Mars is the 7th largest planet in our solar system that, since the 1960s, has been robotically explored more than any other planet beyond Earth. Mariner 9 images in 1971 revealed the first direct evidence of water on the Red Planet. However, it was only thanks to the recent ESA ExoMars and Mars Express missions … Read more
Volcano Adventures: What volcanoes tell us about the world and ourselvesby Tamsin Mather I live on a lump of pink granite, part of a geological formation that stretches across southern Connecticut, jutting out of the ground here and there like a pod of whales surfacing. Before my wife and I bought our house, we had … Read more
Schematic diagram of a topological photonic alloy. The red star indicates the position of the line source, and the arrow indicates the propagation direction of the chiral edge state. Credit: Qu et al. Photonic junctions, alloy-like materials that combine two or more photonic crystals, are promising candidates for developing structures that control the propagation of … Read more
Early humans appear to have experienced a sudden and rapid advance in technology around 600,000 years ago, according to new findings from a team of anthropologists exploring the use of ancient stone tools. The researchers behind the findings say this likely represents a pivotal point in ancient human development, where the transfer of ancient knowledge … Read more
The sound of the surf could be the soundtrack to Saturn’s moon Titan. New analysis shows that the large bodies of liquid methane and ethane that wrap around Titan’s surface are likely populated by waves that erode the shores, carving the shapes of rivers and large lakes unique to the exotic moon and foggy. This … Read more
To create nHz frequency signals, the vacuum transitions must be supercooled. These slow transitions struggle to complete due to the cosmic expansion of the universe. Even if the transition is complete, the wave frequencies can be shifted by nHz. Therefore, while nanohertz gravitational waves are cold, their origin is likely not very cold. Credit: Andrew … Read more
For thousands of years, philosophers have debated the purpose of language. Plato believed it was essential to thinking. Thought “is the silent interior conversation of the soul with itself,” he wrote. Many modern scholars have advanced similar views. Beginning in the 1960s, Noam Chomsky, a linguist at MIT, argued that we use language for reasoning … Read more
In a surprising breakthrough, researchers have created a new class of materials called “glass gels” that are semi-liquid but hard to break. Elastic, surprisingly sticky and capable of ‘self-healing’ if cut, the surprising properties of these gels potentially make them useful for a wider range of applications than commonly used plastics, which are either hard … Read more
Artist’s impression of a Type II supernova explosion. These supernovae produce gamma rays and powerful ionizing radiation that is dangerous to life. Credit: ESO Earth’s protective atmosphere has sheltered life for billions of years, creating a haven where evolution produced complex life forms like us. The ozone layer plays a critical role in protecting the … Read more
About 4.5 billion years ago, many scientists say, Earth had an encounter with Theia, another Mars-sized planetary object. When the two worlds collided in a big impact, the mind goes, the debris was shot into space, locked in the orbit of the young Earth, damaged it, and led to the formation of our moon. But … Read more