Science

In 2005, NASA sent five geckos into space for 16 days without food or water, with later tests revealing changes in their bones and liver cells |

by
In 2005, NASA sent five geckos into space for 16 days without food or water, with later tests revealing changes in their bones and liver cells |

In 2005, five thick-toed geckos left Earth aboard the unmanned Russian spacecraft Foton-M2, embarking on a 16-day orbital flight with no access to food or water. The mission, a joint undertaking between Nasa and the Russian Academy of Sciences, was designed to test whether a reptile species could serve as a viable model for studying … Read more

In 1960, Nasa launched rhesus monkey Miss Sam on a Mercury escape test, reaching 1,800 mph before she landed safely in the Atlantic |

by
In 1960, Nasa launched rhesus monkey Miss Sam on a Mercury escape test, reaching 1,800 mph before she landed safely in the Atlantic |

In January 1960, Nasa launched the rhesus monkey Miss Sam aboard a Little Joe rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia, to test the launch escape system built for Project Mercury. The flight was designed to confirm that the escape tower could pull the capsule clear of its booster during an abort, a safeguard critical to any … Read more

Quote of the day by Neil deGrasse Tyson: “As an educator, it’s my duty to empower you to think. So that you can…” – a powerful message on education |

by
Quote of the day by Neil deGrasse Tyson: “As an educator, it’s my duty to empower you to think. So that you can…” – a powerful message on education |

Quote of the day by Neil deGrasse Tyson (Image: Wikipedia) Neil deGrasse Tyson‘s words present education as something considerably bigger than simply memorising facts. “As an educator, it’s my duty to empower you to think,” he said. “So that you can go forth and think accurate thoughts about how the world is put together.” He … Read more

In 1994, researchers in California and Arizona turned discarded tyres into underwater reefs and found 20 times more fish in concrete canals |

by
In 1994, researchers in California and Arizona turned discarded tyres into underwater reefs and found 20 times more fish in concrete canals |

When engineers lined canals across the dry American Southwest with concrete, they solved one problem while creating another. The hard surfaces helped stop precious water from disappearing into the soil, but they also stripped away the irregular edges, vegetation and sheltered spaces that aquatic life had used in the old earthen channels. Fish eventually returned, … Read more

Meet Harshith Nelabhotla, the Ohio student who built an AI system that can recognise American Sign Language words in real time |

by
Meet Harshith Nelabhotla, the Ohio student who built an AI system that can recognise American Sign Language words in real time |

Harshith Nelabhotla. Image Credit: Youth Scientists Lab Harshith Nelabhotla, an Ohio student, has earned recognition for developing a ‘Real-Time ASL Word Recognition System,’ a project that brings artificial intelligence to American Sign Language (ASL). His work has been named the ‘2026 Ohio State Merit Winner’ in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, placing his idea among … Read more

China covered 40% of sea cucumber ponds with solar panels; younger animals spent 12 fewer days in summer inactivity |

by
China covered 40% of sea cucumber ponds with solar panels; younger animals spent 12 fewer days in summer inactivity |

Solar panels are usually associated with electricity, but a study in China has found that they can also change the summer conditions inside sea cucumber ponds. Researchers examined ponds fitted with photovoltaic panels and found that the shade reduced the amount of light reaching the water and lowered its temperature. The cooler conditions were linked … Read more

In the 1970s, just 14 giant tortoises remained on Española; now 3,000 are restoring vegetation and bringing albatrosses back to nesting grounds |

by
In the 1970s, just 14 giant tortoises remained on Española; now 3,000 are restoring vegetation and bringing albatrosses back to nesting grounds |

On Española, one of the smaller islands in the Galápagos, the landscape is being reshaped by animals that spend much of their time moving slowly through it. Giant tortoises push through grasses, knock down vegetation and leave broad paths behind them as they travel. Their effect is easy to miss if viewed as ordinary grazing. … Read more

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: From strange worlds to rare planets: Nasa’s Roman Telescope begins its cosmic hunt

by
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: From strange worlds to rare planets: Nasa’s Roman Telescope begins its cosmic hunt

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the space observatory Roman Telescope lifts off from launch complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center Nasa‘s newest flagship space observatory, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, blasted off from Florida on Sunday on a mission to search for planets beyond the Solar System and investigate some of the … Read more

In 2009, Minnesota treated Pickerel Lake with fish poison to remove common carp; afterward water clarity rose nearly 600% and plant cover climbed from 4.6% to 90%

by
In 2009, Minnesota treated Pickerel Lake with fish poison to remove common carp; afterward water clarity rose nearly 600% and plant cover climbed from 4.6% to 90%

For decades, Pickerel Lake in Minnesota struggled with poor water quality, heavy algal growth and extremely low aquatic plant cover. The shallow lake had become dominated by common carp, a bottom-feeding fish that can disturb lake sediments and alter the movement of nutrients through an aquatic ecosystem.But after the invasive fish were removed in 2009, … Read more

Scientists discovered what happens when diamond is hit at extreme speed, it can rapidly transform into graphite within microseconds |

by
Scientists discovered what happens when diamond is hit at extreme speed, it can rapidly transform into graphite within microseconds |

Diamond is celebrated as one of the hardest materials known, but new research shows that even its famously rigid structure can be dramatically altered by an impact travelling at hypersonic speed. Scientists have found that diamond particles embedded in a specially engineered ceramic composite can undergo a near-complete transformation into graphite during a collision lasting … Read more