In southwest China, Chinese soldiers load and fire rockets toward the sky as aircraft and drones circle overhead, dropping their toxic cargo into the air. The weapons are not trained on an enemy, and the planes aren’t dropping bombs. Instead, they are targeting the clouds hovering in the sky. This footage is just a tiny … Read more
The San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems are at their highest levels of tectonic stress in 1,000 years, raising the threat of a major, imminent earthquake that could devastate Southern California, a new study finds. The faults could rupture separately or together, thanks to an “earthquake gate” between them at Cajon Pass, where the … Read more
NASA has revealed the next steps in its plans to build humanity’s first lunar outpost, with three uncrewed missions to the moon targeted for later this year. The missions, announced by the U.S. space agency at a news conference on Tuesday (May 26), are the first of many to begin laying the foundations for a … Read more
At the Alcor facility in Arizona, more than 150 disembodied heads reportedly lie in cryogenic chambers, preserved in hopes that future medical advances can bring these brains back to life in new bodies. Given that scientists still cannot revive a cryogenically preserved brain, why do patients bother with cryonics at all? Why couldn’t these heads … Read more
Microplastics are absorbing heat in the atmosphere and contributing to global warming, a new study reveals. Microplastics are infamous for being everywhere, contaminating ecosystems and accumulating inside our bodies. Scientists have known for a while that plastics are also blown high into the atmosphere, where they are now pervasive, but it was unclear what impact … Read more
Researchers in China have pioneered a formula for a nontoxic “aqueous battery” that they say could last 10 times longer than today’s best devices. What’s more, the water battery achieves this epic lifespan without degrading and can be disposed of safely in the environment, the team reported in a new study. For the new method, … Read more
Astronauts could complete a round trip to Mars in less than a year someday, potentially cutting current mission timelines in half, according to a new study that drew inspiration from asteroid trajectories. Under current mission profiles, reaching Mars, which is located about 50% farther from the sun than Earth is, takes roughly seven to 10 … Read more
Scientists may have detected more than 10,000 never-before-seen exoplanets in a single survey, potentially tripling the number of known alien worlds in one fell swoop. The record-breaking haul was possible thanks to a new algorithm that helped researchers analyze more than 80 million stars — revealing subtle clues that would otherwise be “impossible” for us … Read more
Mars is out; the moon is in. And this time, we may be going there to stay. On March 24, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman announced new plans to build a “sustained human presence” on the moon, complete with a permanent lunar base. Construction of humanity’s new home away from Earth could begin as soon as … Read more
Research suggests we are on the brink of crossing several ecological “tipping points” that could derail ecosystems like the Amazon rainforest and permafrost-covered tundras. But just as humans can cause these negative tipping points, we can also trigger positive ones that restore ecosystems, says Tim Lenton, a professor of climate change and Earth system science … Read more
