Space & Physics: The U.S. just axed its boldest cosmology experiment

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July 24 — This week, our stories include a major U.S. cosmology experiment that ended before it began, the strange thermodynamics of superheated gold, and the question of whether you can safely drink water from Saturn's icy rings. All that and more is below. Enjoy! —Lee Billings, Senior Editor, Space and Physics

Top Stories

The U.S. Just Axed Its Boldest Cosmology Experiment in Generations Researchers hoped CMB-S4, a $900-million cosmology experiment, would answer one of the greatest questions in physics. Instead it's become another cautionary tale of pursuing big science amid shrinking budgets Nadia Drake

Superheated Gold Defies 'Entropy Catastrophe' Limit, Overturning 40-Year-Old Physics Physicists superheated gold to 14 times its melting point, disproving a long-standing prediction about the temperature limits of solids Clara Moskowitz

Can You Drink Saturn's Rings? It's certainly possible to consume water sourced from the icy rings of Saturn, but doing so safely may require extra steps Phil Plait

Breakthrough Proof Brings Mathematics Closer to a Grand Unified Theory after More Than 50 Years of Work The Langlands program has inspired and befuddled mathematicians for more than 50 years. A major advance has now opened up new worlds for them to explore Ananyo Bhattacharya, Nature magazine

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How Logical Are You? Test Your Skills With These Problems from the New International Logic Olympiad In only its second year, the International Logic Olympiad is already booming as logic becomes more and more crucial in our ever changing world Emma R. Hasson

This Number System Beats Binary, But Most Computers Can't Use It Why do computers only work with the numbers 0 and 1? There are machines that process three digits with more efficiency than you might expect Manon Bischoff

NASA Staff Rebuke White House Cuts in Rare Public Dissent A declaration of dissent from past and present NASA employees warns that science and safety are at risk and joins similar documents from staff at other federal science agencies Alexandra Witze, Nature magazine

Science Agency Staffers Speak Out about Trump Administration's Actions Hundreds of staffers at the National Institutes of Health, Environmental Protection Agency, NASA and the National Science Foundation have signed public letters to leadership opposing the direction in which the agencies are headed Meghan Bartels

Math Is Quietly in Crisis over NSF Funding Cuts A 72 percent reduction in federal funding is devastating to math research. The American Mathematical Society is offering $1 million in backstop grants—but it's likely not enough Emma R. Hasson

What We're Reading

When Betelgeuse explodes, it's going to take out another star | New York Times Fossilized penis worm suggests Grand Canyon was an evolutionary hotbed | Washington Post What do billionaire spaceflights mean for the rest of us? | CNN

From the Archive

Next-Generation Cosmic Observatory Hits South Pole Stumbling Block Cosmic Microwave Background Stage 4, a top-priority project for U.S. astrophysics, was designed to make breakthrough observations of the universe's very earliest moments. Now the U.S. government says it can't currently support the project's construction at the South Pole Meghan Bartels

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