Science
Human-related microbes may survive moon's South Pole
Some of Earth's microbes likely to hitch a ride to space with human explorers could survive in the shaded nooks and crannies of the moon's South Pole region, NASA scientists say.
Evolutionary process behind live birth in lizards uncovered
Scientists studying one of nature's greatest reproductive innovations have discovered how some lizards evolved from laying eggs to giving birth to live young. The new research is …
Orange lips and roaring calls: Meet the DRC's shy new rainforest monkey
There are 536 species of monkeys in the world today, and the Democratic Republic of Congo has a new one. Named Likweli, this rainforest primate is one of only five new African mon…
A little bit more than magic: The secret to quantum computing may lie in negativity
Quantum computers hold great promise for applications from drug discovery to cybersecurity. Yet figuring out what would give quantum computers their edge over everyday "classical"…
Interworld Slingshot: Exploring a new way to find resources in space
Before people can mine resources on the moon, asteroids or Mars, they need to answer a few key questions: What is there? How much is there? And where can it be found? A team led b…
The bloodsucking insect with a saw for a mouth: How the tsetse fly bites through almost anything
Tsetse flies transmit some of Africa's most persistent parasitic diseases. They have affected human health, livestock production and rural development for generations, across a re…
A viral 'loose cannon' enzyme helps phages shut down bacterial defenses
As antimicrobial resistance grows around the world, novel therapies to counter it become increasingly important. Phages—viruses that infect bacteria—are an exciting avenue of rese…
Private mission to save NASA's Swift space telescope fails
A private spacecraft tasked with boosting the orbit of NASA's Swift Observatory has failed in its mission, meaning the telescope will crash back to Earth later this year.
The country's two largest reservoirs of water are at historic lows
NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University, about new record low water levels in two major reservoirs.
Scientists create 'laundry gun' for astronauts to clean their clothes by shooting out plasma
A pen-sized apparatus called a "laundry gun" could sterilize astronauts' clothes in space.
Harsher weather could encourage sustainable ecolabeling in fishing industry
New research by a Washington State University economist examines how changing environmental conditions may influence the practice and trustworthiness of sustainable ecolabeling in…
Microbial clocks can accurately estimate time since death across different climates
New research reveals that microbial clocks—forensic tools that track the succession and development of bacteria and fungi involved in decomposition after death—are highly accurate…
NASA TechLeap Prize: Orbital Clarity Challenge
The Orbital Clarity Challenge — the sixth in the NASA TechLeap Prize series — is a collaborative effort between NASA’s Heliophysics Division, Flight Opportunities program, and Cen…
AI screens 100,000+ membrane combinations, predicting carbon capture performance within seconds
Reducing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes and energy production remains one of the major technological challenges in addressing climate change. Membrane-based ga…
Soft vibrations reveal warning signs before granular crystals yield
Sand, powders, and other collections of visible-sized grains are found throughout daily life, from food and pharmaceuticals to soils and industrial materials. When grains of simil…
3D map of cell signaling sites could help improve cancer treatment
Cell-communication molecules called kinases play a key role in the growth and spread of many cancers. But exactly which kinases are active in a particular cancer is not always cle…
'The Mandalorian and Grogu' finally blasts onto Disney+ next month
Will this underwhelming spinoff of "The Mandalorian" find new life in the streaming world?
Light-driven proteins in artificial membranes—a new method for biohybrid systems
Light-driven membrane proteins are key components in biohybrid systems because they can convert light energy into ion gradients, enabling energy conversion or sensory applications…
NASA Updates Next Steps for Commercial Swift Boost Mission
Due to an ongoing commercial spacecraft attitude control issue, NASA and Katalyst Space announced Wednesday the LINK spacecraft will not capture or boost an agency satellite to a …
Human-Related Microbes May Survive Moon’s South Pole, NASA Finds
Lee esta historia en español aquí. Some of Earth’s microbes likely to hitch a ride to space with human explorers could survive in the shaded nooks and crannies of the Moon’s South…
Most species in UK zoos are non-native and not threatened, undermining conservation goals
In British zoos and aquariums, fewer than 10% of vertebrate species are native to the UK, and just 2% are high conservation priorities, according to a study by Justin Lennon at th…
Dark matter could magnify the jets of a ravenously feeding supermassive black hole
A jet erupting from a distant supermassive black hole-powered blazar is being gravitationally lensed by an unseen clump of dark matter, and that could tell us about the source of …
Genetic 'switches' could program 3D-printed bone tissue for blood vessel growth
An interdisciplinary team of engineers and chemists at Penn State has laid the groundwork for 3D printing spheroids—tiny clusters of living cells—capable of regenerating bone tiss…
Human remains again found at Lake Mead as water levels drop amid drought
Discovery marks latest grim finding in lake as water levels in crucial reservoir outside Las Vegas continue to declineHuman remains have once again been discovered at Lake Mead ou…