Science

Sign up for Big Think on Substack The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free. Growing up, Annaka Harris had a restless, inquisitive mind — and terrible migraines. Which is how she developed an interest in the subject that would captivate her for most of her career: consciousness. “I was really focused on …

Russia just sent a mini menagerie to orbit. The Bion-M No. 2 biosatellite launched atop a Soyuz rocket from the Russia-run Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan today (Aug. 20), rising off the pad at 1:13 p.m. EDT (1713 GMT; 10:13 p.m. local time in Kazakhstan). Onboard are 75 mice and 1,000 fruit flies, along with a variety of microbes, cell cultures …

“They’re Alive”: SpaceX Stuns World as Dragon Capsule Returns 6,700 Pounds of Next-Gen Robots That Reportedly Walked Out on Arrival  Rude Baguette NASA Sets Coverage for SpaceX 33rd Station Resupply Launch, Arrival  NASA (.gov) NASA tests potential bone loss treatment for long-duration missions  Phys.org SpaceX Returns 3 Tons of Cutting-Edge Robotics, Sending Shockwaves Through Space Tech  The Daily Galaxy ISS National Lab and NASA …

Just a moment… Enable JavaScript and cookies to continue This request seems a bit unusual, so we need to confirm that you’re human. Please press and hold the button until it turns completely green. Thank you for your cooperation! Press and Hold Press and hold the button If you believe this is an error, please contact our support team. 209.74.74.26 …

Sign up for Big Think on Substack The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free. Thirty-five years ago, the Voyager 1 space probe turned its camera toward Earth and snapped a photograph from 3.7 billion miles away. The now-iconic image, dubbed the “Pale Blue Dot” by the author and astrophysicist Carl Sagan, shows …

“Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links.” Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: Archaeological excavations on an Orkney island in Scotland revealed a Viking-era find. The carved red sandstone head features intricate detailing across the entire face. The discovery may have a link to St. Magnus Cathedral, Britain’s northernmost …

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — SpaceX is planning to launch the USSF-36 mission Thursday evening, the eighth flight of U.S. Space Force’s X-37 Orbital Test Vehicle and third Falcon launch of the spacecraft, which previously launched OTV-5 and OTV-7. The space company is targeting 11:50 p.m. on Aug. 21 for liftoff of the Falcon 9 from Launch Complex 39A at the …

The Psyche spacecraft is on a six-year journey to reach a metal-rich asteroid by the same name. Well into its voyage, the probe looked back at its home planet and captured a rare view of Earth, accompanied by its Moon, as a mere speck engulfed by the dark void of space. NASA’s Psyche mission launched on October 13, 2023, and …

A beaming patch of turquoise amidst the Southern Ocean’s blue-grey waters that’s baffled scientists ever since it was first spotted in satellite images in the early 2000s may have finally been deciphered by oceanographers. Mapping concentrations of phytoplankton and biogeochemical compounds has revealed a curious combination of microorganisms that challenges assumptions about the way the frigid waters of the world’s …

IN A NUTSHELL 🔭 Researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope discovered a pattern in galactic rotations. 🌀 Around 60% of ancient galaxies rotate clockwise, challenging previous assumptions of randomness. 🌌 The hypothesis suggests our universe might be within a massive black hole, redefining cosmic principles. 🔍 Observational bias, such as the Doppler effect, is considered an alternative explanation for …