will play for Al-Nassr this season while nearing 1,000 career goals. ⚽

🏊 Swimmer braves Cold War divide for peace

American endurance swimmer Lynne Cox completed a historic 2.7-mile swim from Alaska to the Soviet Union. She swam from Little Diomede Island to Soviet-controlled Big Diomede Island on 7 August 1987. This journey crossed the International Date Line and the heavily guarded Cold War border after an 11-year wait for permission. Cox aimed for the swim to symbolize peace, despite intense geopolitical tensions at the time. Her feat was later praised by Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan during their Washington talks. 🏊

🧠 Neuroscientist questions if brain makes consciousness

Neuroscientist Christof Koch suggests that the brain might not actually create consciousness, challenging the dominant materialist view. This idea was presented at the biennial Behind and Beyond the Brain Symposium, where he discussed the limits of materialism. Despite past critiques, Koch proposes exploring idealism and panpsychism alongside scientific methods. He suggests the filter model, where the brain filters consciousness, could explain near-death experiences. Koch plans to study near-death experiences and terminal lucidity to support this non-materialist theory. 🧠

🔥 Stop your Samsung from overheating while charging

Turning off a Samsung setting can prevent your Galaxy phone from overheating during charging. This issue happens because fast charging generates excess heat inside the phone's internals. For flagship phones, fast charging can charge to 62% in 20 minutes, but this generates heat that damages the battery. Disabling fast charging causes the phone to draw a slow, steady trickle of power instead. This change can significantly delay battery degradation, potentially saving you a battery replacement or new phone purchase.

🗳️ Notices out for 21% of digitized voters in Telangana

The Hyderabad district election authority will serve notices to 5.82 lakh electors today after the draft electoral roll under SIR 2026 is published on August 17. These notices go to electors whose details couldn't be mapped to the SIR 2002 electoral rolls in Hyderabad. Out of 27.95 lakh digitized forms, 5.82 lakh electors are being contacted for verification purposes. Most of these electors either didn't fill required columns or had name/age discrepancies in their forms. The claims and objections period runs from August 17 until September 16 for addressing these issues. 🗳️

👮 CISF official suspended over metro photo incident

A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) official has been suspended following allegations of secretly taking photos of women inside a Delhi Metro train. The incident took place in Delhi, where the accused officer was reportedly caught on camera during his shift duties. Specific dates and numbers related to the disciplinary action were not disclosed in the initial report. This action comes after growing concerns regarding safety and conduct within public transportation systems. Further investigation is expected to determine the full extent of the misconduct. 👮

🏆 Makhachev defends title in UFC 330

Islam Makhachev secured a unanimous decision victory over Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in Philadelphia. The Dagestan superstar earned his 17th consecutive UFC win, surpassing Anderson Silva’s streak record. This victory helped Makhachev join an elite group of two-weight champions who successfully defended titles in both divisions. While Machado Garry fought hard, Makhachev's performance bolsters his case for being the GOAT. Mackenzie Dern also retained her strawweight title by dominating Gillian Robertson.