View larger. | A new theory proposes that humanity – and other analogous forms of intelligent life in the universe – might not be as extraordinary or improbable as previously thought. Instead, we might represent the probable outcome of biological and planetary evolution. The new theory challenges the decades-old hard steps” theory of human evolution. … Read more
Using the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) at Kitt Peak in Arizona, astronomers have discovered thousands of new black holes. These discoveries have more than tripled the amount of known intermediate-mass black holes and active black holes at the centers of dwarf galaxies. Images and videos: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva/Legacy Surveys/D. Lang (Perimeter Institute)/NAOJ/HSC Collaboration/D. de … Read more
The best way to address science misinformation? Build conversation and community. Image via Geralt/ Pixabay. Science misinformation is an area that scientists are having to address more and more. Sharing facts is not always the best way to combat misinformation. This is because some facts can feel threatening. Building community and working within your own … Read more
The scientists behind NASA’s largest and most powerful space telescope ever built are bracing for potentially crippling budget cuts, and the observatory is only halfway through its primary mission. The team overseeing NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been directed to prepare for up to 20% in budget cuts that would touch on every … Read more
Black holes may leak more energy to their surroundings than previously suspected — and the faster these voids spin, the more efficient this energy extraction seems to be. With this in mind, a team of scientists has discovered how the disks of gas and dust that swirl around black holes can become the powerful engines … Read more
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Sergei Timofeevski shared this image from November 13, 2023. Sergei wrote: “The constellation Orion the Hunter and the star Sirius rising just above the eastern horizon in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California.” Thank you, Sergei! Note bright Sirius is on the bottom, and Orion’s Belt pointing to it. … Read more
Mercury and Saturn stand side by side in the early-evening sky near the end of February. Note that Neptune is not visible to the naked eye. Credit: Astronomy: Roen Kelly Friday, February 21The Moon passes 0.4° south of the bright red giant Antares in Scorpius this morning at 4 A.M. EST. The pair is visible … Read more
The asteroid 2024 YR4 (like the one shown in this artist’s concept) are dim in visible light, but the infrared light it gives off means the James Webb Space Telescope will be a powerful tool to study it. NASA/JPL-Caltech In December, the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), located in Chile, identified an asteroid they … Read more
Whenever someone brings up Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s body of work, The Matrix is always at the center of the conversation. Maybe Speed Racer and Cloud Atlas get some mentions thanks to their vocal followers, but their spacefaring epic Jupiter Ascending is typically swept under the rug. A critical and financial disaster, most people wouldn’t … Read more
Dinosaur fossils found in southeastern Australia reveal a unique ecosystem unlike any other in the world. The research, published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, describes a hierarchy of predators in Cretaceous Australia which is unlike ecosystems anywhere else. Aerial view at Twin Reefs fossil site in Bunurong Coastal Reserve. Supplied. The fossils were unearthed … Read more