Today's Science News
December 25, 2025
Dresden study uncovers new key mechanism in cancer cells - Researchers linked MCL1 to cancer hallmarks, revealing its role in metabolism and mTOR regulation, enhancing therapeutic approaches and reducing toxicity.'Gospel stories themselves tell of dislocation and danger': A historian describes the world Jesus was born into - The modern Christmas themes of peace and joy were in short supply amid the ‘dislocation and danger’ of ancient Judea – as they are in today’s fractured world too.
December 24, 2025
What old, dying stars teach us about axions as a candidate for dark matter - The axion could be a contender to explain the mystery of dark matter.Why We Sometimes Avoid the Truth — and Other Times Can’t Stop Seeking It - Learn how the brain weighs emotional strain when deciding whether to seek information — or shut it out.
UCS Millennium Falcon versus UCS Death Star: Which is the best Lego Star Wars set? - The two largest and most expensive Lego Star Wars sets available go head-to-head: The UCS Millennium Falcon and the UCS Death Star.
What an Ancient Sea Anemone Reveals About the Origins of Animal Complexity - Learn how mapping gene-control switches in an ancient sea anemone reveals how identical DNA can produce many different cell types.
Stimulant ADHD medications work differently than thought - New research reveals that prescription stimulants for ADHD primarily enhance alertness and reward perception, rather than directly improving attention.
When the Mind Goes Blank — What Happens When Your Brain Briefly Goes Offline - Learn how brain recordings reveal a distinct state in which conscious awareness briefly drops out — even while people remain awake.
60,000 feet above Earth, NASA is hunting for the minerals that power phones, EVs and clean energy - The microwave-sized sensor detects 'spectral fingerprints' of important minerals.
Thirdhand Smoke Could Turn Your Home Into a Source of Chronic Chemical Exposure - Learn more about “thirdhand smoke” and how it keeps polluting homes, and your lungs, long after smoking stops.
'What the heck is this?' James Webb telescope spots inexplicable planet with diamonds and soot in its atmosphere - Scientists using the James Webb telescope observed a distant exoplanet with an atmosphere of soot and diamonds, challenging all explanations.
First-ever 'superkilonova' double star explosion puzzles astronomers - A double explosion, in which a dying star split, then recombined, may be a long-hypothesized but never-before-seen "superkilonova."
We now know much more about how our ancestor 'Lucy' lived — and died - Fifty years after a fossil skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis was unearthed in Ethiopia, we know so much more about how this iconic species lived and died.
What a Mosquito’s Lunch Tells Us About the Ecosystem - A clever trick borrowed from Jurassic Park
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Record launches, reusable rockets and a rescue: China made big strides in space in 2025 - China overcomes human spaceflight emergency and makes leaps with lunar hardware tests
'It won’t be so much a ghost town as a zombie apocalypse': How AI might forever change how we use the internet - AI slop, chatbots and agentic AI are changing the internet, and could transform it beyond recognition, experts say.
'Dracula's Chivito' looks stunning in this tasty Christmas photo from the Hubble Telescope - Using the Hubble space telescope, astronomers have imaged "'Dracula’s Chivito" the largest site of planetary birth ever seen.
The Size of Our Galaxy Stretches Tens of Thousands of Light Years Across, But It's Height Is Rather Small - What's the size of the Milky Way galaxy?
NASA's Apollo 8 moonshot saved 1968. Could Artemis 2 do the same in 2026? - On Christmas Eve 1968, the Earth received a message from astronauts on a mission like no other - the first around the moon.
Guess the number quiz: Can you work out these scientific numbers and constants and top the leaderboard? - Do you know your mathematical equations from your scientific constants?
New study finds movement of fishing fleets can reveal shifts in marine ecosystems - Researchers at UC Santa Cruz find vessel-tracking data can better predict marine species' behavior during heatwaves, aiding fisheries management.
An AI-based blueprint for designing catalysts across materials - Hydrogen peroxide is widely used in everyday life, from disinfectants and medical sterilization to environmental cleanup and manufacturing.
Those Orcas Wearing Salmon Hats? It Might Not Be as Cute as You Think - Learn why killer whales sometimes wear dead salmon on their heads, and what that might mean.
Remember the time Predator faced off against Santa's reindeer – and lost? - The reindeer ain't got time to bleed.
Santa Visits Artemis II Rocket - Santa Claus (NASA engineer Guy Naylor) poses with NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft and SLS (Space Launch System) rocket in the Vehicle Assembly Building at
'Biological time capsules': How DNA from cave dirt is revealing clues about early humans and Neanderthals - DNA from soil could soon reveal who lived in ice age caves, research shows.
NASA satellite gazes into Medusa Pool | Space photo of the day for Dec. 24, 2025 - The South Sandwich Islands were born from a tectonic collision, forged by volcanism and relentlessly reshaped by ice, wind and waves.
School meals could unlock major gains for human and planetary health - Healthy, sustainable school meals could reduce undernourishment, diet-related deaths, and environmental impacts, benefiting child health and food systems.
New tests could nearly halve the rate of late-stage cancers, some scientists say — is that true? - Blood tests that look for over a dozen cancers are being developed.
The 9 best things to see in the night sky with binoculars from November to January 2025 to 2026 - Discover the highlights of the Northern Hemisphere’s winter night sky with our guide to the top celestial sights to enjoy through binoculars between November 2025 and January 2026.
New study uncovers the lingering, evolving threat of “thirdhand smoke” in our homes - A new study reveals thirdhand smoke, a persistent indoor pollutant, posing long-term exposure risks from tobacco residue on surfaces.
Diagnostic dilemma: A man's bladder looked like a Christmas tree - In an unusual case, a man's bladder swelled dramatically at its base, taking the shape of a Christmas tree.
The biggest black hole breakthroughs of 2025 - 2025 was another big year for black holes, and here's our pick of the top black hole stories from the last twelve months.
The Most Beautiful Science of the Year - Insights from Nautilus in 2025
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Crop loss deepens food insecurity across Africa - New modelling shows climate shocks and pests are driving crop losses across Africa, with rising costs for farmers and food systems.
Scientists reverse Alzheimer’s in mice and restore memory - Alzheimer’s has long been considered irreversible, but new research challenges that assumption.
Scientists boost mitochondria to burn more calories - Researchers have developed experimental drugs that encourage the mitochondria in our cells to work a little harder and burn more calories.
What you eat could decide the planet’s future - What we put on our plates may matter more for the climate than we realize.
Why consciousness can’t be reduced to code - The familiar fight between “mind as software” and “mind as biology” may be a false choice.
'Never move around a flaming dessert': A scientist explains the chemistry of a Christmas pudding - Christmas means different things to different people.
AI supercharges scientific output while quality slips - AI writing tools are supercharging scientific productivity, with researchers posting up to 50% more papers after adopting them.
We are living in a golden age of species discovery - The search for life on Earth is speeding up, not slowing down.
This Big Space Sandwich Broke a Record - A particularly massive and chaotic baby planetary system captured in exquisite detail
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Saturn’s Rings Are Thicker Than We Thought - New research points to a wide band of particles, invisible to telescopes
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December 23, 2025
Your roommate’s genes may be shaping your gut bacteria - Scientists studying thousands of rats discovered that gut bacteria are shaped by both personal genetics and the genetics of social partners.Americans Don’t Seem to Enjoy Negotiating - Even when they have to pay more to avoid it
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Russia patents space station designed to generate artificial gravity - According to the patent, habitable modules would rotate around a central axis to simulate gravity for crew by producing an outward-pushing centrifugal force.
Childhood Games Like Super Mario Bros. Can Boost Happiness and Reduce Burnout - Learn why playing classic video games, like Super Mario Bros. and Yoshi, can help young adults fight burnout and chronic stress.
Ancient DNA Uncovers Startling Family Secret of a 3,500-Year-Old Bronze Age Community - Learn more about the people who once used Grotta della Monaca as a sacred burial site.
10 most expensive Lego Star Wars sets available right now - In a galaxy not so far away, Lego sets can be VERY expensive: Here are the most expensive Lego Star Wars sets you can currently buy.
Before trips to Mars, we need better protection from cosmic rays - Outside Earth's protection, space travellers will be routinely exposed.
How All Those Forever Chemicals End Up on Your Plate - Apex predators and people may get the highest doses
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Earth's seasons vary wildly, even at the same latitude, new research finds - Earth's seasons look very different at locations not far from each other, 20 years' worth of satellite data reveals.
18,000 years ago, ice age humans built dwellings out of mammoth bones in Ukraine - Some people in Ukraine weathered the harshest moments of the last ice age by creating shelters made partly of mammoth bones and tusks.
Santa's sleigh or the International Space Station? How to spot a bright Christmas flyby Dec. 24 and 25 - Early risers across North America and Europe may spot a bright, silent light gliding across the Christmas sky — and it just happens to coincide with an ISS flyby.
Get In, We’re Going Moonbound: Meet NASA’s Artemis Closeout Crew - For most, getting into a car is a task that can be done without assistance.
Meet 14 of the New and Unusual Species of 2025 — From Death Ball Sponges to Pumpkin Toads - Learn more about the most exciting species found around the world in 2025, from the deep sea to the western Himalayas.
Smiling Through the Holidays Can Instantly Change How People See You - Learn how smiling — and mimicking other people’s smiles — can make you seem more trustworthy and confident.
The Stream Animals Thriving After a Megafire - Oregon fish and amphibians are surprisingly resilient
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Northern lights chances rise for Christmas as space weather remains unsettled - Fast solar wind and a possible glancing blow from a coronal mass ejection could spark auroras over Christmas.
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS reveals weird wobbling jets in rare sun-facing tail - 3I/ATLAS may have moved away from Earth as it makes its way out of the solar system, but this interstellar intruder continues to delight and surprise astronomers.
How changing your diet could help save the world - A UBC study reveals half of the global population must change diets to limit temperature rise and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Government waters down inheritance tax plan for farms - The government has now said it will lift the intended threshold from £1m to £2.5m.
Tiny implant 'speaks' to the brain with LED light - By directly communicating with the brain, a new wireless device could someday help restore lost senses or manage pain without medications, its developers say.
Scientists Develop Revolutionary Tool to Eavesdrop on the Brain’s Most Private Conversations - Researchers developed the iGluSnFR4 protein, enhancing the ability to detect crucial neuronal glutamate signals, impacting various neurological conditions.
Artemis II Crew Launch Day Rehearsal - From left to right, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Reid Wiseman stand outside
Artemis II Flight Crew, Teams Conduct Demonstration Ahead of Launch - NASA’s launch and mission teams, along with the Artemis II crew, completed a key test Dec. 20, a countdown demonstration test, ahead of the Artemis II flight around the Moon early next year.
How to Taste More Intensely - A tasting boot camp appeared to boost people’s taste buds
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Indian rocket launches record-breaking BlueBird 6 smartphone satellite to orbit (video) - An Indian LVM3 rocket successfully launched the massive BlueBird 6 smartphone satellite for AST SpaceMobile to orbit on Tuesday night (Dec. 23).
We didn't find answers in 2025, but UFO researchers say the search continues - Despite years of whistleblowers testifying before Congress, there seems to have been a bottleneck in getting to the bottom of the UAP issue in 2025.
Cats meow more at men to get their attention, study suggests - A small study reveals that cats greet male owners more vocally than female ones.
See the 100,000th photo of Mars taken by NASA's groundbreaking Red Planet orbiter - NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft has just taken its milestone 100,000th photo of the Red Planet using its high-definition camera.
NASA’s Hubble Reveals Largest Found Chaotic Birthplace of Planets - Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have imaged the largest protoplanetary disk ever observed circling a young star.
How 2025 became the year of comet: The rise of interstellar 3I/ATLAS, an icy Lemmon and a cosmic SWAN - Highlights from a cometary trio that captured our imaginations.
The Earth Is Round, and Is Also a Shifting, Squashed Spheroid - Learn how we know the Earth is round, and the science behind the shape of our gravitational field.
I Am Artemis: Grace Lauderdale - Listen to this audio excerpt from Grace Lauderdale, exploration project manager for the Training Systems Office at NASA Johnson:
Artemis 2 moon rocket gets 'America 250' paint job | Space photo of the day for Dec. 23, 2025 - The "America 250" logo commemorates the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Why Africa’s outbreak warnings still arrive too late - One Health surveillance must cut across all sectors and cover hard-to-reach places, writes Paul Adepoju.
'A huge surprise': 1,500-year-old church found next to Zoroastrianism place of worship in Iraq - A 2,000-year-old palace in the Republic of Georgia and a 1,500-year-old church in Iraq suggest Zoroastrians coexisted with people of other religions.
Webb Spots the 'Smoke' from Crashing Exocomets Around a Nearby Star - The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was involved in yet another first discovery recently available in pre-print form on arXiv from Cicero Lu at the Gemini Observatory and his co-authors.
'This is our future,' climate adviser warns as 2025 to break heat records - The Met Office says that 2025 is likely to be the UK's hottest year since records began.
Physicists found a way to make thermodynamics work in the quantum world - More than 200 years ago, Count Rumford showed that heat isn’t a mysterious substance but something you can generate endlessly through motion.
Doomed SpaceX Starlink satellite photographed from orbit - We just got a great up-close look at a SpaceX Starlink satellite that recently suffered an anomaly in orbit, thanks to Vantor's WorldView-3 spacecraft.
Graphene supercapacitor breakthrough could boost energy storage in future EVs and other household devices - A new material called multiscale reduced graphene oxide could mean faster charging and power delivery than traditional batteries allow.
Eat Like a Neanderthal - Science-inspired recipes to help you dine like our evolutionary cousins
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The Taste of Prehistory - Three recipes our Neanderthal cousins might have enjoyed
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Best targets to observe between Christmas and New Year 2025 - From a crescent moon and a 'Christmas Star' to deep sky delights, the wonders of the holiday night sky are yours to explore.
Converting CO₂ into valuable chemicals in acidic environments: Iodide ions unlock efficient ethylene production - The emission of carbon dioxide (CO₂) is one of the primary factors contributing to air pollution and climate change on Earth.
MIT scientists strip cancer of its sugar shield - Scientists at MIT and Stanford have unveiled a promising new way to help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells more effectively.
Dinosaur bones found almost on top of each other in Transylvania - Scientists exploring Romania’s Hațeg Basin have discovered one of the densest dinosaur fossil sites ever found, with bones lying almost on top of each other.
Rare dusting of snow covers one of the driest places on Earth and shuts down massive radio telescope — Earth from space - A satellite photo from July shows intricate snowy stripes painted across the Atacama Desert in Chile.
Science history: Anthropologist sees the face of the 'Taung Child' — and proves that Africa was the cradle of humanity — Dec. 23, 1924 - Over a century ago, anthropologist Raymond Dart chipped an ancient skull out of some rock from an ancient quarry — and revealed the face of an ancient human relative.
South Korean startup Innospace fails on its 1st orbital launch attempt - The South Korean startup Innospace failed during its first orbital launch attempt, which sent five satellites aloft on Dec. 22 from Brazil.
Hidden brain maps that make empathy feel physical - When we watch someone move, get injured, or express emotion, our brain doesn’t just see it—it partially feels it.
Physicists made atoms behave like a quantum circuit - Using ultracold atoms and laser light, researchers recreated the behavior of a Josephson junction—an essential component of quantum computers and voltage standards.
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4750-4762: See You on the Other Side of the Sun - Written by Lucy Thompson, Planetary Scientist and APXS team member, University of New Brunswick, Canada
Are they really listening? Watch their blinks - Your eyes may reveal when your brain is working overtime.
December 22, 2025
This fish-inspired filter removes over 99% of microplastics - Washing machines release massive amounts of microplastics into the environment, mostly from worn clothing fibers.Russia's Plans for a Space Station Includes "Recycling" its ISS Modules - Oleg Orlov, Director of the Institute of Biomedical Problems at the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), announced that the Russian Orbital Station (ROS) will include the modules that make up the Russian Orbital Segment of ISS.
Nebula knowledge: Do you know these stunning space structures? - Test your cosmic eye: can you match these dazzling nebula images to their names?
Holidays in Space: 25 Years of Space Station Celebrations - In the quarter century that humans have lived and worked aboard the International Space Station, astronauts and visitors from around the world have celebrated
The World’s Oldest Botanical Art Reveals How Humans Were Doing Math 8,000 Years Ago - Learn how ancient pottery covered in flowers may be humanity’s first attempts at mathematical thinking.
2,300-year-old Celtic gold coins found in Swiss bog - Two rare Celtic gold coins were discovered in a Swiss bog, and they may have been left there as an offering to the gods.
Weird Lemon-Shaped Exoplanet Discovered Orbiting a Bizarre Star - Learn more about PSR J2322-2650b, a lemon-shaped exoplanet that may be in a toxic relationship with its host star.
Prehistoric Elephant Footprints Trace Their Movements Through Spain 125,000 Years Ago - Learn how researchers discovered what may be the oldest Palaeoloxodon antiquus tracks in Europe.
Best space photos of 2025 - An alien comet, a Martian volcano, a man’s fall from the sun and a groundbreaking telescope’s first images: Here are the most jaw-dropping space photos of 2025.
12 days of space and sci-fi books: Check out these festive holiday titles for your gift list or yourself! - Yuletide season is officially upon us and here's a joyous array of new titles to add to your holiday reading list.
How to track Santa Claus this Christmas Eve with NORAD's 2025 tracker - NORAD celebrates its 70th year of tracking Santa Claus as he flies around the world delivering joy this Christmas Eve.
Thousands of Dinosaur Footprints Found Close to Where Italy Will Host Winter Olympics - Learn more about the thousands of dinosaur tracks uncovered on the side of an Italian mountain, and what they tell us about how these dinosaurs moved.
Rocket Lab launches final mission of 2025, sends Japanese Earth-observing satellite to orbit (video) - Rocket Lab launched its 21st and final mission of the year over the weekend, sending a private Japanese Earth-observing satellite to orbit.
3,300-year-old cremations found in Scotland suggest the people died in a mysterious catastrophic event - Five urns holding cremated human remains from 3,300 years ago have been discovered in Scotland.
Meet Qingzhou, China's next-gen cargo craft for its Tiangong space station (video) - Qingzhou is a lighter and potentially lower-cost alternative to China's Tianzhou freighter.
Scientists claim 'Lucy' may not be our direct ancestor after all, stoking fierce debate - Recent fossil finds could mean that "Lucy" wasn't our direct ancestor, some scientists say.
Northern lights may be visible in 10 states Dec. 23-24 - Auroras may be visible from Alaska to Idaho as incoming speedy solar wind continues to buffet Earth's magnetic field.
10 space zombie movies, books, and games to prepare you for the night of the intergalactic dead - From space slugs to lunar cemeteries, these movies, games, and books show that the undead can arrive from above, as well as below.
Blood Pressure Medication Adherence May Not Be Cost, It May Be Annoyance At Defensive Medicine - High blood pressure is an important risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease and premature death.
The Solar System Loses an Ocean World - Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, may not have a subsurface ocean after all.
What Makes the Subclade K Strain Different? Here’s What to Know About the “Super Flu” - Learn about the new flu variant, subclade K, that is circulating several countries and why this winter 2025-2026 flu season is more severe.
Predictive 'mismatch' leads to novel carbon capture method - When experimental results don't match scientists' predictions, it's usually assumed that the predictions were wrong.
New technique lights up where drugs go in the body, cell by cell - When you take a drug, where in your body does it actually go?
Satellites reveal heat leaking from largest US cryptocurrency mining center - Bitcoin-mining mega data center seen leaking heat into the environment in an image captured from orbit by a thermometer satellite
Tracing the quick synthesis of an industrially important catalyst - Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have successfully traced the mechanism behind how an industrially important "superbase" catalyst is synthesized in a faster, microwave-assisted reaction.
How Dad’s Fitness May Be Packaged and Passed Down in Sperm RNA - Research into how a father’s choices — such as diet, exercise, stress, nicotine use — may transfer traits to his children has become impossible to ignore.
NASA launches science balloon in Antarctica | Space photo of the day for Dec. 22, 2025 - The first scientific balloon flight happened on Dec. 16, 2025.
Hen cages and pig farrowing crates face ban - The government says its animal welfare strategy will bring "the biggest reforms in a generation".
Research Brief: Cage Aquaculture Reduces Water Quality at Different Scales in Lake Victoria - Lake Victoria is the second-largest freshwater lake in the world, and its expansive coastline meanders through Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya.
NASA's SPHEREx telescope completes its 1st cosmic map of the entire sky and it's stunning! - The first map from NASA's SPHEREx observatory is here and it is stunning, resplendent in 102 colors.
'Year of octopus' declared after warmer seas lead to record UK numbers - The Wildlife Trusts say its is 'flabbergasted' by the sighting of the highest number of octopuses since 1950
Five New Planets and the Battle for Their Atmospheres - One of the primary goals of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is to detect atmospheres around exoplanets, to try to suss out whether or not they could potentially support life.
New EV motor invention could cut 1,000 pounds from future vehicles, making them much lighter while boosting their range - A new in-wheel motor for electric vehicles can deliver a record-breaking 1,000 horsepower to each wheel.
AI can now write working genetic instruction books from scratch - Two AI models designed these genomes for viruses that kill E. coli bacteria.
10 times the sky amazed us in 2025 - A bevy of comets, a "blood moon" total lunar eclipse and impressive northern lights were just three of the skywatching highlights in 2025.
Reliquary of the Holy Crib: Remains of Jesus' manger from Bethlehem - Five pieces of wood in a silver-and-gold container at a basilica in Rome may be the remains of the manger Jesus was laid on when he was born.
This cancer-fighting molecule took 50 years to build - MIT scientists have achieved the first-ever lab synthesis of verticillin A, a complex fungal compound discovered in 1970.
AI mimics human-like intuition to explore and analyze chemical reactions - Chemical reactions are the breaking and forming of chemical bonds, which are fundamental to the creation of new technologies.
Japanese H3 rocket fails during launch of navigation satellite (video) - A Japanese H3 rocket suffered an anomaly during the launch of a navigation satellite on Sunday night (Dec. 21), resulting in the loss of the spacecraft.
Why evolution rewarded ants that sacrificed protection - Some ants thrive by choosing numbers over strength.
A new drug could stop Alzheimer’s before memory loss begins - New research suggests Alzheimer’s may start far earlier than previously thought, driven by a hidden toxic protein in the brain.
'New reservoirs will help address water shortage' - Water company says it needs two new reservoirs and a recycling plant to cope with demand in Suffolk.
This simulation reveals what really happens near black holes - Black holes are among the most extreme objects in the universe, and now scientists can model them more accurately than ever before.
2025 in review: resilience tested as aid cuts run deep - Opportunities emerge in AI and innovation as aid cuts leave their mark.
Parkinson’s breakthrough changes what we know about dopamine - A new study shows dopamine isn’t the brain’s movement “gas pedal” after all.
This AI finds simple rules where humans see only chaos - A new AI developed at Duke University can uncover simple, readable rules behind extremely complex systems.
A traditional Brazilian plant shows unexpected strength against arthritis - A Brazilian study has confirmed that Joseph’s Coat, a plant used for generations in folk medicine, can significantly reduce inflammation and arthritis symptoms in lab tests.
December 21, 2025
Study links full-fat cheese to lower dementia risk - Eating full-fat cheese and cream may be associated with a lower risk of dementia, according to a large study that tracked people for more than 25 years.Best space board games to play this Christmas - Enjoy some out-of-this-world fun this Christmas with my selection of the best space board games available right now.