[ad_1] The team used China’s Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) to find stars orbiting objects that are seemingly invisible — a technique that had been proposed back in 1783, but hadn’t really been possible until recently. They then used both the US’ Keck I telescope and Spain’s Gran Telescopio Canarias to determine […]
Category: Science
Astronomers create first global map of Saturn’s moon Titan
[ad_1] Just shy of two thirds of the surface is dominated by flat plains, but 17 percent of it (mostly at the equator) is blanketed in dunes. Another 14 percent is hilly or mountainous, while 1.5 percent of it has a labyrinthine terrain shaped by erosion and rain. What you don’t see is just as […]
NASA renames Kuiper Belt object following controversy
[ad_1] NASA’s nickname for the distant Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69, Ultima Thule, has been more than a little contentious. While it has innocuous meanings, Ultima Thule is also the term white supremacists use to refer to a mythical homeland. The agency is sidestepping that controversy, however. It just officially named the object Arrokoth, or […]
Watch a herd of MIT’s Mini Cheetah robots frolic in the fall leaves
[ad_1] Really, this illustrates how the Mini Cheetah project is moving forward. Now that the bot is proven to work, MIT is building a fleet to lend out examples for research projects. Demos like this are a step toward improvements in robot locomotion and other scientific pursuits. Whatever creepiness you see here could lead to […]
CDC says a toxic compound may be responsible for vaping illnesses
[ad_1] There were other ingredients in the samples, although they didn’t appear as consistently. THC surfaced in 23 out of the samples, while nicotine appeared in 16. The CDC was quick to warn that vitamin E acetate wasn’t confirmed as the cause, and that there may be multiple factors involved in the occasionally deadly illnesses. […]
In-brain electrodes are the latest weapon against opioid addiction
[ad_1] Deep brain stimulation, or DBS, is a form of surgery that places electrodes inside the patient’s brain — in this case, in the self-control and pleasure centers. An external device sends electrical pulses to interrupt the patient’s typical brain behavior, such as an addict’s craving a drug or an obsessive compulsive disorder patient’s feeling […]
Study casts doubt on the chances of life on watery alien planets
[ad_1] The most hostile environment even included bogus evidence in the form of biomorphs, or nano-sized silica grains that resemble small cells. There’s a concern that rovers landing on distant worlds might inadvertently fool researchers into believing the grains are proof of life. This doesn’t mean exobiologists should give up their hunt for life beyond […]
Next-gen hearing implants could overcome inner ear damage
[ad_1] Scientists have succeeded in testing the implant on mice, but there’s still a long way to go. The team just recently created a human-sized version that would be suitable for surgery, and it’ll have to go through more studies before human trials begin. Provided everything goes smoothly, though, it might restore hearing in situations […]
Qantas completes record 19-hour flight to test limits of air travel
[ad_1] There are two more flights coming as part of Project Sunrise, Qantas’ larger effort to study health on long-haul trips. A London to Sydney flight is due in November, while a repeat New York to Sydney flight is coming in December. A decision on the initiative is expected before the end of 2019. Some […]
NASA’s InSight lander can finally dig a hole for its Mars heat probe
[ad_1] It’s still moving slowly. The mole has dug roughly three quarters of an inch since October 8th, and it could venture as deep as 16 feet. It could be a long, long time before the probe reaches its potential. Nonetheless, it’s a huge relief to scientists worried that one of InSight’s key instruments might […]