An encyclopedia of geology that’s less a reference than a journey
Rocks are not nouns but verbs, says Marcia Bjornerud in her new book. Enlarge / An amethyst may make a good metaphor for geology as a whole. (credit: Getty Images) To outsiders, geology can seem as dull as a rock, with a lexic.....»»
Dream Chaser is getting tested at NASA
After a journey spanning almost two decades, Sierra Nevada Corporation's Dream Chaser reusable spaceplane, named Tenacity, is officially undergoing environmental testing at NASA's Neil Armstrong Test Facility located at NASA's Glenn Research Center i.....»»
Lost in space? Just use relativity
One of the hardest things for many people to conceptualize when talking about how fast something is going is that they must ask, "Compared to what?" All motion only makes sense from a frame of reference, and many spacecraft traveling in the depths of.....»»
NASA asteroid sampling mission renamed OSIRIS-APEX for new journey
The former OSIRIS-REx spacecraft sets off on a journey to study asteroid Apophis and take advantage of the asteroid's 2029 flyby of Earth, the likes of which hasn't happened since the dawn of recorded history......»»
Shining a light on NASA"s deep space demo
NASA's Psyche mission launched on 13 October 2023 on a journey to explore what could be the exposed metallic core of an ancient planet......»»
NASA"s BurstCube passes milestones on journey to launch
Scientists and engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, have completed testing for BurstCube, a shoebox-sized spacecraft designed to study the universe's most powerful explosions. Members of the team have also delivered.....»»
Examining the woollybear caterpillar as it makes its seasonal journey to overwinter
If you've been watching your step, there's a good chance you may have spotted some fuzzy black caterpillars inching their way across roads, sidewalks or yards over the past several weeks......»»
Possible first ever synchrotron-based analysis of asteroid Bennu to be performed
After an amazing journey, a grain from the asteroid Bennu will be brought to Diamond Light Source, the UK's national synchrotron, for scientific measurements. The grain is from 100 milligrams of sample sent to the Natual History Museum (NHM) in Londo.....»»
Halley"s comet is finally headed back to the sun: When you can see it
The most famous comet of all is headed back toward Earth. Halley's comet reached aphelion—its farthest point from the sun—on Dec. 8, at which point it began its long journey back to the sun......»»
Potential signs of life on Mars might be easier to find than first thought
A school science experiment is answering questions that are out of this world. While there had been concerns that any evidence of organic matter on Mars might be obscured by the planet's geology, new research suggests this might not be the case......»»
Evidence that ancient Tethys Ocean influenced Earth"s past environments
A recent study, published in Science China Earth Sciences and led by geologist Bo Wan from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Geology and Geophysics, connects the Tethyan plate tectonic movements to changes in Earth's surface environment......»»
Molecular fossils study sheds light on feeding strategy shift in ancient life
Paleontologists are getting a glimpse at life over a billion years in the past based on chemical traces in ancient rocks and the genetics of living animals. Research published in Nature Communications combines geology and genetics, showing how change.....»»
Famed Halley"s comet passes aphelion this weekend
It's lonely out there in the frozen outer solar system. On Saturday, December 9th, that most famous of all comets 1P/Halley reaches a hallmark point on its 75-year journey through the solar system, reaching aphelion or its most distant point from the.....»»
Toxic comments associated with reduced activity of volunteer editors on Wikipedia
A study links hostility on Wikipedia to lost productivity on the site. Wikipedia, the largest reference work ever created, is written and edited by tens of thousands of volunteers, known as Wikipedians. Despite the fact that anyone can edit any page,.....»»
Was going to space a good idea?
In 1963, six years after the first satellite was launched, editors from the Encyclopedia Britannica posed a question to five eminent thinkers of the day: "Has man's conquest of space increased or diminished his stature?" The respondents were philosop.....»»
A 10-billion-year, 50,000-light-year journey to a black hole
A star near the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy originated outside the galaxy according to a new study published in Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B. This is the first time a star of extragalactic origin has be.....»»
Apple Music to host event honoring Taylor Swift as its 2023 Artist of the Year
Apple unveils 'Taylor Swift's Eras: The Experience,' a celebration of Swift's 2023 Apple Music Artist of the Year award, inviting fans to immerse themselves in the artist's iconic journey through 10 eras in New York City.Apple has announced an event.....»»
Disability advocate shares journey with iOS 17 Personal Voice, see it in action [Video]
Apple launched two amazing new accessibility features this year called Personal Voice and Live Speech. They allow users to not only create and securely store a replica of their voice but also to allow iPhone to speak for them. Today Apple has shared.....»»
Daily deals Nov. 29: Apple Watch Series 8 $279, 51% off 27" iMac, 27% off Ember Smart Mug 2, more
Today's hottest deals include 52% off a Klipsch Reference 5.0 home theater system, 57% off Sennheiser Momentum 3 Bluetooth earbuds, 34% off an iPhone 15 silicone case with MagSafe, a 2020 M1 MacBook Air for $800, and more.Get a 27-inch iMac for $980T.....»»
Researchers describe the journey of thermal antibubbles in a hot bath
Bubbles are thin liquid shells surrounded by air. Although less well known, there are also antibubbles, which are the opposite of bubbles, i.e., a thin envelope of vapor surrounded by liquid. In a new study, we show that it is possible to create anti.....»»
AI recognizes the tempo and stages of embryonic development
Animal embryos go through a series of characteristic developmental stages on their journey from a fertilized egg cell to a functional organism. This biological process is largely genetically controlled and follows a similar pattern across different a.....»»