Today's Science News
December 10, 2024
A new discovery about the source of the vast energy in cosmic rays - New research suggests ultra-high energy cosmic rays are energized by magnetic turbulence rather than shock waves from astronomical explosions.NASA to Discuss Firefly’s First Robotic Artemis Moon Flight - NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EST Tuesday, Dec. 17, to discuss the agency science and technology flying aboard Firefly Aerospace’s first
Vacuum Testing Complete on Artemis II Orion Spacecraft - NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II test flight returned to the Final Assembly and System Testing (FAST) cell following completion of the second round
Cosmic rays may complicate the quest to find life on Mars - We may be racing against the clock to identify signs of life on Mars — and it's all because of cosmic rays.
NASA Invites Social Creators for Launch of Two NASA Missions - Registration is open for digital content creators to attend the launch of NASA’s Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and
Discovery Alert: A Planet with a ‘Tail’ - The Planet WASP-69 b The Discovery The exoplanet WASP-69 b has a “tail,” leaving a trail of gas in its wake.
How the 'Great Filter' could explain why we haven't found intelligent aliens - One possible reason why we haven't found any intelligent life in the cosmos the Great Filter argument, which says that very few civilizations make it to the advanced spacefaring stage.
New Technique for Spotting Dyson Rings Unveiled. - Dyson spheres and rings have always held a special fascination for me.
New thunderstorms wider than Earth are spewing out green lightning on Jupiter — and could make one of the gas giant's massive bands disappear - A pair of massive thunderstorms have been spotted swirling in Jupiter's "South Equatorial Belt" and are likely unleashing massive bolts of green lightning.
NASA tests high-tech software for future mission to search for life on Jupiter's moon Europa - NASA is developing autonomous software to recognize faults and hazards on worlds like Europa, and prevent or fix them without having to await commands from Earth.
Both Men and Women Had Same Life Expectancy During the Medieval Period - Learn why the life expectancy during the medieval period was equal for men and women based on bones that point out past illnesses and frailty.
Daily Dose: Health Debate Over Corn Syrup Divides Region; Google Advances Quantum Computing with Willow Chip. - Farmers oppose health concerns regarding corn syrup linked to obesity, creating conflict with proposed policy changes affecting local economies.
Ancient 'land bridge' that connected Siberia to US wasn't what it seems, scientists find - The boggy landscape of the Bering land bridge may have allowed some ice age animals to cross easily, while others stayed in Asia.
High Velocity Clouds Comprise Less of the Milky Way’s Mass Than We Thought - A survey of high velocity clouds in the galactic halo of the Milky Way finds that they make up less of our galaxy's mass than we had previously thought.
Scientists Share Early Results from NASA’s Solar Eclipse Experiments - On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse swept across North America, from the western shores of Mexico, through the United States, and into northeastern Canada.
Learn how Pike and Number One met at Starfleet Academy in 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Asylum' (exclusive) - Spend time over the holidays with Pike and Number One in this latest 'Star Trek' adventure, "Strange New Worlds: Asylum" from Una McCormack.
Large, ghostly white crab-like predator discovered at the bottom of the Atacama Trench - A never-before-seen predatory crustacean that feeds on other smaller creatures in the hadal zone was discovered in the Atacama Trench at a depth of 25,900 feet.
NASA TechLeap Prize: Space Technology Payload Challenge - The Space Technology Payload Challenge invites individuals, teams, and organizations to submit applications for systems that advance technology to address one or more of NASA’s shortfalls.
Zooplankton diet could have big greenhouse benefits - An American-led research team has developed a new way to sequester more carbon dioxide at the bottom of the ocean.
3D Printable Bioreactor for Deep Space Food Production - NASA’s Synthetic Biology Project is turning to the 3D printing experts in the GrabCAD community for ideas and or designs that could lead to the ability to
In a not-so-subtle signal to regulators, Blue Origin says New Glenn is ready - Blue Origin needs to fly the New Glenn rocket to identify where the vehicle has margin.
Psychedelic Therapy Faces a Need For Higher Standards - Learn how psychedelics can be used in therapy to manage mental health issues, as new research determines how to elevate studies on this form of treatment.
Geminid meteor shower fills the sky with 'shooting stars' in spectacular time-lapse photos - Astrophotographer Miguel Claro of Portugal captured a stunning display of Geminid meteors in these spectacular time-lapse photos.
Extremely rare, black 'anti-auroras' paint luminous 'letter E' above Alaska - A "bizarre" E-shaped aurora was recently photographed dancing in the sky above Alaska.
New quantum computing milestone smashes entanglement world record - Researchers have made significant progress in the quest for scalable and fault-tolerant quantum computers after entangling the most logical qubits on record.
New antidote could save lives from deadly hydrogen sulfide gas - Hydrogen sulfide, a colorless gas that smells like rotten eggs, is produced naturally from decaying matter.
Addiction Telemedicine Has Saved Lives. Let’s Keep It Going - Pandemic relaxation of buprenorphine-prescribing restrictions must continue to keep saving lives amid a U.S. overdose epidemic
AI predicts that most of the world will see temperatures rise to 3°C much faster than previously expected - AI predicts that most of the world will see temperatures rise to 3C much faster than previously expected.
AI predicts Earth's peak warming - Artificial intelligence provides new evidence that rapid decarbonization will not prevent warming beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Black hole debate at centre of Omega Centauri ongoing - Astrophysicists have added further flames to a 20 year debate about what lies at the centre the largest star cluster in the Milky Way galaxy – Omega Centauri.
The 6 Cutest Things We Learned about Animals in 2024 - From morphing beluga noggins to birds that practice singing in their sleep, science produced plenty of adorable findings this year
Experiment: The surprising strength of eggshells - Architecture is full of arched doors, windows and other structures.
Putting vampire bats on treadmills revealed an energy-burning quirk - A mini gym for bats shows that vampire bats burn amino acids, rather than the carbs or fats other mammals rely on during exercise.
James Webb Space Telescope finds smallest asteroids ever seen between Mars and Jupiter - A team of astronomers just spotted dozens of tiny asteroids in JWST date — including the smallest ever seen in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter.
How long does it take to travel to the moon? - The answer depends on many factors, including the amount of fuel needed, the moon's orbit and the mission's objectives.
'Dune: Prophecy' 'Twice Born' — Plans go awry, people die, and what's behind those blue eyes? - A recap of "Dune: Prophecy" Episode 4, "Twice Born"
Sols 4386-4388: Powers of Ten - Earth planning date: Friday, Dec. 6, 2024 We successfully arrived in our new exploration quadrangle — the Altadena quad — which is named after a town on Earth very near our own Jet Propulsion Laboratory!
Nature inspires self-assembling helical polymer - Helical structures are ubiquitous across biology, from the double-stranded helix of DNA to how heart muscle cells spiral in a band.
Caviar Pizzas, New Money, and the Death of an Ancient Fish - I am sitting at a slick Manhattan waterfront restaurant on the banks of the East River, New York City, trying to decide why I find the caviar pizza on the menu so disturbing.
Greens and Genes: The Bitter Truth Behind Your Veggie Preferences - From Brussels sprouts to chicory, some veggies pack a bitter punch, but genetics and individual differences create a unique flavor experience for everyone.
Study questions if women really are more prone to ACL injuries? - New findings, published in respected and influential British Journal of Sports Medicine, challenge the common claim that women are more likely than men to suffer ACL injuries.
Has the Universe Been Designed to Support Life? Now We Have a Way to Test it! - The anthropic principle states that the fundamental parameters of the Universe such as the strength of the fundamental forces, have been finely tuned to support life.
How Big Is Your Family? - Living with a Papua New Guinea tribe in the ’80s presented this anthropologist with a question for today.
Why Do Animals Adopt? - Taking responsibility for another’s young reveals the deep evolutionary roots of care.
100th woman in space, Emily Calandrelli, stands up to 'small men' on the internet: 'I should have expected this.' - The astronaut and MIT engineer's monumental milestone was marred by misogyny: "Instead of being on cloud nine, I’m crying in my seat."
December 9, 2024
Webb Sees a Supercluster of Galaxies Coming Together - As a species, we’ve come to the awareness that we’re a minuscule part of a vast Universe defined by galaxy superclusters and the large-scale structure of the Universe.30 Years Ago: NASA Selects its 15th Group of Astronauts - On Dec. 8, 1994, NASA announced the selection of its 15th group of astronauts.
What is the universe expanding into if it's already infinite? - The universe is constantly expanding, but how do scientists think about what it's expanding into?
New RSV drug for babies is over 90% effective at preventing hospitalization - In a new study, the RSV drug nirsevimab was 93% effective at preventing young children from being hospitalized for the respiratory infection.
The Next Full Moon is the Cold Moon - The Next Full Moon is the Cold Moon, Frost Moon, or the Winter Moon; the Moon before Yule or the Oak Moon; or the Long Night Moon.
An explosive new 'Star Trek: Section 31' trailer just dropped and now we can't wait until 2025 (video) - A new trailer and poster for "Star Trek: Section 31" were just released by Paramount+ and it's certainly explosive.
Possible bust of Cleopatra VII found at ancient Egyptian temple - A small statue of a woman wearing a royal crown may depict Cleopatra VII, an archaeologist claims.
Hubble Gets its Best Look At the First Quasar - The term quasar comes from quasi-stellar objects, a name that reflected our uncertainty about their nature.
Chamber in Manot Cave May Be The Earliest Ancient Ritual Site in Southwest Asia - Learn more about this ancient chamber and what our ancestors may have used if for 35,000 years ago.
Paleolithic deep-cave compound likely used for rituals - A boulder engraved with a turtle, good acoustics, and torch lighting—what more do you need for a good time?
What Is Proteomics? - Proteomics is the large-scale study of proteins present at cellular and systemic levels.
New $20 million Australian research centre to tackle responsible AI - As artificial intelligence becomes more pervasive, a new research institute in Adelaide, Australia will be looking for a way to make AI systems that can be
Massive Brains and Appetites Make Sperm Whales Masters of the Deep - Discover how much the mighty sperm whale eats and how they work together to care for their young.
What Are the Mystery Drones Reported over New York State and New Jersey? - Reports of unidentified flying objects in the northeastern U.S. are on the rise, but so far officials have few answers for alarmed residents
Google Makes a Major Quantum Computing Breakthrough - Google’s new chip, Willow, has achieved the exponential suppression of errors.
Google gets an error-corrected quantum bit to be stable for an hour - Using almost the entire chip for a logical qubit provides long-term stability.
Exploring the Nexus: Tradition and technology collide in the playful art of Island6 (六岛) - Island6 Collective merges traditional Chinese art with technology, fostering collaboration to explore creativity, interactivity, and contemporary life themes.
New study reveals how ancient 'sky disc' was made, squashing claims it was a forgery - The research details the elaborate process used to manufacture the Nebra Sky Disc during the Bronze Age.
13 proteins tied to brain aging seem to spike at ages 57, 70 and 78 - A new study claims to have identified 13 proteins associated with either accelerated or decelerated brain aging.
Do We Really Know What Becomes a Type Ia Supernova? - Type Ia supernovae are crucial to our understanding of cosmology.
A Cheap Satellite with Large Fuel Tank Could Scout For Interplanetary Missions - A spacecraft that can provide the propulsion necessary to reach other planets while also being reproducible, relatively light, and inexpensive would be a great boon to larger missions in the inner solar system.
Dogs use two-word button combos to communicate - A new study shows that dogs trained to use soundboards to 'talk' are capable of making two-word button combinations that go beyond random behavior or simple imitation of their owners.
Earliest deep-cave ritual compound in Southwest Asia discovered - A cave in Galilee, Israel, has yielded evidence for ritualistic gathering 35,000 years ago, the earliest on the Asian continent.
Google’s quantum computer takes major leap forward - Researchers at Google Quantum AI have managed a new milestone in quantum computing, with chips that can correct errors below a “critical threshold”.
Quantum Computers Cross Critical Error Threshold - In a first, researchers have shown that adding more “qubits” to a quantum computer can make it more resilient.
While Cute and Playful, River Otters Can Attack Humans - Learn where otter aggression can come from and why it's better to leave wildlife to the professionals.
Our Strategy to Catch the 2024 Geminid Meteors - Don’t let the bright Moon deter you from seeing the one of the best meteor showers of the year.
DAILY DOSE: Researchers hope to transport antimatter across Europe safely (good luck with that…); Study challenges theory of oceans on Venus. - Scientists are transporting antimatter across Europe, aiming to understand its properties and the universe's matter composition.
Organic LED material achieves faster organic phosphorescence for better display tech - Screens for TVs, smartphones or other displays could be made with a new kind of organic LED material developed by an international team, co-led by University of Michigan engineers.
Scientists demonstrate catalyst activation and degradation during oxygen evolution reaction in hydrous iridium oxides - Water electrolysis is a cornerstone of global sustainable and renewable energy systems, facilitating the production of hydrogen fuel.
Latest James Webb data hints at new physics in Universe’s expansion - These latest findings further support the Hubble Space Telescope's prior expansion rate measurements.
Neanderthals Roamed Across Eurasia Before Modern Humans - After Neanderthals diverged from humans, they spread toward Europe and Asia, taking up residence in caves and leaving behind traces of their lives that have intrigued researchers for years.
Research Brief: Evaluating Methane Emissions in Thermokarst Lakes - Manmade emissions of various greenhouse gases like methane have exacerbated climate change, leading to severe global impacts.
Monitoring Lake Erie’s Eastern Basin: Building Long-Term Data and Real-Time Public Solutions - Off the coast of Dunkirk, New York, a data buoy collects valuable environmental data that informs the public of conditions in Lake Erie's eastern basin.
New Telescopes Will Illuminate a Cosmic Dark Age - The universe’s light-starved early epochs, as well as the first stars and galaxies, lie beyond the reach of conventional observatories but could be revealed by a new generation of radio telescope arrays
Mars' infamous dust storms can engulf the entire planet: A new study examines how - Dust storms on Mars could one day pose dangers to human astronauts, damaging equipment and burying solar panels.
Not so simple machines: Cracking the code for materials that can learn - Physicists have devised an algorithm that provides a mathematical framework for how learning works in lattices called mechanical neural networks.
New AI cracks complex engineering problems faster than supercomputers - Modeling how cars deform in a crash, how spacecraft responds to extreme environments, or how bridges resist stress could be made thousands of times faster thanks to new artificial intelligence that enables personal computers to solve massive math problems that generally require supercomputers.
Existing EV batteries may last up to 40% longer than expected - Consumers' real-world stop-and-go driving of electric vehicles benefits batteries more than the steady use simulated in almost all laboratory tests of new battery designs, a new study finds.
Black hole debate settled? Stellar-mass black holes found at the heart of the Milky Way's largest star cluster - Could a decades-long debate about the mysterious movements of stars in Omega Centauri, the largest star cluster in the Milky Way, finally be resolved?
New ocean predator discovered in the Atacama Trench - Characterized by darkness and intense pressure, the ocean's hadal zone seems uninhabitable, yet dozens of unique organisms call it home.
Universe expansion study confirms challenge to cosmic theory - New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope suggest that a new feature in the universe -- not a flaw in telescope measurements -- may be behind the decade-long mystery of why the universe is expanding faster today than it did in its infancy billions of years ago.
Astronomers find the smallest asteroids ever detected in the main belt - Astronomers have found a way to spot the smallest, 'decameter,' asteroids within the main asteroid belt.
Efficient filtering method uses metal-organic framework compounds to remove PFAS chemicals from drinking water - The chemicals known as PFAS are considered a severe threat to human health.
AI Will Turn Our Lives into The Truman Show - Large language models can create muddled, misinformed multiverses
Pain relief research: Naturally occurring hederagenin found to bind to the pain regulation receptor - A team of scientists led by Professor Annette Beck-Sickinger from the Institute of Biochemistry at Leipzig University has made an important advance in pain relief research.
Trees may be even bigger climate heroes than we thought - These plants absorb methane, a potent greenhouse gas, in addition to carbon dioxide.
Scientists Say: Organoid - Lab-grown organ models mimic the functions of real organs and may open doors to a future of personalized medical care.
6 Wild Things We Learned about Earth in 2024 - It’s been a fascinating year in earth science—from mysterious “dark oxygen” to an “unidentified seismic object,” here are some incredible things we’ve learned about our planet in 2024
New strategy for designing pure red OLED materials shows potential for ultrahigh-definition displays - A research team has proposed a new strategy for designing pure-red organic light emitting diodes (OLED) materials.
Lead in Gasoline Linked to Mental Illness, and ‘Disease X’ Spreads in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - A mysterious outbreak occurs in the Democratic of the Congo, and researchers find evidence that exposure to leaded gasoline was linked to increases in mental illness.
Unveiling multimetallic effects: Tailoring all-metal-made aerogels as self-supported electrocatalysts - Have you ever imagined that high-density metals could be converted into an ultralight aerogel?
Scientists solve one of the hardest problems in the computational atomic-scale mechanics of materials - Currently employed computational methods to simulate materials and their mechanical behavior are based on molecular dynamics (MD) with atomistic force-fields.
EV battery lifetime is longer in the real world, not the lab - Electric vehicle (EV) batteries may last longer in the real world than manufacturing lab tests predict, according to a new study.
Expert verdict on Gencost: renewables still cheaper than nuclear - Independent energy experts largely agree with an economic analysis that finds renewable energy, with storage, to be the cheapest option.
What Does a Career in Science Policy Entail? - Science policy plays a crucial role in shaping research and funding, but its science policy analysts who evaluate and refine these policies to ensure that they effectively support scientific progress and innovation.
Single mutation in H5N1 bird flu could enable easier human infection - A study funded by the National Institutes of Health in the US has found the H5N1 bird flu virus could be just one mutation away from being able to spread amongst humans.
Ateneo scientists improve prediction of sunny days. - An Ateneo-led team improved solar forecasts in the Philippines by 94% using the Kalman Filter, enhancing renewable energy planning.
What fossils can reveal about ancient Australian forests and fire - Wilf and Robert Kooyman, an honorary research fellow at Macquarie University, examined fossil evidence from across the Southern Hemisphere to better
December 8, 2024
Increases in US life expectancy forecasted to stall by 2050, poorer health expected to cause nation’s global ranking to drop - U.S. health rankings are declining globally, with increasing obesity rates and drug-related deaths signaling a looming public health crisis by 2050.Theoretical physicist wants to know what’s at a singularity - Over the course of her career Susan Scott has explored the fundamental question of how gravity relates to and shapes the universe.
That’s no straw: Hummingbirds evolved surprisingly flexible bills to help them drink nectar - Hummingbird bills are highly flexible, enabling rapid nectar collection through intricate movements, vital for their energy-efficient feeding.
Observations by DESI Open the Door to Modified Gravity Models - Observations from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument suggest that the rate of cosmic expansion may be changing over the time.
Lead-Tainted Cinnamon Products Have Turned Up on Shelves - It’s important to buy cinnamon from reputable dealers.
Billionaire tech bros dominate children’s perception of computer scientists - A UK study confirms that secondary students lack diverse role models for computer science, likely compounding the industry’s known challenges surrounding diversity and inclusion.
Sneak peak at GenCost shows renewables still winning - Renewables look likely to be the cheapest energy source in Australia again next year, according to a draft of the new Gencost report from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and the CSIRO.
3D scans of giant hailstones could help weather forecasting - Weather scientists have used 3D scans to delve deep into the inner anatomy of hailstones, providing them with information that could help mitigate future hailstone damage.
Using Jupiter as a Dark Matter Detector - The nature of dark matter has been a hotly debated topic for decades.
Buffalo besties: Feral female buffalo build friendships based on similar personality traits - Similar social personalities strongly influence friendships in humans, yet we know relatively little about how animals choose their friends.
Bali battles against marine plastics debris - Bali is cleaning up its ocean of plastics.
December 7, 2024
Cool Green Holiday Book Review 2024 - Six books — ranging from eels to owls to outdoor adventures — that will make great gifts for your loved ones, or yourself.Bendy bills allow hummingbirds to down nectar at lightning speeds - Hummingbirds, among the smallest birds on the planet, flap their wings at as much as 80 beats a second.
Astronomers pinpoint origin of mysterious radio waves from space - Slowly repeating bursts of intense radio waves from space have puzzled astronomers since they were discovered in 2022.
December 6, 2024
Citizen Science Holiday Gifts and Projects - Give the Gift of Citizen Science for the Holidays!Heatwave-tolerant potatoes the latest climate ready crops - Engineering plants to thrive in warmer and drier conditions associated with climate change is an exploding field of scientific study, as researchers all over the world work to stave off the threat of food insecurity.
After critics decry Orion heat shield decision, NASA reviewer says agency is correct - "If this isn’t raising red flags out there, I don’t know what will."
US to start nationwide testing for H5N1 flu virus in milk supply - Feds can compel any company that handles pre-pasteurized milk to share samples.
Wuhan Lab Sequences Reveal No Close COVID Relatives, Virologist Says - Shi Zhengli, the virologist at the center of COVID lab-leak theory, reveals coronavirus sequences from the Wuhan institute
Young people most at risk from heat deaths in Mexico - Heat-related deaths – on the rise from climate change – are generally thought to threaten older adults the most.
Alcohol Increases Your Pain Threshold - And Your Threshold For Inflicting It - "I feel your pain" is a common empathy cliché but we know the opposite is true in some, and it changes how they interact with the world.
Is There Science Behind Lymph Node Drainage Devices? - Learn more about the lymphatic system, and about the devices that drain the system when a blockage occurs.
Fish Embryos Chemically Communicate When They Are Ready To Be Born - Learn how monitoring the outside environment before preparing to leave the egg boosts the odds of a newborn fish’s survival.
Lizards and snakes are 35 million years older than we thought - Reanalysis of a fossil finds that reptiles' traits go back earlier than we thought.
What Makes a Tick Stick? - Ticks form a stable structure around their mouth to stick to their hosts for days.
Climate ‘Tipping Point’ Language Doesn’t Spur Action - A new paper warns the concept of “tipping points” doesn’t do much to encourage climate action from laypeople and policymakers
Elevating Wastewater Epidemiology with Microfluidics - High throughput technologies help researchers detect and monitor microbes in wastewater for source tracking and early interventions.
Light Exercise Can Yield Significant Cognitive Benefits - Movement is essential to staying healthy, and even an easy walk helps.
Exotic New Superconductors Delight and Confound - Three new species of superconductivity were spotted this year, illustrating the myriad ways electrons can join together to form a frictionless quantum soup.
Bird Flu Has Been Found in Raw Milk − A Reminder of How Pasteurization Protects Health - Pasteurizing milk kills disease-causing pathogens that dairy cattle pick up in fields and barns.
One step closer to an eco-friendly, high-performance organic battery - Researchers at the University of New South Wales have made progress in developing their proton battery, which they believe will be cheaper than lithium-ion and safer for the environment.
Cinnamon and Other Spices Can Contain Lead. Here’s What to Know - Amid concerns about lead found in certain cinnamon products, here’s what to know about how spices can pick up heavy metals and how worried to be
Shape-changing polymer resembles animal movements with temperature shifts - A team of scientists has created a new shape-changing polymer that could transform how future soft materials are constructed.
Less is more: Why an economical iridium catalyst works so well - Iridium-based catalysts are needed to produce hydrogen using water electrolysis.
In vivo electrochemistry could provide early detection of high-altitude hypoxic brain injury - People who climb too fast or too high risk acute altitude sickness, which can lead to life-threatening hypoxic brain injury.
Advances in carotenoid analysis: Speed and precision unlocked - Carotenoids, the pigments responsible for the vibrant hues of tomatoes, carrots, and some seafood, are well-regarded for their antioxidant effects and health benefits.
Rocket Report: NASA delays Artemis again; SpinLaunch spins a little cash - A report in which we read some tea leaves.
What’s Inside Our Galaxy’s Darkest Place? - Barnard 68 is often mistaken for a hole in space, but it’s actually a dense, opaque cloud of dust—for now
New planet spotted in super puff system from timing mismatch - Ever had your plans thrown off by something happening 2 hours earlier than you thought it would?
These healthy fish have bacteria in their brains - The bodies of most animals keep germs, usually linked to disease, out of their brains.
New e-tattoo technology can measure brainwaves - Scientists have created temporary tattoos that can be sprayed onto the scalp as a non-intrusive method to measure brain activity.
Bird-inspired drone can jump for take-off - Researchers have built a drone that can walk, hop, and jump into flight with the aid of birdlike legs, greatly expanding the range of potential environments accessible to unmanned aerial vehicles.