Satellite images show fires and rubble in Mariupol after devastating Russian attack

New satellite images of Ukraine have revealed shocking scenes of death and destruction in the southern port city of Mariupol. The images, taken by the U.S. private satellite company Maxar on Saturday (March 12) morning, reveal a hellish landscape of smoldering apartment blocks; parks pockmarked by shell fire; and grocery stores blasted into rubble by … Read more

Spiders Caught Hunting in Giant Synchronized Swarms, And Now We Know How

Pack hunting spiders exist in places other than your nightmares. While most spiders enjoy solitary lives, 20 of the roughly 50,000 known spider species live in colonies. One species, Anelosimus eximius, lives in extremely large colonies of up to 1,000 individual spiders that work together to build webs spanning several meters.   When prey falls into their … Read more

Ukraine invasion: Will Russia’s attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant cause a meltdown?

Shelling at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has injured two people and caused a fire, but it is unlikely to release radiation unless the situation gets significantly worse Physics 4 March 2022 By Matthew Sparkes A fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant following a Russian attack on 4 March Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant/Anadolu Agency … Read more

Russian attack sets Ukrainian home-improvement store ablaze (satellite photo)

This BlackSky satellite image, collected over Chernihiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 28, 2022 at 12:22 local time (UTC+2), shows an Epicentr K home improvement warehouse ablaze with scorched fields a few hundred meters east following shelling in the area. (Image credit: BlackSky) Private Earth-observation satellites are helping the world keep tabs on the Russian invasion of … Read more

Soviet-era space shuttle carrier aircraft destroyed in Russian attack on Ukraine

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has destroyed a “large” part of its own space history, with reports now confirming the fate of an enormous aircraft that was originally built to transport Soviet space shuttles. Once the world’s largest flying machine by both wingspan and weight, the Antonov An-225 “Mriya” (“Dream”) was parked in an open-air hangar … Read more

Ukraine invasion: Russian attack leaves European space missions in doubt

The European Space Agency is due to launch its Rosalind Franklin ExoMars rover on a Russian rocket this September, while satellites belonging to a company part-owned by the UK government are set to catch a Russian ride on 4 March Space 25 February 2022 By Jonathan O’Callaghan An artist’s impression of the Rosalind Franklin rover, … Read more

Chernobyl attack: Risk of Russian forces triggering nuclear disaster is minimal

Physicists say that the risk of nuclear material being released from the Chernobyl reactor as a result of Russian attack is minimal Technology 24 February 2022 By Matthew Sparkes Ukrainian soldiers in the abandoned city of Pripyat, near Chernobyl Volodymyr Tarasov/Ukrinform/Future Publishing/Getty Images Russian forces have gained control of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in Ukraine, … Read more

Ukraine invasion: Will conflict with Russia trigger a massive cyberwar?

Russia, Ukraine and many of the latter’s Western allies have the ability to launch cyberattacks on other nations, and both sides seem ready for digital skirmishes Technology | Analysis 23 February 2022 By Chris Stokel-Walker The flag of Ukraine made from stylised computer code Gwengoat/Getty Images Tensions continue to rise between Russia and the West, … Read more

Study of Over 1 Million People Reveals Heart Attacks Can Reduce Parkinson’s Risk

We know the devastating effects Parkinson’s disease can have, but scientists are still trying to figure out how it gets started and how to cure it. Some new research may have found helpful clues, linking having a heart attack with a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s later.   The drop in risk is around 20 … Read more