Science

A rotating deceleration experiment with egg yolk, using an egg scrambler and measuring soft tissue deformation to find possible answers about concussion. An increasing number of professional football players have been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), likely the result of recurrent concussions or similar recurrent brain traumas during their careers. It is also common in …

The rediscovered volcanic mouse is thought to be extinct. Credit: (c) Danny Balete, Field Museum A small mouse rediscovered on a volcano that erupted 30 years ago offers hope for wildlife conservation in the Philippines. In June 1991, Mount Pinatubo, a volcanic peak on the Philippine island of Luzon, literally erupted. It was the second most powerful volcanic eruption of …

Curious planets working to make Earth’s changes visible, accessible and acting. Planet rockets into the new year with 48 SuperDoves, our Flock 4s scheduled to fly on SpaceX’s Transporter-1 mission. Launched off Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, this rideshare mission will deliver the Flock 4s to a sun-synchronized orbit at approximately 500 km altitude. These 48 SuperDoves provide …

Credit: University College London The sun’s extremely hot outer layer, the corona, has a very different chemical composition than the cooler inner layers, but the reason for this has astonished scientists for decades. One explanation is that magnetic waves in the intermediate layer (the chromosphere) exert a force that separates the solar plasma into different components, so that only the …

Deimos and Phobos SpaceX has acquired two huge oil rigs to convert to floating space ports into its Mars-bound Starship spacecraft. Named for Phobos and Deimos, after the two Martian moons, SpaceX intends the massive structures to support super-heavy promises. Thanks to photos recently taken, we now get to see the huge scale of the two rigs. Wrapped in fog …

Life reconstruction of the early tetrapod Pederpes, showing the forelegs under the skin. Credit: Billedophavsret 2021, Julia Molnar. When tetrapods (four-legged vertebrates) began to move from water to land for approx. 390 million years ago, it set in motion the rise of lizards, birds, mammals, and all terrestrial animals found today, including humans and some aquatic vertebrates, such as whales …

“After the lengthy deployment process, DSN’s most capable 34-meter antenna is now talking to our spacecraft,” said Bradford Arnold, DSN project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Although pandemic restrictions and the recent weather conditions in Spain have been significant challenges, the staff in Madrid persevered and I am proud to welcome the DSS-56 to the global …

A new study reveals a curious relationship between Saturn’s moon Rhea and its neighbor, Titan. The second largest the planet of the solar system, Saturn is adorned with icy rings and orbited by a true swarm of about 80 moons. These satellites have their own unique properties, some so unusual and exciting that they stand out from other lunar bodies …

Some of the most amazingly powerful objects in the sky are not necessarily the most beautiful to look at. But their secrets can enable humanity to see some of the more intricate details of the universe that are exposed in their extreme surroundings. Every time we find one of these unique objects, it is the cause of celebration, and recently …