Science news summaries — Page 9

Essential facts and source links for recent science stories.

1. 
   Popular Mechanics2026-09-23

   Divers map 25 manmade features at lost medieval town of Shipden

   Divers have mapped 25 manmade features at the site of medieval Shipden, about 1,300 feet off Cromer, England, but have not found St. Peter’s Church. An 1888 blast to clear a submerged obstruction may explain the toppled flintwork.
2. 
   Canary Media2026-09-23

   PG&E’s Google-backed virtual power plant aims to enroll over 20,000 customers

   PG&E’s SHARE program will recruit more than 20,000 California customers willing to let the utility control their Sunrun or Tesla solar-charged batteries or Renew Home smart thermostats to support the grid; participant rewards remain unspecified.
3. 
   The Telegraph2026-09-23

   Havant Thicket reservoir delayed to 2034 as Ofwat consults on nearly £1bn budget

   Havant Thicket reservoir in Hampshire is now expected to be completed in 2034, five years later than planned, after Ofwat paused the project over rising costs. The regulator is consulting for three weeks on a nearly £1bn budget, up from £339m in 2022.
4. 
   People2026-09-23

   Austrian Danube find is Europe’s largest known Iron Age iron-bar cache

   A 2019 Danube discovery by gravel workers near Deinham, Austria, is Europe’s largest known mass find of Iron Age bars: at least 500 bars totaling over a ton, dated to the 3rd or 2nd century B.C. Researchers say the cargo was likely lost in a shipwreck.
5. 
   A-Z Animals2026-09-23

   Study ties snail growth spurts to two Queensland cyclones

   University of Queensland researchers linked Biggenden Banded Snails’ shell-growth spurts to extreme rainfall after cyclones Marcia (2015) and Debbie (2017) at Coalstoun Lakes in southeast Queensland. One snail was radiocarbon-dated to about 4.5 years old.
6. 
   The Telegraph2026-09-23

   UKHSA to expand wastewater checks in England for Ebola and other threats

   The UK Health Security Agency will expand wastewater surveillance in England over the next two years, testing samples from sewers, hospitals and busy sites for Ebola, Marburg, Lassa fever and other threats to provide an early warning of outbreaks.
7. 
   LiveNow Fox2026-09-23

   Climate Central ties later fall freezes to longer ragweed seasons

   Climate Central found that the freeze-free fall season has lengthened by an average of 11 days since 1970 in 202 U.S. cities, with 177 seeing later first freezes. The nonprofit says human-caused climate change is extending ragweed’s pollen season.
8. 
   Forbes2026-09-23

   Alveo expects USDA approval for a 45-minute test as farm data gaps complicate bird flu surveillance

   Alveo expects USDA approval in coming months for a handheld test that detects influenza A and, if positive, identifies H5 or H7 in 45 minutes. Waterfowl alerts could be sharpened with farm-level outbreak records the poultry industry has not released.
9. 
   Men's Journal2026-09-23

   CPC calls El Niño 'very strong' after ocean index tops 2°C

   The Climate Prediction Center says El Niño is now “very strong” after its latest weekly Relative Oceanic Niño Index reading topped 2°C, calling it likely a historic intraseasonal event. Niño 3.4 was 2.1°C above average, up from 2.0°C on Sept. 17.
10. 
    Reuters2026-09-23

    EU and Canada launch OceanEye with at least €211 million in pledges

    The new EU-Canada OceanEye alliance secured at least €211 million ($240 million) in pledges to support ocean-observation networks for navigation, weather and climate forecasting, and coastal protection.
11. 
    The Independent2026-09-23

    SpaceX schedules Starship’s first payload-to-orbit attempt for Sept. 28

    Starship Flight 14 is scheduled to launch from SpaceX’s Starbase in south Texas at 7:15 a.m. local time Sept. 28, carrying 26 Starlink V3 satellites in its first attempt to deliver a payload to orbit. The 10-hour flight aims for six orbits before a Pacific splashdown.