While Earth’s one and only moon enthralls everyone on this planet, it can’t hold a candle to Saturn’s 274 moons, 128 of which were recently discovered and recognized by the International Astronomical Union. With this new surge in its moon count, Saturn prevails with the most moons out of any other planet in the Solar…
Irish eyes are smiling today as we welcome the annual St. Patrick’s Day parades, pub parties, and patriotic celebrations popping up around the Western world. But if you’d rather stay home and enjoy a nice movie, we’ve put together an intriguing list of 7 Irish sci-fi movies heralding in one aspect or another from the…
The waters off Florida‘s east coast could soon become home to a new kind of power plant. According to groundbreaking research from Florida Atlantic University, this stretch of Atlantic Ocean holds enough energy in its currents to rival traditional power sources—without the carbon footprint. A first-of-its-kind global assessment reveals that water flowing past Florida’s coastline…
Kei Sato was looking for his next big challenge five years ago when it smacked him — and the world — in the face. The virologist had recently started an independent group at the University of Tokyo and was trying to carve out a niche in the crowded field of HIV research. “I thought, ‘What…
Two good players will always end noughts and crosses with a draw. Mikhail Rudenko/Alamy On the beach, scratching marks in the sand with a stick, my 4-year-old son was already good enough to force a draw in noughts and crosses, also known as tic-tac-toe. In case there is anyone on the planet unfamiliar with this…
Gas emissions, earthquakes, and ground deformations. These are all signs that a volcano is about to erupt, and they are also all signs that have appeared at Mount Spurr, an active volcano in southcentral Alaska, around 80 miles west of Anchorage. According to the team at the Alaska Volcano Observatory, “significantly elevated” emissions of volcanic…
A small space private capsule has captured stunning onboard scenes from its high-velocity atmospheric reentry. Varda Space’s W-2 mission came to a successful and spectacular end on Feb. 27 when the capsule reentered the atmosphere and landed at the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia. The 265-pound (120 kilograms) capsule spent six weeks in space…
For older adults living with heart failure, a simple habit could make the difference between life and death: regular exercise before hospitalization. A new study from Japanese researchers reveals that patients who maintained even modest exercise routines prior to hospital admission showed significantly better survival rates and physical function after discharge. The research, published February…
How Iguanas Got from North America to Fiji Millions of Years Ago A genetic analysis reveals that Fiji’s iguanas are most closely related to lizards living in North America’s deserts. How is this possible? By Jack Tamisiea edited by Andrea Thompson A Brachylophus bulabula, commonly known as the central Fijian banded iguana on Ovalau Island,…
Two decades ago, Jaap de Roode made a discovery that changed his scientific career. While researching the ecology and evolution of parasites and their hosts, he came across something truly surprising: the monarch butterflies he was studying seemed to be exploiting the medicinal properties of plants to treat themselves and their offspring. Back then, the…