ALMA observes dusty site of planet formation
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has successfully observed a site of planet formation by detecting a high concentration of dust grains, a planet-forming material, outside the orbits of just-formed planets......»»
Statistical approach improves models of atmosphere on early Earth and exoplanets
As energy from the sun reaches Earth, some solar radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere, leading to chemical reactions like the formation of ozone and the breakup of gas molecules. A new approach for modeling these reactions, developed by a team led.....»»
Mars Curiosity rover takes a last look at mysterious sulfur
NASA's Curiosity rover is preparing for the next leg of its journey, a months-long trek to a formation called the boxwork, a set of weblike patterns on Mars's surface that stretches for miles. It will soon leave behind Gediz Vallis channel, an area w.....»»
From using plant rinds to high-tech materials, bike helmets have improved significantly over the past two centuries
Imagine—it's the mid-1800s, and you're riding your high-wheeled, penny-farthing bicycle down a dusty road. Sure, it may have some bumps, but if you lose your balance, you're landing on a relatively soft dirt road. But as the years go by, these road.....»»
The new Mars landing approach: How we"ll land large payloads on the Red Planet
Back in 2007, I talked with Rob Manning, engineer extraordinaire at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and he told me something shocking. Even though he had successfully led the entry, descent, and landing (EDL) teams for three Mars rover missions, he sa.....»»
Empowering people, saving the planet: A case for direct democracy
A new study by Prof. Yacov Tsur from the Department of Environmental Economics and Management at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem offers valuable insights into the relationship between democracy's attributes and greenhouse gas emissions. Using a co.....»»
Astronomers discover a unique quasi-stellar object–dusty star-forming galaxy system
Astronomers from the Steward Observatory in Arizona and elsewhere report the discovery of a structure consisting of a quasi-stellar object (QSO) and a dusty star-forming galaxy (DSFG), linked by a bridge of ionized carbon. The finding of this unique.....»»
A new way to detect daisy worlds
The daisy world model describes a hypothetical planet that self-regulates, maintaining a delicate balance involving its biogeochemical cycles, climate, and feedback loops that keep it habitable. It's associated with the Gaia Hypothesis developed by J.....»»
ATLAS observes top quarks in lead–lead collisions
At a talk held at CERN this week, the ATLAS collaboration at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) reported observing top quarks in collisions between lead ions, marking the first observation of this process in interactions between atomic nuclei......»»
Resilience index needed to keep us within planet"s "safe operating space," say researchers
Researchers are calling for a 'resilience index' to be used as an indicator of policy success instead of the current focus on GDP. They say that GDP ignores the wider implications of development and provides no information on our ability to live with.....»»
Troubled waters: How to stop Australia"s freshwater fish species from going extinct
Three-quarters of Australia's freshwater fish species are found nowhere else on the planet. This makes us the sole custodians of remarkable creatures such as the ornate rainbowfish, the ancient Australian lungfish and the magnificently named longnose.....»»
Happy Martian New Year!
The Martian new year arrives with the Red Planet’s vernal equinox. Explaining why requires a deep dive into celestial mechanics and Earth’s calendrical history.....»»
Generative AI Could Generate Millions More Tons of E-Waste by 2030
Generative AI could saddle the planet with heaps more hazardous waste.....»»
How to deactivate your X account before it starts training AI on your posts
In October, X (formerly Twitter) made significant changes to its Terms of Service that ruffled the feathers of the site’s user base. Most notably, anything … The post How to deactivate your X account before it starts training AI on your p.....»»
New study examines how extraterrestrial civilizations could become "stellivores"
One of the most challenging aspects of astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is anticipating what life and extraterrestrial civilizations will look like. Invariably, we have only one example of a planet that supports li.....»»
A new mission to Pluto could answer the questions raised by New Horizons
Pluto may have been downgraded from full-planet status, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hold a special place in scientist's hearts. There are practical and sentimental reasons for that—Pluto has tantalizing mysteries to unlock that New Horizons, t.....»»
Meteorite contains evidence of liquid water on Mars 742 million years ago
An asteroid struck Mars 11 million years ago and sent pieces of the red planet hurtling through space. One of these chunks of Mars eventually crashed into the Earth somewhere near Purdue University and is one of the few meteorites that can be traced.....»»
Planet saw its 2nd-warmest October in 175-year record: 2024 on pace to be world"s warmest year on record
Earth saw another unusually warm month, with October 2024 ranking as the second-warmest October in NOAA's 175-year global climate record......»»
Economic policies encourage the careless use of people and the planet. Creating caring economies is the answer
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change includes a Gender Action Plan, adopted in 2017. The plan aims to "enhance the gender responsiveness" of climate policy and climate action. It outlines specific actions and strategies to promot.....»»
Declassified spy images help locate ancient battle site
Archaeologists from Durham University and University of Al-Qadisiyah in Iraq have pinpointed the location of a famous early Islamic battle using declassified spy satellite images......»»
New research challenges dark matter theory in galaxy formation
The standard model for how galaxies formed in the early universe predicted that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) would see dim signals from small, primitive galaxies. But data are not confirming the popular hypothesis that invisible dark matter.....»»