Up to half of Earth"s water may come from solar wind and space dust
Water is vital for life on Earth, and some experts say we should all drink around two liters every day as part of a healthy lifestyle. But beyond the tap, where does our water come from?.....»»
Mice navigating a virtual reality environment reveal that walls, not floors, define space
New research published in Current Biology sheds light on how animals create and maintain internal spatial maps based on their surroundings......»»
New eco-friendly lubricant additives protect turbine equipment, waterways
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed lubricant additives that protect both water turbine equipment and the surrounding environment......»»
A clock in the rocks: What cosmic rays tell us about Earth"s changing surface and climate
How often do mountains collapse, volcanoes erupt or ice sheets melt?.....»»
The COVID-19 pandemic changed our patterns and behaviors, which in turn affected wildlife
The Earth now supports over eight billion people who collectively have transformed three-quarters of the planet's land surface for food, energy, shelter and other aspects of the human enterprise......»»
Life"s insiders: Decoding endosymbiosis with mathematics
Endosymbiosis, the intimate and long-term relationship where one organism lives inside another, is a cornerstone of life as we know it, and a key to the emergence of complex life on Earth. Many of the mysteries surrounding endosymbiosis are difficult.....»»
Pulsed plasma rocket (PPR): Shielded, fast transits for humans to Mars
The future of a space-faring civilization will depend on the ability to move both cargo and humans efficiently and rapidly. Due to the extremely large distances that are involved in space travel, the spacecraft must reach high velocities for reasonab.....»»
Fluidic telescope (FLUTE): Enabling the next generation of large space observatories
The future of space-based UV/optical/IR astronomy requires ever larger telescopes. The highest priority astrophysics targets, including Earth-like exoplanets, first generation stars, and early galaxies, are all extremely faint, which presents an ongo.....»»
The Great Observatory for Long Wavelengths (GO-LoW) proposal
Humankind has never before seen the low frequency radio sky. It is hidden from ground-based telescopes by the Earth's ionosphere and challenging to access from space with traditional missions because the long wavelengths involved (meter- to kilometer.....»»
Japanese aerospace company captures an actual picture of space debris
Space debris is a growing problem, so companies are working on ways to mitigate it. A new satellite called ADRAS-J was built and launched to demonstrate how a spacecraft could rendezvous with a piece of space junk, paving the path for future removal......»»
Two small NASA satellites will measure soil moisture, volcanic gases
Two NASA pathfinding missions were recently deployed into low-Earth orbit, where they are demonstrating novel technologies for observing atmospheric gases, measuring freshwater, and even detecting signs of potential volcanic eruptions......»»
X-ray satellite XMM-Newton sees "space clover" in a new light
Astronomers have discovered enormous circular radio features of unknown origin around some galaxies. Now, new observations of one dubbed the Cloverleaf suggest it was created by clashing groups of galaxies......»»
Weak magnetic field may have supported diversification of life on Earth
An unusual reduction in the strength of Earth's magnetic field between 591 and 565 million years ago coincided with a significant increase in the oxygen levels in the atmosphere and oceans, according to a paper published in Communications Earth & Env.....»»
Webb telescope probably didn"t find life on an exoplanet—yet
Recent reports of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope finding signs of life on a distant planet understandably sparked excitement. A new study challenges this finding, but also outlines how the telescope might verify the presence of the life-produced g.....»»
NASA says Artemis II report by its inspector general is unhelpful and redundant
"The redundancy in the above recommendations does not help." Enlarge / Orion, the Moon, and Earth in one photo in December 2022. (credit: NASA) NASA's acting inspector general, George A. Scott, released a report Wednesd.....»»
Storing energy with compressed air is about to have its moment of truth
Technology will be used to store wind and solar energy for use later. Enlarge / A rendering of Silver City Energy Centre, a compressed air energy storage plant to be built by Hydrostor in Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia......»»
NASA seems unhappy to be questioned about its Artemis II readiness
"The redundancy in the above recommendations does not help." Enlarge / Orion, the Moon, and Earth in one photo in December 2022. (credit: NASA) NASA's acting inspector general, George A. Scott, released a report Wednesd.....»»
Climate is one culprit in growth and spread of dust in Middle East
Climate change is transforming dust storms—a natural phenomenon in the Middle East—into a more frequent and widespread threat to health and economies throughout the region, a new study shows......»»
Understanding emerging AI and data privacy regulations
In this Help Net Security interview, Sophie Stalla-Bourdillon, Senior Privacy Counsel & Legal Engineer at Immuta, discusses the AI Act, the Data Act, and the Health Data Space Regulation. Learn how these regulations interact, their implications for b.....»»
Precipitation may brighten Colorado River"s future, says modeling study
The Colorado River's future may be a little brighter than expected, according to a new modeling study from CIRES researchers. Warming temperatures, which deplete water in the river, have raised doubts the Colorado River could recover from a multi-dec.....»»
New computer algorithm supercharges climate models and could lead to better predictions of future climate change
Earth System Models—complex computer models that describe Earth processes and how they interact—are critical for predicting future climate change. By simulating the response of our land, oceans and atmosphere to manmade greenhouse gas emissions,.....»»