News about PaperPanda, Open Access, and Research
Axiom Space wants to take the off-Earth economy to new heights. The Houston-based company, which was founded in 2016, aims to build and operate its own space station in low Earth orbit (LEO) in the coming years. And Axiom has inked deals with SpaceX to fly multiple tourist missions to the International Space Station (ISS), … Read more
In 1797, English scientist Henry Cavendish measured the strength of gravity with a contraption made of lead spheres, wooden rods and wire. In the 21st century, scientists are doing something very similar with rather more sophisticated tools: atoms. Gravity might be an early subject in introductory physics classes, but that doesn’t mean scientists aren’t still trying to … Read more
Scientists observed changes in the signals coming from rapidly-spinning stars called millisecond pulsars that might point to the existence of subtle space-time ripples vibrating throughout the entire universe. Millisecond pulsars are stellar remnants that spin hundreds of times per second, producing precise radio pulses that can act as a cosmic metronome. Scientists think that ripples … Read more
Terrestrial planets are Earth-like planets made up of rocks or metals with a hard surface. Terrestrial planets also have a molten heavy-metal core, few moons and topological features such as valleys, volcanoes and craters. In our solar system, there are four terrestrial planets, which also happen to be the four closest to the sun: Mercury, Venus, … Read more
Plastic straws are increasingly being avoided for both health and environmental reasons, but the alternatives all have their downsides – until now Technology 17 January 2022 By Leah Crane Paper straws are not ideal Benjamin John/Alamy When it comes to drinking with a straw, there is no perfect option – plastic straws can release microplastics … Read more
About a million years ago a small mutation might have unlocked a big advantage for ancient humans. A recent study in Science Advances suggests that a variant of a critical stretch of DNA called the growth hormone receptor gene protected against starvation—in part by limiting individuals’ body size during periods of resource scarcity. The variant … Read more
By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu and Layal Liverpool Stewards check covid-19 passes at a football match in Manchester, England AFP via Getty Images Latest coronavirus news as of 12pm on 17 January A fall in coronavirus cases and plateau in hospital … Read more
By Layal Liverpool Marius Heil/EyeEm/Getty Images I WANT to hunt for shooting stars, but it’s cold outside so I’m starting the search from my living room. You can do the same by joining the Radio Meteor Zoo project online. If you have ever seen a shooting star, you were probably witnessing a small solid object … Read more
Sakkmesterke/Alamy WHY are fundamental physicists so keen to undermine the very theories that are the bedrock of their success? It is a reasonable question to ask confronted with the excitement bubbling around anomalies that seem to be firming up at CERN’s LHCb experiment. At stake is a particle that might – the “might” bears emphasising – break open … Read more
By Sally Adee Even a post-apocalyptic Earth retains a certain charm for humankind gremlin/Getty Images Goliath Tochi Onyebuchi Tordotcom SCI-FI dystopias of a ruined Earth are thick on the ground these days, filled with the wreckage of climate change: drowned continents, great extinctions and air that is no longer safe to breathe. In the more … Read more