NASA’s oldest active astronaut is also one of the most curious humans
"We made the mistake of peeking out the Cupola windows." For his most recent trip to the International Space Station, in lieu of bringing coffee or some other beverage in his "per.....»»
Hollywood techniques help NASA visualize supercomputing data
Captivating images and videos can bring data to life. NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS) produces visualizations, animations, and images to help scientists tell stories of their research and make science more approachable and engaging......»»
The hidden disease risks of modern housing developments in rural Africa
Tamika Lunn went to Kenya looking for bats. Her task, as a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of U of A biologist Kristian Forbes, was to catch bats to understand if, when and why they carried viruses. A spillover of a bat virus to humans could lead.....»»
How humans evolved to be "energetically unique"
Humans, it turns out, possess much higher metabolic rates than other mammals, including our close relatives, apes and chimpanzees, finds a Harvard study. Having both high resting and active metabolism, researchers say, enabled our hunter-gatherer anc.....»»
Flies carry bacteria, and some are resistant to antibiotics—evidence from three South African hospices
Houseflies live close to humans and domesticated animals and because they are so mobile they can easily spread bacteria that make people sick......»»
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.....»»
The ISS has been leaking air for 5 years, and engineers still don’t know why
"This is a an engineering problem, and good engineers should be able to agree on it." Officials from NASA and Russia’s space agency don’t see eye to eye on the causes and risk.....»»
Tiny worm makes for big evolutionary discovery: Scientists describe "Uncus," the oldest ecdysozoan
Everyone has a past. That includes the millions of species of insects, arachnids, and nematode worms that make up a major animal group called the Ecdysozoa......»»
A single cell"s siesta: How non-moving single-celled organisms manage to avoid bright light
Too much of a good thing is no good at all. Living organisms enjoy sunlight—in fact, they need it to stay alive—but they tend to avoid light that is too bright. Animals go to their shelter, humans have a siesta, even plants have mechanisms to avo.....»»
How 2024"s "extremely active" hurricane season brought storm after storm
The 2024 hurricane season has hurled one storm after another, with some of those storms turning deadly......»»
Relive NASA’s debut launch of its mighty SLS rocket on second anniversary
On the second anniversary of its maiden launch, relive the moment NASA's mega moon soared skyward, sending the Orion spacecraft toward our celestial neighbor......»»
NASA has a big problem with all the wind blowing out of Uranus
In 1986, NASA’s Voyager 2 made history as the first—and so far, the only—spacecraft to visit Uranus. This close encounter gave scientists a rare look … The post NASA has a big problem with all the wind blowing out of Uranus appeared f.....»»
Big Bang: Trump and Musk could redefine US space strategy
Should NASA return to the moon, or go straight to Mars? Maintain its focus on climate science, or pivot away?.....»»
NASA satellites reveal abrupt drop in global freshwater levels
An international team of scientists using observations from NASA-German satellites found evidence that Earth's total amount of freshwater dropped abruptly starting in May 2014 and has remained low ever since. Reporting in Surveys in Geophysics, the r.....»»
Study uncovers earliest evidence of humans using fire to shape the landscape of Tasmania
Some of the first human beings to arrive in Tasmania, over 41,000 years ago, used fire to shape and manage the landscape, about 2,000 years earlier than previously thought......»»
Rainforest protection reduces the number of respiratory diseases, research suggests
Rainforest protection is not only good for biodiversity and the climate—it also noticeably improves the health of humans who live in the corresponding regions. This is the conclusion drawn by a current study by the University of Bonn and the Univer.....»»
Biodiversity in the city: Designing urban spaces for humans and animals
Animals and plants also live and thrive on public squares. This creates opportunities for greater biodiversity and well-being for the human population. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have studied at 103 locations in Munich ho.....»»
Starliner astronauts are healthy and not losing weight, NASA says
NASA has denied rumors that two of its astronauts are losing weight on the ISS, saying they are in outstanding health......»»
Ending NASA’s Chandra Will Cut Us Out of the High-Resolution X-Ray Universe
The Chandra X-ray Observatory is facing closure. Shutting it down would be a loss to science as a whole.....»»
NASA tests new AI chatbot to make sense of complex data
NASA has partnered with Microsoft to develop an AI-powered chatbot aimed at making sense of vast amounts of Earth-related science data......»»
What Bird Flu in Wastewater Means for California and Beyond
Wastewater in several Californian cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, recently tested positive for bird flu. But understanding disease risk and exposure to humans isn’t so straightforward.....»»