Syndicated Archives | Page 14 of 29

Why The Future Of Disaster Relief Will Rely On Robots

When a Manhattan parking garage collapsed in April this year, rescuers were reluctant to stay in the damaged building, fearing further danger. So they used a combination of flying drones and a doglike walking robot to inspect the damage, look for survivors and make sure the site was safe for human rescuers to return. Despite […]

Astronomers May Have Just Solved an Enduring Venus Mystery

With its thick, cloudy atmosphere, Venus has long held mysteries about its surface. It was only in the late 20th century that astronomers had detailed observations of the Venusian landscape, with the Russian Venera landers in the 1970s and 1980s and later the 1990 Magellan mission, which made high-resolution radar maps of the surface. There […]

You Can Just Work Out On Weekends — And Still Get Results

Physical activity has established benefits for health. The World Health Organization recommends adults do a minimum of 150–300 minutes of moderate or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity each week. This can include active transport from place to place, exercise for fun and fitness, energetic housework, or physical activity at work. These amounts can be accrued […]

Can “Coral Probiotics” Help Solve a Major Planetary Crisis? An Expert Explains

Supermarket shelves abound with yogurt and other products chock-full of probiotics — “good bacteria” — meant to cultivate our inner microbial life. Though the evidence around these products is mixed, broader evidence shows that microbes do have outsized effects on our bodies. Other organisms also nurture rich assemblages of influential microscopic life. And for the […]

Here’s Exactly What Can — And Can’t — Be Gleaned From Your Genetic Data

Imagine you agreed to be part of a new and exciting long-term research study to better understand human health and behavior. For the past few years, you’ve been visiting a collection site where you fill out some questionnaires about your health and daily activities. Research assistants take your height, weight, and some other physical characteristics […]

This Small Canadian Lake Could Signal The Beginning of a New Geological Epoch

Are we really living in the Anthropocene, the geological time marked by the global impact of human activity? And if so, when did it begin? These are questions that the Anthropocene Working Group – established in 2009 by the International Commission on Stratigraphy to propose a definition of the concept and to estimate its potential […]

Why Even a Small Weather Forecast Error is a Matter of Life and Death

Weather forecasts have gotten quite good over the years, but their temperatures aren’t always spot on — and the result when they underplay extremes can be lethal. Even a 1-degree difference in a forecast’s accuracy can be the difference between life and death, our research shows. As economists, we have studied how people use forecasts […]

A Fleet of Mini-Telescopes Could Outperform Webb’s Ability to Hunt for Habitable Worlds

Astronomers have discovered more than 5,000 planets outside of the solar system to date. The grand question is whether any of these planets are home to life. To find the answer, astronomers will likely need more powerful telescopes than exist today. I am an astronomer who studies astrobiology and planets around distant stars. For the […]

Should You Wash Your Rice? The Science is Complicated

Rice is a staple food for billions of people in Asia and Africa. It’s also a versatile ingredient for many iconic dishes from around the world, including dolmades from Greece, risottos from Italy, paella from Spain, and rice puddings from the United Kingdom. Despite its universal appeal, the question asked in every kitchen, be it […]

Astronomers Find a Supermassive Black Hole That Pits Stars Against Each Other

If you’re an evil genius supervillain looking to freak out your enemy with a big messy space kablooie, here’s a novel way to do it. Smack a couple of ancient star remnants together right in front of your nemesis. The result will give you a gratifyingly huge, bright explosion plus a bonus gamma-ray burst visible […]