Wooden satellite could be orbiting the Earth by 2021
A satellite made of wood sounds like a concept ripped from the pages of Leonardo da Vinci's sketchbooks. But Finnish company Arctic Astronautics wants to launch one into space by...
Why the heat wave hitting the Western U.S. is so intense
Records will break. A mid-June heat wave, lasting through the week's end, is baking much of the Western U.S. A hot weather pattern amplified by a sustained drying trend, exacerbated...
We’ve got a plastic problem — and spider silk may be the solution
Plastics are very useful materials. They’ve contributed significant benefits to modern society. But the unprecedented amount of plastics produced over the past few decades has caused serious environmental pollution.Packaging alone...
Scientists discovered a new mammal species. Hear its haunting bark.
On our wildly diverse planet, scientists are still finding new species. Even mammals. While on an expedition in Nigeria in 2009, researchers noticed a curious bark-like call in the night....
Is brain drift the key to machine consciousness?
Think about someone you love and the neurons in your brain will light up like a Christmas tree. But if you think about them again, will the same lights go...
The fat bear cams at Alaska’s Katmai National Park are back, baby
They're back. The wildlife streamers explore.org officially turned on the Alaskan brown bear cams on Monday, June 14. The cameras, situated along the salmon-rich Brooks River in Katmai National Park...
Why cicadas like to land on people
Even on an Air Force base tarmac, a cicada landed on the president's neck. The spectacular emergence of the — with some 1.5 million of the harmless insects emerging per...
Unistellar’s eVscope boosts citizen astronomy during COVID-19 lockdown
After a couple hours of sleep, Rachel Knight woke to an alarm set for 2 a.m. Two alarms, actually. Her phone and Amazon Echo clamored in tandem to make sure...
A flight to space with Jeff Bezos sold for $28 million
It's been a long month of bidding, but Jeff Bezos is officially going to have more company than just his brother during the Amazon founder's upcoming inaugural trip into outer...
Hubble catches sight of a beautifully swirling galaxy in flux
Hubble's latest look into deep space is a real dazzler. Image: ESA/Hubble & NASA, A. Riess et Say hello to NGC 4680. This distant galaxy — it's more than 350...