Interstellar visitor ‘Oumuamua was a piece of Pluto-like planet, not aliens
In 2017, a cigar-shaped object was spotted in the sky and was identified as coming from outside our solar system. Now researchers think they know what it was......»»
Wildlife loss is taking ecosystems nearer to collapse, new report suggests
Even for a conservation biologist numbed to bad news about nature, the biennial Living Planet report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is a stark reminder of our failure to arrest the loss of biodiversity—the variety of living things and the ecosy.....»»
Claustrophobic cells slow their own growth, forming beautiful patterns of concentric circles
Like so many organisms on the planet, when cells experience mosh-pit-level crowding, they may just become stressed. Yet unlike most other life forms, cells subject to physical stress from crowding by neighbors can find some relief by dramatically slo.....»»
In our opinion: Believe the storms: Climate change is real
No one should try to kill the auto industry in hopes of saving the planet. But we must also take seriously the need for the industry to be a functional partner in a solution......»»
How did magma oceans evolve on early Earth and Mars? Iron chemistry and primordial atmospheres offer clues
Before Earth became the blue planet, it was engulfed by a very different kind of ocean: a vast, deep magma ocean reaching down hundreds or perhaps even thousands of kilometers......»»
World"s highest-voltage gun accelerates electrons from zero to 80% the speed of light
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have designed and tested the world's highest voltage polarized electron gun, a key piece of technology needed for building the world's first fully polarized Electron-I.....»»
Astronomers race to capture image of exoplanet near star
Planet AF Lep b is a world of firsts. In 2023, it was the lowest-mass planet outside our solar system to be directly observed and have its mass measured using astrometry. This is a technique that charts the subtle movements of a host star over many y.....»»
Hubble and New Horizons offer dual perspectives on Uranus to inform exoplanet research
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and New Horizons spacecraft simultaneously set their sights on Uranus recently, allowing scientists to make a direct comparison of the planet from two very different viewpoints. The results inform future plans to study l.....»»
James Webb discovers a new type of exoplanet: an exotic ‘steam world’
Researchers using James Webb have identified a new and exotic type of planet called a steam world, with an atmosphere almost entirely composed of water vapor......»»
How academia drives sustainability: The impact of science on the UN"s Sustainable Development Goals
The role of universities in the fight for a fairer and more sustainable planet is increasingly significant. A team of researchers from ESPOL has examined how academia contributes to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by analyzing scientifi.....»»
NASA"s Roman space telescope"s "exoskeleton" whirls through major test
A major component of NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope just took a spin on the centrifuge at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Called the Outer Barrel Assembly, this piece of the observatory is designed to keep the tel.....»»
PSA: Install iOS 18 with Messages via satellite for your Hurricane Milton prep
Hurricane Milton currently looks like an extremely dangerous threat to the state of Florida. If you are in Milton’s path, or you know someone who is, there’s a key piece of hurricane prep I highly recommend: install iOS 18 so you can start using.....»»
The other greenhouse gases warming the planet
While carbon dioxide, or CO2, is the best known greenhouse gas, several others, including methane and nitrous oxide, are also driving global warming and altering the Earth's climate......»»
Research suggests Earth"s oldest continental crust is disintegrating
Earth's continental configurations have changed dramatically over its billions of years' history, transforming not only their positions across the planet, but also their topography as expansion and contraction of the crust made a mark on the landscap.....»»
New study eases concerns over possible "doomsday" asteroid swarm
Astronomers have good news about potentially hazardous asteroids lurking near our planet: There aren't as many as we thought......»»
Nuclear rockets could travel to Mars in half the time, but designing the reactors that would power them isn"t easy
NASA plans to send crewed missions to Mars over the next decade—but the 140 million-mile (225 million-kilometer) journey to the red planet could take several months to years round trip......»»
NASA turns off another of Voyager 2’s instruments to save power
The Voyager spacecraft, launched in the 1970s, has turned off its plasma science instrument to save power for exploring interstellar space......»»
OpenAI secures $6.6 billion in latest funding round
Thanks to $6.6 billion in funding from the likes of Microsoft and Nvidia with a $157 billion valuation, OpenAI is now one of the wealthiest private enterprises on the planet......»»
Limited time deal: Alienware wireless gaming keyboard at 30% off
The Alienware Pro wireless gaming keyboard may be the missing piece for your premium PC gaming setup. You can currently get it from Dell with a $60 discount......»»
Mercury"s magnetic landscape mapped in 30 minutes
As BepiColombo sped past Mercury during its June 2023 flyby, it encountered a variety of features in the tiny planet's magnetic field. These measurements provide a tantalizing taste of the mysteries that the mission is set to investigate when it arri.....»»
Supercharged storms: how climate change amplifies cyclones
From Hurricane Helene to Typhoon Yagi, powerful storms are battering the globe, and scientists warn that a warming planet is amplifying their destructive force to unprecedented levels......»»