Science

As plans for missions to Mars accelerate, so do questions about how the human body might cope. A return trip to the red planet would give more than enough time for someone to become pregnant and even give birth. But could a pregnancy be conceived and carried safely in space? And what would happen to a baby born far from …

With a smartphone in hand, anyone can be a naturalist. Apps like iNaturalist have surged in popularity over the last 15 years, with millions using them to document wildlife around the world. A new study shows that these observations contribute a deluge of data to scientific research. Use of iNaturalist has skyrocketed since its launch in 2008. This citizen science database …

NASA’s newest international crew is ready for liftoff, and a local astronaut is among them.Mike Fincke, of Emsworth, is the mission pilot for SpaceX Crew-11.”This is a great crew,” Fincke said Saturday. “We are looking forward to launching soon.”Fincke and his fellow crew members arrived at Cape Canaveral in Florida ahead of Thursday’s scheduled launch.”I’m personally looking forward to going …

Scientists have achieved the lowest quantum computing error rate ever recorded — an important step in solving the fundamental challenges on the way to practical, utility-scale quantum computers. In research published June 12 in the journal APS Physical Review Letters, the scientists demonstrated a quantum error rate of 0.000015%, which equates to one error per 6.7 million operations. This achievement …

Courtesy of #Popscope Imagine walking to the store for ice cream and running into a free opportunity to view Saturn’s rings. That’s what’s happened for thousands of lucky pedestrians, thanks to #PopScope, the urban astronomy movement. Now in its 11th year, the volunteer-run group just hit a major milestone: Completing 500 pop-ups that have brought 26,000 people closer to the …

MIT physicists have performed an idealized version of one of the most famous experiments in quantum physics. Their findings demonstrate, with atomic-level precision, the dual yet evasive nature of light. They also happen to confirm that Albert Einstein was wrong about this particular quantum scenario. The experiment in question is the double-slit experiment, which was first performed in 1801 by the …

In the grand theater of American politics, space has often served as a symbol of vision, courage, and continuity—an enterprise that transcends partisanship and orbits the better angels of our national ambition. But even this most elevated domain is not immune to gravity. Or to sabotage. We are watching, in real time, the slow-motion unraveling of American space leadership. And …

Could there be a huge ocean hidden 700 km beneath our feet? If the discoveries made by teams of scientists in two different parts of the world are anything to go by, this could well be the case. All the more reason to shake up many beliefs about our blue planet on the outside…. And a little on the inside. …

Spotting ants around your property is bound to happen from time to time, but seeing an abundance of ants? There might be a colony that’s invited themselves to move in with you. Finding an overwhelming amount of ants in or around certain areas of your yard might mean there’s a source nearby calling their name. Ants are known to flock …

Scientists have mapped the human genome for a quarter century, yet millions of DNA letters are still unresolved. A new study now reports the most complete reference to date, covering those difficult sections. The international team sequenced 65 ancestry diverse genomes and closed 92 percent of the gaps left by earlier projects, providing a resource that lets clinicians zoom all …