Entropy could be key to a planet"s habitability
We all know that to have life on a world, you need three critical items: water, warmth, and food. Now add to that a factor called "entropy." It plays a role in determining if a given planet can sustain and grow complex life......»»
Scientists discover a long-sought global electric field on Earth
Using observations from a NASA suborbital rocket, an international team of scientists, for the first time, has successfully measured a planet-wide electric field thought to be as fundamental to Earth as its gravity and magnetic fields......»»
The leading alternative to GDP is languishing over a technical disagreement—with potentially grave consequences
Many commentators believe that the world should move away from measuring economic success in terms of GDP growth. Yes, growth has brought prosperity and untold riches, but it has had significant negative side effects for the planet, including climate.....»»
On wildfires, experts say the West needs to rethink its response
Wildfires and the pain they cause to people, property and the planet are here to stay. And if Western management practices don't change to anticipate more and more record fire years, that pain may spread and worsen......»»
Researchers develop high-entropy non-covalent cyclic peptide glass for smart functional materials
Researchers from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a sustainable, biodegradable, biorecyclable material: high-entropy non-covalent cyclic peptide (HECP) glass. This innovative glass features.....»»
Professor proposes how a black hole in orbit around a planet could be a sign of an advanced civilization
In 1971, English mathematical physicist and Nobel-prize winner Roger Penrose proposed how energy could be extracted from a rotating black hole. He argued that this could be done by building a harness around the black hole's accretion disk, where infa.....»»
What the unique shape of the human heart tells us about our evolution
Mammals, from the mighty blue whale to the tiny shrew, inhabit nearly every corner of our planet. Their remarkable adaptability to different environments has long fascinated scientists, with each species developing unique traits to survive and thrive.....»»
The best movies on Hulu right now (August 2024)
The best movies on Hulu include Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Immaculate, Rachel Getting Married, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Ford v Ferrari, and more......»»
Exoplanets may contain more water than previously thought
We know that the Earth has an iron core surrounded by a mantle of silicate bedrock and water (oceans) on its surface. Science has used this simple planet model until today for investigating exoplanets—planets that orbit another star outside our sol.....»»
Mapping Martian meteorites: Tracing origins on the red planet
Researchers have identified the specific locations from which most of the approximately 200 Martian meteorites originate. They've traced the meteorites to five impact craters within two volcanic regions on the red planet called Tharsis and Elysium. T.....»»
Ocean salinity affects Earth"s climate—how about on exoplanets?
There's a link between Earth's ocean salinity and its climate. Salinity can have a dramatic effect on the climate of any Earth-like planet orbiting a sun-like star. But what about exoplanets around M-dwarfs?.....»»
Understanding of early life ecosystems sheds light on evolution of life on Earth
With a new understanding of past life on the planet through fossils, a Mississippi State biological sciences faculty member is helping researchers better predict Earth's future......»»
U.S. has its first national strategy to reduce plastic pollution—three strong points and a key issue to watch
Plastic waste is piling up at a daunting pace around the world. The World Bank estimates that every person on the planet generates an average of 1.6 pounds (0.74 kilograms) of plastic waste daily......»»
Crackles, clicks and pops—now we can monitor the "heartbeat" of soil
Healthy soil is teeming with life. An astonishing 59% of Earth's species live in soil. They play crucial roles in maintaining soil health and, by extension, the health of our planet......»»
New generation of ecological models needed to safeguard future of biodiversity, says researcher
Protecting animals, ecosystems and biodiversity is one of the big challenges of our time. With climate change dramatically impacting the planet and transformations in society such as housing development and urbanization, protecting ecosystems and the.....»»
International team sequence the world"s largest animal genome: Data help explain tetrapod evolution
Join us as we travel back in time. We have arrived in the Devonian period, some 420 to 360 million years ago. In a shallow area near the water's edge, something happened that would forever change life on our planet: a fish from the class of lobe-finn.....»»
Rocks collected on Mars hold key to water and perhaps life on the planet: Researchers urge bringing them back to Earth
Over the course of nearly five months in 2022, NASA's Perseverance rover collected rock samples from Mars that could rewrite the history of water on the red planet and even contain evidence for past life on Mars......»»
Coherence entropy unlocks new insights into light-field behavior
Light technology is at the heart of many cutting-edge innovations, from high-speed internet to advanced medical imaging. However, transmitting light through challenging environments, such as turbulent atmospheres or deformed optical systems, has alwa.....»»
Video: Arctic Weather Satellite advancing weather forecasting in a changing climate
The effects of the climate crisis are felt more acutely in the Arctic than anywhere else on the planet. The weather in the Arctic is not only severe, but it changes extremely quickly. More frequent data are urgently needed to improve weather forecast.....»»
Earfun Air Pro 4 review: the best budget wireless earbuds on the planet
Earfun's new flagship noise-canceling earbuds once again set a new standard for value and performance under $100......»»
New evidence from West Papua offers fresh clues about how and when humans first moved into the Pacific
In the deep human past, highly skilled seafarers made daring crossings from Asia to the Pacific Islands. It was a migration of global importance that shaped the distribution of our species—Homo sapiens—across the planet......»»