Science

New Campaign Is Asking Every Country on Earth to Name Distant Worlds

A new campaign headed by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) called IAU100 NameExoWorlds will allow each country in the world to name a star and its exoplanet, the IAU announced yesterday. Nearly 100 nations are all signed up and ready to go, with the next step involving national campaigns to select names and provide the…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Jun 7

Woman Relieved After Suspected Brain Tumor Turns Out to Be Tapeworm Egg

You wouldn’t expect that finding a tapeworm egg in your brain would be seen as good news, but such was the case for New York resident Rachel Palma this past fall. That’s because the larva found inside was the true cause of Palma’s worsening symptoms of insomnia and hallucinations, rather than a brain tumor that…

Health Ed Cara Jun 7

This Compact System Lets Scientists See Biological Molecules in a Whole New Way

Researchers have combined laser techniques and an ingenious detection scheme in order to create a powerful new molecule-imaging system—a quicker, easier way to determine the identity of microscopic molecules. Basically, it’s an advanced yet surprisingly simple microscope. Shining mid-infrared light on complex molecules like proteins and observing how they react can provide detailed information on their…

Physics & Chemistry Ryan F. Mandelbaum Jun 7

Cannonballs Likely Used by Vlad the Impaler Found in Bulgarian Fortress

Archaeologists in Bulgaria are claiming to have uncovered stone cannonballs used during Vlad III Dracula’s assault on the historic Zishtova Fortress. The unusually cruel military commander—famously known as Vlad the Impaler—wrested the stronghold from the Ottoman Turks in 1461. Zishtova Fortress, which dates back to the 13th and 14th century AD, sits atop a hill…

Human History George Dvorsky Jun 7

Large Hadron Collider Experiment Reveals Alien Structure of a ‘Pentaquark’

New results from the world’s largest particle accelerator illuminate the structure of the pentaquark, an exotic particle consisting of five quarks bound together. Quarks, the subatomic particles that make up protons and neutrons, usually bind together in pairs or triplets to form classes of particles called mesons and baryons, respectively. But recent analyses of data…

Physics & Chemistry Ryan F. Mandelbaum Jun 7

Trump’s Misguided Ban on Federal Fetal-Tissue Research Can Only Hurt Science

The Trump administration is halting fetal tissue research by government scientists and placing new restrictions on how the National Institutes of Health issues grants to academic researchers. The move is meant to appease the president’s anti-choice political base, but the measures are a serious blow to medical science. On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced that…

Health George Dvorsky Jun 6

Scientists Sequenced the Genes of Ancient Plague Bacteria That Spread the ‘First Pandemic’

Scientists have gained some insight into one of the first known calamities to visit mankind: a two century-long pandemic caused by the bacterial disease plague. Studying the remains of plague victims, the researchers say they were able to sequence the genomes of plague strains that devastated the Roman Empire starting in the 6th century. They…

Health Ed Cara Jun 6

Image: DSS and Pan-STARRS1 (Optical), XMM-Newton (X-rays) PLANCK Satellite (y paramter), F. Govoni, M. Murgia, INAF

Astronomers Spot Mysterious, 10-Million-Light-Year-Long Magnetic Field Connecting Two Galaxy Clusters

Scientists have detected radio waves emanating from the space between a pair of galaxy clusters—evidence of intergalactic magnetic fields and fast-moving particles in the space between these giant galactic assemblages. The universe is comprised of a vast network of galaxy clusters sitting at the intersection of filaments. Galactic filaments are massive, threadlike formations of matter…

Space & Spaceflight Ryan F. Mandelbaum Jun 6

Goo From Giant Salamanders Is Impressively Good at Sealing Wounds

When Chinese giant salamanders are injured, they discharge white mucus from glands on their skin. As new research shows, this sticky salamander goo makes for an excellent medical glue, sealing wounds and encouraging them to heal. Effectively and safely closing wounds after surgery is critical. Most wounds are closed using sutures or staples, but oftentimes…

Health George Dvorsky Jun 6

A New Metal Foam Is as Bulletproof as Heavy Steel Armor, Researchers Say

Making a vehicle that’s completely impervious to bullets isn’t impossible, but it would be so bulky and heavy from its thick armor plating that it would barely be able to move. Unless you build it using a new bulletproofing material developed at North Carolina State University that mimics lightweight styrofoam. Composite metal foam—or CMF, for…

Gadgets Andrew Liszewski Jun 6

Why Is NASA Sending an Atomic Clock Into Space?

On June 22, NASA will send an atomic clock the size of a football (though much heavier) to space onboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. This clock isn’t for telling time—it’s a technology demonstration for a clock that might be used for future space exploration, both to navigate and to make gravitational measurements. If successful,…

Physics & Chemistry Ryan F. Mandelbaum Jun 6

CDC Says Measles Cases in U.S. Have Now Reached Over 1,000 So Far in 2019

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday that 1,001 cases of measles have been reported so far in the U.S. throughout 2019. That number is all but certain to continue climbing in the second half of the year. Last week, the CDC warned that U.S. measles cases had reached a 25-year high—with more…

Health Tom McKay Jun 6

A Cool, Gassy Ring Has Been Detected Around Our Galaxy’s Gigantic Black Hole

Using the ALMA observatory, scientists have detected a previously undocumented band of cool gas wrapped around the black hole at the core of our galaxy. The immediate area surrounding the supermassive black hole is kind of intense. Called Sagittarius A*, this behemoth has a mass around 4 million times that of our Sun. As befits…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Jun 5

The Deep-Sea Dragonfish Has One of the Most Terrifying Smiles on Earth

Scientists have shined a light on one of the creepier denizens of the deep sea, a pitch-black creature that can turn itself into a living lamp called the dragonfish. New research helps explain one of the dragonfish’s more disturbing qualities: its relatively gigantic and translucent teeth. Deep-sea dragonfish, while rarely more than a half-foot long,…

Biology Ed Cara Jun 5

Thousands More Americans Will Die in Heat Waves Unless We Meet Paris Climate Goals

The world is heating up and no one is safe, even in the richest country on Earth. Rising temperatures could kill thousands of us in the U.S., a new study finds. The study, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, highlights how thousands of Americans could die under heat waves every 30 years if the…

Environmental Justice Yessenia Funes Jun 5

Why Frogs Love to Lay Their Eggs in Elephant Footprints

Frogs in Myanmar are surprisingly dependent upon elephants, or rather, the tracks they leave behind. New research shows that water-filled elephant footprints provide an under-appreciated sanctuary for frogs to lay their eggs. You’d think these tiny amphibians would prefer to steer clear of the pachyderms, lest they get trampled by their enormous feet. But those…

Biology George Dvorsky Jun 5

NASA Finally Has a Plan to Try to Free InSight’s Extremely Stuck Probe

Scientists have finally determined the first steps toward dislodging the Mars InSight lander’s frustratingly stuck heat probe. NASA successfully planted the InSight lander on Mars late last year, to much fanfare. One of the mission’s major goals was to bury a heat probe 10 to 15 feet below the Martian surface in order to study…

Space & Spaceflight Ryan F. Mandelbaum Jun 5

Bees Can Learn Symbols Associated With Counting, New Experiment Suggests

A new experiment in which bees were trained to associate symbols with numbers suggests we can communicate with insects in ways not thought possible. An Australian-French collaboration is claiming to have taught honeybees to match specific characters with quantities. The new study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, suggests bees are capable of…

Biology George Dvorsky Jun 5

Why Does the Moon Flash?

A new experiment will attempt to explain the strange flashes that appear on the Moon’s surface. Transient lunar phenomena are brief flashes of light and color on the surface of the Moon. Just this year, we reported that a bright, hot flash of light appeared during a lunar eclipse; in this case, it was caused…

Space & Spaceflight Ryan F. Mandelbaum Jun 4

White Meat May Be as Bad as Red Meat for Cholesterol

Switching from red meat to chicken to keep your cholesterol down may not be a great strategy, according to a new study this Tuesday. It found that people’s blood cholesterol levels rose similarly when they ate a diet filled with either red or white meat, compared to a diet without meat. This effect on cholesterol,…

Health Ed Cara Jun 4

New Campaign Is Asking Every Country on Earth to Name Distant Worlds

Woman Relieved After Suspected Brain Tumor Turns Out to Be Tapeworm Egg

This Compact System Lets Scientists See Biological Molecules in a Whole New Way

Cannonballs Likely Used by Vlad the Impaler Found in Bulgarian Fortress

Large Hadron Collider Experiment Reveals Alien Structure of a ‘Pentaquark’

Trump’s Misguided Ban on Federal Fetal-Tissue Research Can Only Hurt Science

Scientists Sequenced the Genes of Ancient Plague Bacteria That Spread the ‘First Pandemic’

Astronomers Spot Mysterious, 10-Million-Light-Year-Long Magnetic Field Connecting Two Galaxy Clusters

Goo From Giant Salamanders Is Impressively Good at Sealing Wounds

A New Metal Foam Is as Bulletproof as Heavy Steel Armor, Researchers Say

Why Is NASA Sending an Atomic Clock Into Space?

CDC Says Measles Cases in U.S. Have Now Reached Over 1,000 So Far in 2019

A Cool, Gassy Ring Has Been Detected Around Our Galaxy’s Gigantic Black Hole

The Deep-Sea Dragonfish Has One of the Most Terrifying Smiles on Earth

Thousands More Americans Will Die in Heat Waves Unless We Meet Paris Climate Goals

Why Frogs Love to Lay Their Eggs in Elephant Footprints

NASA Finally Has a Plan to Try to Free InSight’s Extremely Stuck Probe

Bees Can Learn Symbols Associated With Counting, New Experiment Suggests

Why Does the Moon Flash?

White Meat May Be as Bad as Red Meat for Cholesterol

Two Songs We Really Wish Were the Anime Outros for ‘Steel Ball Run’

AI Training Data Giant Mercor Is Reportedly Looking to Buy the Work You Did at Your Old Job

Utah Is Giving Dr. AI the Power to Renew Drug Prescriptions

Here’s the Perfect Excuse to See ‘Project Hail Mary’ Again

US Airlines Are Hiking Bag Fees Amid Iran War Oil Crisis

This Ridiculously Simple Trick Might Stop Gulls From Nabbing Your Lunch

‘Starfleet Academy’ Season 3 Could Have Done the ‘Voyager’ Sequel Episode of Robert Picardo’s Dreams

Judge Kills Lawsuit Against Infamous Study That Might Have Increased Teen Suicides

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