NASA’s new Hubble images will blow your mind
NASA just released a treasure trove of cosmic imagery. On Friday, the space agency released over 50 new images captured by the legendary Hubble Space Telescope. Before now, NASA hadn’t…
Virgin Galactic aborted a major test flight in midair
This wasn’t a failure. It was an (obviously) critical test. Virgin Galactic aborted an important test mission on Saturday morning while attempting to launch its unique spacecraft, called the VSS…
The best meteor shower of 2020 is about to light up our atmosphere
NASA enthusiastically recommends that you check out the sky. The peak of the brilliant annual Geminids meteor shower is happening on Dec. 13 and 14, the space agency advised on…
U.S. releases video showing rapid, alarming Arctic change
[embedded content] NOAA’s 2020 Arctic Report Card doesn’t pull any punches. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration observed extreme changes in the Arctic this year and laid them bare…
Nuun electrolytes are for more than just working out
Essentials Week spotlights unexpected items that make our daily lives just a little bit better. There are long stretches of time — hours, a full day, who knows — where…
This was easily the warmest November on record
November 2020 had something in common with January 2020, May 2020, and September 2020. Globally, they were all the warmest respective months in the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service…
After six years and millions of miles, a capsule with an asteroid sample lands on Earth
In the immortal words of Will Smith: Welcome to Earth. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has successfully completed its mission to bring a piece of the asteroid Ryugu back…
I love my embarrassing lumbar support pillow
Essentials Week spotlights unexpected items that make our daily lives just a little bit better. It brings me no joy to admit that LeBron James and I probably wouldn’t have…
Exact moment of major Arecibo telescope collapse captured on video
Snap. The legendary 1,000-foot-wide Arecibo Observatory’s telescope, a giant dish embedded in the verdant Puerto Rico forest, experienced a major collapse on Dec. 1. A 900-ton platform suspended over the…
How a fake coronavirus sample could help scientists tackle the real thing
When Dr. Soo Khim Chan runs what appears to be a regular virus sample through a COVID-19 test, she knows that if all goes well, it will come back positive.…