Experimental setup for detecting orbital pumping. Credit: Hayashi et al. Electrons inherently carry both spin and orbital angular momentum (i.e., properties that help understand the rotational motions and behavior of particles). Although some physicists and engineers have attempted to harness the spin angular momentum of electrons to develop new technologies known as spintronics, the orbital … Read more
Proposed scenario for diamond formation at the core-mantle boundary of Mercury. (a) Crystallization of the carbon-saturated silicate magma ocean and the potential, but unlikely, early production of diamond at its base. Graphite was the major phase formed in the magma ocean and accumulated at the surface to form an ancient graphitic crust. (b) During crystallization … Read more
Albino rice plants created with TnpB by disrupting the gene responsible for producing green color. Credit: Kutubuddin Molla and Subhasis Karmakar Genome editing is one of the most transformative scientific breakthroughs of our time. It allows us to delve into the code of life and make precise adjustments. Imagine being able to rewrite the genetic … Read more
Colorado-based aerospace and defense contractor Ursa Major has announced the first successful “hot fire” test of its Draper liquid-fuel engine. Funded by the Air Force Research Labs (AFRL), Ursa Major debuted the 4,000-lb thrust closed-cycle engine in May 2023, with the ultimate goal of having a fully operational engine capable of operating in the atmosphere … Read more
Enlarge / Fragment of the Antikythera Mechanism, circa 205 BC, kept in the collection of the National Archaeological Museum, Athens. Visual Arts/Heritage Images/Getty Image The inspiration for the title device in last year’s blockbuster, Indiana Jones and the Dial Destinywas a real archaeological artifact: the Antikythera Mechanism, a 2,200-year-old bronze mechanical computer. It has no … Read more
Schematic representation of the evolution of the Labrador Sea, Baffin Bay and Davis Strait through the Paleogene. Abbreviations: Pre-Ungava Transform Margin (Pre-UTM), Davis Strait proto-microcontinent (DSPM), Ungava Fracture Zone (UFZ). Credit: Longley et al. 2024. Plate tectonics is the driving force behind Earth’s continental configurations, with the lithosphere (oceanic and continental crust and upper mantle) … Read more
The age-old debate over nature versus nurture (whether our genes or environment play a more important role in shaping our intelligence) has long intrigued scientists, educators, and the public. A recent groundbreaking study, published in the journal Personality and individual differencessheds new light on this discussion. The longitudinal study, the first of its kind using … Read more
SpaceX’s plans to launch its Starship–Super Heavy two-stage rocket 44 times a year from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida have come under fire from its two biggest rivals: United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. The Spaceship vehicle is the world’s largest rocket. Its two stages are SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster rocket … Read more
Archaeologists are puzzled by the discovery of dozens of Bronze and Iron Age child graves in southern Norway. The graves, each marked by circles of precisely placed stones, were found last year by a team from the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History near Fredrikstad, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Oslo, close to the … Read more
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were originally scheduled to return to Earth on June 14. July 10, 2024, 5:12 AM ET • 5 min read The NASA astronauts who were aboard the first manned space flight aboard Boeing’s Starliner will participate in a press conference Wednesday morning. Flight commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore, 61, a former … Read more