Science 104
The Power of the ‘Pale Blue Dot’ Three Decades Later
The spacecraft that captured the famous, fuzzy photo grows weaker each year, but the image still soothes.
The star that could be set to EXPLODE in devastating supernova 700 light-years from Earth: New images show Betelgeuse IS dimming and changing shape
Astronomers used the European Southern Observatory (ESO) telescope array in Chile to capture the unprecedented dimming of the giant star in more detail.
NASA shortlists missions to map the surface of Venus, identify gases in its atmosphere, look for an ocean on Triton, and hunt for magma flows on Io - but only two of them will go to space
The four shortlisted projects will each get a $3 million NASA grant for a 9 month feasibility study before two will become actual missions and go to space.
A cup of hot chocolate a day could keep the doctor away: Cocoa 'boosts blood circulation in legs and helps keep over 60s on their feet'
Over 60s drank a mug of flavanol-rich cocoa three times a day for six months in a study by Northwestern University in Chicago. Participants were able to walk significantly further in a walking test at the end.
Palaeolithic rock art 'sanctuary' containing more than 100 fragile carvings of animals and abstract shapes revealed in a Spanish cave
Researchers identified the carvings in a hard to reach cave called Cova de la Font Major, near the village of L'Espluga de Francolí.
Enormous PINK manta ray dubbed 'Inspector Clouseau' is spotted near Australia's Great Barrier Reef in a rare sighting of the rosy giant
The two-tonne marine beast lives around Lady Elliot Island and a series of stunning photographs were taken by a bemused Finnish photographer called Kristian Laine.
Digging in! Incredible moment sand octopus uses its tentacles to burrow into the ocean floor and hide from predators
A sand octopus is seen wriggling its tentacles to create a 20-centimeter burrow in the ocean floor at Port Phillip Bay, Australia. It uses a funnel to shoot jets of water into the sand to create a hole.
First gameplay footage surfaces for the PC version of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
343 Industries has launched a new flight/beta phase earlier this week, and below you can find the first gameplay footage from Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.
Earth just recorded its hottest January in history
January 2020 was the planet's hottest January since record-keeping began, according to NOAA.
Bees and flowers have had the world’s longest love affair. Now it’s in danger
Bees pollinate many human foodstuffs. But intensive farming practices may kill them off if we don’t demand change, says Alison Benjamin, editor of Guardian Society
Samsung explains wizardry of Galaxy S20 Ultra’s 108MP camera sensor
The Galaxy S20 Ultra's claim to fame is no doubt the 108MP camera at its back. This is the highest-resolution camera yet on any Samsung smartphone, and, as expected, the Korean giant has gone into det
DNA Testing Confirms First Wolf Pack in Colorado in 70 Years
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials confirmed the first documentation of a wolf pack in Colorado in more than 70 years.
Extreme cold warning remains in effect as temperature drops below -20 C in Toronto
An extreme cold warning remains in effect for Toronto and much of Ontario this morning as the temperature drops below -20 C.
Here Lies the Skull of Pliny the Elder, Maybe
The Roman admiral and scholar died during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Might this really be his cranium?
Hurricane Dorian Ravaged Bahamas’ Reefs, Researchers Find
The storm’s effects were uneven: About 30 percent of the country’s coral was destroyed, but some reefs appeared to be undamaged.
'Ghost' ancestors: African DNA study detects mysterious extinct human species
Homo sapiens first appeared a bit more than 300,000 years ago in Africa and later spread worldwide, encountering other human species in Eurasia that have since gone extinct including the Neanderthals and the lesser-known Denisovans.
NASA spots ‘potentially hazardous’ asteroid rapidly approaching Earth
NASA confirms that an asteroid larger than the tallest man-made structure in the world is currently travelling towards Earth at a speed of almost 34,000 miles per hour. According to International Business Times, NASA's Center for
Scientists in US ramp up search for alien life
New technology is behind push to find extraterrestrials
Scientists Switch Consciousness On Or Off In Monkeys Using Tiny Brain Zaps
How’s this for a wake-up call? Scientists have shown that it's possible to instantly jolt a monkey out of deep anesthetized sleep using a quick zap of elec
It Was Over 20°C In Antarctica Last Week
Just days after mainland Antarctica tipped a record temperature of 18.3°C (64.9°F), there are fresh reports of yet another record in the region: a positive
Google Earth Adds 1,000 New Aerial Photographs Of Our Planet And It Turns Out We're Beautiful
Google Earth has just given you a free pass to explore 1,000 locations on Earth from the comfort of your desk. Taking the Google Earth View collection up t
Feast Your Eyes On These Incredible New Images Of A Dimming Betelgeuse
Astronomers have employed the visual acuity of the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) to capture these incredible images of the cha
Scientists Finally Solve The Mystery Of How Millipedes Do It
Ever found yourself up late at night, tossing and turning and asking yourself, how exactly do millipedes do it? Same. Thankfully, with a little bit of help
New Arrokoth Studies Throw Open A Window Into The Early Solar System
On New Year’s Day 2019, NASA’s New Horizons visited Arrokoth (2014 MU69), the furthest world ever explored by a human spacecraft. Three new papers publishe
NASA astronaut Christina Koch feels good after record 11 months in space
Christina Koch met with reporters in Houston six days after returning to Earth from the International Space Station. Her 328-day mission — which ended last Thursday — was the longest ever by a woman.
Last month was hottest January on record, US scientists say
In parts of Russia, Scandinavia and eastern Canada, temperatures exceeded the old averages by 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 C).
Oddly shaped celestial body Arrokoth sheds light on planet formation
WASHINGTON, Feb 14 — A vaguely hourglass-shaped icy object called Arrokoth residing in the far reaches of the solar system — the most distant body ever explored by a spacecraft — is giving scientists intriguing clues about the formation of the planets including Earth. Scientists yesterday...
WSJ: No Sex ‘Spectrum’ Beyond Male and Female
The Wall Street Journal has issued a throwdown to the gender lobby, insisting in an op-ed that sex is binary and there is no “spectrum.”
NASA Releases Remixed Version Of Iconic 'Pale Blue Dot' Photo
A humbling photo of Earth taken by the Voyager 1 probe from a distance of 6 billion kilometres has been reprocessed by NASA to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the image....
Kenyan Fossil Shows Chameleons May Have ‘Rafted’ From Mainland Africa To Madagascar
Chameleons (Chamaeleonidae) are a family of unique lizards with unusual characteristics: rapidly extendable tongues, feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, a prehensile tail, and eyes that can move independently of each other. Many species also have the ability to change the colour of their skin....
Image: Bolivian highland heart
For Valentine's Day, we bring you this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image capturing a beautiful heart-shaped geographical formation in the dramatic landscape of the southern highlands of Bolivia.
Tiny, erratic protein motor movements revealed
The smallest proteins travel in our cells, completing deeply important tasks to keep our molecular mechanisms moving. They are responsible for transporting cargo, duplicating cells and more. Now, a research ...
Chemical process breaks down lignin and turns birch wood into usable chemical products
A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in Belgium has developed a chemical process that breaks down lignin and turns birch wood into usable chemical products. In their paper published ...
Forest soils release more carbon dioxide than expected in rainy season
Current carbon cycle models may underestimate the amount of carbon dioxide released from the soil during rainy seasons in temperate forests like those found in the northeast United States, according to ...
Galactic cosmic rays affect Titan's atmosphere
Planetary scientists using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) revealed the secrets of the atmosphere of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. The team found a chemical footprint in Titan's ...
NASA selects four possible missions to study the secrets of the solar system
NASA has selected four Discovery Program investigations to develop concept studies for new missions. Although they're not official missions yet and some ultimately may not be chosen to move forward, the ...
Antarctica registers record temperature of over 20 C
Scientists in Antarctica have recorded a new record temperature of 20.75 degrees Celsius (69.35 Fahrenheit), breaking the barrier of 20 degrees for the first time on the continent, a researcher said Thursday.
ESO telescope sees surface of dim Betelgeuse
Using ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have captured the unprecedented dimming of Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star in the constellation of Orion. The stunning new images of the star's surface ...
Caribbean sharks in need of large marine protected areas
Governments must provide larger spatial protections in the Greater Caribbean for threatened, highly migratory species such as sharks, is the call from a diverse group of marine scientists including Stony ...
Tourists pose continued risks for disease transmission to endangered mountain gorillas
Researchers at Ohio University have published a new study in collaboration with Ugandan scientists, cautioning that humans place endangered mountain gorillas at risk of disease transmission during tourism ...
The 'electronic Griffiths phase' in solid-state physical systems
Most theories of solid state and soft matter physics were developed independently; thus, a few physical concepts are applicable to both. Recent research, however, particularly a study by Elbio Dagotto, ...
Ionotronic technology that doesn't require liquid electrolytes
A team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts and Harvard University has developed a type of ionotronic technology that does not require liquid electrolytes. In their paper published in the ...
Mechanism of controlling autophagy by liquid-liquid phase separation revealed
Under JST's Strategic Basic Research Programs, Noda Nobuo (Laboratory Head) and Fujioka Yuko (Senior Researcher) of the Institute of Microbial Chemistry, in collaboration with other researchers, discovered ...
Carbon sequestration in oceans powered by fragmentation of large organic particles
A team of researchers from the National Oceanography Centre, Sorbonne Université and CNRS Villefranche-sur-Mer, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, and the National Centre for Earth Observations, has found evidence ...
Biologists investigate the role of the largest animal brain cells
The brains of most fish and amphibian species contain two types of conspicuously large nerve cells. These are the largest cells found in any animal brain. They are called Mauthner cells and trigger lightning-fast ...
Pancreatic cancer 'time machine' exposes plot twist in cell growth and invasion
Pancreatic cancer has one of the worst survival rates among cancers. Patients can expect as low as a 9% chance to live for at least five years after being diagnosed.
Status update: OSIRIS-REx Osprey Flyover
NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft safely executed a 0.4-mile (620-m) flyover of the backup sample collection site Osprey as part of the mission's Reconnaissance B phase activities. Preliminary telemetry, however, ...
Cryo-electron microscopy opens a door to fight Epstein-Barr
The Epstein-Barr virus is one of the most widespread human viruses. Part of the herpesvirus family, it causes glandular fever (infectious mononucleosis), cancer and autoimmune diseases. At present, there ...
Skyrmions like it hot: Spin structures are controllable even at high temperatures
A joint research project of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that previously demonstrated the use of new spin structures for future magnetic ...
Climate change could cut lifespan of cold-blooded species – study
Scientists say their findings suggest global warming could have a huge impact on the life expectancy of some animals.
Scientists map coronavirus path with computer models
As the novel coronavirus spreads around the world, scientists are using the latest computer modelling techniques to predict its fallout: from the eventual number of cases and deaths to the peak of ...
Coronavirus Microscope Images Published by U.S. Researchers
More than 63,000 people in China have been infected by the virus, and more than 1,300 have died. There is no known vaccine or drug that’s been proven effective.
Video footage of Turkish-backed militants downing Syrian chopper in west Aleppo
BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:00 P.M.) – A Syrian military helicopter was shot down (video at bottom of article) by the jihadist rebels in western Aleppo amid a new push by the militants to retake the areas they lost. READ ALSO: Syrian Army Scores New Advance in Southern Aleppo According to a field report, the Syrian military chopper was flying over the newly captured areas, when it was hit by missile fired by Turkish-backed militants in the western countryside of the Aleppo Governorate. A video was released shortly after the incident, showing the moment the militant anti-aircraft missile hit the Syrian military chopper. The downing of this military chopper marks the second time in three days that the Syrian Armed Forces have lost a helicopter in northwestern Syria.
Breaking: Syrian military helicopter shot down in west Aleppo
BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:45 P.M.) – Minutes ago, a Syrian military helicopter was shot down by the jihadist rebels in western Aleppo amid a new push by the militants to retake the areas they lost. READ ALSO: Syrian Army Scores New Advance in Southern Aleppo According to a field report, the Syrian military chopper was flying over the newly captured areas, when it was hit by missile fired by Turkish-backed militants in the western countryside of the Aleppo Governorate. A video was released shortly after the incident, showing the moment the militant anti-aircraft missile hit the Syrian military chopper. The downing of this military chopper marks the second time in three days that the Syrian Armed Forces have lost a helicopter in northwestern Syria.
‘Record catch’ from Angus river turns out to be salmon who escaped from Norway
Marine experts have poured cold water on the prospect of a record catch from an Angus river after the monster proved to be a rogue salmon farm escapee.
DC Celebrates 80 Years of GREEN LANTERN With 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR
Celebrate 80 years of GREEN LANTERN this May.
DC Celebrates 80 Years of GREEN LANTERN With 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR
Celebrate 80 years of GREEN LANTERN this May.
UIC researchers discover unique organ-specific signatures for endothelial cells
Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago have discovered that endothelial cells -; those that create the inner lining of blood vessels -; have unique genetic signatures based on their location in the body.
Lab mice may have differences in small-intestine microbiome as compared to humans
There is a growing consensus that the gut microbiome is involved in many aspects of physical and mental health, including the onset of Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and even some behaviors.
New study describes inflammatory reaction in lab-developed human astrocytes
Astrocytes are neural cells with many important functions in the nervous system. The inflammation of these cells occurs in brain infections and neurodegenerative disorders, a process called astrogliosis.
Tourists place endangered mountain gorillas at risk of disease transmission
Researchers at Ohio University have published a new study in collaboration with Ugandan scientists, cautioning that humans place endangered mountain gorillas at risk of disease transmission during tourism encounters.
The scientific secrets inside a single grain of moon dust
While scientists have studied Moon rocks for 50 years, researchers have for the first time conducted deep analysis on a single grain of lunar dust, atom by atom. Using a common materials science te…
Four Shortlisted NASA Missions Would Explore the Nastiest Places in the Solar System
As part of its ongoing Discovery Program, NASA has selected four possible missions that would involve some of the most hostile and enigmatic places in the solar system.
Longstanding flaw in sensor readings could lead to heating and cooling design errors
Standard comfort measurements used to design buildings' heating and cooling systems share a common flaw, according to new research. The researchers said the findings could mean that designers have relied ...
1 in 3 plants and animals could be extinct in 50 years
Unless global warming declines, extinction is in store for as many as one-third of Earth's species of plants and animals worldwide.
Wasp nests reveal the age of ancient Aboriginal rock art
The pigment in Gwion Gwion style rock art makes radiocarbon dating impossible. Instead, researchers used mud wasp nests to date the paintings.
Vanishing snakes highlight the biodiversity crisis
After frogs in protected area of Panama died off en masse, the snakes that ate them began to disappear, too. It shows the extent of our "biodiversity crisis."
Temperatures to drop across Oman
PACA said, in its weather forecast for Friday.
Soon, a simple blood test could be used to detect cancer
Researchers report high accuracy even before appearance of symptoms
Espresso May Be Better Ground Coarser
A very fine grind can actually hamper espresso brewing, because particles may clump more than larger particles will.
Antarctica registers record temperature of over 20 C
Scientists in Antarctica have recorded a new record temperature of 20.75 degrees Celsius (69.35 Fahrenheit), breaking the barrier of 20 degrees ...
Pokemon Go Field Research quests: February missions and rewards list
If you want to be the very best, you’ll need to stay on top of the Pokemon Go Research Quests – constantly changing missions and activities that players can pick up and complete for bonuses and rewards. Here’s all the current missions for February 2020. Pokemon Go’s research quests are split into two categories: Field […]
NASA Mars 2020 rover arrives in Florida to prep for July launch to the red planet
NASA’s next Mars rover arrived in Florida this week (Feb. 12) to begin final preparations ahead of its planned July launch. The six-wheeled rover (and its accompanying Mars Helicopter) were ferried across the country by two Air Force C-17 Globemaster cargo planes. The duo touched down at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at approximately 3 p.m. […]
Climate change could cut lifespan of cold-blooded species – study
Scientists say their findings suggest global warming could have a huge impact on the life expectancy of some animals.
How big is the universe? - Skywatching
This might sound like the ultimate unanswerable question, but thanks to astronomical knowledge accumulated over many centuries, and the power of modern astronomical instruments, we can make a guess. To do this we have three main tools.
Intel Core i9-10900 10-Core Comet Lake-S CPU Poses For Pictures In New Leak
Say "cheese!"—an engineering sample of Intel's upcoming Core i9-10900 smiles for the camera in a batch of leaked photos.
Scientists Identify Genes from ‘Ghost Population’ of Ancient Humans
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Do You Love the Stars? Do Some Astronomy This Valentine’s Day
This Valentine's Day, head outside and find Orion. Then participate in Globe at Night's effort to measure — and stop — light pollution.
A Color Named After a Fruit
Before oranges were sweet, they were bitter. The whole world was more bitter then. Nights, unlit; wheat wild. Each element, bound in a rind. And then you were there, in the rift cut out of mountain. Your mouth with its triangle-window. In the garden, the branches are dropping their blossoms. Then bending with citrus, laden with sun-weight. We can sit and watch the fruit go orange, a hue that moved...
Coronavirus May Live up to 9 Days on Surfaces, New Study Finds
It turns out the coronavirus can be spread by touching infected surfaces now. A new study has found that the virus can live for up to nine days on surfaces, exacerbating the issue.
NASA Former High-Ranking Spaceflight Official Moves across to SpaceX Team
One of NASA's foremost experts in spaceflight has left the agency to join SpaceX, just in time for its upcoming launches into space.
NASA Will Communicate with Mars Astronauts through Lasers
NASA's astronauts heading to Mars will be able to communicate with Earth thanks to new lasers, the huge dish is currently being built in California.
Antarctica temperatures reach 69 degrees for the first time ever, scientists say
Temperatures in Antarctica were hotter than 68 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time ever last Sunday.
Space exploration: The ultimate test of our capabilities
Dr John Bates discusses how mission-critical software testing for space exploration can be done quickly and efficiently with the aid of new technology
NASA: Massive Asteroid Will Come Into Close Contact With Earth On 15th February
NASA has announced that a giant asteroid that could cause planet-wide devastation will hurtle close to Earth at a speed of 34,000km per hour tomorrow (15th February) at approximately 6:05 a.m. Thankfully, Earth is just narrowly out of range from the kilometer-wide asteroid, officially referred to as 2002 PZ39, as…
NASA selects four finalists for next Discovery mission
NASA is considering missions to Venus and two outer solar system moons as the next in its Discovery line of planetary science missions.
January 2020 was Earth’s hottest January on record
WASHINGTON — Last month was the hottest January since scientists began keeping temperature records in 1880, US government forecasters said Thursday. The global average land and ocean surface
Scientists detect ‘ghost’ DNA from mysterious human species
WASHINGTON – Scientists examining the genomes of West Africans have detected signs that a mysterious extinct human species interbred with our own species tens of thousands of years ago in
Giant skeleton mystery 'solved' by eagle-eyed readers
Thousands of you voted but it was a close call
Last month was hottest January on record: US climate service
Last month was the hottest January on record, surpassing a previous high recorded in 2016, the US climate service said Thursday.
Car-sized prehistoric South American turtle was built for battle
One of the largest turtles that ever lived prowled the lakes and rivers of northern South America from about 13 million years ago to 7 million years ago - and this car-sized freshwater beast was built for battle.
Climate change could reduce life-spans of hundreds of species
Aging in cold-blooded organisms such as amphibians linked to high temperatures
Gum disease linked to higher stroke risk
Gum disease may be linked to higher rates of stroke caused by hardened and severely blocked arteries, preliminary research findings indicate.
Google celebrates Valentine's day with new Doodle
Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Google is celebrating Valentine's Day with a new outer space-themed Doodle.
Royal Mint Celebrates Dinosaurs on New Collectible 50ps
The Royal Mint is putting a massive lizard on its latest collectable 50p, and then on the other side it's stamping on the likeness of several of the nation's key historical dinosaur discoveries, in a coin series it's calling Dinosauria.
NASA Releases Remixed Version of Iconic ‘Pale Blue Dot’ Photo
A humbling photo of Earth taken by the Voyager 1 probe from a distance of 3.7 billion miles has been reprocessed by NASA to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the image.
Why Decade-Old Dating Apps Can't Beat Half a Billion Years of Brain Evolution
It may seem like an age since you decided to test the waters with a Tinder account in 2012, but in the great scheme of human evolution, the app – and indeed, every other dating app – is embryonic. And while profiles may have evolved from long, self-indulgent prose to hilariously unrepresentative pictures to be swiped away like an irritating fruit fly, they’re no match for the way our brains have evolved to filter out the incompatible.
Mysterious 'ghost population' of ancient humans discovered in African DNA
Scientists examining the genomes of West Africans have detected signs that a mysterious extinct human species interbred with our own species tens of...
Inside Jefferee Star’s New Eyeshadow Palette
As the third installment to Jeffree Star's eyeshadow collection comes Blood Lust, a magical purple-themed velvet palette. We have the details on the palette and the rest of the collection launching February 21.
'Angel in the Sky': Rare Natural Phenomenon Captured on Photo in UK
Known as a Brocken bow or mountain spectre, this natural phenomenon is formed when a large shadow of an observer is cast onto a cloud or mist.
Storm Ciara uncovered evidence of dinosaurs on British beach
A footprint was uncovered on the Isle of Wight
Woman who lost mixtape on holiday finds it 26 years later at art exhibition
Stella Wedell was 12 when she lost her homemade cassette on a beach in Spain.
Nasa confirms 'potentially hazardous' asteroid will pass Earth safely tomorrow
The gigantic space rock will miss us by about 3 million miles
Climate change could cut lifespan of cold-blooded species – study
Scientists say their findings suggest global warming could have a huge impact on the life expectancy of some animals.