study

Boost for alien hunters? Earth life may not be so improbable, study suggests

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The concept of the “great filter” to explain why so far we seem to be alone in the universe is based on erroneous assumptions, according to a new model that describes how life on Earth evolved in step with changing geobiological conditions rather than through a series of improbable events. “We’re arguing that intelligent life … Read more

Earth’s ice caps are temporary and rare, study suggests

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Earth's ice caps: About 3/4 of Earth with a large part of the upper region covered in white ice. Ocean and clouds surround the ice area.

View larger. | Here’s a view of Earth on September 21, 2005, showing the entire region of Antarctica with land ice and its seasonal sea ice. A new study shows that Earth’s ice caps are a rare event in the planet’s history. Image via Andrzej 22/ Wikimedia Commons/ NASA (Public domain). Earth has two ice … Read more

NASA Sends Experiment to Space to Study Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

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Sarah WAllace

In an effort to learn more about astronaut health and the effects of space on the human body, NASA is conducting a new experiment aboard the International Space Station to speed up the detection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, thus improving the health safety not only of astronauts but patients back on Earth. Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant … Read more

What Would Actual Scientific Study of UAPs Look Like?

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Many UAP have good explanations, like this image from the Apollo 16 mission to the moon that shows what may look like a flying saucer. In 2004, NASA said it was the spacewalk floodlight/boom that was attached to the Apollo spacecraft. Image Credit: NASA

For those who missed the memo, UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) are now called UAPs (Unidentified Aerospace-Undersea Phenomena). The term UFO became so closely tied to alien spacecraft and fantastical abduction stories that people dismissed the idea, making any serious discussion difficult. The term UAP is a broader term that encompasses more unexplained objects or events … Read more

To Probe the Interior of Neutron Stars, We Must Study the Gravitational Waves from their Collisions

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When massive stars reach the end of their life cycle, they undergo gravitational collapse and shed their outer layers in a massive explosion (a supernova). Whereas particularly massive stars will leave a black hole in their wake, others leave behind a stellar remnant known as a neutron star (or white dwarf). These objects concentrate a … Read more

NASA’s launching a satellite constellation this month to study the solar wind in 3D

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The sun, for all its glitz, tends to hide behind a veil of mystery. For instance, its outer atmosphere, the corona, appears to be hotter than its surface — like, way hotter — and scientists aren’t sure why. There’s also a big puzzle concerning how the solar wind, which is a stream of charged particles … Read more

Are there liquid water brines on Mars? New study casts doubt

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View larger. | An example of weird, dark streaks called recurring slope lineae on the slopes of Mars’ Horowitz crater. Do liquid water brines form these streaks? A new study suggested brines on Mars are less likely to occur than scientists thought. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ University of Arizona. 2025 EarthSky lunar calendar is available … Read more

A New Study Suggests How we Could Find Advanced Civilizations that Ran Out of Fusion Fuel

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When it comes to our modern society and the many crises we face, there is little doubt that fusion power is the way of the future. The technology not only offers abundant power that could solve the energy crisis, it does so in a clean and sustainable way. At least as long as our supplies … Read more