Science
- BusinessCNN
Will guilt-free long-haul flights ever be possible? Here’s what we know
The aviation industry is trying to make flying less harmful to the environment – but so are non-polluting long-haul flights coming any time soon? Here’s what we know
10 min read - ScienceReuters
Oldest mosquito fossil comes with a bloodsucking surprise
Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are killed annually by malaria and other diseases spread through the bite of mosquitoes, insects that date back to the age of dinosaurs. Researchers said they have discovered the oldest-known fossils of mosquitoes - two males entombed in pieces of amber dating to 130 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period and found near the town of Hammana in Lebanon. To their surprise, the male mosquitoes possessed elongated piercing-sucking mouthparts seen no
3 min read - ScienceThe Conversation
Climate change is already forcing lizards, insects and other species to evolve – and most can't keep up
From dark dragonflies becoming paler to plants flowering earlier, some species are slowly evolving with the climate. Evolutionary biologists explain why few will evolve fast enough.
7 min read - WorldCNN
The past decade was the hottest on record as climate change ‘surged alarmingly,’ WMO reports
The decade between 2011 and 2020 was the hottest on record for the planet’s land and oceans, the WMO reported.
4 min read - HealthNBC News
What’s causing severe respiratory illnesses in dogs?
As a respiratory illness continues to sicken canines around the U.S. this year, researchers are scrambling to make sense of what’s causing it and how to slow the outbreak.
6 min read - ScienceThe Conversation
How a thumb-sized climate migrant with a giant crab claw is disrupting the Northeast's Great Marsh ecosystem
South of Cape Cod, fiddler crabs and marsh grass have long had a mutually beneficial relationship. It’s a different story in the North, where the harms can ricochet through ecosystems.
6 min read - HealthThe Conversation
'Inert' ingredients in pesticides may be more toxic to bees than scientists thought
Inert ingredients are added for purposes other than killing pests and are not required under federal law to be tested for safety or identified on pesticide labels.
6 min read - ScienceThe Conversation
Scientists have been researching superconductors for over a century, but they have yet to find one that works at room temperature − 3 essential reads
Claims about the discovery of a coveted room-temperature superconductor peppered the news in 2023. We pulled three stories from our archives on what superconductivity is and why scientists study it.
4 min read - ScienceSpace
Astronaut Mike Massimino shares advice from NASA career in new book 'Moonshot'
Former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino shares lessons learned during his career and how they can be applied in his new book, "Moonshot: A NASA Astronaut's Guide to Achieving the Impossible" out Dec. 5.
12 min read - ScienceSpace
Interstellar astronauts would face years-long communication delays due to time dilation
Due to the mind-blowing distances and speeds required, interstellar travel remains a major spaceflight challenge. But new research highlights yet another hurdle: Communication blackouts.
4 min read - ScienceReuters
US envoy Kerry launches international nuclear fusion plan at COP28
DUBAI (Reuters) -U.S. special climate envoy John Kerry on Tuesday launched an international engagement plan to boost nuclear fusion, saying the emissions-free technology could become a vital tool in the fight against climate change. Kerry said the plan involved 35 nations and would focus on research and development, supply chain issues, and regulation, and safety. "There is potential in fusion to revolutionize our world," Kerry told the COP28 climate summit in Dubai.
2 min read - HealthThe New York Times
Brain Implants Helped 5 People Toward Recovery After Traumatic Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries have left more than 5 million Americans permanently disabled. They have trouble focusing on even simple tasks and often have to quit jobs or drop out of school. A study published Monday has offered them a glimpse of hope. Five people with moderate to severe brain injuries had electrodes implanted in their heads. As the electrodes stimulated their brains, their performance on cognitive tests improved. If the results hold up in larger clinical trials, the implants could be
5 min read - WorldAssociated Press
US unveils global strategy to commercialize fusion as source of clean energy during COP28
The United States will work with other governments to speed up efforts to make nuclear fusion a new source of carbon-free energy, U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry said Tuesday, the latest of many U.S. announcements the last week aimed at combatting climate change. Nuclear fusion melds two hydrogen atoms together to produce a helium atom and a lot of energy—which could be used to power cars, heat and cool homes and other things that currently are often powered by fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas
6 min read - WorldCNN
Climate summit leader defends controversial comments that alarmed scientists and sent shockwaves through meeting
The president of the COP28 climate summit claimed there is “no science” that says the phase out of fossil fuels is required to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, in comments made in a recorded panel discussion last month.
5 min read - WorldReuters
Global dairy companies announce alliance to cut methane at COP28
(Reuters) -Six of the world's largest dairy companies will soon begin disclosing their methane emissions as part of a new global alliance launched at the United Nations climate summit in Dubai on Tuesday. Livestock is responsible for about 30% of global anthropogenic methane emissions, from sources like manure and cow burps, according to the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization. Advocacy groups have said that tackling livestock methane should be a major priority at this year's COP28 summit
2 min read - WorldReuters
2023 in photos: Extreme climate
Drought dried up lakes, record heat sparked wildfires, rains turned streets into rivers, and deadly storms wiped out entire towns. In early 2023, California experienced an unusually wet, snowy winter, drenching the state and causing mudslides that left some homes precariously balanced on cliffsides, while in the Southern Hemisphere scorching temperatures fanned wildfires in Chile. As summer rolled around in the Northern Hemisphere, large parts of Europe and the United States sweltered under in
1 min read - ScienceAssociated Press
UN agency cites worrying warming trend as COP28 summit grapples with curbing climate change
The United Nations weather agency is reporting that glaciers shrank more than ever from 2011 and 2020 and the Antarctic ice sheet lost 75 percent more compared to the previous ten years, as it released its latest stark report about the fallout on the planet from climate change. The World Meteorological Organization served up more evidence of what scientists already know – the Earth is heating – on Tuesday, but this time looking at the trend over a longer period with its latest Decadal State of
3 min read - WorldReuters
COP28 pledge to curb cooling emissions backed by 63 countries
DUBAI (Reuters) -The United States, Canada and Kenya were among 63 countries to join a pledge on Tuesday to deeply cut cooling-related emissions at the United Nations climate summit in Dubai. The Global Cooling Pledge marks the world's first collective focus on climate-warming emissions from cooling, which includes refrigeration for food and medicine and air conditioning. It commits countries to reduce by 2050 their cooling-related emissions by at least 68% compared to 2022 levels, along with
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
To phase out or phase down fossil fuels? That is the question at COP28 climate talks
After days of shaving off the edges of key warming issues, climate negotiators Tuesday zeroed in on the tough job of dealing with the main cause of what's overheating the planet: fossil fuels. As scientists, activists and United Nations officials repeatedly detailed how the world needs to phase-out the use of coal, oil and natural gas, the United Arab Emirates-hosted conference opened “energy transition day” with a session headlined by top officials of two oil companies. “It's pretty comprehen
6 min read - ScienceSpace
Pluto's 'almost twin' dwarf planet Eris is surprisingly squishy
Pluto's 'almost twin' dwarf planet Eris has a rocky core blanketed by an icy shell, which appears to be flexing slowly.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
World carbon dioxide emissions increase again, driven by China, India and aviation
The world this year pumped 1.1% more heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the air than last year because of increased pollution from China and India, a team of scientists reported. Instead, carbon pollution keeps rising, with 36.8 billion metric tons poured into the air in 2023, twice the annual amount of 40 years ago, according to Global Carbon Project, a group of international scientists who produce the gold standard of emissions counting.
3 min read - ScienceSpace
How Perseverance rover captured its youngest samples from Mars' Dream Lake (video)
A new NASA video explains how the Perseverance Rover may have collected its youngest rock sample yet from the Red Planet's Jezero Crater.
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Fossil fuels influence and other takeaways from Monday's climate conference events
The influence of the fossil fuel industry at the United Nations annual climate conference, commonly called COP28, was a focal point on Monday with the president of the talks pushing back against criticism that his role heading a fossil fuel company conflicted with the need to reduce fossil fuel use. Meanwhile, The Associated Press found that the number of people in Dubai affiliated with fossil fuel interests had substantially grown compared with previous years. Adding to the criticism was form
5 min read - ScienceNBC News
U.S. and India strengthen cooperation around space exploration
India’s space aspirations show no signs of slowing, as the country strengthens cooperation with the United States on a slew of upcoming science and human spaceflight missions.
2 min read - ScienceSpace
X-ray telescope catches 'spider pulsars' devouring stars like cosmic black widows (image)
NASA's Chandra X-ray Space Telescope has spotted a "clutter" of rapidly spinning neutron stars called spider pulsars that are devouring surrounding stars.
5 min read - ScienceCNN
Modern earthquakes in US could be aftershocks from quakes in the 1800s, scientists say
Aftershocks from devastating earthquakes in the 1800s near the Missouri-Kentucky border and in Charleston, South Carolina, may still be occurring, a study found.
7 min read - BusinessSpace
SpaceX buys parachute manufacturer Pioneer Aerospace
SpaceX has acquired Pioneer Aerospace, a company that provided components for Dragon spacecraft parachutes before filing for bankruptcy.
1 min read - BusinessNBC News
Fossil fuel fight takes center stage at the COP28 climate summit
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A fight over the future of fossil fuels has been thrust into the global spotlight at the COP28 climate summit.
5 min read - ScienceSpace
James Webb Space Telescope gazes into 'The Brick,' a dark nebula near the Milky Way's heart
A dark nebula, also known as "The Brick," was imaged by the James Webb Space Telescope.
3 min read - USCBS News
Divers map 2-mile trail of relics and treasure from legendary shipwreck
The company with sole rights to explore the centuries-old wreck of the Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas, a Spanish treasure ship that sunk off the Bahamas, has carefully identified and mapped a huge trail of long-lost artifacts.
4 min read - ScienceSpace
Historic magnetic storms help scientists learn what to expect when one hits
Magnetic storms can create amazing auroras, but they also have the capacity to impact our power grid.
3 min read - ScienceSpace
A cosmic 'fossil record' could be hidden among orphaned stars
The upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory will help astronomers track stars ripped from their galaxies, revealing a cosmic fossil record to track the evolution of galactic clusters.
4 min read - ScienceAssociated Press
British research ship crosses paths with world's largest iceberg as it drifts out of Antarctica
Britain's polar research ship has crossed paths with the largest iceberg in the world — a “lucky” encounter that enabled scientists to collect seawater samples around the colossal berg as it drifts out of Antarctic waters, the British Antarctic Survey said Monday. The RRS Sir David Attenborough, which is on its way to Antarctica for its first scientific mission, passed the mega iceberg known as the A23a on Friday near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The iceberg — equivalent to three times
2 min read - ScienceSpace
Mighty morphin' Centaur rings — a distant icy object's rings are transforming
What is causing the structure of the dust to evolve, and where exactly the dust comes from, is still a mystery.
4 min read - ScienceSpace
The elusive origins of long gamma-ray bursts may finally be revealed
New research helps resolve the mystery surrounding strange long gamma-ray bursts, suggesting these blasts of high-energy radiation emerge from collisions of neutron stars that birth black holes.
4 min read - WorldNBC News
COP28 president sparks outcry after he claims there’s ‘no science’ behind fossil fuel phase out
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — COP28 President Sultan Al-Jaber is facing a backlash over his claim that there is “no science” behind calls for a phase out of fossil fuels — a demand that many believe will ultimately determine the success of the U.N. climate conference.
5 min read - ScienceSpace
Space mysteries: Why are there no gas moons?
In our solar system we have rocky moons, ocean moons and frozen-ice moons, but there are no gas moons. Are we just unlucky not to have any gas moons, or are there physical reasons why they cannot exist?
8 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Gore blasts COP28 climate chief and oil companies' emissions pledges at UN summit
Don’t trust the oil and gas industry to report their actual carbon pollution, said former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, who added that the man leading the United Nations climate talks runs one of the “dirtiest” oil companies out there. “They’re much better at capturing politicians than they are at capturing emissions,” Gore told The Associated Press in a sit-down interview. The Nobel Prize-winning climate activist, author and filmmaker blasted Sultan al-Jaber, the president of the United Nation
5 min read - ScienceThe Conversation
New England stone walls lie at the intersection of history, archaeology, ecology and geoscience, and deserve a science of their own
New England has thousands of miles of stone walls. A geoscientist explains why analyzing them scientifically is a solid step toward preserving them
7 min read - ScienceSpace
NASA to train Indian astronauts for a week-long trip to ISS in 2024
NASA will train two Indian astronauts, one of whom will fly to the ISS late next year, a space agency official announced this week.
2 min read - BusinessReuters
China's LandSpace readies satellite launch with methane-fuelled rocket
BEIJING (Reuters) -Beijing-based LandSpace Technology, one of China's private space companies, is preparing to launch satellite payloads to orbit in a key commercial test of its methane and liquid oxygen fuelled rocket. Investors and rocket developers have said methane could offer a way to help slash costs and support reusable rockets in a cleaner and more efficient manner. The company did not specify a launch window for the rocket, which will blast off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
At UN climate talks, fossil fuel interests have hundreds of employees on hand
At least 1,300 employees of organizations representing fossil fuel interests registered to attend this year's United Nations climate talks in Dubai, more than three times the number found in an Associated Press analysis of last year's talks, as new rules took effect requiring attendees to disclose their employment. Aside from the new disclosure rules, the figure may have been boosted by a surge in attendance as Earth staggered through a year of record heat and devastating extreme weather attrib
6 min read - ScienceCNN
What sea level rise will look like in cities that have hosted climate summits
A new analysis shows the cities of COP’s past could soon be inundated — if not entirely submerged — by rising ocean waters.
3 min read - NewsAssociated Press
Thousands of climate change activists hold boisterous protest march in Brussels with serious message
The activists of Climate Coalition called for politicians to put in place stronger measures to counter global warming. One man bundled against the cold, Luc Durnez, complained that the Belgian government went to the climate summit “without a plan, and it is really a shame for us.” In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, nations were promising measures to slash the world’s greenhouse emissions by nearly half in seven years to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) compared
1 min read - WorldReuters
Floods kill more than 20 people in northern Tanzania -government
At least 20 people have been killed by floods after heavy rain in the Manyara region of northern Tanzania, the ministry of health said on Sunday. Severe flooding caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon has killed hundreds of people in Kenya and Somalia in recent weeks. "We are very shocked by this event," President Samia Suluhu Hassan said in a video message posted online by the Tanzanian ministry of health.
1 min read - ScienceSpace
Cosmonauts dock Russian Progress cargo ship to ISS on remote control after autopilot glitch
Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station took manual control of an incoming Progress 86 cargo ship on Sunday, Dec. 3, due to an autopilot issue.
2 min read - ScienceSpace
China's Landspace gears up for 3rd launch of its methane-powered rocket
The Zhuque-2 was the first methane-fueled rocket to reach Earth orbit, and the Chinese private spaceflight company Landspace is set to launch it again later on Dec. 5.
2 min read - WorldCBS News
Russian cargo ship docks at International Space Station
A guidance system problem during final approach prompted two space station cosmonauts to take over by remote control.
1 min read - ScienceSpace
From Earth orbit to the moon: Europe's I-Hab continues Spacelab 40-year legacy
A legacy of European-built and operated space modules, which began in Earth orbit and is now heading for the moon, got its start with Spacelab 40 years ago.
5 min read - BusinessSpace
1st launch of Europe's Ariane 6 rocket finally has June 2024 launch target
After a 4-year delay, the new heavy-lift rocket for Europe is almost ready for space. Ariane 6 should launch for the European Space Agency no earlier than June 15.
6 min read
