With the finding of the first alien world around another sunlike star almost 25 years ago, astronomers began what would become known as the “exoplanet revolution.” As the rate of discovery increased and new data poured in, it became clear that the cosmos is awash in planets—big planets, small planets, planets broiled by their stars…
Bread is interwoven into many, if not most, meals around the world, from a basket of warm focaccia on the table at a restaurant to flat loaves of naan accompanying a curry. Carbs, particularly bread, are loved by all. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could survive entirely on this wonderful food group? The short…
I used to be a rock hunter as a kid, and I learned how to identify minerals using the Mohs hardness test, which was invented by a mineralogist. You scrape an unknown specimen with a known specimen, such as quartz. If the mystery specimen scratches the quartz, you know it’s softer than quartz. Calcite or…
We have more questions than answers about ‘Oumuamua, the first interstellar object detected near Earth. The visitor was initially detected as it left the solar system, and the meagre data collected by astronomical observatories have proven difficult to explain. What we do know is that ‘Oumuamua was neither a comet nor an asteroid, and no…
The Shasta Valley, nestled between two mountain ranges in Northern California’s Siskiyou County, is as intricate as it is beautiful. Nearly four years after initially visiting the area, hydrogeologist Brad Gooch is still awestruck by the scenery. It’s not because of Mount Shasta, a 14,000-foot volcano that towers over forest and farming. Gooch, on the…
Will international space science and exploration in the twenty-first century be defined by collaboration or competition? The answer may depend on how two space giants, the United States, and China, choose to interact in the next years. By most measures, the United States remains the world leader in space, but China is steadily pursuing its…
The delta form, which is still the prevalent strain in the United States and many other parts of the world, has been on public health officials’ concerns recently. However, as virologists have long cautioned, new variants are likely to emerge for some time, and preliminary data suggests that a new strain is currently circulating in…
It seems like billionaire-backed space enterprises are launching spacecraft all the time these days. So, why does Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin appear to be in jeopardy? Despite a successful summer, recent competition and several controversial tweets — including some false infographics — have left many in the space business critical of Jeff Bezos and his…
I was a fourth-year medical student doing my last clinical rotation when COVID-19 began entering Boston hospitals in March of 2020. I was told to track patients who came into the emergency room with issues that weren’t respiratory in nature back when the efficacy of wearing masks was being debated. On my way to work,…
When someone searches YouTube for a health-related term like “COVID-19,” the majority of the results will now prominently showcase videos from government agencies and healthcare organizations that the site considers to be trustworthy sources of information. According to rules created by a team of experts, the World Health Organization, the Mayo Clinic, and the Children’s…