What is a flash drought? An Earth scientist explains
Many people are familiar with flash floods—torrents that develop quickly after heavy rainfall. But there's also such a thing as a flash drought, and these sudden, extreme dry spells are becoming a big concern for farmers and water utilities......»»
Study reveals new mechanism to explain how continents stabilized
Ancient, expansive tracts of continental crust called cratons have helped keep Earth's continents stable for billions of years, even as landmasses shift, mountains rise and oceans form. A new mechanism proposed by Penn State scientists may explain ho.....»»
Computer models suggest modern plate tectonics are due to blobs left behind by cosmic collision
A small team of geologists and seismologists at the California Institute of Technology has found evidence via computer modeling that suggest giant blobs of material near the Earth's core, believed to have been created by a cosmic collision 4.5 billio.....»»
How rising treelines can affect Alpine lakes
An EPFL scientist along with colleagues from universities across Europe have completed the first-ever quantitative study of the changes that soil organic matter from forests can cause in high-altitude and high-latitude lakes once it's dissolved in th.....»»
Study pinpoints cellular response to pressure in sea star embryos
An international team of scientists has discovered a new cellular mechanism that explains how cells can adapt to pressure changes during tissue growth by packing themselves into a unique shape......»»
World extends run of heat records for an 11th month in a row
April was the Earth's 11th consecutive month of record-breaking heat, with warmer weather already sweeping across Asia and a hotter-than-usual summer expected in Europe......»»
Geologists reveal mysterious and diverse volcanism in lunar Apollo Basin, Chang"e-6 landing site
The far side of the moon is a mysterious place that is never visible from the Earth. The most remarkable feature of the moon is its asymmetry between the lunar near side and far side in composition, crust thickness, and mare volcanism. Scientists hav.....»»
What can early Earth teach us about the search for life?
Earth is the only life-supporting planet we know of, so it's tempting to use it as a standard in the search for life elsewhere. But the modern Earth can't serve as a basis for evaluating exoplanets and their potential to support life. Earth's atmosph.....»»
What are nanoplastics? An engineer explains concerns about particles too small to see
It's become common to read that microplastics—little bits of plastic, smaller than a pencil eraser—are turning up everywhere and in everything, including the ocean, farmland, food and human bodies. Now a new term is gaining attention: nanoplastic.....»»
Flash deal gets you an Amazon Echo Pop for $20 — that’s 50% off
The Amazon Echo Pop is currently even more affordable following a $20 discount from Amazon. Get this chance to buy multiples of the Alexa-powered smart speaker......»»
Listening to giants: The search for the elusive Antarctic blue whale
Blue whales are the largest animals on Earth, measuring up to 30 meters long and weighing up to 200 tons—as much as a Boeing 787. Yet it's the sound they make, not their size, which gives their location away......»»
Compared to billions of years ago, Venus has almost no water: New study may reveal why
Planetary scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered how Venus, Earth's scalding and uninhabitable neighbor, became so dry......»»
Scientists" research answers big question about our system"s largest planet
New discoveries about Jupiter could lead to a better understanding of Earth's own space environment and influence a long-running scientific debate about the solar system's largest planet......»»
Sony backs down, won’t enforce PSN accounts for Helldivers 2 PC players on Steam
What will Sony do next for an audience that likes its games but not its network? Enlarge / Aiming a single rifle sight into an earth-moving explosion feels like some kind of metaphor for the Helldivers 2 delayed PSN requirement s.....»»
Blowout deal: grab Apple"s M2 Pro MacBook Pro for $1,599 today only
A flash price drop on Apple's 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 Pro chip is in effect today only, driving the price down to $1,599 during B&H's 24-hour Deal Zone.Save $400 on this MacBook Pro today only.B&H's latest Deal Zone consists of a blowout barga.....»»
Blowout deal: grab Apple"s M2 Pro MacBook Pro for $1,649 today only
A flash price drop on Apple's 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 Pro chip is in effect today only, driving the price down to $1,649 during B&H's 24-hour Deal Zone.Save $350 on this MacBook Pro today only.B&H's latest Deal Zone consists of a blowout barga.....»»
Radio astronomers bypass disturbing Earth"s atmosphere with new calibration technique
An international team of researchers led by astronomers from Leiden University (Netherlands) has produced the first sharp radio maps of the universe at low frequencies. Thanks to a new calibration technique, they bypassed the disturbances of the Eart.....»»
Unraveling life"s origin: Five key breakthroughs from the past five years
There is still so much we don't understand about the origin of life on Earth......»»
Saturday Citations: Parrots on the internet; a map of human wakefulness; the most useless rare-earth element
We field a torrent of science news updates every week and on Saturday morning, we highlight three or four of them based on the observed preferences of a panel of dogs as shown by the Paired-Stimulus Preference Assessment, a standardized evaluation of.....»»
Boeing"s Starliner joins select club of crewed US spaceships
Throughout the annals of American space exploration, a select few spacecraft have had the distinction of carrying human beings beyond Earth......»»
Are carbon-capture models effective?
Reforestation efforts to restock depleted forests are important for addressing climate change and for both capturing and restoring carbon from the Earth's atmosphere. These types of solutions to mitigate carbon emissions are critical after 2023 prove.....»»