Scientists are considering the possibility of launching a nuclear weapon at an asteroid that could potentially hit the moon in 2032 — but they say more research is needed before taking this forward as an option. The investigation concerns asteroid 2024 YR4, which reached notoriety shortly after its discovery in December 2024 when scientists (working … Read more
Around 66 million years ago, the reign of the dinosaurs came to a fiery end. An asteroid about 7 miles (12 kilometers) wide, flying at 27,000 mph (43,000 km/h), slammed directly into Earth. The impact triggered a cascade of deadly events that led to the fifth mass extinction that eliminated dinosaurs, with the exception of … Read more
The iron-rich core at the centre of our planet has been a crucial part of Earth’s evolution. The core not only powers the magnetic field which shields our atmosphere and oceans from solar radiation, it also influences plate tectonics which have continually reshaped the continents. But despite its importance, many of the most fundamental properties of the core are … Read more
Pluto is a bit of a loner. The dwarf planet is no longer considered a regular planet; it does not orbit on the same plane as the solar system’s eight planets; and its orbit is both highly elliptical and extremely tilted. In fact, its orbit is much more similar to that of its neighbors in … Read more
Who hasn’t looked into the sky and wondered if there’s life out there, somewhere, looking back at us? Is it possible there’s alien life closer to home — within the bounds of our solar system? The short answer is yes, there are several places researchers are looking for signs of life within our solar system, … Read more
A small municipality in southern Finland recently installed the world’s largest “sand battery” to supply the town’s heating. The new sand battery, designed by Polar Night Energy, is effectively a giant sandpit encased in a roughly 43 foot tall by 49 foot wide (13 by 15 meter) steel container. The sand is heated using closed-loop … Read more
Researchers have modified a standard glue gun to 3D print a bone-like material directly onto fractures, paving the way for its use in operating rooms. The device, which has so far been tested in rabbits, would be particularly useful for fixing irregularly shaped fractures during surgery, the researchers say. “To my knowledge, there are virtually … Read more
Red onion dye could be the missing ingredient required to bolster ultraviolet (UV) protection for solar cells, scientists say. Solar cells are typically coated with a petroleum-based film to protect them from UV-induced degradation. These films include oil-based materials such as polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In the quest to drive the adoption … Read more
At first glance, Nam-Joon Cho’s lab at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University looks like your typical research facility — scientists toiling away, crowded workbenches, a hum of machinery in the background. But the orange-yellow stains on the lab coats slung on hooks hint at a less-usual subject matter under study. The powdery stain is pollen: microscopic … Read more
Scientists have suggested that when artificial intelligence (AI) goes rogue and starts to act in ways counter to its intended purpose, it exhibits behaviors that resemble psychopathologies in humans. That’s why they have created a new taxonomy of 32 AI dysfunctions so people in a wide variety of fields can understand the risks of building … Read more
