Machine learning has its limits when studying hard-to-see galaxies
Scientists in South America and Italy found that a machine-learning algorithm astronomers commonly use to analyze large datasets classified…
Category: Big Questions
How did Saturn’s moon Titan get its haze?
Researchers found that meteoroids ejected from Enceladus could impact Titan’s atmosphere to form its iconic organic haze.
How chemistry shapes the taste of alcohol
Scientists found that mixtures of water and ethanol interact differently when they’re heated and cooled, creating different flavors of…
Remains of the Moon could be lurking inside Earth
Scientists used models to test whether remnants of the moon-forming impactor, Theia, are present deep within the Earth.
Could planets orbiting dwarf stars have liquid water?
A team of planetary scientists in Japan found Earth-like planets orbiting dwarf stars could still harbor liquid water if they started out…
Researchers used bottled “lightning” to make ingredients for life
Scientists used spark discharge experiments to test whether lightning converted enough nitrogen to a usable form to support the origins of…
How quickly did life recover from the end-Permian mass extinction?
Paleontologists described exceptionally well-preserved fossils of a complex marine ecosystem that developed within 1 million years of a…
Scientists found neutron stars merge to make heavy elements
A team of astrophysicists in China simulated collisions between the remains of former stars and showed the resulting explosions could…
What’s making Earth’s atmosphere drier?
Scientists investigated humidity patterns in tree rings across Europe to test whether recently drier air is natural or caused by global…
Could “iron snow” fuel life in Europa’s ocean?
Scientists calculated that microorganisms breathing iron oxide “snow” could produce enough energy to survive on Jupiter's icy moon…