Astronomy
‘Bat feast’ animal videos at African cave offer clues to how deadly viruses spread
Researchers filmed 10 species eating or scavenging bats at known Marburg-virus hotspot—and caught hundreds of humans visiting
Can electric air taxis carry passengers? Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 just cleared a key test
A British start-up recently pulled off a key maneuver for electric vertical flight—but certification, infrastructure and demand will decide whether air taxis fill our skies
Mollusk shells could pave the way to greener materials
Nacre-inspired ceramics could be the basis for the next generation of energy-efficient technology
TOI-201 Planets Are Wobbling Out of Our Line of Sight
It turns out that even after studying our solar system in depth and discovering more than 6,100 exoplanets across more than 4,500 exoplanetary systems, not all solar systems are created equal. The longstanding notion is that planets orbit almost entirely in the same orbital path, also called an orbital plane. But what if an exoplanetary system was found to have exoplanets that not only orbit in different planes, but also exhibits changing behavior regarding when they pass in front of their star?
JWST Hunts for an 'Earth-Moon' Twin in a Habitable Zone, But the Star Has Other Plans
The Moon has played a huge role in the development of Earth. It stabilizes the planet, tempered dramatic climate swings, and possibly even provided the tidal heating that might have led to the first life forms. So it’s natural we would want to find a similar Earth/Luna system somewhere else in the cosmos. But astronomers have been searching for one for years at this point to no avail. And a new paper from Emily Pass and her colleagues at MIT, Harvard, and the University of Chicago describes using the James Webb Space Telescope to track some of the most promising exomoon candidates - only to be foiled by the star they were orbiting.
One scientist’s 10-year quest to calculate the strength of gravity
Earth’s gravitational force, g, has been known for centuries. But the exact value of G, the universal gravitational constant, is elusive
Colibre: A New Cosmic Simulation With Cinematic Flair
The new Colibre cosmological simulation includes more critical detail than previous simulations. It also includes updated models of things like AGN feedback and star formation. The simulations also include a sonic component, giving the results a cinematic and information-rich flair.
Gravity's strength measured more reliably than ever before
Gravity's strength measured more reliably than ever before
RFK, Jr., praises ibogaine for depression treatment. Is the psychedelic a magic bullet?
At a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., referred to ibogaine as the most promising treatment for PTSD and depression “that anybody’s ever seen.” Does the science hold that up?
RFK, Jr., puts psychedelics on fast track to FDA review and approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is seeking to accelerate the review process for three companies that are studying psilocybin and an MDMA-like drug as treatments for depression and PTSD
Alien comet reveals our solar system is the oddball
Measurements of this interstellar comet’s molecular makeup show an excess of heavy water molecules that is dramatically different from anything known to have ever formed around our sun
