Science

These Are the Oldest Photons In the Universe

This is the entire view sky as seen from Earth, taken by the Planck observatory during a whole year. In the center, the microwave radiation of our galaxy, the Milky Way. But that’s not the important part. https://gizmodo.com/the-most-accurate-highest-resolution-earth-view-to-dat-5478787 The image, which has been created using data covering the electromagnetic spectrum from 30 to 857 GHz,…

Space & Spaceflight Jesus Diaz

NASA Captures the Rising Sun Lighting Up the Midnight Sky

The International Space Station snapped a particularly beautiful photo of the various layers of our globe’s atmosphere with the rising sun peeking out to say hello, while touring over the Greek islands around midnight just a few weeks ago. https://gizmodo.com/an-hd-video-tour-of-the-international-space-station-5467261 NASA’s Earth Observatory, which posted the photo, pointed out the polar mesopheric clouds, or “night-shining”…

Space & Spaceflight Kat Hannaford

Astronaut Couch

Here, the Mercury Seven astronauts examine their “couches”—essentially molded exoskeletons that helped support the g-force of launch. More interesting to me: the bygone era when it was commonplace to wear a tie into space. [NASA]

Space & Spaceflight Mark Wilson

Small Game Shooting

Normally it’s the big game you have to worry about, but thankfully, when these two tiny animals attacked this wildlife photographer, someone was standing nearby to take the shot. [Buzz Feed]

Biology Kyle VanHemert

High-School Students Plan Hypothetical NASA Mission, Discover It’s Real

Two weeks ago, NASA released an insanely beautiful video of the Japanese Hayabusa spacecraft exploding over the Australian Outback. Turns out the video was planned and shot by a couple high schoolers from a NASA DC-8 aircraft. Feeling inadequate yet? In 2009, science teacher Ron Dantowitz gave three of his students a project, asking them…

Space & Spaceflight Max Read

Go Go Gadget Cat Legs!

This cute cat is named Oscar. He lost his rear legs in an accident, but thanks to veterinary surgeon Noel Fitzpatrick and some bionic leg implants, Oscar can walk again. Here is a video of some of his first steps. Apparently Fitzpatrick drilled holes into what remained of Oscar’s legs and attached the special metal…

Health Rosa Golijan

Intergalactic Goonies Discover Cave on Mars

A group of precocious California middle schoolers have managed to find a large cave on Mars. Well done, youth of America! When I was in seventh grade, I’m not sure I’d even discovered girls yet. The industrious science class from Cottonwood, CA’s Evergreen Middle School discovered the cave while working on a research project with…

Space & Spaceflight Brian Barrett

Not Enough Uranium In the Moon

Bad news for colonists and lunar nazis: Contrary to previous reports, there’s not enough uranium in the Moon to guarantee nuclear power or commercial exploitation. That’s what cosmochemist Robert Reedy, part of the Japanese Kaguya spacecraft science team, says: Forget things like uranium mines or nuclear reactors,. The concentrations are very far from being of…

Space & Spaceflight Jesus Diaz

Why the Sky Is So Blue

Chances are, as a kiddywink, you looked up to your Mom or Dad and asked “why is the sky blue?” Just in case you’ve forgotten, or your parents told you a whopping fib, io9 has come to the rescue. For the full explanation, you’d be best off heading over to our sister-site io9 now, but…

Physics & Chemistry Kat Hannaford

Space Shuttle Launch Aims For the Sun, Seen By Sky-Divers

As you’re trying to squeeze onto the subway in the hurry to work, or are perhaps going to bed after a horrible day at the office, take a deep breath and remind yourself of the bigger picture. The space shuttle can be seen launching out of the clouds, aimed at the sun—with two sky-divers awarded…

Space & Spaceflight Kat Hannaford

The ISS Captures the Southern Lights Zapping Across the Atmosphere

This is a photo taken on the International Space Station by a NASA astronaut on May 29. It shows aurora australis, the southern lights, above the Indian Ocean. Here’s NASA’s background on it: These ever-shifting displays of colored ribbons, curtains, rays, and spots are most visible near the North (aurora borealis) and South (aurora australis)…

Space & Spaceflight Adam Frucci

Lifechanger: Astronaut Leroy Chiao’s Coffee Maker

What was my Lifechanger? Hmmmm…iPhone? iPad? Macbook Pro? Let’s dig back a little deeper…Airplane? The1MB original-style Mac (with external 20 MB hard disk), on which I wrote my Ph.D. thesis? Radio Shack TRS-80? Nope, it was a coffee maker! That’s right. I don’t believe the people who purport to have made it through University without…

Space & Spaceflight Leroy Chiao

Chemical From Broken LCD TVs Could Save Lives

Next time your Wiimote accidentally gets thrown into your LCD TV, don’t fret too much—chemicals found in the broken TV sets could be used to fight infections in the human body. The welcome news has come from research undertaken by the University of York in England, which found that the polyvinyl-alcohol, or PVA, can actually…

Health Kat Hannaford

Good Morning, Humans

This view from the international space station, showing a sunrise from the Russian MRM1 Module, is particularly impressive. Not only because of Earth, but because of the different solar panels entangling into an almost abstract painting. It was taken by Douglas H. Wheelock yesterday, NASA Astronaut for STS-120 and the ISS Expedition 24/25. [Twitpic]

Space & Spaceflight Jesus Diaz

Kill Gadget Germs Dead With Violight’s Snake-Oil UV Light Sanitizer

From the same company that makes toothbrush sanitizers comes the gadget sanitizer—seen here rinsing an iPhone with UV light to kill all the nasty germs living on it. Sounds like one of those devices that no-one really needs, right? I mean, you could just use a sanitizing hand wipe or something—or even put up with…

Health Kat Hannaford

Space Robot Will Repair Ships and Bring Satellites to Fiery Doom

Meet Justin, the space robot. He’s clever, agile, wired to a human for control (of the robot, not the human) and he’s a possible solution for fixing orbiting satellites in the post-Shuttle era. If they’re dead, he can even fire them to their doom. Justin’s the product of ongoing research by the Institute of Robotics…

Space & Spaceflight Kit Eaton - Fast Company

Robots are Taking Over in a New Hospital Opening in Scotland

Robots (albeit not quite as pretty as Salma Hayek in Across The Universe) are replacing humans in a $444m hospital opening in Scotland. They’ll take over some of the more menial duties of ward-workers, including bringing meals and dispensing drugs. They’ll live underneath the hospital and use service elevators, coming out only to do the…

Health Kat Hannaford

Super-Clean Space Rock Puzzles Astronomers

More used to seeing rocks covered in grime after billions of years of floating around space, a team of astronomers at MIT are scratching their heads over a surprisingly pristine rock in Kuiper Belt, near Neptune. After first spotting the rock several years ago, MIT astronomer James Elliot finally found out the true nature of…

Space & Spaceflight Kat Hannaford

Pixelated Animals Roaming In Meatspace

On your computer screen, a pixelated image of a peacock is an eyesore. But in meatspace it’s a pretty incredible sight. Sculptor Shawn Smith renders peacocks, mooses, and more in tiny plywood cubes, showing the world pixelation in the round. Smith, a Texas native, has been working in 3D pixels for years, exploring the “slippery…

Biology Kyle VanHemert

Japan’s Space-Surfing Solar Sail Photographed For First Time

Good news for the Little Japanese Solar Sail That Could, as the first images of the solar sail spread out in full deployment have been snapped. All is going according to plan, says the space agency, and “flying” looks possible. Just last week the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency unfurled the solar sail in space, but…

Space & Spaceflight Kat Hannaford

These Are the Oldest Photons In the Universe

NASA Captures the Rising Sun Lighting Up the Midnight Sky

Astronaut Couch

Small Game Shooting

High-School Students Plan Hypothetical NASA Mission, Discover It’s Real

Go Go Gadget Cat Legs!

Intergalactic Goonies Discover Cave on Mars

Not Enough Uranium In the Moon

Why the Sky Is So Blue

Space Shuttle Launch Aims For the Sun, Seen By Sky-Divers

The ISS Captures the Southern Lights Zapping Across the Atmosphere

Lifechanger: Astronaut Leroy Chiao’s Coffee Maker

Chemical From Broken LCD TVs Could Save Lives

Good Morning, Humans

Kill Gadget Germs Dead With Violight’s Snake-Oil UV Light Sanitizer

Space Robot Will Repair Ships and Bring Satellites to Fiery Doom

Robots are Taking Over in a New Hospital Opening in Scotland

Super-Clean Space Rock Puzzles Astronomers

Pixelated Animals Roaming In Meatspace

Japan’s Space-Surfing Solar Sail Photographed For First Time

Roku’s 2025 Streaming Stick HD Is 40% Off to Compete With Amazon Fire TV Stick During Spring Sale

Epstein Victims Sue Google, Claim AI Mode Exposed Personal Information

‘Wicked Spot’ Is a Fun, Sapphic Rom-Com That Yeets a Witch Into the Magical World of Influencer Culture

Anthropic and OpenAI Just Gave Us a Glimpse Into the Future of Model Pricing

Amazon Slashes 63% Off Acer Aspire Desktop for a Limited-Time Spring Sale, With Keyboard and Mouse Included

Smart Glasses Now Have One of the Vision Pro’s Best Features

Marvel Just Put ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 in a Very Weird Place in the MCU Timeline

Trump Drops $1B to Kill 2 Wind Farms, Then Watches a Bigger One Go Online

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets

Let us help find what you are looking for...