Space & Physics: Does string theory explain brain structure?

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January 15 — Our top stories this week include the possible discovery of "black hole stars," an unprecedented medical evacuation from the International Space Station, string theory-based insights into the human brain, and much more. Enjoy! Also, we're launching a new way for you, the reader, to interact with us here at SciAm. It's called Discussions, and you're able to test it, right now. Check out that "string theory" story I mentioned above, to get started. Scroll down to the tan-colored box near the bottom of the page, and click "Join the Discussion" to add your comment! Thoughts? Questions? Let me know via e-mail (lbillings@sciam.com), Twitter or Bluesky. —Lee Billings, Senior Editor, Physical Sciences

Top Stories

'Little Red Dots' Spied by JWST May Be Baby Black Holes in Disguise Puzzling red spots in images from the James Webb Space Telescope are probably young supermassive black holes obscured by dense cocoons of gas Lee Billings

Does String Theory Explain the Wiring of the Brain? Mathematical tools from string theory are giving scientists a new way to study the networking of neurons Lee Billings

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Astronauts Return to Earth in First ISS Medical Evacuation On Thursday NASA chief Jared Isaacman said the experience of the returned Crew-11 will be used to prepare for future human spaceflight—including to the moon Claire Cameron

NASA Evacuation of ISS Highlights How Astronauts Prepare for Medical Emergencies in Space NASA crews go through extensive training and have access to supplies to treat medical issues, from dental problems and migraines to heart attacks, while they are in orbit Claire Cameron

The Year in the Sky: 2026's Most Noteworthy Celestial Events Total eclipses, lunar occultations, planetary conjunctions and meteor showers await stargazers this year Phil Plait

Why 2026 Is a Mathematically Special Number Neither a square nor prime number, 2026 is still intriguing Manon Bischoff

The Milky Way's Central Black Hole May Have Appeared Shockingly Different Just a Few Hundred Years Ago New research suggests that the x-ray light coming from the Milky Way's central black hole Sagittarius A* has changed dramatically in the span of just a few hundred years Jackie Flynn Mogensen

NASA Commits to Plan to Build a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon by 2030 The U.S. space agency and the Department of Energy will work together to build a fission reactor on the lunar surface in the next four years Jackie Flynn Mogensen

The Math behind a Perfect Poker Deck A traditional card deck happens to dodge a tricky poker paradox. Other poker variants aren't so lucky Emma R. Hasson

Far-Out Exoplanet Breaks a Cardinal Rule of Astronomy Discovered by volunteer scientists, this alien planet is out of synch with its siblings Jenna Ahart

From the Archive

Here's What to Get Excited about in Space in 2026 From crewed lunar voyages to flight tests of fully reusable rockets and launches of new orbital telescopes studying the outer limits of the cosmos, 2026 should be a banner year for space science and exploration Lee Billings

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