Science

Private space stations are coming. Will they be better than their predecessors?

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This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Justin St. P. Walsh, Associate professor of art history and archaeology, Chapman University Alice Gorman, Associate Professor in Archaeology and Space Studies, Flinders University A new era of space stations is about to kick off. NASA has announced three … Read more

Deep sea mining: Race to exploit the sea floor puts ecosystems at risk

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Governments are meeting in Jamaica this week to decide how rules for commercial mining of metals on the ocean floor will be thrashed out, but there are big sticking points Environment | Analysis 8 December 2021 By Adam Vaughan A field of manganese nodules in deep-sea waters near Hawaii NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and … Read more

3 of the most exciting space telescopes planned for launch by 2034

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The much-anticipated James Webb Space Telescope will soon launch. But with plenty more epic astronomy instruments planned over the next few years, the fun is just beginning Space 8 December 2021 By Colin Stuart As 2021 draws to a close, astronomers’ eyes are fixed firmly are on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which is … Read more

Omicron coronavirus variant: Maria Van Kerkhove on what we know so far

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Exclusive: The World Health Organization’s technical lead on covid-19 says we will know how effective our vaccines are against omicron by Christmas Health 8 December 2021 By Helen Thomson Maria Van Kerkhove is the World Health Organization’s technical lead on the coronavirus pandemic RICHARD JUILLIART/AFP via Getty Images Since it was first detected by scientists … Read more

NASA X-ray telescope: New spacecraft will study the science of black holes

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NASA and the Italian Space Agency are launching the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer space telescope to measure the X-ray light coming from objects including neutron stars and black holes Space 8 December 2021 By Will Gater An artist’s impression of the IXPE mission NASA NASA and the Italian Space Agency are scheduled to launch an … Read more

DeepMind experiment shows AI must grow smarter, not just bigger

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The dominant approach to building more advanced artificial intelligences is simply to scale up their computing power, but AI firm DeepMind says we are reaching a point of diminishing returns Technology 8 December 2021 By Matthew Sparkes Training large artificial intelligences requires a lot of computing power sefa ozel/Getty Images DeepMind says that teaching machines … Read more

Planets: An unexpected gas giant is orbiting a massive pair of stars

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We thought that planets couldn’t form around stars with more than three times the mass of the sun, but planet b Cen (AB)b challenges the idea Space 8 December 2021 By Chen Ly The twin stars of the most massive planet-hosting star system to date, b Centauri, and its giant planet b Cen (AB)b ESO/Janson … Read more

Laughter Lab at London’s Cartoon Museum explores the science of humour

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By David Stock and Emily Bates What is it that really makes us laugh? To find out, New Scientist visited Laughter Lab, an exhibition and social experiment at London’s Cartoon Museum. Showcasing a wide selection of cartoonists from the museum’s collection, the exhibition explores our reaction to humour, “that thing that happens in your brain the moment before … Read more

How to make a beautiful gingerbread house that won’t fall down

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StockFood/Jones, Huw CREATING a gingerbread house is a fun festive activity, but shoddy construction can spoil the party and put any gingerbread inhabitants in serious danger. This recipe and some tips will help you avoid catastrophe. First, create a design. It is helpful to draw the pieces for your house on paper, then cut these … Read more

Space calendar 2021: Rocket launches, sky events, missions & more!

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LAST UPDATED Dec. 8: These dates are subject to change, and will be updated throughout the year as firmer dates arise. Please DO NOT schedule travel based on a date you see here. Launch dates are collected from NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, Spaceflight Now and others. Watch NASA webcasts and other live launch coverage on our webcast page. Find out what’s up in … Read more