"Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools."
--1921 New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard's revolutionary rocket work.

"Correction: It is now definitely established that a rocket can function in a vacuum. The 'Times' regrets the error."
NY Times, July 1969.

— New York Times

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Updated: 14 hours 28 min ago

Bumblebees show each other how to solve complex puzzles

Wed, 03/06/2024 - 12:00pm
Puzzles that bumblebees cannot solve on their own can be cracked with help from another bee, adding to research on the transmission of culture among insects
Categories: Astronomy

Bizarre galaxy in the early universe died extremely young

Wed, 03/06/2024 - 12:00pm
The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed that a distant galaxy stopped forming stars extraordinarily fast, making it the furthest dead galaxy ever spotted
Categories: Astronomy

The surprising promise and profound perils of AIs that fake empathy

Wed, 03/06/2024 - 12:00pm
Millions of us are turning to chatbots for emotional support. But there are good reasons to think AIs will never be capable of genuine empathy, raising profound questions about their role in society
Categories: Astronomy

Genomes of modern Indian people include wide range of Neanderthal DNA

Wed, 03/06/2024 - 11:27am
A genetic study of nearly 2700 individuals has revealed the ancestry of Indian people, and gets scientists closer to reconstructing the genomes of ancient Neanderthals
Categories: Astronomy

Is the woolly mammoth really on the brink of being resurrected?

Wed, 03/06/2024 - 11:00am
A company called Colossal claims it has taken a "momentous step" towards bringing back the woolly mammoth. Here's all you need to know about whether such a feat is possible
Categories: Astronomy

Australia could launch its first private orbital rocket within weeks

Wed, 03/06/2024 - 6:27am
Gilmour Space is awaiting approval from the Australian Space Agency for the first launch of its Eris Block 1 orbital rocket, with plans to deploy a satellite as soon as April
Categories: Astronomy

Wearing make-up during exercise may harm your skin health

Wed, 03/06/2024 - 4:01am
Our skin's pores normally enlarge when we exercise, but this appears to be hindered if we are wearing make-up, which may prevent the release of healthy oils
Categories: Astronomy

Walking 10,000 steps a day really does seem to make us healthier

Tue, 03/05/2024 - 7:30pm
The much-touted advice to take 10,000 steps a day for our health has been accused of lacking evidence, but new research suggests that hitting this target has serious benefits
Categories: Astronomy

Surprise decision not to define the Anthropocene shocks scientists

Tue, 03/05/2024 - 4:28pm
A proposal to define the Anthropocene, a geologic epoch defined by human activity, has been rejected – surprising even scientists who consulted the voting group
Categories: Astronomy

How to view an eclipse safely and what to look for in eclipse glasses

Tue, 03/05/2024 - 1:00pm
Follow these tips to have a safe viewing experience during the upcoming North American total solar eclipse
Categories: Astronomy

US Army tests AI chatbots as battle planners in a war game simulation

Tue, 03/05/2024 - 12:00pm
Researchers in the US Army are experimenting with commercial AI chatbots as battlefield advisers in war game simulations – but experts caution that such AI should not be used in high-stakes situations
Categories: Astronomy

How concussion can lead to brain damage - and what to do to prevent it

Tue, 03/05/2024 - 12:00pm
A new understanding of what happens to the brain after a knock to the head is finally waking us up to the risk of contact sports, and ways to stop long term damage
Categories: Astronomy

JWST will officially begin searching for exomoons around other planets

Tue, 03/05/2024 - 11:55am
Five exomoon programmes have been picked for the James Webb Space Telescope, raising the hopes of finding moons around exoplanets for the first time
Categories: Astronomy

Asian elephants seen burying their dead for the first time

Tue, 03/05/2024 - 11:18am
Five elephant calves have been found buried in drainage ditches on tea-growing estates in India in a rare example of burial behaviour in non-human animals
Categories: Astronomy

Blue cheese could get an upgrade thanks to new mould hybrids

Tue, 03/05/2024 - 10:00am
Five new varieties of Penicillium roqueforti, the fungus used to make blue cheese, might rescue the fungus from a genetic dead end and produce pharmaceutical compounds
Categories: Astronomy

Earliest known sex chromosomes evolved in octopuses

Tue, 03/05/2024 - 6:00am
Genetic analysis of the California two-spot octopus reveals that the species has sex chromosomes, and they may have originated up to 378 million years ago
Categories: Astronomy

Satellite launched to track down leaks of potent greenhouse gas

Mon, 03/04/2024 - 6:11pm
MethaneSAT will orbit the planet 15 times a day to capture unprecedented amounts of data on methane emissions from human and natural sources
Categories: Astronomy

Eerie green sunsets after 1883 Krakatoa eruption finally explained

Mon, 03/04/2024 - 6:07pm
Mysterious green sunsets were reported after the massive eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 – now simulations show how they were created and just how rare they are
Categories: Astronomy

Storks refine their migration routes as they learn from experience

Mon, 03/04/2024 - 4:00pm
Tracking data shows that young white storks spend more time exploring new places, while older ones take a more direct route on their annual migrations
Categories: Astronomy

Europa may have less oxygen to fuel life in its seas than we thought

Mon, 03/04/2024 - 12:00pm
The ocean on Jupiter’s icy moon Europa is one of the best places we have found to search for alien life, but it might have less oxygen than researchers had thought
Categories: Astronomy