New Scientist Space - Space Headlines
Physicists work out exactly when a fruit display will fall down
Computer simulations reveal the precise conditions when removing an orange from a display would cause a fruit avalanche
Categories: Astronomy
There are 6 types of people online who worry about the environment
A massive analysis of Twitter has found that, when it comes to environmental concern, there are broadly six distinct personas, including smart alecs and technocrats. Which one are you?
Categories: Astronomy
The universe is surprisingly lopsided and we don't know why
Two analyses of a million galaxies show that their distribution may not be symmetrical, which may mean that our understandings of gravity and the early universe are incorrect
Categories: Astronomy
3D rabbit 'hologram' created by levitating screen using sound waves
Sound waves can be used to keep an object hovering in the air, and a new technique works even in crowded spaces
Categories: Astronomy
Quantum microphone works even better than a regular one
By detecting tiny movements of particles of light, a quantum microphone has recorded human speech that is easier to understand than if it is captured by an equivalent classical version
Categories: Astronomy
Backpack-wearing rats could start search-and-rescue missions next year
African pouched rats equipped with backpacks are being trained to locate survivors trapped under debris. Their size, natural curiosity and powerful sense of smell make them well-suited for the job
Categories: Astronomy
Feedback loop in Greenland amplified ice melt from warm weather
Last August, rain fell for the first time at the peak of Greenland’s ice sheet, but this had little impact on ice melt compared with other effects
Categories: Astronomy
Long covid risk with omicron variant may be half what it is with delta
After analysing a symptom-tracking app, researchers found 4.5 per cent of users who were infected when the omicron variant was dominant had symptoms at least four weeks later, compared with 10.8 per cent of the users who probably caught delta
Categories: Astronomy
Solar storms may cause up to 5500 heart-related deaths in a given year
In an approximate 11-year cycle, the sun blasts out charged particles and magnetised plasma that can distort Earth’s magnetic field, which may disrupt our body clock and ultimately affect the heart
Categories: Astronomy
Watch this strange fluid act like a solid and liquid at the same time
Physicists have used high-speed cameras to see a drop of an odd fluid both solidify and keep flowing when it falls and hits the ground
Categories: Astronomy
How can we prevent AI from being racist, sexist and offensive?
Artificial intelligences continue to exhibit the same biases and prejudices as humans because they are trained on what we create, but there are ways we can improve the situation
Categories: Astronomy
Polar bears adapting to climate change by hunting on freshwater ice
A group of several hundred polar bears in south-eastern Greenland often catch seals by waiting outside their prey's breathing holes on blocks of floating freshwater ice from glaciers, in an example of the animals adapting to a loss of sea ice driven by climate change
Categories: Astronomy
Ancient meteorite upends our ideas of how Mars formed
Meteorite analysis hints that early Mars got important volatile elements like hydrogen and oxygen from meteorite collisions rather than a cloud of gases
Categories: Astronomy
Online tool predicts impact on your life expectancy from 1800 diseases
A new online atlas can predict how life expectancy is affected by contracting one of 1800 diseases – although the tool may work well only for people in Denmark
Categories: Astronomy
Vaping v smoking: Why the FDA may limit access to flavoured vapes
The US may restrict the sale of flavoured e-cigarettes because of potential harm to teenagers. But evidence suggests vaping is much less dangerous than smoking and can help people quit – including adults who like an array of flavours
Categories: Astronomy
What is the Hertzbleed computer chip hack and should you be worried?
A new hack called Hertzbleed can read snippets of data from computer chips remotely and could leave cryptography algorithms vulnerable to attack
Categories: Astronomy
Enormous impact flash seen lighting up Jupiter’s atmosphere
Astronomers spotted a huge space rock slamming into Jupiter, creating a blast of light and energy equivalent to 2 million tonnes of TNT – the brightest such event since 1994
Categories: Astronomy
Incredible photos reveal underwater volcanic activity near Sicily
Panarea, a volcanic island near Sicily, Italy, is the site of plenty of underwater volcanic activity – which has now been documented as part of a decade-long photographic exploration of the oceans
Categories: Astronomy
What will the crypto crash mean for 'bitcoin nation' El Salvador?
El Salvador has invested heavily in bitcoin and related infrastructure in a bold plan to build its economy around the cryptocurrency, but now its value has plummeted
Categories: Astronomy
Children to get CRISPR treatment for sickle cell disease in trial
CRISPR gene-editing trials for treating beta thalassaemia and sickle cell disease are being extended to include people under the age of 12 after positive results in older people
Categories: Astronomy