US scientists fearing for Earth’s climate future begin testing solar geoengineering. The consequences may be terrifying — which is exactly why we need these small-scale experiments.
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How Vera Rubin changed the Universe. “Science progresses best when observations force us to alter our preconceptions.” –Vera Rubin Look out at the night sky, and what do you see? […]
And will it get too cold or too hot for our habitability? “What, I sometimes wonder, would it be like if I lived in a country where winter is a […]
The event horizon is real, and we know it without even needing to see it directly. “Where we’re going, we won’t need eyes to see.” –Sam Neill, Event Horizon If […]
In the depths of intergalactic space, the Big Bang’s leftover glow is just 2.73 K. But this spot in our own galaxy is even colder. “If you want your boomerang to […]
If you can’t look at the full suite of evidence and tell the full truth, you’re nothing but a deliberate misleader. At best. “Climate change does not respect border; it does […]
Space is getting bigger, but atoms, humans, Earth and our Milky Way stay the same size. How is this possible? “The Universe is expanding the way your mind is expanding. […]
October had one, November will have one and December will have one, too. What’s the science of Supermoons? “The supermoon is a 16-inch pizza compared with a 15-inch pizza. It’s […]
Some say it’s more than all of humanity emits in a year. But people say a lot of things. What does the science say? “One volcano puts out more toxic gases — one […]
Our Moon might even be a rarer occurrence for a Solar System than an ‘Earth’ is. “The pressure to compete, the fear somebody else will make the splash first, creates a […]
How a little knowledge can bring about some huge misconceptions… and how to fix it. “Because philosophy arises from awe, a philosopher is bound in his way to be a lover […]
“Human ambitions have no limits,” the Sheikh announcing the project said.
A small, icy planet with a weirdly elliptical orbit has been discovered beyond Pluto.
We’ve just had the largest full Moon in 68 years. Here’s what was — and wasn’t — true. “For most people, we often marvel at the beauty of a sunrise or the magnificence of […]
Amoebas one-tenth the width of a human hair may someday help diffuse a bioterror attack.
NASA debuted its own Giphy channel packed with gifs of the their missions and research.
Because “Earth-like” doesn’t necessarily mean “like our Earth.” “I have lost tolerance for things without meaning. There is no time for them. Does that make sense?” –Sara Seager At the end […]
Glacier McGlacierface? Not likely. NASA has set some classy themes that will guide the naming of geographical features of Pluto and its moons.
Looking into the great, dark unknown was a mystery for thousands of years. No longer! “Science cannot tell theology how to construct a doctrine of creation, but you can’t construct a […]
It’s the longest feast we’ve ever seen, and it’s still going on! But why? “Put two ships in the open sea, without wind or tide, and, at last, they will come […]
The nearest exoplanet ever has been observed, but not yet seen. Is this what the ‘Earth Next Door’ looks like?
The reports that our Solar System is missing the galaxy’s most common type of planet are greatly exaggerated. “To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a […]
LIGO’s world-changing announcement was the beginning. The best is what comes next. “It’s the first time the universe has spoken to us through gravitational waves, up to now we’ve been deaf […]
Revenue from tattoo removal services have increased 440% over the last decade. How can we learn to live with regret?
When we think about a long-term solution to our energy needs, none of today’s options are this good. “I would like nuclear fusion to become a practical power source. It would […]
Was it really a low-entropy state? And what does that mean for the second law of thermodynamics? “Entropy shakes its angry fist at you for being clever enough to organize […]
Images credit: New York Times, 10 November 1919 (L); Illustrated London News, 22 November 1919 (R). If the cloud situation had played out differently, the United States might have confirmed […]
Forwards? Absolutely. Backwards? Perhaps. Becoming your own grandpa? Only if you’re Philip J. Fry… “One of the great things about music is that it has the capability of time travel — you smell […]
Percy Shelley’s 1811 essay, “The Necessity of Atheism,” still speaks volumes today.