Melting Glaciers Have Exposed Frozen Relics of World War I
As glaciers melt and shrink in the Alps of Northern Italy, long-frozen relics of World War I have been emerging from the ice. They include cups, cans, letters, weapons and…
First in Flight: NASA Just Proved Flying on Mars Is Possible–Next Up Is the Solar System
Picture the scene: A small drone the size of a suitcase descends into a dark Martian crevasse—perhaps a lava tube that was formed billions of years ago by volcanic activity…
The Separate Worlds of Bill and Melinda Gates
“It was a constant tension point of the foundation. It was Warren who limited it, but Bill’s appetite is always, ‘We should do this, we should do this.’ Teams end…
NASA Mars Helicopter Makes One-Way Flight to New Mission
This time, NASA’s Mars robotic helicopter Ingenuity did not come back. That was intended. On Friday, Ingenuity, which last month became the first machine to fly like an airplane or…
Measuring time accurately increases the entropy in the universe
By Leah Crane The most accurate clocks create the most disorder Bruce Rolff/Alamy Keeping time accurately comes with a price. The maximum accuracy of a clock is directly related to…
Failure of Genetic Therapies for Huntington’s Devastates Community
Two pharmaceutical companies have halted clinical trials of gene-targeting therapies for Huntington’s disease (HD), following the drugs’ disappointing performance. Researchers had hoped that the treatments—known as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs)—would be…
Coronavirus News Roundup, May 1–May 7
The items below are highlights from the free newsletter, “Smart, useful, science stuff about COVID-19.” To receive newsletter issues daily in your inbox, sign up here. A 5/5/21 post by…
A giant sequoia in California is still smoldering from last year’s wildfires
Deep within California’s Sequoia National Park, one of the state’s iconic redwood trees is still smoldering from last year’s devastating wildfires, according to the National Park Service. The burning giant…
Long March 5B, a Chinese Rocket, Expected to Tumble Back to Earth
This article was revised shortly after publication to reflect an updated forecast from The Aerospace Corporation. No, you are almost certainly not going to be hit by a 10-story, 23-ton…
Meet the Other Social Influencers of the Animal Kingdom
Julia, her friends and family agreed, had style. When, out of the blue, the 18-year-old chimpanzee began inserting long, stiff blades of grass into one or both ears and then…