News on the most recent advances in science
Staying updated with the most recent advances in science has never been easier. ThePhysicist gathers news about the most recent advances in the world of scientific research and analyses them regularly.
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Safety is important, no matter where you're viewing the eclipse. NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station show off their eclipse glasses, which allow safe viewing of the Sun during a solar eclipse.
“One of my cornerstone pinnacles [is], ‘Show up to work [and] life with integrity and intent.’ So, accomplish your goals with integrity, intent, and a mission. Stick to that and have the confidence to do that, and be OK with messing up and failing, and have fun with those things." — Meghan Everett, International Space Station Program Deputy Chief Scientist, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
An Atlas-Centaur launched at 5:22 p.m. EST on March 27, 1969, to send Mariner 7 on its way to Mars. Mariner 7 joined its sister spacecraft, Mariner 6, on a journey that carried them within 2,000 miles of the red planet that summer. Mariner 6 was launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 24 and investigated the Martian equatorial area while Mariner 7 concentrated on the south polar cap.
NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft will carry a special message when it launches in October 2024 and heads toward Jupiter's moon Europa. The moon shows strong evidence of an ocean under its icy crust, with more than twice the amount of water of all of Earth's oceans combined. A triangular metal plate, seen here, will honor that connection to Earth.
The plate is made of tantalum metal and is about 7 by 11 inches (18 by 28 centimeters). It is engraved on both sides and seals an opening in the electronics vault, which houses the spacecraft's sensitive electronics. The art on this side of the plate features waveforms that are visual representations of the sound waves formed by the word "water" in 103 languages. The waveforms radiate out from a symbol representing the American Sign Language sign for "water."
Two full-scale development model rovers that are part of NASA's CADRE (Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration) technology demonstration drive in the Mars Yard at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in August 2023. The project is designed to show that a group of robotic spacecraft can work together as a team to accomplish tasks and record data autonomously – without explicit commands from mission controllers on Earth.
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows LEDA 42160, a galaxy about 52 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. The dwarf galaxy is one of many forcing its way through the comparatively dense gas in the massive Virgo cluster of galaxies. The pressure exerted by this intergalactic gas, known as ram pressure, has dramatic effects on star formation in LEDA 42160.
A fast boat is seen at sunrise after the landing of SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft a few hours earlier in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, Tuesday, March 12, 2024. The Crew-7 members returned after nearly six-months in space as part of Expedition 70 aboard the International Space Station.
"I've come a long way from thinking, 'Well, I did this whole dissertation on geysers, what it would take for them to erupt, for a spacecraft to see them, and that people might not take me seriously as a scientist because of it,' to being on the Europa Clipper camera team involved in investigating these plumes and ensuring we can image them if they're there. It's a full-circle moment." – Dr. Lynnae Quick, Ocean Worlds Planetary Scientist, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Gemini VI astronauts Thomas P. Stafford (left), pilot, and Walter M. Schirra Jr., command pilot, are shown during suiting up exercises at Cape Kennedy, Florida.
This majestic image of the dazzling green lights of the aurora borealis was captured on March 17, 2015, around 5:30 a.m. EDT in Donnelly Creek, Alaska.
The highly competitive NASA Hubble Fellowship Program (NHFP) recently named 24 new fellows to its 2024 roster. The program fosters excellence and inclusive leadership in astrophysics by supporting a diverse group of exceptionally promising and innovative early-career astrophysicists. The NHFP enables outstanding postdoctoral scientists to pursue independent research in any area of NASA Astrophysics, using […]
The National Society of Professional Engineers named Chris Lupo, deputy chief engineer of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, as the agency’s 2024 Federal Engineer of the Year. Sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers in Government, the award recognizes engineers employed in the federal government. Lupo was recognized during an award ceremony at the National […]
A spectacular eclipse will sweep across North America on April 8, 2024! Enjoy these free resources from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific!
OK, we generally start with your early years, your childhood, where you’re from, and a little bit about your family at the time. Where you grew up, I think it was in Spain? Do you have siblings, what did your parents do, that sort of thing. And how early was it in your life that […]
Do you wish you could see a total solar eclipse every day? With a new online tool called Eclipse Watch, you can observe the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, in real time with eclipse-like images from space as we count down to the next total solar eclipse on Earth. The new Helioviewer Eclipse Watch data […]
The National Public Safety Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Conference was held at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia, March 12-13. NASA Langley engineers presented their work at the conference and staffed a NASA information table, promoting the benefits of NASA technologies and research for drone responders. “It’s exciting to see the effect drones have on search […]
Catch Mars and Saturn rising, and Jupiter hangs out with Comet 12P. Plus NASA has you covered for the total eclipse whether you’re headed to totality or watching from afar.
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer) team received the American Astronomical Society’s Neil Armstrong Space Flight Achievement Award “for exceptional performance and extraordinary perseverance in successfully delivering a sample from asteroid Bennu to Earth.” The award, named after the first person to walk on the Moon, is given annually […]
NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station wear eclipse glasses in this image from March 26, 2024. While millions of people on Earth experience the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, the space station crew will have the opportunity to see it from 250 miles above our planet. Except during the brief period when […]
NASA’s VIPER – short for the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover – now stands taller and more capable than ever. And that’s thanks to its mast. VIPER’s mast, and the suite of instruments affixed to it, looks a lot like the rover’s “neck” and “head.” The mast instruments are designed to help the team of rover drivers […]
The stars of a possible ultra-faint dwarf galaxy, known as UMa3/U1, could be held in place by the gravitational glue of dark matter.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe looked into a coronal mass ejection coming from the sun for the first time, detecting some turbulence that has intrigued scientists.
Japan's proposal for a moon rover is "more than meets the eye." A new model of JAXA's Lunar Cruiser not only replicates the Toyota transport, but can also transform into Optimus Prime.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news on the total solar eclipse that will be visible across North America on April 8, 2024.
The April 8 solar eclipse doesn't quite reach totality in my home Canadian city, so I'm hopping on a train to find it. I had good reason to stay off the road, or away from the air.
When the total solar eclipse travels across North America on April 8, the skies will darken. Here's what to look for during totality.
Cape Girardeau, Missouri is close to the centerline of the total solar eclipse on April 8, offering eclipse-chasers 4 minutes and 6 seconds of totality.
A preview of Fantasy Flight Game's new "Star Wars: Unlimited" trading card game.
No, the date and path of the total solar eclipse have not been miscalculated.
Total solar eclipses make animals behave in strange ways. To see for yourself, stop by one of these zoos located on the path of totality on April 8, 2024.
Hydrogels are popular for use in skin ailments and tissue engineering. These polymer-based biocompatible materials are useful for their abilities to retain water, deliver drugs into wounds, and biodegrade. However, they are complicated to manufacture and not very resilient to external forces like rubbing against clothing, sheets, or wound dressings. They are also not inherently able to battle bacterial infections, so they are often infused with antimicrobial drugs or metal ions, which can cause antibiotic resistance and negative effects on cell growth.
Researchers Violeta Simón, Marcial Escudero and Juan Arroyo, from the Department of Botany at the Faculty of Biology of the University of Seville, in collaboration with researchers from four other countries, led a study in which they demonstrate Darwin's hypothesis of precise pollination across all angiosperms (flowering plants). The research is published in the journal Nature Communications.
US communities along the path of the April 8 total solar eclipse are preparing for the year's biggest astronomic event, with millions of visitors expected to brighten local economies—and snarl up logistics.
With spring in full swing and everyone spending more time outdoors, one thing we should all be looking out for is snakes. More specifically, the venomous variety.
As habitat loss and fragmentation continues, many in the scientific community view landscape corridors as important for connecting habitat fragments to maintain biodiversity.
Dr. Katherine Bemis of NOAA Fisheries' National Systematics Laboratory and her collaborators recently described a new fish species: Emmelichthys papillatus, or the papillated redbait. Its discovery was published in the journal ZooKeys.
Whether human or reptile, in the skull of most terrestrial vertebrates there is a gaping hole in the temple; in the case of most reptiles, there are two. Scientists have been looking for explanations for this for 150 years.
The oldest trees in the forest help to prevent the disappearance of endangered species in the natural environment, according to a study led by the University of Barcelona. This is the case of the wolf lichen—threatened throughout Europe—which now finds refuge in the oldest trees in the high mountains of the Pyrenees.
Owning a home has long been considered a crucial way to build wealth, but making such a purchase has become increasingly difficult for many residents. In addition to steep housing prices and high interest rates, there have been a growing number of all-cash buyers who can close a deal quickly, beating out competing offers from buyers who need to finance their home with a mortgage.
Tree swallows use behavioral and physiological mechanisms to handle rising temperatures, and their story is an optimistic example of how some species successfully respond to climate change, at least for now.
Another step forward.
What do you imagine?
A surprising development.
Blowing off steam may do more harm than good.
You’re going to want to guard your eyes from the sun using legitimate protective gear
Giant bubbles erupting across this red supergiant star’s surface could solve a lingering astrophysical mystery
How a total solar eclipse creates connection, unity and caring among the people watching
Experts explain how moving in reverse can take pressure off your knees and improve flexibility
It’s hard to know whether a toddler needs help with early speech. Here are some tips and guidelines
Two popular chatbots showed some difficulty in providing medical information when asked in Spanish, Hindi or Mandarin
Findings in animals and humans emphasize the perils of not including female participants in research on the effects of anesthesia
U.S. landfills emit methane at levels at least 40 percent higher than previously reported to the Environmental Protection Agency, often in concentrated plumes
Will you be outside the path of totality during the 2024 total solar eclipse? What if clouds block your view? Find out how to watch the event online with this collection of livestreams
AI-generated art is creating new ethical issues—and competition—for digital artists. Nightshade and Glaze are two tools helping creators fight back.
Patients with microplastics in their arteries were 4.5 times more likely to have a heart attack, stroke or die within the next three years.
As a solar eclipse approaches totality and our eyes adjust to dimming light, our color vision changes. It’s called the Purkinje effect.
Meet the scientist homing in on the genes involved in making parlor roller pigeons do backward somersaults.
Unique subsets of neurons in a chickadee’s memory center light up for each distinct cache, hinting at how episodic memories are encoded in the brain.
Exposure to a tweaked magnetic field scrambled desert ants’ efforts to learn where home is — and affected neuron connections in a key part of the brain.
People with long COVID, ME/CFS and other chronic conditions are taking up science to find symptom relief and inspire new directions for professional scientists.
Billion-year-old rocks in South Africa hold evidence for the onset of plate tectonics early in Earth’s history.
Polar ice sheets are melting faster, slowing Earth’s spin. That is changing how we synchronize our clocks to tell time.
Astronomers have captured polarized light coming from the Milky Way’s central supermassive black hole, giving insight into its magnetic fields.
No bigger than a grain of rice, the heart of the instrument is the latest entrant in the quest to build ever tinier gravity-measuring devices.
After a decade out of the spotlight, the brain cells once alleged to explain empathy, autism and theory of mind are being refined and redefined.
The post Overexposure Distorted the Science of Mirror Neurons first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Mathematicians have illuminated what sets of points can look like if the distances between them are all whole numbers.
The post Merging Fields, Mathematicians Go the Distance on Old Problem first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Our brain waves can align when we work and play closely together. The phenomenon, known as interbrain synchrony, suggests that collaboration is biological.
The post The Social Benefits of Getting Our Brains in Sync first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Birds flock. Locusts swarm. Fish school. From chaotic assemblies of life, order somehow emerges. In this episode, co-host Steven Strogatz interviews the evolutionary ecologist Iain Couzin about how and why collective behaviors arise.
The post How Is Flocking Like Computing? first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Russell Impagliazzo studies hard problems, the limits of cryptography, the nature of randomness and more.
The post The Researcher Who Explores Computation by Conjuring New Worlds first appeared on Quanta Magazine