Science 101
SpaceX's latest Starship rocket prototype just exploded during an engine test
SpaceX's previous Starship prototypes burst during fuel-tank testing, but the fourth prototype exploded during an operation to test-fire its engine.
Mergers between galaxies trigger activity in their core
Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) play a major role in galaxy evolution. Astronomers from SRON and RuG have now used a record-setting sample of galaxies to confirm that galaxy mergers have a positive effect ...
Mercury levels in shark fins illegal and dangerous to human health
Shark fins recently sampled from markets in China and Hong Kong contained dangerously high levels of mercury.
Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Struck Earth at ‘Deadliest Possible Angle,’ New Research Suggests
When the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs hit Earth, it struck at an angle that maximised its destructive potential, according to new computer simulations of the catastrophic event.
Solar probe to pass through comet's tail for 'bonus science'
The European Space Agency says its Solar Orbiter will unexpectedly pass through the tail of a comet in the coming days.
The eagle has been landed on! Cheeky black drongo bird appears to touch down on the back of a flying eagle owl
This is the moment a black drongo appears to touch down on the back of an Indian eagle owl. The birds fly mere inches away from each other before the drongo prepares for landing.
SpaceX Starship Launch Insurance Requirement Jumps To $198 Million
Aerospace manufacturer SpaceX was granted a license for suborbital flights by the FAA yesterday, which included new insurance costs.
Here’s what to expect as SpaceX launches its first human crew to space
What you need to know about the first orbital launch from the US in a decade.
Flexible low-voltage high-frequency organic thin-film transistors
Electronic applications on unconventional substrates that require low-temperature processing methods have primarily driven the development of organic thin-film transistors (TFTs) in the past few decades. ...
Solitons from new fibre laser could improve eye surgery
Short and powerful pulses are held together by high-order dispersion
Climate scientists create model for global forest growth through 2060
When it comes to the fight against global warming, our forests offer a valuable service. Trees act as carbon sinks, capturing CO2—the main greenhouse gas heating up the Earth's climate—from the air ...
Researchers create active material out of microscopic spinning particles
At the atomic level, a glass of water and a spoonful of crystalline salt couldn't look more different. Water atoms move around freely and randomly, while salt crystals are locked in place in a lattice. ...
Evidence found of Kuroshio current strengthening due to intensifying tropical cyclones
A team of researchers from the Ocean University of China and Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, the Second Institute of Oceanography, the Southern Marine Science and Engineering ...
World’s deepest octopus, complete with Dumbo ears, captured on film 4 miles below the surface
(CNN) — The deepest known sighting of an octopus has been captured on film, more than a mile deeper than the previous reliable sighting. The observations of...
Biophysicists reveal molecular mechanism behind light-driven sodium pumping
An international research team has for the first time obtained the structure of the light-sensitive sodium-pumping KR2 protein in its active state.
Climate could cause abrupt British vegetation changes
Climate change could cause abrupt shifts in the amount of vegetation growing in parts of Great Britain, new research shows.
Science News Briefs from All Over
Here are some brief reports about science and technology from around the planet, including one about an incredibly well-preserved horned lark ( Eremophila alpestris ), like the one pictured, that lived 46,000 years ago.
Algorithm quickly simulates a roll of loaded dice
The fast and efficient generation of random numbers has long been an important challenge. For centuries, games of chance have relied on the roll of a die, the flip of a coin, or the shuffling of cards ...
Which countries have not reported any coronavirus cases?
In December 2019, the coronavirus was seemingly confined to China. But, a few weeks later, the virus, which causes the illness known as COVID-19, became a global pandemic.
Fitness wearables provide early-warnings for Covid symptoms, study finds
US News: WASHINGTON DC: Preliminary research has found that constant stream of data from wearable devices such as Oura rings, Fitbits and Apple Watches reveal .
Scientists Simulate Unmanned Aircraft Striking, Deflecting Asteroid From Earth
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have come up with a novel way to deflect asteroids from Earth by having unmanned vehicles collide with the threatening...
SpaceX's Prototype Starship Exploded In Giant Fireball Mid-Testing
SpaceX's Starship prototype exploded in a ball of fire during testing on Friday, one day before the company is due to jointly launch the first crewed mission from U.S. soil in nearly a decade.
Why a 16th-Century Artist Imagined Comets as Glorious, Fiery Swords
Explore a captivating compendium of cosmic illustrations.
The Planet's Forests Are Becoming Younger And Shorter As Climate Change Bites
The world’s forests are dramatically changing. A destructive cocktail of deforestation and climate change are leading to younger and shorter forests across
Space Funerals: Celestis And Aura Flights Will Send The Ashes Of Your Loved Ones In Space
People can now send their loved ones' ashes across space. Aura And Celestis Flights offers space funerals.
NASA And SpaceX Are About To Retry Their Historic Astronaut Launch. Here's How To Watch.
After weather conditions postponed the scheduled launch for Wednesday, NASA and SpaceX's historic launch to send two astronauts to the International Space
SpaceX's big launch aims to send NASA astronauts to the International Space Station — a 21-year-old laboratory orbiting 250 miles above the Earth
This will be the first time since 2011 that an American-made spacecraft has launched people from US soil to the space station.
UK joins COVID-19 High Performance Computing consortium
Consortium is attempting to use supercomputers in the quest to find cures for COVID-19.
The Weather Today - May 29th
The clouds today will be significant, in the afternoon and until midnight - cumulus and cumulonimbus. In many places there will be short-term, in some areas intense, rainfall with thunder.
As China's coronavirus shutdowns end, air pollutants rise to traditional levels
As economic activity resumes in China following the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, levels of the air pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are rising to traditional standards for the first time this year.
Take 2 for SpaceX's first astronaut launch with more storms
SpaceX pressed ahead with its second attempt to launch astronauts for NASA -- a historic first for a private company -- but more stormy weather threatened more delays.
China reveals plan for ‘Heavenly Palace’ space station to rival ISS
China has outlined plans to build an orbiting science lab by 2023. The “Heavenly Palace” station will house six people and serve as a test bed for experiments on astronomy, technology and
NASA revives "worm" logo and debuts SpaceX spacesuits
NASA will use the Danne & Blackburn-designed "worm" logo for the first time since 1992 when the Demo-2 flight to the International Space Station launches tomorrow.
Smart windows that self-illuminate on rainy days
Smart windows that automatically change colors depending on the intensity of sunlight are gaining attention as they can reduce energy bills by blocking the sun's visible rays during summer. But what about ...
Tectonic plates are a lot older than we thought
Earth's underground network of tectonic plates was in place more than 4 billion years ago—about a billion years earlier than scientists had thought.
Nippon Paint says its new VirusGuard+ paint can destroy human coronaviruses – here’s what it actually does
The world is in the middle of a global pandemic, and for many people, germs and bacteria have become the number one enemy in everyday life.
Solar probe to pass through comet's tail for 'bonus science'
The European Space Agency said Friday that its Solar Orbiter probe will pass through the tail of a comet in the coming days and scientists plan to switch on its instruments early to conduct some 'bonus science.'
Newly Discovered Pygmy Seahorse Species Is the Size of a Fingernail
This tiny creature is the first of its kind discovered near the continent of Africa
Nippon Paint says its new VirusGuard+ paint can destroy human coronaviruses - here's what it actually does, Business Insider - Business Insider Singapore
Business Insider - Using copper ion technology, the paint can destroy viruses and bacteria on walls via "contact killing", Nippon Paint said.. Read more at businessinsider.sg
A non-destructive method of analysing molecules in cells
When investigating how tumors grow, or how pharmaceuticals affect different types of cells, researchers have to understand how molecules within a cell react—and interact. This is possible with modern ...
Ancient Mass Extinction Tied To Ozone Loss, Warming Climate
Iwastheone shares a report from Science Magazine: The end of the Devonian period, 359 million years ago, was an eventful time: Fish were inching out of the ocean, and fernlike forests were advancing on land. The world was recovering from a mass extinction 12 million years earlier, but the climate w...
Exact time Starlink satellites will fly over Merseyside this weekend
There's still a chance to catch the elusive satellites
COVID-19 Update: Virus Found in Bats is 'Closest Relative' of SARS-CoV-2; 6 Feet Not Enough to Avoid COVID-19, Experts Say
Experts discovered a new virus in bats that is currently the closest relative of SARS-CoV-2. Medical experts claimed that 6 feet is not far enough to avoid contracting the novel coronavirus.
Volcanos in space - Skywatching
Volcanoes are important things. They play a part in recycling the surface rocks of a world, and in building new land. For example, all the Hawaiian Islands are actually active or extinct volcanoes.
New iguana species is found 'hiding in plain sight' in the Caribbean - having been known to inhabitants for years but thought to be a South American 'invader'
The Southern Antilles iguana has a unique DNA profile and distinct bodily features including horns on its nose, a high crest and dark brown eyes. It had been misidentified as the common green iguana.
900 Acre Solar Farm Agreed for Kent Coast
The government has given a controversial plan for a solar farm the go ahead, with the mammoth 900 acre site set to be the country's largest array of panels by some margin; and requiring the biggest battery we've ever seen too.
Predicting How Contact Tracing Can Control the Spread of COVID-19
News-Medical spoke to Lewis Spurgin about a new study that looked at 'real world' movement data and social contact to understand the spread of COVID-19.
Antarctic ice sheets retreated at a faster rate in the past, study suggests
Scientists analysed wave-like ridges on the Antarctic seafloor
Strawberry Moon Eclipse 2020: Timing, where to watch and all you need to know
A lunar eclipse only occurs during a Full Moon. The Earth, Moon and the Sun form a straight line during the lunar eclipse, with the Earth partially or completely hiding the Moon from the Sun.
Groundbreaking all-electric plane paving way to greener aviation
The world's largest all-electric plane has successfully completed a test flight, the first step in a long process its developers say will led to an era of low-cost, pollution-free air travel.
Astronomers share video of black hole outburst
May 29 (UPI) -- Scientists with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory released a new video Friday showing a pair of jets exploding from a black hole located 10,000 light-years from Earth. Chandra recorded the jets approaching speeds of nearly 80 percent the speed of light.
Another SpaceX Starship prototype explodes after an engine test
SpaceX lost another Starship prototype to an explosion during testing this afternoon.
No Decision On Next Launch Attempt For Historic SpaceX Crewed Mission
A final decision on a launch attempt for SpaceX's milestone mission to the International Space Center on Saturday afternoon will take place after assessing the weather that morning, NASA chief Jim Bridenstine said Friday.
The science behind the SpaceX Crew Dragon launch tomorrow
On Saturday, two NASA astronauts, Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will make history by traveling to the International Space Station (ISS) in a privately funded spacecraft, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, and Crew Dragon capsule.
OpenAI and Uber create Virtual Petri Dish to find the best AI model for a task
Researchers at OpenAI and Uber propose Synthetic Petri Dish, a highly efficient technique for finding optimal AI architectures.
Paper-thin gallium oxide transistor handles more than 8,000 volts
People love their electric cars. But not so much the bulky batteries and related power systems that take up precious cargo space.
Watch: SpaceX prototype Starship rocket just exploded in a big fireball
SpaceX’s Starship SN4 prototype launch vehicle just exploded in a huge fireball during a static fire test in Boca Chica, Texas. While the Starship spacecraft is still early in development, th…
SpaceX loses another Starship prototype in massive explosion
The fourth Starship is no more
Team cracks the case of the universe’s ‘missing matter’
Researchers have solved a decades-old mystery of "missing matter"—material long predicted to exist in the universe but never detected—until now.
Scientists analyse samples of Lukha river
SHILLONG: The samples of Lukha river are still being analysed pertaining to the mystery of the river turning blue.Member Secretary of Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board, JH Nengnong told The Shillong Times that though there are no mining activit
Fresh Antimatter Study Will Help Search for Dark Matter
The ALICE collaboration has presented new results on the production rates of antideuterons based on data collected at the highest collision energy delivered so far at the Large Hadron Collider.
Researchers discover new high-pressure material and solve a periodic table puzzle
In the periodic table of elements there is one golden rule for carbon, oxygen, and other light elements. Under high pressures they have similar structures to heavier elements in the same group of elements. Only nitrogen always seemed unwilling to toe the line. However, high-pressure researchers have actually disproved this special status.
Smart windows that self-illuminate on rainy days
A research team develops self-powering, color-changing humidity sensors. Applicable to various fields including smart windows, health care and safety management.
New Evidence Suggests Some Jurassic Theropod Dinosaurs were Cannibals
An analysis of the fossilized vertebrate remains from the Jurassic Mygatt-Moore Quarry in Colorado has revealed the bones of a theropod dinosaur called Allosaurus that bear tooth marks made by this and other large-bodied carnivorous dinosaurs.
Study Reveals Why Large Groups of Humans Are Hopeless in a Crisis
Humans are social animals and that's usually a good thing. But while there might be safety in numbers under some circumstances, new psychological research suggests human connection isn't always a good thing.
The Recipe for Efficient Protein Synthesis
Scientists have studied more than 30 thousand variants of genetic sequences encoding two fluorescent proteins in order to determine which characteristics of mRNA can increase the efficiency of translation.
Simulating dead bodies could help calculate an accurate time of death
Forensic scientists currently use basic temperature measurements to determine time of death, but a 3D simulation of the entire body could give much more accurate estimates
Distance from Brightest Stars Is Key to Preserving Primordial Discs
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope was used to conduct a three-year study of the crowded, massive and young star cluster Westerlund 2. The research found that the material encircling stars near the cluster's centre is mysteriously devoid of the large, dense clouds of dust that would be expected to become planets in a few million years.
Study: Women with Neanderthal Progesterone Gene Have Higher Fertility
Almost one in three women with European descent inherited a genetic variant of the progesterone receptor called V660L from Neanderthals.
In Planet Formation, It's Location, Location, Location
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope are finding that planets have a tough time forming in the rough-and-tumble central region of the massive, crowded star cluster Westerlund 2. Located 20,000 light-years away, Westerlund 2 is a unique laboratory to study stellar evolutionary processes because it's relatively nearby, quite young, and contains a large stellar population.
Interstellar Visitor May Be One of Rarest Objects In Universe
A team of scientists think the interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua might actually be a hydrogen iceberg. The unusual idea could explain its stranger properties.
Mergers between galaxies trigger activity in their core
Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) play a major role in galaxy evolution. Astronomers from the University of Groningen and Netherlands Institute for Space Research have now used a record-sized sample of galaxies to confirm that galaxy mergers have a positive effect on igniting AGNs.
NASA's AIM Spots First Arctic Noctilucent Clouds of the Season
Ice-blue clouds are drifting high above the Arctic, which means the Northern Hemisphere's noctilucent cloud season is here.
IIT Roorkee to conduct research for identifying antiviral to tackle COVID-19
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee will conduct research on the identification of antiviral to treat COVID-19.
Scientists develop method to help epidemiologists map spread of COVID-19
Scientists have developed a method they believe will help epidemiologists more efficiently predict the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their new study outlines a solution to the SIR epidemic model, which is commonly used to predict how many people are susceptible to, infected by, and recovered from viral epidemics.
Ask Ethan: How Are Mega-Constellations Of Satellites Changing The Night Sky?
It's not just about SpaceX and Starlink. What we're deciding today will have a global impact for years and decades to come.
Climate could cause abrupt British vegetation changes
Climate change could cause abrupt shifts in the amount of vegetation growing in parts of Great Britain, new research shows.
Ferritin heavy chain protein shows promise as a potential SARS-CoV-2 vaccine or antiviral
A new study published on the online preprint server bioRxiv in May 2020 reports the construction and testing of a new ferritin-based antigen-bearing protein that has biological activity towards the ACE2 receptor. This could indicate its potential for development as a vaccine or antiviral.
New model predicts the peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic
Researchers describe a single function that accurately describes all existing available data on active COVID-19 cases and deaths -- and predicts forthcoming peaks.
Active material created out of microscopic spinning particles
Researchers have created a new kind of self-healing active material out of 'microspinners,' which self-assemble under a magnetic field to form a lattice.
SpaceX Starship test vehicle explodes moments after test-firing
A full-size prototype of SpaceX’s Starship violently exploded in South Texas moments after a test-firing of its Raptor engine Friday, dealing a setback to the company’s next-generation reusable rocket program.
Marine Biologists Discover New Species of Red Alga
A team of marine biologists from China and the United Kingdom has revised the taxonomy of Pyropia, a large genus of red alga (seaweed) in the family Bangiaceae, and described a new species and four new genera.
Scientists develop method to help epidemiologists map spread of COVID-19
Rochester Institute of Technology scientists have developed a method they believe will help epidemiologists more efficiently predict the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their new study, published in ...
Puffy 'cotton ball' clouds are a rocket launch's most common nightmare. Here's why they delayed SpaceX's historic flight.
SpaceX and NASA delayed their historic astronaut launch on Wednesday after puffy clouds rolled in. They're the biggest threats to a rocket launch.
Russia sparks space race with the US by announcing plans for an orbital station
The plans revealed by the Kremlin will start after the International Space Station is scrapped in around 2030 and will allow it to launch “far-out” missions to the moon and Mars
Dinosaur-killing asteroid created massive magma chamber that lasted millions of years, study shows
The asteroid that slammed into Earth some 66 million years ago and wiped out the dinosaurs also produced a gigantic pool of magma many times larger than the crater at the center of Yellowstone National Park, new research reveals.
Jets Blasted To 80% The Speed Of Light From A Black Hole Caught On Film
Jets blasted outwards from a stellar-mass black hole at 80 percent the speed of light have been caught on film by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. MAXI J1
SpaceX's Starship SN4 Launch Vehicle Prototype Explodes After Static Engine Fire Test
SpaceX had just conducted yet another static fire test of the Raptor engine in its Starship SN4 prototype launch vehicle on Friday when the test vehicle exploded on the test stand in Boca Chica, Texas. TechCrunch reports: This was the fourth static fire test of this engine on this prototype, so it...
Sourdough tips from Fermilab, anti-5G USB stick does nothing, tracing a message in a bottle
Excerpts from the Red Folder
Research explores the impact of invasive grasses on South Texas landscapes
Scientists writing for the journal Invasive Plant Science and Management say several exotic grass species once grown in South Texas for livestock forage and erosion control have expanded from the areas ...
NASA-SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch has just a 50 percent chance of liftoff for Saturday and could be moved to Sunday if weather does not improve
NASA and SpaceX are gearing up for the second attempt at launching Falcon 9 Saturday There is only a 50 percent probability it will happen, but officials said it could be moved to Sunday.
Dormant ‘zombie fires’ are burning in the Arctic again
Fierce fires that have lain dormant for months are igniting once again across the Arctic region. The so-called “zombie fires,” which are remnants of record blazes seen last year, may be
Warmer nights but rainy days to come in Queensland this winter
The weather bureau's winter outlook suggests the state will experience wetter than average conditions.
Nanoscope received NIH grant to advance ultrafast laser-based gene delivery to the retina
The Nanoscope team has developed Multi-Characteristic Opsins to sensitize cells toward low level of white light so that vision is improved at ambient room light.
Warmer nights but rainy days to come in Queensland this winter
The weather bureau's winter outlook suggests the state will experience wetter than average conditions.
Warmer nights but rainy days to come in Queensland this winter
The weather bureau's winter outlook suggests the state will experience wetter than average conditions.
RIT scientists develop method to help epidemiologists map spread of COVID-19
Rochester Institute of Technology scientists have developed a method they believe will help epidemiologists more efficiently predict the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their new study, published in Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena, outlines a solution to the SIR epidemic model, which is commonly used to predict how many people are susceptible to, infected by, and recovered from viral epidemics.
Research explores the impact of invasive grasses on South Texas landscapes
Scientists writing for the journal Invasive Plant Science and Management say several exotic grass species once grown in South Texas for livestock forage and erosion control have expanded from the areas where they were planted and have become invasive. They now are reducing the region's biodiversity and the habitats available for wildlife.
SwRI receives $1.9 million to identify potential treatments for COVID-19
Using Department of Defense supercomputers, Southwest Research Institute is virtually screening millions of drug compounds to search for and test possible treatment options for the novel coronavirus 2019.
New model predicts the peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic
This week in the journal Frontiers, researchers describe a single function that accurately describes all existing available data on active COVID-19 cases and deaths -- and predicts forthcoming peaks.
Limits on evolution revealed by statistical physics
What is and is not possible for natural evolution may be explained using models and calculations from theoretical physics, say researchers in Japan. To explain this the limits of evolution, researchers simplified the natural world to fit idealized physics models and searched for any mathematical structure within biological complexity.