Today's Science News
October 15, 2024
Solar Cycle 25 is still in max phase, so more aurora-boosting sun storms could be coming - Solar Cycle 25 remains in its maximum phase, and more powerful sun storms are likely to come over the next few months, experts say.Gaia space telescope discovers 55 'runaway' careening away from stellar cluster at 80 times the speed of sound - Using the Gaia space telescope, astronomers have observed 55 massive stars ejected from their home star cluster in the Large Magellanic Cloud at speeds equivalent to 80 times the speed of sound.
Station Science Top News: Oct. 11, 2024 - Researchers verified that 3D micro-computed tomography scans can map the orientation of plant roots in space and used the method to demonstrate that carrots
China Releases its First Roadmap for Space Science and Exploration Through 2050. - China’s space program has advanced considerably since the turn of the century.
Nuclear rockets could travel to Mars in half the time − but designing the reactors that would power them isn't easy - Fission technology is well established in power generation and nuclear-powered submarines, and its application to drive or power a rocket could one day give NASA a faster, more powerful alternative to chemically driven rockets.
Sustainable building effort reaches new heights with wooden skyscrapers - Wood offers architects an alternative to carbon-intensive steel and concrete.
What Language Reveals About Us - Julie Sedivy on the 3 greatest revelations she had while writing her new book Linguaphile.
Rapid blood cancer diagnostic could speed decisions and save lives - Dana-Farber developed a rapid CRISPR diagnostic for leukemia, improving accessibility and treatment timeliness.
Estonia joins Artemis Accords as moon-exploration coalition agrees to continue outreach efforts - The nations signed up to the Artemis Accords are looking to spread the word on common principles and best practices on exploring outer space.
SpaceX Catches a Falling Starship—a First in Spaceflight History - SpaceX’s fifth Starship flight test concluded with mechanical arms snatching the descending rocket booster out of the air
Dr. Rickey Shyne Named Crain’s Notable Black Leader - Dr. Rickey Shyne, NASA Glenn Research Center’s director of Research and Engineering, has been named one of Crain’s Cleveland Business’ 2024 Notable Black Leaders.
$1.5 Million Awarded at Watts on the Moon Finals - Great Lakes Science Center, home of the visitor center for NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, hosted the final phase of NASA’s Watts on the Moon Challenge on Sept. 20.
Ohio State Marching Band Performs Tribute to NASA - The Ohio State University (OSU) teamed up with NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland for a multi-faceted tribute to NASA on Sept 21.
NASA Glenn Connects with Morehead State University - NASA’s Glenn Research Center Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon met with students and faculty at Morehead State University (MSU) in Kentucky on Sept. 19.
Visitors Explore NASA at Ingenuity Fest - NASA’s Glenn Research Center participated in the Cleveland Ingenuity Fest 2024: Take Flight on Sept. 27-29.
NASA Glenn’s Photographers Capture Harvest Moon - The Harvest Moon refers to the nearest full Moon to the autumnal equinox.
Artemis II Crew Visits NASA Glenn - Glenn welcomes three of the four astronauts who will venture around the Moon on Artemis II.
Healthcare’s digital transformation requires sharing data - A leading digital health expert says that current models of healthcare – driven as they are by economic and environmental pressures – are no longer sustainable.
Space Force’s X-37B will Perform “Never Before-Seen Maneuvers” in Orbit - The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) has been shrouded in mystery since its maiden flight in 2011.
Spooky on the Space Station - Science in Space: October 2024 Cultures around the world celebrate Halloween on Oct 31.
Vast Space unveils Haven-2, a private space station to follow the ISS after its fiery end - U.S. company Vast has unveiled Haven-2, its proposed commercial successor to the soon-to-be-retired International Space Station.
Scientists create first map of DNA modification in the developing human brain - A study maps gene regulation during brain development, linking it to neuropsychiatric conditions like autism.
NASA, NOAA: Sun Reaches Maximum Phase in 11-Year Solar Cycle - In a teleconference with reporters on Tuesday, representatives from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the international Solar Cycle Prediction Panel announced that the Sun has reached its solar maximum period, which could continue for the next year.
How Astronomers Define Where a Galaxy Ends and Interstellar Space Begins - Explore how star formation, gas density, and proximity to other galaxies define where a galaxy ends.
Climate-Fueled Disasters Are Raising Insurance Rates - Increasingly intense hurricanes, wildfires and other climate disasters have forced these state-run backstop insurance groups into a role typically assumed by the private sector as the primary insurer within their borders
Facts, Science and Trust - Without facts we all agree upon, there can be no science ... and without science, who can we trust?
SpaceX launches 100th rocket of 2024 during Starlink doubleheader (video, photos) - SpaceX launched two Starlink satellite missions just hours apart today (Oct. 15), one of which was the company's 100th liftoff of the year.
Euclid 'dark universe' telescope reveals 1st breathtaking images from massive 'cosmic atlas' map - The "first page" of an incredible cosmic atlas being built by the Euclid Space Telescope has been released.
Hunter's Supermoon rises this week, the biggest full moon of 2024. Here's how to see it - The largest full moon of 2024 rises this week when the Hunter's Supermoon takes to the sky on Wednesday (Oct. 16), becoming officially full the next morning.
Smart Tech Would Make Your Office Building Greener - Implementing smart technologies like demand-controlled ventilation could reduce the carbon footprint of office buildings, which contribute over one third of fossil fuel emissions globally
WWII British sub that sank with 64 on board finally found off Greek Island - The discovery of the WWII wreck solves an 81-year-old mystery about the submarine's fate.
Rare illusion gives 'once-in-a-lifetime' comet a seemingly impossible 2nd tail after closest approach to Earth for 80,000 years - New photos of comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS appear to show a faint "anti-tail" pointing away in the wrong direction.
Are ideas contagious? - Nicholas Landry studies the spread of diseases and ideas through human-interaction networks, using pandemic data.
Top-secret X-37B space plane will execute 'never-before-seen maneuvers' on its descent to Earth - Although it isn't clear what the X-37B is used for, its new maneuver would help it to evade detection and perform undetected low-passes over Earth.
What do planet formation and badminton have in common? - Dust grains in protoplanetary disks align via the same aerodynamics as the sport.
Europa Clipper blasts off: What's next for NASA's biggest-ever interplanetary spacecraft? - NASA just launched a spacecraft the size of a basketball court towards Jupiter's moon Europa.
Novel photocatalyst achieves 98% degradation efficiency of BPA under visible light - Photocatalysts can effectively utilize solar energy to degrade organic pollutants, presenting significant application potential in water treatment.
Novel thermosensitive hydrogel-based fluorescence probe offers fast detection of nitrite - Nitrite (NO₂⁻) is commonly used as a food additive, but when ingested, it can harm the body's oxygen transport system.
“Giants” discovered beneath Earth’s seafloor - An international team of researchers has literally uncovered animal life thriving beneath sections of the seafloor in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Ghostly white giant worms appear to be reproducing under the seafloor where tectonic plates meet - Researchers have discovered enormous tube worms and other creatures thriving in cavities beneath the seafloor on the East Pacific Rise, an ocean ridge near the Galápagos Islands.
Allergies are Common Today, but Did They Also Impact Our Ancient Ancestors? - Allergies may not have existed before the Industrial Age, but records of these health issues are rare from ancient times.
Ancient genome reveals how people immigrated to Japan - The genome extracted from a 2,300-year-old skeleton has helped map out ancient immigration to the Japanese archipelago.
Major step toward fully 3D-printed active electronics - Researchers produced 3D-printed, semiconductor-free logic gates, which perform computations in active electronic devices.
Cytosurge and Lexogen Partner to Advance Live-Cell Sequencing - Collaboration to Enable Sequencing of Cellular Biopsies
SpaceX makes Starlink internet service free for people hit by hurricanes Helene and Milton - In the wake of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, SpaceX has distributed more than 10,000 Starlink kits and waived monthly fees for using the satellite internet service in affected areas.
What is Implicit Bias, and how Might it Affect Your Next Medical Visit? - We talk to Cristina Gonzalez, a physician at New York University, who runs a lab that uses simulations to help medical professionals check their implicit bias at the exam room door.
Science Crossword: Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes - Play this crossword inspired by the November 2024 issue of Scientific American
DAILY DOSE: Google Purchases Energy from Small Nuclear Reactors; Pandas Arriving at National Zoo This Week Amidst Damning Report. - Google will power AI with energy from small nuclear reactors to meet growing electricity demands and ensure low-carbon energy solutions.
Controlling hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity via electron beam-assisted coating technology - Accurate regulation of surface hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity is crucial for various industrial applications, but current methods often lack stability, precision, and scalability.
The moon, Mars and space junk: World space agency heads outline grand plans, but also concerns - Leaders of major space agencies stated grand plans for the near future at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan, while noting concerns regarding Earth and the space environment.
Book Review: Fifty years later, Ursula K. Le Guin’s Novel about Utopian Anarchists Is as Relevant as Ever - In The Dispossessed , a physicist is caught between societies
Book Review: How the Author of Braiding Sweetgrass Imagines a New Economy - Robin Wall Kimmerer changed our ideas of sustainability.
Contrary to Occam’s Razor, the Simplest Explanation Is Often Not the Best One - Occam’s razor holds that the simplest explanation is closest to the truth.
Leap Seconds May Be Abandoned by the World’s Timekeepers - We have been adding “leap seconds” to time kept by our atomic clocks, but soon we may have to subtract one.
Kids with ADHD May Still Have Symptoms as Adults - Fortunately, recognition and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in grown-ups are getting better
Book Review: The Big Costs of Mining the Planet for Electric Power - Vince Beiser’s tour of the “Electro-Digital Age” puts resource extraction at the center
November 2024: Science History from 50, 100 and 150 Years Ago - Computer chess champ; dental chloroform killer
Is it Better to Share or Hide a Secret? They Can Both Mentally and Physically Weigh Us Down - What is the psychology behind keeping secrets?
Book Review: Inside the Global Movement to Protect Forests from Climate Change - Lessons from the people making forest ecosystems more resilient
New Nasal Vaccines Offer Stronger Protection from COVID, Flu, and More—No Needle Needed - Gentle nasal spray vaccines against COVID, the flu and RSV are coming.
Fossil Human Ancestor ‘Lucy’ Remains Pivotal 50 Years after Discovery - Half a century after its discovery, this iconic fossil remains central to our understanding of human origins
Book Review: How Our Love for Citrus Shaped the Modern World - A history of citrus fruits, from the Han Dynasty to the modern orange juice industry
Contributors to Scientific American’s November 2024 Issue - Writers, artists, photographers and researchers share the stories behind the stories
Hidden Patterns in Folk Songs Reveal How Music Evolved - Songs and speech across cultures suggest music developed similar features around the world
Could ‘Early Dark Energy’ Resolve the Mystery of Cosmic Expansion? - Estimates of how fast the universe is expanding disagree.
Readers Respond to the June 2024 Issue - Letters to the editors for the June 2024 issue of Scientific American
Math Puzzle: Play Architect with These Houses of Cards - Flex your math muscles with this weekend’s brain teaser.
How to Make Progress in Health Equity - This collection shows what works to advance health equity around the world
New Medical Diagnoses and Tools Are Removing Historical Biases - New formulas, devices and tools are removing historical bias from medical diagnoses
Rural Health Innovations Are Improving Health Care - Some of the most inventive changes to health care have started in rural communities around the world
See How Many Lives Vaccines Have Saved around the World - Vaccines are the first step toward health equity in many parts of the world
Health Experts Share What Gives Them Hope for Improving Equity - Health experts share what gives them hope for improving health for all
Cultural Competency in Health Care Can Save Lives - Medical professionals who connect with their patients’ language and culture provide better care
Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander People Need Better Health Data - Separating medical data from culturally distinct Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) groups can improve health outcomes
The Mpox Response Has Learned from HIV/AIDS History - Tools and networks that have helped control HIV/AIDS are now working against mpox
Scientists discover chemical probes for previously 'undruggable' cancer target - Hormone-driven cancers, like those of the breast and prostate, often rely on a tricky-to-target protein called Forkhead box protein 1 (FOXA1).
Photocatalytic behavior at the air-solid interface offers new insights into environmental remediation - A study led by Dr. Marcelo I. Guzman and his team at the University of Kentucky has unveiled significant advancements in the field of photocatalysis.
New compounds can activate prodrugs at predetermined locations in the body - Researchers from IOCB Prague have succeeded in preparing compounds capable of activating prodrugs at predetermined locations in the body, enhancing their effectiveness and expediting their action.
Unique 'barcodes' for molecules could help expedite medical advancements - Barcodes are commonly used to track items like groceries or clothing, but University of Central Florida researchers have developed a special "barcode" to identify much smaller objects: molecules.
Cubesats, the tiniest of satellites, are changing the way we explore the solar system - Whether discovering exoplanets or measuring the size of an asteroid, cubesats are affordable throughout the space community, even to small startup, private companies and university laboratories.
Acupuncture helps sciatica in gold-standard clinical trial - A randomised-control trial has found that acupuncture can help reduce leg pain in patients with sciatica.
How Marie Curie Helped a Generation of Women Break into Science - Marie Curie is well known for her chemistry achievements but less so for helping other women succeed in science
Tiny Babies Who Can Smell Their Mother Recognize Faces Better - A smell’s effect on facial recognition is key at first—but decreases as a baby’s eyesight improves
Hubble and New Horizons Look at Uranus at the Same Time - Ever since the advent of space exploration we have seen some amazing images of the planets.
Weird? These bat toes can glow greenish-blue - Hairy bristles on the toes of Mexican free-tailed bats fluoresce under UV light.
Phew! No 'doomsday' asteroids hide in famous broken comet's debris stream - The Taurid Meteoroid Stream, which is possibly responsible for the famous Tunguska and Chelyabinsk impacts, probably doesn't hide a civilization-killing asteroid.
Acupuncture really works for sciatica pain, study finds - A new trial that compared acupuncture to a convincing placebo suggests that the treatment can help relieve sciatica pain.
Finally, a video that really explains how color works - Videos about the chemistry of color typically only scratch the surface of how electromagnetic radiation creates the beautiful rainbows of the world around us.
The secret to slimming? Special ‘skinny genes’ double weight loss - A study reveals 14 ‘skinny genes’ significantly aid weight loss alongside exercise and lifestyle changes.
The Coming Collision Between Whales and Tankers on British Columbia’s Coast - Before I make the long trek to visit Hermann Meuter at his research station on a lonely stretch of British Columbia’s north coast, he tries to lower my expectations of seeing a fin whale.
Hidden Messages in DNA Could Reduce Biosecurity Risks - To improve traceability and enable authentication of synthetic nucleic acid sequences, researchers are embedding digital signatures into DNA.
Earth from space: 4 near-identical glaciers spark new life in Arctic island's 'polar desert' - This 2012 satellite photo shows a quartet of near-identical glaciers on Canada's Ellesmere Island.
Symbiotic bacterium Rickettsia affects the reproduction of a predatory insect, an effective biological control agent for agricultural pests - Rickettsia induces cytoplasmic incompatibility in the predatory bug, impacting pest management and reproduction.
Burning rubbish now UK’s dirtiest form of power - Nearly half of waste is now burned for energy, but BBC analysis finds it is as dirty as coal.
Extremely cool clothes: passive cooling textiles - High-tech textiles might be a smart way to reduce the toll on humans in heating cities.
Study finds persistent infection could explain long COVID in some people - Brigham researchers found a link between persistent SARS-CoV-2 proteins and long COVID symptoms.
The Next Frontier: Circulating Tumor Cells and Liquid Biopsies - Improved methods for circulating tumor cell capture and analysis can ensure reproducible biomarker and omics insights across different cancer types.
A Simple Cell Culture Intervention for Healthier Cells - Monitoring and manipulating cell culture oxygen consumption rates enables more physiologically-relevant in vitro models.
Science Experiments from the Afterlife - Forensic anthropologists, microbiologists, and entomologists study donated cadavers to determine how human bodies decompose.
A New Culprit in the Spread of Plague - Yersinia pestis, infamous for the cause of the Black Death, may have hitched a ride on parasites beyond just fleas.
Why Do Some People Enjoy Horror Movies? - The enjoyment of a good scare may have more to do with relief than terror.
Microbial Tales from the Crypt - Rock-dwelling bacteria and eukaryotes live in the company of the dead by feeding on tombstones.
A Spider-Web Trap to Monitor Environmental DNA - Sticky spider-web traps are promising non-invasive and cheap tools for terrestrial vertebrate monitoring.
Researchers discover how plants produce a novel anti-stress molecule - Research reveals genes enabling plants to produce DMSP, enhancing stress tolerance for sustainable agriculture.
NASA launches mission to explore the frozen frontier of Jupiter’s moon Europa - "We’re interested in whether Europa could support simple life—single-celled organisms."
Social media might be increasing ADHD diagnoses - A rise in the number of articles about adult ADHD on social media might have led to an increase in people who believe they have the illness, according to a new survey.
October 14, 2024
You get your energy from your mom. A new study explains why - Maternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA prevents paternal transmission, linked to neurological issues and ATP deficits.“This Is a Great Day with Me” - Alexander Graham Bell reflects on the very first telephone call in a letter to his father.
Jupiter's Great Red Spot is being squeezed, Hubble Telescope finds — and nobody knows why - The Hubble Space Telescope has seen Jupiter's Great Red Spot oscillating in width as it drifts around the planet.
Europa Clipper begins 5 year voyage to look for habitable moon - NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, designed to probe for habitable environments beneath the icy crust of Jupiter’s moon Europa, is on its way to the outer Solar System.
$95 million injection to fight the threat of avian influenza - The Australian government has announced an additional $95 million package to prepare for the arrival of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza.
Routine dental X-rays are not backed by evidence—experts want it to stop - The actual recommendations might surprise you—along with the state of modern dentistry.
Europa Clipper Begins Odyssey to Assess Jovian Moon’s Habitability - NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft is on its way to Europa, a Jovian moon that's thought to harbor a hidden ocean — and perhaps life.
People think they already know everything they need to make decisions - When given partial info, most people felt confident they knew all they needed to.
Myths of the Moon Shaped Ancient Cultures and Modern Cultures of Today - From ancient myths to modern superstitions, all cultures — even modern ones — tell stories about the moon.
It’s Like Looking into a Mirror, 13 Billion Years Ago - The early Universe continues to offer surprises and the latest observations of infant galaxies are no exception.
How Gravitational Waves Could Let Us See the First Moments After the Big Bang - Cosmology has had several ground-breaking discoveries over the last 100+ years since Einstein developed his theory of relativity.
NASA Launches Europa Clipper to Search for Signs of Life on Jupiter’s Moon - The huge spacecraft is headed toward the icy moon Europa, where it will use an array of instruments to survey for geologic activity, magnetism and more
Spacecraft blasts off to hunt alien life on a distant moon - Nasa's spacecraft could change what we know about life in our solar system.
NASA’s Europa Clipper Spacecraft Aims for Jupiter’s Most Intriguing Moon - For the first time, we are sending a spacecraft to explore an alien ocean world—a moon that might host life today
AI Comes to the Nobels: Double Win Sparks Debate about Scientific Fields - While many researchers celebrated this year’s chemistry and physics prizes, others were disappointed by the focus on computational methods
Can an Asteroid's Movements Reveal a New Force in the Universe? - When NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission arrived at asteroid Bennu, its primary mission was to grab a sample and bring it home to Earth.
11 Unusual Facts About the Creepy Spider — Some Have No Eyes at All - From their unique vision to fascinating hunting techniques, find answers to your most frequently asked spider questions.
Liftoff! NASA's Europa Clipper sails toward ocean moon of Jupiter - NASA's Europa Clipper has embarked on its long voyage to Jupiter, where it will investigate Europa, a moon with an enormous subsurface ocean that may have conditions to support life.
Observing the mechanism of protonation site switching in hydrated nicotine - Proton transfer is central to numerous important systems, from biology to energy storage.
Bowel cancer linked to metabolic markers - Metabolic factors like high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity are linked to bowel cancer risk, according to a new review.
Big Advance on Simple-Sounding Math Problem Was a Century in the Making - A new proof about prime numbers illuminates the subtle relationship between addition and multiplication — and raises hopes for progress on the famous abc conjecture.
Two comets will be visible in the night skies this month - Halloween visitors from the distant Oort Cloud.
Detective Dogs, Toads, and Artificial Intelligence Can Help Control Invasive Species - These methods can help eradicated invasive species without causing further harm to the environment.
New technologies could help destroy persistent 'forever chemicals' - Scientists and engineers are developing new ways to destroy per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) efficiently and sustainably.
How do heat protectants for hair work? A chemistry expert explains - Heat can do amazing things to change your hairstyle.
Research Brief: Influence of Extreme Heat on Lake Warming in China - Global climate change has led to increases in the frequency and severity of extreme heating events across the globe.
Trees continue to adapt through millions of years of climate change - In some positive news, a big and broad study has found that 7 of Europe’s most common forest trees have adapted to major climatic shifts and protected their genetic diversity.
Trump and Harris Have Vastly Different Plans for Public Education - The presidential candidates differ on classroom censorship, school choice, federal funding for schools, and more
Trump’s Racist Rants against Immigrants Hide under the Language of Eugenics - Anti-immigrant rhetoric in the U.S. comes straight out of the playbook of eugenics, deeply dishonest scientism that criminality, poverty and a host of other ills were all genetically inherited
Underwater mountains in the Pacific Ocean may be home to 20 new species - A recent expedition to undersea mountain ranges off the coast of Chile revealed a new seamount and a rich world of deep-sea biodiversity.
MicroRNA, Protein Folding and Machine-Learning Work Win the Science Nobels - A roundup of the science Nobels, the latest COVID updates and the Europa Clipper launch delay.
Ammonia fuel cells see performance gains with new catalyst layer - The pursuit of clean and efficient energy conversion technologies has led to significant advancements in fuel cell research.
365-million-year-old winged seed fossil found in Chinese mine - One of the earliest examples of a winged seed has been found in a mine in China’s Anhui province.
Tower recaptures SpaceX rocket booster - SpaceX’s Starship Super Heavy rocket has another notch in its belt, following the successful capture of the booster by the “chopstick” arms of a metal tower.
DNA Polymerase Works in Short Bursts Rather than One Long Stretch - The enzyme that copies and repairs DNA is more dynamic than originally thought.
Cool Green Book Review: October 2024 - New titles on birding, backyard nature, cowgirl conservation and more.
SpaceX catches returning rocket in mid-air, turning a fanciful idea into reality - “Starships are meant to fly.
October 13, 2024
New Research Could Help Resolve the “Three-Body Problem” - Perhaps you’ve heard of the popular Netflix show and the science fiction novel on which it is based, The Three-Body Problem, by Chinese science fiction author Liu Cixin.Could a gut test diagnose endometriosis? - Endometriosis is a painful and very common condition, but it’s difficult to diagnose, sometimes taking years.
Webb Observations Shed New Light on Cosmic Reionization - The “Epoch of Reionization” was a critical period for cosmic evolution and has always fascinated and mystified astronomers.