All Science
- FocusAfter a ‘post truth’ presidency, can America make facts real again?
One big question: How much will the public move toward facts and reason? Also, any post-truth reconciliation will need to address emotional pain.
- The ExplainerConfused by pandemic data? Here’s some help reading it.
There’s no shortage of data on the coronavirus pandemic. For the best understanding, it pays to watch a few key indicators.
- Telescope sales and stargazers are both looking up these days
Social isolation in the pandemic has fueled interest in amateur astronomy. Now comes a “Christmas star” alignment of Jupiter and Saturn on Dec. 21.
- First LookMoon rock samples brought to Earth for first time in 44 years
Chang’e 5 has delivered a capsule of the first rock samples from the moon, making China the third country to do so. The samples, thought to be billions of years younger than previous samples, could offer new insights into our solar system’s history.
- First LookAsteroid samples: Japanese space capsule brings ‘treasure box’ to Earth
Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft dropped a capsule containing asteroid rock samples in Australia’s outback, with potential clues to solar-system origins.
- India’s fossil heritage is vast. It’s also under threat.
India is home to fossils found nowhere else on Earth, but lax oversight is placing these the country's paleontological heritage under threat.
- Trust in science becomes a political issue. How did that happen?
A Pew survey found that people mainly trust scientists to do what is in the public interest. But that attitude varies with political ideology.
- First LookWhy China plans to drill an almost 7-foot-deep hole on the moon
China’s Chang’e 5 mission expects to collect moon samples for the first time since the American and Russian missions of the 1960s and 1970s. The undertaking could boost understanding of the solar system and pave the way for bringing samples from Mars back to Earth.
- First LookSpaceX flight successfully delivers astronauts to space station
SpaceX's Dragon capsule successfully docked Monday at the International Space Station, delivering four astronauts after a 27-hour, fully automated flight. Going forward, SpaceX and Boeing will regularly deliver and return astronauts.
- Science on the half shell: Mussels yield new material
Scientists have stumbled upon a new form of calcite that could be used to clean up ocean spills.
- First LookDragon riders: NASA preps for SpaceX's second crew launch
NASA astronauts have arrived at the Kennedy Space Center to kick off the agency’s long-awaited start of regular crew rotations from U.S. soil to the International Space Station.
- First LookTourists, toilets, and 20 years: Stories from the Space Station
The first team of astronauts to live in the International Space Station boarded 20 years ago. Since then, astronauts from 19 countries have floated through – performing science experiments, tinkering with cutting-edge tech, and admiring the celestial views.
- First LookEvidence of water on the moon opens new frontiers
For the first time, the presence of water on the moon’s sunlit surface has been confirmed. The latest findings could expand the possibilities for landing spots for robots and astronauts.
- Did prehistoric climate change help make us human?
A sudden shift in how our ancient ancestors produced tools may be linked to a rapidly changing climate, say scientists.
- First LookNASA spacecraft expertly lands on asteroid after 2-year orbit
In a first for the United States, NASA spacecraft Osiris-Rex tagged the asteroid Bennu to collect rubble samples, which could shed light on our solar system's history.
- People are bad at predicting their emotions. Is that why we’re so polarized?
Unhappiness is often rooted in humanity’s faulty forecasts of what will make us feel fulfilled. Psychologists are helping to explain this bias.
- First LookTwo scientists win Nobel chemistry prize for gene-editing tool
Two female scientists were lauded for developing CRISPR-cas9, a method that allows DNA to be changed with extremely high precision. The technology holds potential to cure diseases, though it has also raised ethical questions.
- First LookNobel Prize in physics celebrates mysteries of black holes
The 2020 Nobel Prize in physics was split between three scientists for their research advancing humankind’s understanding of black holes, “one of the most exotic objects in the universe.”
- First LookCould plant-based meat open up space for lab-grown varieties?
Sales of plant-based "meat" have soared over the past few months as people pay more attention to food sources. Lab-based meat producers are hoping the shift in the market will provide an opportunity for them as well, but resistance to alternative meats remains.
- Life in clouds of Venus? Why murky clue tantalizes scientists.
Scientists find signs that the atmosphere of Venus contains phosphine, a gas typically produced by microorganisms.