India launches a huge military communications satellite to orbit using its most powerful rocket
India launched a huge and powerful communications satellite for its navy early Sunday morning (Nov. 2). The CMS-03 spacecraft, also known as GSAT-7R, lifted off atop a Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre Sunday at 6:56 a.m. EST (1056...
Interstellar invader Comet 3I/ATLAS is still full of surprises — an unexpected brightening has scientists baffled
The interstellar invader Comet 3I/ATLAS is continuing to surprise scientists, this time by brightening at an unexpectedly rapid pace as it made its closest approach to the sun. Experts studying the object don't yet know why that happened. 3I/ATLAS is only the third...
We sharpened the James Webb telescope’s vision from a million miles away. Here’s how.
After Christmas dinner in 2021, our family was glued to the television, watching the nail-biting launch of NASA's $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope. There had not been such a leap forward in telescope technology since Hubble was launched in 1990. En route to its...
Webb reveals a fiery starburst in the Cigar Galaxy — Space photo of the week
If you own a small backyard telescope, there's a good chance you've seen the Cigar Galaxy (M82) with your own eyes. Not only is it relatively close to the Milky Way and one of the brightest galaxies in the night sky, but it's visible beside Bode's Galaxy (M81). A...
On Saturn’s largest moon, water and oil would mix — opening the door to exotic chemistry in our solar system
The frigid conditions on the surface of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, allow simple molecules in its atmosphere to break one of the most fundamental rules in chemistry, a new study shows. According to this principle, known as "like dissolves like," mixtures containing...
One molecule could usher revolutionary medicines for cancer, diabetes and genetic disease — but the US is turning its back on it
On Dec. 31, 2019, the first reports emerged about a mysterious pneumonia of unknown cause circulating in China. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. On March 16, the first COVID-19 vaccine entered clinical trials. And by Dec....
Do people dream in color or black and white?
We dream every night, but we often can't remember those dreams. Some mornings, we recall vivid details, and other days, we piece together hazy outlines. But what about color? Do most people dream in color or in black and white? Some people may be surprised to learn...
A toxicologist explains when you can safely cut the moldy part off food, and when it’s best to toss it
When you open the refrigerator and find a wedge of cheese flecked with green mold, or a package of chicken that smells faintly sour, it can be tempting to gamble with your stomach rather than waste food. But the line between harmless fermentation and dangerous...
OpenAI completes shift to becoming for-profit
OpenAI has successfully transitioned into a for-profit entity, a strategic move anticipated to unlock the potential for billions of dollars in investment capital and potentially pave the way for a future stock market debut. In a significant recalibration of their...
The AI job cuts are here – or are they?
Amazon's recent decision to eliminate thousands of corporate jobs has sharply amplified a long-standing societal anxiety: the increasing perception that Artificial Intelligence is beginning to displace human workers. Here are a few options, maintaining a clear,...