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scienceTuesday, September 15, 2026

Ebola peaks in DRC as plague's ancient roots emerge

Today's science news is a mix of grim milestones and quiet discoveries. The Ebola outbreak in the DRC has finally peaked, while a new study pushes the plague's origins back thousands of years. Elsewhere, a robot inspired by a mole and a chance crater find remind us that science still has surprises.

Sources

Diseases old and new

Two disease stories bookend the day: one about a modern outbreak finally slowing, the other about an ancient killer's deep history.

#01www.theguardian.comSep 15

Ebola outbreak in DRC has peaked, say authorities, as infection rates slow

The DRC's Ebola outbreak has peaked, with infections slowing for the first time since May. But nearly 3,500 deaths in, authorities warn that the Bundibugyo strain still needs control.

by Prosper Heri Ngorora in GomaRead original

#02themondonews.comSep 15

Plague Devastated Families Thousands of Years Before the Black Death

A new Nature study pushes the plague back to 5,500 years ago, long before the Black Death. That rewrites the timeline of one of history's deadliest diseases.

by Igor MitreskiRead original

Nature's oddities

From a mole-inspired robot to a turtle invasion and a SpongeBob lookalike, nature keeps serving up strange inspirations.

#03www.bgr.comSep 15

This Concept Robot Sees Through Touch — Here's The Unexpected Animal That Inspired It

Researchers are building a robot that 'sees' through touch, copying the star-nosed mole's ultra-sensitive feelers. It's a fresh angle on machine perception, and it's getting coverage from multiple outlets.

#04www.bbc.co.ukSep 15

Mass nesting brings swarms of turtles to Mexican beach

Thousands of turtles swarmed a Mexican beach in 48 hours for mass nesting. It's a striking natural event, and the BBC has the footage.

#05cheezburger.comSep 15

NOAA Expedition Finds Real-Life "Patrick and Spongebob" 6,200 feet below the Atlantic

NOAA's expedition found a yellow sponge and pink sea star 6,200 feet down, and the internet immediately made it SpongeBob and Patrick. Cute, but it's also a real glimpse of deep-sea life.

Also today15

Gross trust deficitwww.downtoearth.org.in
China is exploring humanoid robots for war — but what role could they play?www.downtoearth.org.in
China’s Tiangong Ultra humanoid robot shattered Usain Bolt’s 100m record, revealing China’s integrated strength in motors, sensors, software and manufacturing. Trained via reinforcement learning, such robots could act as ‘drop-in’ soldiers in cities, raising urgent ethical.
Spotted hyena daughters inherit rank, resources, and a taste for powerwww.thehindu.com
A ‘terrific’ new study has found that he youngest daughter born to an alpha female inherits her mother’s social status and also benefits from better access to food, allies, and breeding opportunities. Over generations, these benefits accumulate, allowing a few privileged female l
Health and environmental co-benefits of reducing ultra-processed food consumption in Argentina: a modelling studydoi.org
🍟 Model: ultra-processed food cost Argentina thousands of lives A diet model for Argentina linked ultra-processed food to 9,823 early deaths and 350,000 years of life lost in 2019, plus 0.84bn dollars in costs. 🔗 doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aea587 #health #nutrition 🧪
BCMS Welcomes Deputy Director Dr. Neeraja Chinchalkarmeteorites.asu.edu
We are pleased to announce that Neeraja Chinchalkar joined the Buseck Center for Meteorite Studies as an Assistant Research Professor and Deputy Director on September 14. Before joining BCMS, Dr. Chinchalkar held the Graham Ryder Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Lunar and Planetary
Apple releases iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate 27 with Siri AI and Liquid Glass improvementsthemondonews.com
8 Source: arstechnica.com The post Apple releases iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate 27 with Siri AI and Liquid Glass improvements appeared first on Mondo News .
An Accidental Impact Crater Discoveryscience.nasa.gov
An amateur astronomer scouting online satellite maps for campsites in Quebec found an impact crater instead. The post An Accidental Impact Crater Discovery appeared first on NASA Science .
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on September 15, 2026sea.mashable.com
Lunar features are starting to reappear. The Moon is finally becoming visible again. Its crescent is growing a little more each night, so we're beginning to see more of its features once again. What is today’s Moon phase? As of Tuesday, Sept. 15 NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker te
Watch Greenland Glacier Implode and Spawn a ‘Massive Wave’ (Video)www.surfer.com
Viral footage captures the awe-inspiring moment a giant iceberg collapses in Ilimanaq, Greenland.