SpaceX announces first human mission to ever fly over the planet’s poles
The highest inclination flight by a human spacecraft to date is 65.1 degrees. Enlarge / The crew of Fram2 from left to right: Eric Philips, Jannicke Mikkelsen, Chun Wang, and Rabea Rogge. (credit: SpaceX) SpaceX will fl.....»»
Structural analysis reveals how human eyelashes promote water drainage
Throughout human evolution, body and facial hair have notably diminished, yet eyelashes have remained a distinguishing feature. The physiological or functional purpose of eyelashes—traditionally thought to be for catching dust or filtering air—ha.....»»
Discovery of enzyme pathway may lead to lifesaving leishmaniasis treatments
A breakthrough in understanding how a single-cell parasite makes ergosterol (its version of cholesterol) could lead to more effective drugs for human leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease that afflicts about 1 million people and kills about 30,000 peopl.....»»
Inequality weakens local governance and public satisfaction, study finds
Local governments in developing countries are crucial for providing public services that promote human development and address challenges like extreme weather, unemployment and crumbling infrastructure. Yet, they often face difficulties in implementi.....»»
Mitigating animal-vehicle collisions with field sensors, AI and ecological modeling
Collisions between animals and vehicles are a threat to conservation efforts and human safety, and have a massive cost for transport infrastructure managers and users......»»
Biosensors mimic human olfactory system to discriminate between very similar odors
The human olfactory system discriminates between thousands of odors by interacting specifically with olfactory receptors on sensory neurons. Each receptor can detect several odorants at different intensities, and the same odorant can activate more th.....»»
Avalanches, icy explosions and dunes: NASA is tracking New Year on Mars
Instead of a winter wonderland, the Red Planet's northern hemisphere goes through an active—even explosive—spring thaw. While New Year's Eve is around the corner here on Earth, Mars scientists are ahead of the game: The Red Planet completed a tri.....»»
The technosphere: A hidden long-term carbon sink in everyday items
We know a lot about how much fossil-derived carbon is emitted to the atmosphere but less about how much is stored in human-made products......»»
Watch NASA’s SLS rocket take one small step toward the Artemis II moon mission
Though it isn't expected to launch until 2026 at the earliest, NASA is quietly preparing its SLS rocket for the Artemis II lunar mission......»»
Chang"e-6 farside basalts reveal a reinforced lunar dynamo
The evolution of the lunar dynamo is crucial for understanding the moon's deep interior structure, thermal history, and surface environment. A study by Chinese scientists conducted paleomagnetic analyses on basalts returned by the Chang'e-6 mission a.....»»
Watch NASA’s SLS rocket taking one small step toward Artemis II moon mission
Though it isn't expected to launch until 2026 at the earliest, NASA is quietly preparing its SLS rocket for the Artemis II lunar mission......»»
We’re about to fly a spacecraft into the Sun for the first time
"Quite simply, we want to find the birthplace of the solar wind." Almost no one ever writes about the Parker Solar Probe anymore. Sure, the spacecraft got some attention when it l.....»»
Discovery of egg"s immune-like attack on sperm mitochondria may aid fertility
Within minutes of fertilization, the egg of a fruit fly becomes a scene from the battle of the sexes. The egg attacks and destroys the cellular "power plants" (mitochondria) from the sperm that had fertilized it, so that only its own mitochondria rem.....»»
Apollo lunar mission samples reveal origins of lunar water and its connection to Earth"s early history
A team of international scientists has unveiled groundbreaking research on the origins of lunar water, offering insights that could reshape our understanding of the Earth-moon system and the broader solar system. Published in the journal Proceedings.....»»
Ancient Mars" thick crust could have supported hidden water reservoirs and rare magmas, new research suggests
A new study explores how variations in Mars' crustal thickness during its ancient history may have influenced the planet's magmatic evolution and hydrological systems. The research, published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, suggests that the.....»»
SpaceX to launch more private astronaut missions to ISS
Elon Musk's SpaceX is planning to fly private crew missions to the International Space Station in partnership with a Calfornia-based startup, the two companies said on Thursday......»»
Change management shows us how we all can become climate leaders
'Tis the season for resolutions, and if yours are all about reducing your impact on the planet then you may find yourself at loggerheads this holiday season with friends whose 2025 goals are a bit less green......»»
Sentinel-1 data reveals Arctic glacier retreat
As Arctic temperatures rise, marine-terminating glaciers—especially in places like Svalbard—are undergoing rapid retreat and intensified calving. The Space for Shore project utilizes radar data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission to provide pr.....»»
SpaceX gets green light for seventh Starship test, but when is it?
The FAA has given the nod to SpaceX to conduct its seventh Starship test from its Starbase site in Texas......»»
Astronaut-on-a-chip: Multi-organ tissue chips simulate space radiation"s impact on human health
As astronauts venture further into space, their exposure to harmful radiation rises. Researchers from Columbia University are simulating the effects of space radiation here on Earth to determine its impact on human physiology using multi-organ tissue.....»»
UN experts urge three "transformations" for nature
Human societies need a radical overhaul to stop the destruction of the planet, according to the UN biodiversity expert panel's "transformative change" report released Wednesday......»»