Week in Science: Cats only help you when it benefits them

Unlike dogs and toddlers, cats need to get something out of helping you                    

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June 12—This week in science, dogs and toddlers will aid a struggling human, but cats wait until it benefits them, NASA's experimental plane goes supersonic, and the FDA approves the first new sunscreen ingredient in more than 20 years. All that and more below. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor How are you liking this newsletter? Email newsletters@sciam.com anytime.

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Science confirms: Cats help you only when there’s something in it for them Dogs spontaneously aid struggling humans the way young children do—whereas cats wait until they stand to benefit Anirban Mukhopadhyay

NASA’s X-59 plane goes supersonic for the first time This experimental plane, which reached supersonic speeds yesterday, is designed to travel faster than the speed of sound without creating bothersome sonic booms Meghan Bartels

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The Philippines earthquake is massive, but it could’ve been bigger—here’s why The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit the Philippines happened at a subduction zone. Such places are capable of producing the largest earthquakes possible Andrea Thompson

Anthropic warns AI could soon start improving itself. Critics aren’t convinced The maker of Claude wants AI labs, including itself, to prepare for a coordinated slowdown if models begin building their own successors Chris Stokel-Walker

How Canadian rock duo Angine de Poitrine play with neurobiology and physics to make viral music Angine de Poitrine don't abide by the usual rules of Western music, using their own custom-built guitar to strike notes that shouldn't exist Adam Kovac

How math can help you decide what to order for dinner An experiment with 2,520 participants backs Richard Feynman’s answer to every diner’s dilemma: Do I want to try something new? Davide Castelvecchi, Nature magazine

Dino-killing asteroid may have sparked millions of years of hydrothermal life When asteroids slam into Earth, they can create hydrothermal vent systems Meghan Bartels

How to tell if your dog is left-pawed or right-pawed, according to science A step-by-step guide to the “Doginburgh Inventory,” a new pawedness test developed by dog behavior researchers Jackie Flynn Mogensen

U.S. gets a new sunscreen ingredient after 27 years—here’s how it works Dermatologists and skincare aficionados are excited for the U.S. to finally get a new, more protective sunscreen filter after more than 20 years of regulatory roadblocks. Here’s how bemotrizinol works Lauren J. Young

Resistance training may boost longevity. But how much do you need? Weight lifting and other forms of resistance training can increase bone density, lower diabetes risk and boost mental health Jackie Flynn Mogensen

Largest whale ‘graveyard’ discovered, with skeletons spanning 5 million years The fossilized remains of more than 450 whales have amassed along a 750-mile-long stretch of the Indian Ocean floor Meghan Bartels

NASA reveals astronauts who will fly Artemis III, its next step toward a moon landing NASA’s Artemis III crew includes three NASA astronauts and one European Space Agency astronaut Claire Cameron

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SpaceX goes public with a historic IPO today

SpaceX goes public with a historic IPO today | NASA defends all-male Artemis 3 crew amid backlash | The critical robot arm on the ISS isn't working properly Created for ceo.studentlike.spuniv@blogger.com | Web Version   June 12, 2026 FOLLOW US FOLLOW US   Taking you out of this world, every day SIGN UP ⋅   WEBSITE   The Launchpad SpaceX goes public with a historic IPO today You made it to Friday, space fans! As you may have already heard, SpaceX went public today, launching into the IPO frontier. The aerospace giant is now a publicly-traded company, with the $1.7 trillion deal being rung in by the ceremonial bell both in New York and in Texas. This means that Elon Musk is now the world's first trillionaire. And however you might feel about SpaceX and its accomplishments, this news is certainly something to think about.  Aside from Musk and his trillion dollars (still feels weird to say), there is actually an issue with the robotic arm that astronauts use on the International Space Station. A fix is underway, but little scares like this do remind you of how every piece of equipment in space could have something happen at some point. Skywatchers, did you see the planet parade in the night sky? The opportunity is fleeting, so make sure to look up and see what you can -- and let us know if you captured an especially great view! Check out the biggest news in space below: That's a lot of money   Trending NASA defends all-male Artemis 3 crew amid backlash The four astronauts named to the Artemis 3 crew are all male, but NASA officials emphasized they were selected based on their qualifications and experience. What does NASA say? Experts Recommend This AI-Powered Hearing Aid Struggling to hear clearly? Horizon IX offers German-engineered clarity with advanced AI that separates voices from noise in real time. Nearly invisible and trusted by 500,000+ users. Experience modern hearing with a 45-day no-risk trial. Discover Clarity ADVERTISEMENT Spaceflight The critical robot arm on the ISS isn't working properly A part of Canadarm2 robotic arm on the ISS broke in May, requiring repairs by spacewalking astronauts no earlier than June 30. A spare is already on the station. How will NASA fix it? Skywatching Don't miss this beautiful 3-planet parade after sunset  Mercury, Venus and Jupiter will form a striking 3-planet parade low above the western horizon after sunset tonight (June 12), offering a brief but beautiful show. It won't last long! How satellites are ruining everything From ruined photos to vanishing darkness, satellites are transforming the night sky — and not always for the better. Do you agree? Science & Astronomy JWST finds evidence 'little red dots' are black hole stars Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope may be close to solving the mystery of "little red dots" in the early universe. What does it mean? JWST discovers strange 'galaxy-killing' wind  A “galaxy-killing” wind driven by cosmic mergers may explain why many massive galaxies in the early universe stopped forming stars far earlier than expected, according to new JWST and ALMA observations. How does it work? Today in Space Satellite-boosting spacecraft inside air-launched rocket A spacecraft was recently prepped for encapsulation inside of its rocket at one of NASA's launch facilities ahead of its launch to save another satellite. Readying for launch SpaceX Elon Musk wants to put 1 million AI satellites in space SpaceX CEO Elon Musk outlined more details for his company’s planned data centers in space ahead of a widely anticipated IPO on Thursday (June 11) expected to make him a trillionaire. How could they do it? Entertainment 'Star City''s stars spill the tea on Soviet severity  'It's not a big deal that they’re women in their fields. They're just sort of surviving and ruthless.' Get the full Soviet scoop Editor's Note Editor's Note That's it for our space update today! you made it to the weekend. We have Elon as a trillionaire, a robotic arm in need of repair in orbit around Earth, and NASA's administrator rushing to the defense of the agency's decision to have an all-male crew on Artemis 3. What do you think about all of the wild space news we saw just this past week alone?  Looking forward to next week, we will have amazing breakthrough science and updates on NASA's leading astro missions from the bi-annual American Astronomical Society (or AAS) conference where Space.com will be on the ground asking questions and sharing the latest with you. And for those who love sci-fi, today Steven Spielberg's latest "Disclosure Day" hits theaters. Will you see it? And what do you think will happen in real life if and when we finally answer the question: is there life out there? Ad astra, per aspera Chelsea Gohd Content Manager, Space.com   Stay up-to-date on all things space science, news, and entertainment by subscribing to our newsletters. Sign Up   Follow SPACE Contact Us: Feedback | Advertise Sign Up | Update Profile | Unsubscribe Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms and Conditions When you purchase through links in our content, we may earn an affiliate commission.   Future US LLC © Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036