Science & Technology — September 11, 2026

Mercury may be shrinking faster than thought. German Aerospace Center scientists report Mercury's contraction may be 30% greater than previously estimated, based on new analysis of the planet's surface wrinkles.

AP News · Read more →

August ties for hottest month on record. A record El Niño layered on long-term warming pushed global temperatures more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average, tying the hottest month ever measured.

Scientific American · Read more →

California regulates youth social media and chatbots. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed laws targeting 'psychologically exploitative' social media features and AI chatbot use by minors, focusing on addictive design rather than age limits alone.

Engadget · Read more →

Anthropic blocks AI bioweapons attempts. Anthropic's threat report Thursday detailed blocked bioweapons research attempts on Claude, plus Houthi missile-design misuse and large-scale Chinese distillation of its models.

The disclosure came days after a former top Anthropic researcher warned publicly about AI risks to humanity, according to the BBC. The company's threat intelligence report went beyond the biological weapons cases, also describing misuse of its models tied to Houthi missile design and what it characterized as large-scale distillation of its models by Chinese actors.

BBC World · Read more →