“It raises the possibility that social motivation plays a role in why some dogs end up learning object names.” We love hearing about the latest findings coming out of an Eötvös Loránd University (ELU) research group focused on gifted word learner (GWL) dogs—if only for the pictures of adorable…
Femtosecond lasers etch data into a very stable medium. Archival storage poses lots of challenges. We want media that is extremely dense and stable for centuries or more, and, ideally, doesn’t consume any energy when not being accessed. Lots of ideas have floated around—even DNA has been considered—but one…
Synchrotron radiation imaging revealed a porous, almost sponge-like nanostructure to create bright hues In Qing dynasty China, artisans augmented decorative pieces by incorporating iridescent kingfisher feathers—a technique known as tian-tsui. Scientists at Northwestern University’s Center for Scientific Studies in the Arts have used high-energy X-ray imaging to achieve unprecedented…
As alliances fray, these are the nations investing in sovereign access to space. No one will supplant American and Chinese dominance in the space launch arena anytime soon, but several longtime US allies now see sovereign access to space as a national security imperative. Taking advantage of private launch…
Sometimes, new data raises more questions than it answers. In a recent study, University of Alaska Fairbanks paleontologist Matthew Wooller and his colleagues radiocarbon-dated what they thought were pieces of two mammoth vertebrae, only to get a whale of a surprise and a whole new mystery. At first glance,…
Sunlight can cause a molecule to change structure, and then release heat later. Heating accounts for nearly half of the global energy demand, and two-thirds of that is met by burning fossil fuels like natural gas, oil, and coal. Solar energy is a possible alternative, but while we have…
Kaolinite pebbles show evidence of alteration under high rainfall conditions. A recent study showed that Mars was warm and wet billions of years ago. The finding contrasts with another theory that this era was mainly cold and icy. The result has implications for the idea that life could have…
What prompts this community to spend time looking for a creature that likely doesn’t exist? It was the image that launched a cultural icon. In 1967, in the Northern California woods, a 7-foot-tall, ape-like creature covered in black fur and walking upright was captured on camera, at one point…
“We observed materially lower leak rates compared to prior observations during WDR-1.” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Saturday the agency is looking at ways to prevent the fueling problems plaguing the Space Launch System rocket before the Artemis III mission. Artemis III is slated to be the first crew…
Next-generation telescopes are mapping this outer frontier. Out beyond the orbit of Neptune lies an expansive ring of ancient relics, dynamical enigmas, and possibly a hidden planet—or two. The Kuiper Belt, a region of frozen debris about 30 to 50 times farther from the sun than the Earth is—and…
