This week in science, 13–19 October
Science news this week, 13–19 October 2026: the main space, AI, health, Earth and archaeology findings, explained with how strong the evidence is.
What Causes Radar Ghosts in UFO Sightings?
Radar ghosts in UFO sightings are often false echoes from temperature inversions, birds, insects, auroras or equipment faults.
What Were the 1942 Los Angeles Searchlight UFOs?
The 1942 Los Angeles searchlight UFOs were an unidentified object that drew a blackout and about 1,430 shells. Here is what the record shows.
Famous Hoax Photos: The Fakes That Fooled the World
Famous hoax photos explained: the Cottingley fairies, the Surgeon's Photo, the Reichstag flag and Baby Adolf, and how each fake was exposed.
Famous UFO Cases Explained: What Investigators Found
Were famous UFO cases explained? Mostly yes. Official studies traced most reports to planes, balloons, stars and weather, and a small share stayed unknown.
Why Redacted Files Fuel Conspiracy Theories
Why blacked-out government pages invite cover-up theories, how redaction works, and what the 2025 JFK release does and does not prove.
Shag Harbour 1967: What Happened, and What Is Still Unknown
A lit object reportedly fell into Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia, in October 1967. What the records show, and why the case remains officially unidentified.
Lunch atop a Skyscraper: A Real Photo, a Staged Moment
The ironworkers and the building were real, but the lunch was staged. Here is what historians have confirmed and what is still unknown.
How Experts Check If an Old Photo Is Fake
Experts trace where an old photo came from, then test its light, reflections, copied areas and digital traces. The Cottingley case shows why.
The Cottingley Fairies: How Two Cousins Fooled Conan Doyle
In 1917 two cousins photographed cut-out fairy drawings. Arthur Conan Doyle championed the pictures. Here is how the hoax worked and how it ended.
Artemis II Results and the Moon Hoax Claims
Artemis II's heat shield and splashdown data can be checked, but they do not directly test the Apollo hoax claims. Here is why.
AI in Archaeology: Real Discoveries or Hype?
What AI has actually found in archaeology, from carbonised Herculaneum scrolls to Nazca lines and Maya lidar, and where the claims still need checking.
How to Evaluate a Claim: A Practical Checklist
A step-by-step way to test any surprising claim, from a viral post to a documentary, without needing a science degree.
What 'Scientific Consensus' Actually Means (and When It Has Been Wrong)
Consensus is not a vote or a decree. Here is how it forms, how it is measured, and the real cases where it changed.
Crop Circles: The Hoax That Fooled the World
How two men with planks and rope created a global mystery, how they were found out, and why people still believe.
The Loch Ness Monster and the Surgeon's Photograph
The most famous monster photo in history was staged with a toy submarine. Here is how it was made, exposed and what science has found since.
The Antikythera Mechanism: The Ancient Greek Astronomical Computer
A corroded lump pulled from a shipwreck turned out to be a gear-driven calculator of the sky, and it needs no aliens to explain it.
Roswell 1947: What Actually Happened
A rancher, some debris, and the story that never went away.
Area 51: What the Government Admits
From spy planes to UAP hearings — the documented history of the most famous secret base.
The Moon Landing: Testing the Hoax Claims
Six common claims, and what the evidence actually shows.
The Warren Commission: What It Found and What It Missed
The 1964 report, the 1979 committee, and the files still being released.
The Bermuda Triangle: Separating Fact from Myth
What actually explains the disappearances — and how many were there?
Why People Believe the Earth Is Flat
Understanding a modern conspiracy theory and the psychology behind it.
Who Actually Built the Pyramids
The evidence for organised labour, and why the ancient aliens theory fails.
Climate Change: What the Scientific Record Shows
Separating the documented evidence from the political debate.