A group has been formed to study and promote a space-based sunshade to help fend off global climate change. The idea has been discussed for years, but the Planetary Sunshade Foundation is cranking out papers that support the concept and spotlight the practicality of the approach. A planetary sunshade, the Foundation advises, could be the […]
A treasure trove of molecules has turned up in two galaxies that we see as they were over 12 billion years ago, revealing information about how the ancient realms form stars. One of the distant galaxies, APM 08279+5255, is home to a quasar — an active supermassive black hole at its core swallowing huge amounts […]
In a plot reminiscent of the fairytale “Goldilocks,” chum salmon are looking for waters that are “just right.” Because of planet overheating, their proverbial perfect porridge is in remote arctic areas previously uncharted by the migrating fish known for their prolific breeding, according to a report from Wired that referred to the new development as […]
Scientists believe they have identified the secret ingredient to making an intense espresso – a splash of water. Researchers found that adding a small amount of water to coffee beans before grinding them produces more consistent and tastier espresso. During grinding, the friction between coffee beans generates electricity that causes particles to clump together and […]
The world’s largest iceberg, A23a, which has an area approximately three times the size of New York City, weighs in at almost 1 trillion tons, CBS News partner network BBC News reports, citing data from the European Space Agency (ESA). Using data from the agency’s CryoSat-2 mission, a spacecraft that carries a type of radar […]
Scientists may have discovered the exact cause of morning sickness, the nausea and vomiting that often accompanies pregnancy — and with the discovery, better treatment options could be on the horizon. Researchers from the University of Southern California and University of Cambridge found the hormone GDF15 is produced in the placenta and a mother’s sensitivity […]
Tasked with finding clues about origins of life on Earth, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft scooped up pieces of a rugged, rubble-pile asteroid named Bennu in late 2020 and delivered them to Earth about two months ago. On Monday (Dec. 11), scientists got their first detailed description of some of that extraterrestrial collection. “We definitely have hydrated, organic-rich remnants from the […]
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. The quest for new antibiotics is going back to the Stone Age. The urgency to identify possible candidates has never been greater as the global population faces nearly 5 million deaths every year that are associated […]
Gas Leak Fossil fuel companies drilling into the Norwegian permafrost may be unleashing a hidden monster. After analyzing 18 hydrocarbon exploration wells in Svalbard, an archipelago located between Norway and the North Pole, researchers discovered that half of them had struck accumulations of previously trapped methane gas. Allowing much of this gas to escape into […]
Two scientists who work at the University of Florida were arrested Friday after allegedly putting their kids in cages while they went to work. Dustin Huff, 35, and Yurui Xie, 31, are accused by the Gainesville Police Department of leaving their children home in small cages while they were at work, according to FOX 35. […]
Italian ecologist Francesco Ficetola was at a conference two years ago when it dawned on him that emojis can help power global conservation efforts. Ficetola does a lot of research on salamanders. But with no salamander emojis available, it’s hard to send a quick message to his colleagues when he’s busy. He realized he was […]
Earth has millions of fungi species, but the official emoji library has only one: Amanita muscaria, the red-capped, white-spotted mushroom found in fairy tale picture books and Super Mario Brothers. A staggering 180,000 species of butterflies and moths flit about this planet, yet their lone emoji avatar is a generic blue butterfly that looks like […]