Virgin Orbit receives another small investment from Branson—and it’s worrisome
More clarity on the company's financial situation should come by late March. Enlarge / LauncherOne arrives on the runway at Long Beach Airport for a fit check with Cosmic Girl in October 2018. (credit: Virgin Orbit/Greg Robinson).....»»
10 best crime TV shows of all time, ranked
The best crime TV series ever made are suspenseful and genre-defining masterpieces that would dominate the small screen, from The Sopranos to Breaking Bad......»»
Breathing may introduce microplastics to the brain—new study
Small plastic particles are everywhere: in the soil where our food is grown, in the water we drink and in the air we breathe. They got there from the plastic we throw away, which ends up in landfill sites, rivers and seas. There the plastic waste slo.....»»
Addressing global water security challenges: New study reveals investment opportunities and readiness levels
Water scarcity, pollution, and the burden of waterborne diseases are urgent issues threatening global health and security. A recently published study in the journal Global Environmental Change highlights the pressing need for innovative economic stra.....»»
Ryugu samples call into question previous ideas about the formation of carbon-rich asteroids
Asteroid Ryugu possibly did not travel as far from its place of origin to its current near-Earth orbit as previously assumed. New research published in the journal Science Advances suggests that Ryugu was formed near Jupiter......»»
IBM opens its quantum-computing stack to third parties
You don't have to use IBM's tools to run software on its quantum processor. Enlarge / The small quantum processor (center) surrounded by cables that carry microwave signals to it, and the refrigeration hardware. (credit: IBM).....»»
Rocket Report: SpaceX salvages Starship wreckage; pessimism for Virgin Galactic
The penultimate flight of Japan's workhorse H-IIA rocket deploys a spy satellite. Enlarge / A salvage ship raises a portion of SpaceX's Super Heavy booster from the Gulf of Mexico. This booster was used on the most recent Starshi.....»»
"I need to go": Floridians make final preparations for Hurricane Helene
Across the northern Florida coast, most small towns were deserted on Thursday, with stores closed and windows boarded up to protect against the high winds and potentially devastating storm surge of Hurricane Helene......»»
The 1963 Ford Cardinal—too radical for America at the time
Here's what happened when Ford tried to react to the Volkswagen Beetle. Enlarge / This was supposed to be Ford's answer to the VW Beetle, a small, light, efficient, front-wheel drive car called Cardinal. (credit: Ford).....»»
Bird study shows that grounded running styles conserve energy
A small team of biologists and animal movement specialists in the Netherlands and the U.K. has found that birds such as the emu have a grounded running style at medium speeds, allowing them to conserve energy compared to the ungrounded running style.....»»
Small accounts, big decisions: How multiple savings impact retirement payout choices
New study shows that retirees are more likely to cash out smaller retirement accounts instead of turning them into steady income streams, even though they might do the opposite with larger accounts. This choice can hurt their long-term financial secu.....»»
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: tiny, terrific earbuds
Google's latest earbuds are astonishingly small and light, yet offer better ANC and sound quality than the first-gen Pixel Buds Pro......»»
Small firms may offer higher pay due to a lack of market power
Small companies may post higher wages for entry level positions than large companies—potentially attracting better talent, even though the larger companies have more influence on the market, according to new Cornell research......»»
The "publish or perish" mentality is fueling research paper retractions—and undermining science
When scientists make important discoveries, both big and small, they typically publish their findings in scientific journals for others to read. This sharing of knowledge helps to advance science: it can, in turn, lead to more important discoveries......»»
How a butterfly invasion minimizes genetic diversity
Until a few years ago, the butterfly known as the southern small white could barely be found north of the Alps. That was before a Europe-wide invasion that brought a huge increase in the insect's distribution—at the same time as a rapid decrease in.....»»
Volunteers help seedlings take root as New Mexico attempts to recover from historic wildfire
A small team of volunteers spent a few hours scrambling across fire-ravaged mountainsides, planting hundreds of seedlings as part of a monumental recovery effort that has been ongoing following the largest wildfire in New Mexico's recorded history......»»
Small tsunami waves splash ashore on remote Japanese islands
Small tsunami waves splashed ashore on remote Japanese islands Tuesday morning after an earthquake that may have been triggered by volcanic activity......»»
Potential indicators of life on other planets can be created in a lab
One way to understand the potential for life on far-off planets—those in other solar systems that orbit different stars—is to study a planet's atmosphere. Telescopic images often capture traces of gases that may indicate life and habitable planet.....»»
The best Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra screen protectors: 10 top picks
Here are the best Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra screen protectors on the market so far. Use these to better protect your new investment from accidental drops......»»
Enigmatic archaeological site in Madagascar may have been built by people with Zoroastrian origins, research suggests
At the turn of the first millennium AD, an unknown group of people lived in the inland Isalo massif of southern Madagascar. Here, they built vast terraces and carved large stone chambers and small hollow rock niches. The architecture is unlike anythi.....»»
Could stars hotter than the sun still support life?
Although most potentially habitable worlds orbit red dwarf stars, we know larger and brighter stars can harbor life. One yellow dwarf star, for example, is known to have a planet teaming with life, perhaps even intelligent life. But how large and bri.....»»