What underwater volcanoes can teach us about Saturn’s moon Studying underwater volcanoes called "hydrothermal vents" at the bottom of the ocean taught us that the hydrogen down there probably isn't a primary food source for life in this extreme environment.

December 3, 2020 by Serhat Sevgen Read More

Is there life on Venus? An international team of researchers claim that a molecule called phosphine is a potential marker for life, and also happens to be in the atmosphere of Venus, according to their measurements. Other scientists are re-analyzing the results.

December 2, 2020 by Nurbanu Erölmez Read More

Is humanity ready to live in space? To live in space, we will need inter-generational cooperation to pull it off, and perhaps a sense of altruism for the future. We may be up to the technical challenge, but what about the sociopolitical challenges?

December 1, 2020 by Andrew Bieler Read More

Astronauts suffer permanent brain changes after long flights Long-duration spaceflight was associated with increased brain sizes. These effects lasted up to 1 year into recovery, suggesting permanent alteration.

November 26, 2020 by Lozano Garcia Eduardo Alejandro Read More

Deliberately infecting volunteers with COVID-19 to speed up vaccine development? Human challenge trials, a process whereby healthy volunteers are given potential vaccines and then infected with COVID-19, could be a way to speed up vaccine development and reduce the global burden of coronavirus.

November 24, 2020 by Caroline Vrana-Diaz Read More

Fungi may be able to help clean up polluted water A few species of fungi were tested for their ability to clean up wastewaters contaminated with selenium. With additional nutrients added, it mostly worked. The fungi Alternaria showed great potential for cleaning up water polluted with selenite.

by Mary Sabuda Read More

How water shaped the Earth Minerologists, geologists, astronomers, astrobiologists explain how water shaped our planet’s history by studying the types of chemical reactions where water plays a fundamental role.

November 21, 2020 by Romulo Cruz Read More

The simple lab technique that changed everything How the discovery and validation of a simple lab technique called PCR by Kary Mullis and his team in the 1980’s helped science take a leap forward in understanding genetics and improved our society.

November 19, 2020 by Justin Dingman Read More

Chronically trapped in your own negative thoughts? Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is linked with a penchant for unshakable negative inner dialogues and intrusive thought patterns that just won’t quit.

by Jessica Beaudoin Read More

Students inspired to study science by participating in real NASA missions In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a group of scientists and teachers came together to create an exciting new educational resource, named Ad Astra Academy. The goal? To develop brief, intense programs to help encourage academically at-risk students to develop critical thinking skills.

November 16, 2020 by Sarah Treadwell Read More