Aztec origin of Elizabethan spirit mirror confirmed

New research has confirmed that an obsidian mirror used by John Dee, confidante to Queen Elizabeth I, to contact otherworldly spirits in his occult practices has Aztec origins.

Study demonstrates lunar composition mapping capabilities of spectrograph instrument

A new study by a recent graduate of Southwest Research Institute's joint graduate program in physics with The University of Texas at San Antonio demonstrates the ability of the Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) to determine the composition of areas on the lunar surface by measuring the reflectance of far-ultraviolet (far-UV) light.

The path to achieving net-zero liquid fuel

Researchers from Monash University and Hokkaido University have developed a method that converts carbon dioxide into a diesel-range fuel and has the potential to produce a net-zero liquid fuel alternative to power cars more sustainably.

Corporate insiders disguise share sales with cautious approach to deter predatory short sellers

Company directors, officers or major shareholders, worried that their personal share sales might trigger aggressive short selling from investors tracking their moves, are disguising their trades with a cautious, incremental approach often spread over several days, new research from the University of Bath shows.

New study reveals the evolutionary reason why women feel colder than men

A scientific explanation for those battles over the air conditioning remote control: Researchers at Tel Aviv University's School of Zoology offer a new, evolutionary explanation for the familiar scenario in which women bring a sweater into work, while their male counterparts feel comfortable wearing short sleeves in an air-conditioned office. The researchers concluded that this phenomenon is not unique to humans, with many male species of endotherms (birds and mammals) preferring a cooler temperature than the females.

LunaNet: Empowering Artemis with communications and navigation interoperability

With Artemis, NASA will establish a long-term presence at the Moon, opening more of the lunar surface to exploration than ever before. This growth of lunar activity will require new, more robust communications, navigation, and networking capabilities. NASA's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program has developed the LunaNet architecture to meet these needs.

Riding the waves keeps ducks in a row

The sight of ducklings paddling in a line behind their mother is a common sight in rivers and ponds across the country.

Decisions about water use must reflect changing trends in the local hydroclimate

Lots of climate research focuses on averages over large areas—often the globe as a whole—but many decisions related to the environment and water availability are made by local authorities. Zooming in on these regional levels can be difficult. The water cycle is complex to begin with, and climate models often get conflicting results at the regional scale. Further, natural variability is "noisier" when looking so closely at an area, and even strong trends may not show up decisively against the variable backdrop.

Simulating space on earth: NASA receives hardware for testing satellite servicing tech

In August 2021, new testing equipment arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, in the form of a gravity offset table. NASA engineers will use the table to test robotic satellite servicing technologies that will one day operate in space.

A colorful, sustainable solution for 3D printing

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed seaweed-based inks and materials for developing colorful 2D and 3D shapes and models.

NASA's Lucy mission: A journey to the young solar system

NASA's Lucy spacecraft will launch in October 2021 on a 12-year journey to Jupiter's Trojan asteroids. The Lucy mission will include three Earth gravity assists and visits to eight asteroids.

First ALMA animation of circling twin young stars

Researchers analyzed the accumulated data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and depicted the motion of a young twin star system XZ Tauri over three years. This first-ever "ALMA Animation" of twin stars sheds new light on the origins of the binary stars and the planets to be formed around them.

Lasers to probe origin of life on a frigid moon and take the space-time pulse of star-shattering collisions

On Saturn's giant moon Titan, liquid methane and other hydrocarbons rain down, carving rivers, lakes and seas in a landscape of frozen water. The complex chemistry on this icy world could be analogous to the period when life first emerged on Earth, or it might yield an entirely new type of life. And even farther—light-years away in deep space, a black hole shreds the ultra-dense core of a dead star, warping the fabric of space itself and sending waves of space-time flying across the universe.

In Egypt's Red Sea, corals fade as oceans warm

Standing on a boat bobbing gently in the Red Sea, Egyptian diving instructor Mohamed Abdelaziz looks on as tourists snorkel amid the brilliantly coloured corals, a natural wonder now under threat from climate change.

UN summit to tackle 'unprecedented' biodiversity threats

Just weeks before the crucial COP26 climate conference, another global UN summit—this one tasked with reversing the destruction of nature—officially kicks off next week in Kunming, China.

Spanish volcano eruption shuts airport, area still 'tense'

The airport on the Spanish island of La Palma shut down again Thursday due to ashfall from a volcano that has been erupting for almost three weeks.

Social distancing: New study shows sick gorillas transmit illnesses to others nearby

Coughs and colds spread quickly within wild mountain gorilla groups but appear less likely to spread between neighboring groups, a new study published in Scientific Reports shows.

Extinct ground sloth likely ate meat with its veggies

A new study led by researchers at the American Museum of Natural History suggests that Mylodon—a ground sloth that lived in South America until about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago—was not a strict vegetarian like all of its living relatives. Based on a chemical analysis of amino acids (fundamental biological compounds that are the building blocks of proteins) preserved in sloth hair, the researchers uncovered evidence that this gigantic extinct sloth was an omnivore, at times eating meat or other animal protein in addition to plant matter. The study, published today in the journal Scientific Reports, contradicts previous assumptions in the field.

Strong earthquake in southwest Pakistan kills at least 20

A powerful earthquake collapsed at least one coal mine and dozens of mud houses in southwest Pakistan early Thursday, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 200, an official said.

Study reveals abundance of microscopic paint flakes in the North Atlantic

Flakes of paint could be one of the most abundant type of microplastic particles in the ocean, new research has suggested.

Crayfish and carp among the invasive species pushing lakes towards ecosystem collapse

Certain invasive, non-native species can disrupt lakes to the point of rapid ecosystem collapse, contaminating water for drinking, aquaculture and recreation, a new study has found.