All Science
- Cold journey. Lasting joy. My trek to see the northern lights.
Our reporter treks through Alaska to see the aurora borealis. Her journey takes her though dark and cold, for a fleeting splendor of light that leaves a lasting joy.
- The ExplainerEnergy from fusion: What is the promise? What hurdles remain?
More advances are needed, but scientists see path to abundant clean energy from nuclear fusion – in which atoms come together rather than split apart.
- First LookWaste not, want not: More startups focus on reducing food waste
Mealy apples, soggy takeout food, and avocados that ripen too soon are some of the problems that food waste startups are tackling. In 2021, U.S. food waste startups raised $4.8 billion in efforts to keep food out of landfills.
- 2022: A space-comic odyssey
Asteroid dust. Pulsating auroras. An astral slide deck. This past year brought a flurry of scientific advancement in space exploration. Each development opens a new window into the mysteries of the universe.
- In Texas Hill Country, darkness enlightens and inspires
Light may be a symbol of progress, but these communities treasure the humbling wonders of the dark.
- First Look‘The planet we care about most’: New satellite maps water on Earth
The United States and France have launched a satellite that will map bodies of water on the Earth’s surface. The satellite will complete its global journey every three weeks as it measures flow rate and tracks erosion and sea levels.
- First LookFusion breakthrough: US achieves net energy gain for first time
Scientists announced Tuesday that, for the first time, researchers were able to produce more energy in a fusion reaction than was used to ignite it. The breakthrough is significant, but producing power from fusion is still decades away.
- First LookSplashdown: NASA’s Orion moon mission makes successful return
NASA’s lunar capsule Orion returned from the moon at 32 times the speed of sound, splashing down into the Pacific near Guadalupe Island Sunday. The successful mission was the first to visit the moon for 50 years, marking a new era of space exploration.
- With Artemis, NASA envisions a multiplanetary future for humanity
NASA’s Artemis launch Wednesday is a step toward humans returning to the lunar surface. The motivations go far beyond exploring the moon itself.
- ‘Good Night Oppy’: How a documentary captures the human-robot bond
When director Ryan White talks about “Good Night Oppy,” which features Mars space rovers and their handlers, he describes the bonds of family – and the teamwork it took to exceed expectations.
- A new space race? Britain enters the orbital launch business.
For people accustomed to hearing about rocket launches from Florida or Russia, the name Spaceport Cornwall may sound like an oxymoron. But the United Kingdom is a builder of satellites – and now Europe’s first player in sending them into space.
- ‘It pulls us to be our best selves’: Exploring space and diversity at JPL
As the first woman to lead NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Laurie Leshin aims to include “all the brains” in the search for answers to humanity’s biggest questions.
- Return of Nutkin: Red squirrels’ comeback in UK
Efforts in the United Kingdom to restore the red squirrel population range from secluded sanctuaries to the reintroduction of predators.
- First LookNobel Prize in medicine recognizes innovation in ancient DNA study
Swedish scientist Svante Pääbo won this year’s Nobel Prize in medicine for work in comparing the genome of modern humans and our closest extinct relatives. Through their work, Mr. Pääbo and his team have unlocked doors to the past.
- First LookSuccess! NASA's first planetary defense test hits asteroid.
NASA’s first planetary defense test, known as DART, sent a spacecraft crashing into an asteroid at 14,000 mph to knock it off course. In the coming weeks scientists will study the effectiveness of the impact and if it holds promise for future missions.
- Target practice in space: NASA aims to knock an asteroid off course
It’s innovation in the name of planetary defense: NASA’s DART mission aims to test the idea of colliding with an asteroid to deflect it from Earth.
- First LookNo moon shot today: NASA's launch delayed by a leaky engine
The Space Launch System rocket set to lift off Monday from Florida with three test dummies aboard has been postponed. NASA hopes to send four astronauts around the moon in 2024 and land humans there as early as 2025.
- Joy of discovery: How Webb telescope expands world’s sense of wonder
Bringing joy with their dazzling beauty, the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope also reflect ingenuity – revealing new layers of the cosmos.
- First LookNASA photographs ancient space, gives brand new views to humanity
NASA has released its first photos from its $10 billion James Webb telescope, showing the deepest and oldest view of space yet. In a time when life on earth feels particularly divisive, sky-watchers see these expansive images as a way to unify the world.
- First LookGalactic picture day: See first photo of Milky Way black hole
It took eight radio telescopes all over Earth working in perfect harmony to do it, but scientists successfully snapped the first photo of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Black holes suck light into themselves, so taking their picture is incredibly difficult.