At the end of 2019, it is time to remember what were the biggest science fiascos. But first of all, let us point out that learning also comes out of every mistake – and in science, making mistakes is often part of the process towards progress. “There are many hypotheses in science that are wrong. … Read more
When we think of developing technologies based on Star Wars movies, the first, second and third thing that goes through the minds of fans is the creation of real-life lightsabers. But for scientists, there is a much more interesting technology that is used all the time in the movies: communication by multisensory holograms, like that famous … Read more
A new study suggests that meteorites may be a food source for living things, more specifically a microorganism called Metallosphaera sedula, a metal-eating species. Metallosphaera sedula is a species of bacterial-like microbes originally isolated from a volcanic field in Italy. The first part of the name can roughly be translated as “metal mobilizing sphere”, while “sedu lus” means … Read more
Using the MeerKAT telescope, located in the Northern Cape, South Africa, scientists have identified a large radio-emitting explosion from a binary star. The phenomenon identified as “transitory” represents an important discovery about star studies. When an astronomical object suddenly appears and disappears, or shines more and less brightly for a certain period of time (seconds, days, … Read more
A group of US scientists has developed a new method that can help id entify exoplanets with the greatest potential to harbor life. The novelty was described in a study published in the scientific journal Astrophysical Journal Letters in November and may facilitate the work of the James Webb telescope, which will launch shortly. The team of Northwestern … Read more
Christina Koch, the astronaut who took part in the first all-female spacewalk alongside Jessica Meir, once again made history. It is that last Saturday (28), Koch broke the longest space mission record ever by a woman, surpassing the mark previously set by Peggy Whitson in 2017. Not that there is any rivalry among NASA w omen. In a series of … Read more
Scientists found a new mineral in a meteorite that crashed to Earth in 1951. It took almost seven decades of analysis to fin d the formation, which is just one of 500,000 to 600,000 minerals in the small stone, about 210 grams. The extraterrestrial composition was named edscottite, named after the cosmopolitan Edward Scott of … Read more
In addition to high school chemistry classes and college entrance exams, have you ever wondered what each chemical element in a periodic table means? Some of them are more obvious, such as oxygen and iron, but the overwhelming majority of people don’t even dream about what becomes the iridium element. This is just to get an idea … Read more
Calculating the orbit of a celestial body is critical in determining its characteristics and interactions with other objects in space. The sun itself orbits around the center of the Milky Way and completes a loop between 225 to 250 million years. You can also predict the position of planets and moons in their orbits, or determine where … Read more
From gravitational wave detection to advances in artificial intelligence, the development of genetic editing techniques such as CRISPR, and the finding of evidence that Mars once harbored water in its liquid form, the past 10 years have been the scene of many important scientific progress – and you can check out 5 of the most … Read more