Science: NASA has canceled the Gravity and Extreme Magnetism Small Explorer (GEMS) mission because it was expected to go over budget. Scheduled for launch in 2014, GEMS would have studied black holes and neutron stars. The project’s cost had been capped at $119 million, but because the technology needed for the instrument took longer to develop than expected, the final cost would have exceeded that amount by 20–30%, according to an independent external review.
The finding that the Saturnian moon may host layers of icy slush instead of a global ocean could change how planetary scientists think about other icy moons as well.
Modeling the shapes of tree branches, neurons, and blood vessels is a thorny problem, but researchers have just discovered that much of the math has already been done.
January 29, 2026 12:52 PM
Get PT in your inbox
PT The Week in Physics
A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.
One email per week
PT New Issue Alert
Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.
One email per month
PT Webinars & White Papers
The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.