This observatory has probably been the most transformative astronomy project of the 21st century, but there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of it. Just last week, for instance, the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City debuted a new “space show” called Encounters in the Milky Way—and…
Should politicians ensure that AI helps us colonise the galaxy, or protect people from the overreach of big tech? The former sounds more fun, but it shouldn’t be the priority. Among the Silicon Valley set, superintelligent AI is viewed as a rapidly approaching inevitability, with tech CEOs promising that the 2030s will see a golden…
In the mid-1940s then teenager June Bacon-Bercey saw the image of a nuclear explosion on the cover of Time magazine and immediately had questions. How would the particles in the mushroom cloud move through the air? What effect would this have on our atmosphere? To find the answers, she set out to study atmospheric science,…
The Lizard peninsula in Cornwall contains rocks that could generate hydrogen gas pio3/Shutterstock In recent years, the discovery of small amounts of hydrogen gas underground has spurred a worldwide search for what could prove to be a significant new source of zero-carbon fuel, but so far, prospectors have largely skipped the UK. According to a briefing…
Aaron Tremper is the editorial assistant for Science News Explores. He has a B.A. in English (with minors in creative writing and film production) from SUNY New Paltz and an M.A. in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism’s Science and Health Reporting program. A former intern at Audubon magazine and Atlanta’s NPR…
How to Grill Meat Safely—According to Science Food microbiologists explain how to ensure different proteins, such as beef, chicken and pork, are prepared safely By Amanda Heidt edited by Lauren J. Young Juicy skewers of marinated meat are grilling alongside a large, raw ribeye steak on a charcoal barbecue. Every type of meat has its…
Human DNA in its natural state inside cells (left) compared with its state eight hours after being infected with the cold sore virus (right) Esther Gonzalez Almela and Álvaro Castells García The virus that commonly causes cold sores starts reshaping our genome within an hour of infection to boost its own growth, which scientists could…
One kind of Australian moth looks to the stars on its voyage to a summertime refuge. Stellar cues from the Milky Way’s bright band may help Bogong moths (Agrotis infusa) chart a path from the sizzling plains of southeastern Australia to cool caves in the country’s Snowy Mountains, researchers report June 18 in Nature. While…
When Baboon Dads Stick Around, Their Daughters Live Longer New research shows father-daughter relationships have a positive influence on female baboons’ lives—when the dads stick around By Cody Cottier edited by Allison Parshall An adult male and infant baboon in the Amboseli ecosystem, Kenya. Elizabeth Archie/Notre Dame The mammal world is sorely lacking in good…
An infected in 28 Years Later Miya Mizuno/Sony 28 Years Later Directed by Danny Boyle, written by Alex Garland In cinemas from 20 June Here’s a bit of screenplay advice to nail above your desk: make your plots simple and your characters complicated. We can polish off the story of 28 Years Later in a…
