SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " plane " 1,223 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Scientists Create Hexagonal Packed Ice At Extreme Pressures
One of the problems with planetary science is that you generally cannot easily investigate the exact conditions in their interior, so you’re left to extrapolate what is happening inside them …
Scientists find planet made on new matter recipe, and it formed after a Red Giant ate a solar system
Death of a star may not be game over for the inner solar system after all
Set your alarm: Jupiter will disappear behind the crescent moon in a once-in-a-decade alignment tomorrow
Skywatchers in the U.S. and eastern Canada can see a rare lunar occultation of Jupiter early on Oct. 6. Here are the exact times to see the giant planet vanish and reappear.
Dead star likely birthed a new planet, in astronomical first
A white dwarf probably created a rare ‘second-generation’ planet.
Planet Fitness acquires Bakersfield’s Body Xchange Health Club locations
Body Xchange Health Clubs announced that they have been acquired by Planet Fitness.The announcement was posted on their social media pages.The company said that
Astronomers discover possible planet born from a dead star’s ashes
A second-generation planet might be orbiting a white dwarf, in an astronomy first, according to new research.
A ‘phoenix’ planet was born from the ashes of its dead star
Finding the potential planet hints that our sun’s death could lead to the creation of new worlds.
Soldiers wounded in Iranian drone strike say military medical system failed them
The attack on the second day of the U.S. war with Iran killed six troops and injured dozens
Are aliens real? Here’s what science can and can’t prove
Some scientists believe the sheer number of stars, planets and potentially habitable environments in space makes extraterrestrial life plausible. But plausibility is not proof. Despite decades of sear...
Search for life on Mars takes major leap forward. Scientists detect longest organic molecules on planet to date | BBC Sky at Night Magazine
Scientists make discovery analysing rock pulverised for study by Curiosity rover. Largest organic compounds found on the Red Planet to date.
An 8-justice Supreme Court to decide whether cities can sue oil companies for climate change impacts
The Supreme Court will hear arguments Monday in one of the most important climate change cases to reach its docket in years, a multibillion-dollar effort to hold major oil companies like ExxonMobil liable for the damages caused by planet-warming pollution.
This Kenner 'beach' thrives on volleyball, cold beer, decades of camaraderie: 'We're still here'
If it weren’t for the glowing lights of Planet Fitness and Treasure Chest Casino at the strip mall a few feet away, you could almost forget this beach is in the middle of a parking lot in Kenner. Here’s why locals drive from New Orleans and beyond each week to hang out, play ball or drink a few cold ones.
US removes all Air Force bombers from Fairford base amid terrorism concerns
The United States has moved long-range bombers back to their American home stations days after the British government arrested a number of individuals in connection with an alleged Iranian plot to target the UK airbase where the planes had been stationed.
ESA’s Juice just used Earth as a slingshot to Jupiter
ESA’s Juice spacecraft raced past Earth on September 28, using our planet’s gravity to dramatically reshape its path toward Jupiter without burning much fuel. The flyby changed its direction by 20 degrees and increased its speed by 3.5 km/s, while also giving scientists a rare chance to test its instruments on Earth and the Moon.
Ocean chemistry on ancient Earth could help scientists search for life on alien worlds
"Earth's history shows that oxygen, nutrients, and life evolved together. Understanding those connections gives us a more nuanced perspective on our own planet's future and what we might look for on other planets."
New Business: Planet Fitness gets a new look; Back Nine Golf...
Planet Fitness has debuted a new visual identity at its expanded Raymond club, while Back Nine Golf has opened a 24/7 simulator venue in Concord.
Team selected for NASA program to explore potential lunar cave
NASA has selected a Planetary Science Institute–led proposal to investigate whether a potentially large underground cave extends beyond the opening of a lunar pit. Such a cave may one day provide a safe ...
Mars’ North Polar Ice Is Much Cleaner Than Scientists Thought
Beneath the dusty surface of Mars’ north pole, scientists have uncovered surprisingly clean layers of ice that may preserve a hidden record of the planet’s dramatic climate history. Earth maintains a relatively steady posture in space thanks to the gravitational anchor of a massive moon. Mars lacks that stability. Tugged only by two tiny moons,
Tampa airport lands another nonstop flight to Central American locale
Breeze launches Tampa-Costa Rica flights with fares from $149.
Mars symposium sheds light on life on the red planet
Even the greats like musician David Bowie have asked: Is there life on Mars? In a symposium held earlier this month at William & Mary, Research Professor Joel Levine said we may have answered that question 50 years ago. “The Exploration of Mars & the Search for Life: Viking to Humans” symposium was held in […]
Six mysterious structures found deep underground—scientists stunned by the discovery - Futura-Sciences
The Hidden Machinery Deep Below Earth isn’t just about tectonic plates shifting, volcanoes erupting, or the planet’s magnetic field shielding your compass. Our planet is an immense, complex machine, with gears grinding not only on the surface, but especially deep within. Numerous clues, mainly from seismic data, suggest that the...
More Americans are concerned about political corruption
89% of Americans believe government corruption is widespread, a Gallup poll found.
More Americans are concerned about political corruption
89% of Americans believe government corruption is widespread, a Gallup poll found.
Avon Science Education Institution Gets Massive Grant From NASA
It will upgrade the Talcott Mountain Science Center's planetarium, observatory, and data science facilities.
Radio signal detected from exoplanet for the first time
Astronomers say they have have detected a radio emission from Beta Pictoris b, an exoplanet 63 light-years from Earth, according to new research.
9 things I wish flyers would stop doing on planes; ex-flight attendant
I saw far too many people go to the lavatory barefoot or blast music without headphones.
Scientists have detected radio signals from a planet beyond our Solar System | BBC Sky at Night Magazine
Discovery marks the first time a radio signal has been confirmed as coming from a single planet rather than an entire system.
The Politics of the Planetary
The French philosopher Guy Debord and Danish painter Asger Jorn built their book Mémoires (1959) out of a collage of purloined material. Newspaper clippings, magazine advertisements, cartoons, cutups of maps…
Scientists discover that Earth’s crust has repeatedly rolled over—and it’s still happening
An analysis of ancient sea-level changes reveals that the whole solid Earth has shifted multiple times
Israeli Politicians Trade Barbs Over FlyDubai Attack
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign for a coming election was already dominated by discussion of the policy, military and intelligence failures leading up to the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.
Ocean Floor “Pools Of Death” Could Be Key To Explaining The Origins Of Life On Earth, And Possibly Further Afield
Besides their importance for the search for life on other planets, these pools could help us find major mineral deposits.
NASA’s Webb Provides Crash Course on Planet-Shattering Collisions
In the early history of our solar system, scientists theorize that a Mars-sized object called Theia smashed into the infant Earth, vaporizing massive amounts
Good science requires much more than evidence
Empiricists believe that scientific theories are true only if they make correct empirical predictions: if we can't verify these predictions, then there is no reason to expect that they tell us anything about reality. However, Professor of Philosophy at King's College David Kyle Johnson argues that this is mistaken. In response to Bas van Fraassen, who has written on this subject for the IAI, he argues that we have many reasons for believing a theory to be true, such as it being parsimonious and having large scope — qualities which have been used throughout the history of science as criteria for judging theories. In 2024, Princeton philosopher Bas van Fraassen wrote a short article for IAI News entitled “Science Does not Describe Reality: The Limits and Benefits of Explanation.” At the time, I was working on two projects (a science book and a Great Course) that, when completed, would (among other things) defend science’s ability to describe reality. I wanted to write a response to van Fraassen, but the projects demanded too much of my attention. But now that those projects are complete, I am in a position to explain the objections to van Fraassen’s thesis. Summarizing van Fraassen’s argumentIn a nutshell, his argument is this: What scientists do is make predictions based on theories and then invite others to test to see whether those predictions are borne out. “If theory T is right, result R should happen in experimental condition C.” Many think that running an experiment that shows that R happens in condition C is proof that theory T is true (and should be believed). But, van Fraassen argues, that R happened in condition C is only a reason to think that R happens in condition C. That’s the only observable, or empirical, result we can actually see, so that is all that we are really justified in believing. (The underlying theory that made that prediction still may or may not be true.) That is why he calls those who accept his position “empiricists.”Before I explain what is wrong with this position, let me explain what it gets right. What van Fraassen Gets RightFirst, a theory correctly predicting the results of an experiment is not, strictly speaking, “proof” that the theory is correct. The basic line of reasoning is this:If the theory T is true, result R should happen. Result R did happen. Thus, theory T is true.In other words:“If T then R. R. Thus, T.”This is a deductively invalid, fallacious mode of reasoning, called “affirming the consequent.” Those premises do not guarantee that the conclusion follows. “If I am in Pennsylvania, then I am in the USA. I am in the USA. Thus, I am in Pennsylvania.” Clearly that argument doesn’t guarantee its conclusion; neither does the above argument.However, science is not a deductive method of reasoning; it is an inductive one. And inductive arguments merely try to raise the probability of their conclusion, not “prove” them for certain. Thus, the fact that an experimental result doesn’t prove a theory is true is irrelevant; it’s not supposed to. That is not what scientific reasoning is about.___If the hypothesis that something exists clearly provides the best explanation for what we can observe, then the belief that it exists is what is rational.___Second, it’s also true that a single experimental result doesn’t provide enough justification to believe that a theory is true. Scientists do not come to a consensus about whether a theory is true by looking at a single experiment; they look at all the evidence to determine where the preponderance of evidence points. The mere fact that I am in the USA raises the probability that I am in Pennsylvania, but not nearly enough to conclude that I am in Pennsylvania. However, if I am also regularly encountering people wearing Eagles and Phillies hats and seeing advertisements for Founding Father tours, I probably am. In the same way, a theory successfully predicting the outcome of one experiment is not enough to conclude that it is true; but if a theory makes a wide variety of predictions that are all vindicated by multiple experiments, performed by many different groups and people, all actively trying to prove the theory false (which is what good scientific experiments are designed to do)—that is a good reason to conclude that the theory is true. In other words, if you repeatedly try to prove something false but can’t, that is a very good indication that it isn’t. The problem of underdeterminationIn reply, those whom van Fraassen calls “empiricists” often point to the “problem of underdetermination.” For any given theory that makes successful predictions about what happens in experimental conditions, there are countless other possible theories that make exactly the same predictions—and since they do, the experimental evidence in question is just as much reason to accept any of those theories as it is to accept our original one. Thus, the argument goes, we have no way of knowing whether our original theory is true, or one of the other “predictively equivalent” theories is true. SUGGESTED VIEWING How Occam's Razor changed the world With Johnjoe McFadden As an example of underdetermination, philosophers often offer this example. The evidence of fossils seems to provide reason to conclude that the universe is quite old; ancient fossils are what the “ancient universe” hypothesis predicts. But it’s also possible that God created an ancient-looking universe 200 years ago, complete with a “fake” fossil record for us to find, to make it look old. The existence of fossils is what that theory predicts too. So, the argument goes, the fossil record can’t be used as evidence that the universe is ancient; the fossil record supports the “200-year-old ancient-looking universe” theory just as much. The problem of underdetermination points out that, for any theory with supporting evidence, we could invent another completely different theory that predicts exactly the same evidence, and thus undermine that evidence’s ability to support the original theory.But this “argument from underdetermination” betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of what scientific reasoning is and how it works. To explain, let me use another rather strange (but very real and commonly discussed) philosophical thought experiment called “The Grue Problem.” The “Grue” ProblemSuppose I want to know what color emeralds are, so I observe a few, see that they all appear green, and form the theory that “all emeralds are green.” I thus predict that the next 100 emeralds I find will also appear to be green. And let’s say that happens, and so I thus conclude that my theory that all emeralds are green is true. Now, one might rightly point out that I don’t know for sure that all emeralds are green—I have not seen them all. Maybe some I haven’t found yet are blue. Fair enough. After all, we used to think that all swans were white, until we found some black ones. But let’s say that I go on a quest and collect every emerald in the universe—and, for the sake of the argument, let’s say I can do this, and can even know that I have every one of them. So, I collect them all, look at them all, and verify that they all appear green. Can’t I now rightly conclude that all emeralds are green?Inspired by the problem of underdetermination, a friend might argue that I cannot.Sure, they all appear green now—but there could be another kind of color called “grue.” Something is grue if it is green up to a certain point in time, but then spontaneously turns blue. And there could be an infinite number of “shades” of grue. Something that is one shade of grue will turn blue at noon today, but something that is another shade of grue will turn blue at noon tomorrow, etc. So yes, the emeralds appear green now; and since they haven’t turned blue yet, they are not some “past” shade of grue. But they might be some “future” shade of grue (e.g., they may turn blue at noon tomorrow). And since all future shades of grue are consistent with “being green up to this point in time,” the evidence you have is completely consistent with the notion that all emeralds are some future shade of grue, rather than green. Indeed, that they would appear green until now is what the “some future shade of grue” hypothesis predicts. So, we have just as much reason to conclude that all emeralds are some shade of grue as we do to conclude that they are green.You’re probably thinking “It’s not equally possible that the emeralds are grue; they are obviously green.” You are right! But explaining why your instinctive reaction to my friend’s argument is correct will help inform why van Fraassen’s “empiricist” is wrong and science actually does describe reality.The main mistake my friend makes is in thinking that the “empirical evidence” (of all the emeralds appearing green) is (or even should be) all I am using to draw the conclusion that all emeralds are green. It is not. I am also considering known facts about how colors typically work; things don’t usually change color, and when they do, they don’t do so suddenly, without cause, and all at once. So, even though the simple evidence of the emeralds all appearing green up to this point is consistent with them being some future shade of grue—that is even what the grue hypothesis “predicts”—it is still exceedingly unlikely that they are. The hypothesis that they are green is much more likely. Understanding science refutes the problem of underdetermination The misunderstanding about science that the “empiricist” pointing to “the problem of underdetermination” makes is similar to the one that my friend made. Science is not just about considering experimental evidence; in fact, it’s not even just about considering empirical evidence. As Ernan McMullin and many other philosophers of science have pointed out, the inference that makes science is “inference to the best explanation” (sometimes called “abduction” or “retroduction” by McMullin). While, depending on the circumstances, scientists use many different kinds of reasoning, science as a whole is, simply put, the process of considering multiple competing explanations and comparing them to certain criteria—explanatory criteria (the kinds of things explanations must be and do, by definition, to be a good explanation)—to see which explanation is the best.And these criteria do not deal only with empirical results. Yes, successful predictions raise the probability of a hypothesis, but it’s also the case that the more new assumptions a theory makes, the less likely it is to be true; every new assumption presents an opportunity for the theory to be false. (The fewer assumptions a theory makes, the simpler or “more parsimonious” it is said to be.) Likewise, the more existing evidence a theory contradicts, the less likely it is, because in order for a theory to be true, every piece of evidence it contradicts has to be somehow faulty. (The fewer established theories a new theory contradicts, the more “conservative” it is said to be.) And, obviously, the more something explains, the better explanation it is. (This is called having “scope.”) If a theory raises unanswerable questions, it’s not expanding our understanding, and thus is not wide-scoping. Scientists consider all these things when deciding which theory to accept, because the theory that adheres best to these explanatory criteria is most likely to be true.___the mere fact that a theory’s predictive success is why it “sticks around” or “becomes accepted” in the scientific community is not a reason to be skeptical about its truth.___The reason the grue hypothesis is no good is because it invents an entirely new kind of color—not just a new shade, but an entirely different category of color (a different way colors work)—and thus is not parsimonious. It raises unanswerable questions about how and why emeralds would just spontaneously change from green to blue (and thus does not have wide scope). And it contradicts what is already well established about how color works (and thus is unconservative).The theories that the problem of underdetermination points to do the same thing. Yes, the theory that God created an “ancient-looking universe” (complete with an ancient-looking fossil record) two hundred years ago is also consistent with the empirical evidence (of a fossil record) that presently exists; but that theory is monumentally unparsimonious (it requires many extra assumptions about infinite entities) and not wide-scoping (it raises unanswerable questions about why God would do such a thing). So, I can rationally conclude that it is false.Indeed, the history of science includes many examples of theories that were rejected because they lacked parsimony and/or scope, even before their falsity (and the truth of their competing theory) was confirmed by observation. As I point out in my book, geocentrism was rejected by the scientific community because it lacked parsimony, almost 200 years before the observation of parallax confirmed that the Earth moves around the sun. And the continuum theory of matter was completely rejected by 1860, because it couldn’t explain chemical reactions or organize matter into a periodic table, even though the experiments that eventually confirmed atomic theory weren’t even proposed until the 1870s. Solving the best of a bad lot problemIn response, the “empiricists” are likely to object, this time pointing to the “best of a bad lot” problem. “We have no reason to conclude that an explanation that has been shown to be better than others is true because we have no guarantee that the true theory was among those that we were considering.” If you have a “lot” (a collection) of poor explanations, even the best one is not true.The responses to this problem, however, are numerous. Peter Lipton argues that the set of hypotheses that scientists consider are not just randomly selected and thus unlikely to contain a theory that is true; they use existing knowledge to home in on what is most likely to be true. A doctor trying to explain abdominal pain is not going to bother wondering whether demons are causing it; they are going to stick with things like appendicitis and kidney stones, because they are most likely. Further, despite its name, inference to the best explanation is not just the process of comparing hypotheses and accepting the best one; we also want one that is a good explanation in its own right. If it’s not, we are going to keep looking until we find an explanation that is. And while that process does not guarantee that we will come across the exact truth, it’s very likely that the theory that emerges as the best will be at least approximately true, and thus we will be justified in believing it. And lastly, as I point out in my book, although many theories not based in scientific evidence (like geocentrism and continuum theory) have been completely overturned, science almost always progresses by the refinement of scientifically established theories—not their replacement. (Although our sun is not the center of the universe, heliocentrism was our first step in understanding the Earth’s true place in the universe.) So even if a theory we accept today may not be completely right, accepting it is a step on the journey toward the complete truth. The example of atomic theoryNow, it’s worth pointing out that most empiricists are not skeptical of all scientific theories; they are only skeptical of the ones that hypothesize the existence of “unobservables.” It’s not like they think that round Earth, heliocentrism, and germ theory are just useful (but untrue) “instruments” for making predictions about how to most efficiently navigate the seas, predict planetary motion, and treat diseases. They admit that the Earth actually is round, that the planets revolve around the sun, and that germs exist and cause disease. These facts and entities can be observed; the theories that suggest they exist are true. It’s only when theories start hypothesizing the existence of unobservables—like electrons, or quantum fields—that can’t be observed directly, that we should start doubting the theories’ truth. And to be fair to van Fraassen, in this published work, he doesn’t really say that we should doubt the truth of such theories. Only that scientific reasoning does not rationally force us to accept them as true. Skepticism, or agnosticism, he argues, is warranted. SUGGESTED READING Science is based in metaphor By Andrew Reynolds But the history of atomic theory throws a monkey wrench into that argument. Atoms used to be unobservable; again, scientists first accepted the theory that they exist because it had such grandiose explanatory power. But then atoms were seen with electron microscopes. They thus moved into the category of the observable. But this didn’t substantially change anything about what scientists were justified in believing; it certainly didn’t change any “atomic skeptics’” minds. It just confirmed what everyone already knew! If the hypothesis that something exists clearly provides the best explanation for what we can observe, then the belief that it exists is what is rational. The fact that the thing itself is not technically observable does not make doubting its existence rational.What’s more, the atoms were seen with an electron microscope. But electrons are themselves unobservable. How can an electron microscope reveal an atom if electrons are not real? This leads us to what is famously known as Hilary Putnam’s “miracle argument.” It’s (not) a miraclePhilosopher Hilary Putnam’s miracle argument is somewhat famous. Basically, he argued that a scientific theory being able to repeatedly make successful predictions—even about unobservables—without being at least approximately true would require a “miracle.” In other words, it would be such an improbable occurrence that it could not rationally be believed—the better explanation for why scientific theories about unobservables make the right predictions is because the unobservable entities and structures they hypothesize exist.Van Fraassen has addressed this argument. Indeed, in his original article, where he references Alison Gopnik’s point about orgasms not being “necessary for procreation” even though the desire for orgasm “drives the creation of progeny,” he is pointing to his own argument about how organisms are not naturally selected by evolution to get true beliefs; to the extent that belief-forming processes are selected for, the ones that are selected are the ones that are useful for survival—not the ones that produce true beliefs. In the same way, van Fraassen argues, scientific theories are accepted, not because they are true, but because they aren’t falsified; they make successful predictions; that’s what makes them “stick around.” So, the fact that they make successful predictions (and thus became accepted) is not a reason to think they are true.This argument is similar to C. S. Lewis’s “argument from reason,” which he used to argue against evolution: “The truth of evolution undercuts our ability to know that it is true.” Lewis’ argument famously failed; Elizabeth Anscombe, by Lewis’s own admission, demolished Lewis in a debate on the topic, and I have explained elsewhere why modified versions of the argument fail as well. In short, it’s because it fails to recognize that a belief-forming process can make an organism more likely to survive because it reliably produces true beliefs. It is therefore not the case that beliefs generated by naturally selected belief-forming processes are automatically false or unjustified.In the same way, the reason a theory “sticks around” could be because it’s not falsified, because it “makes correct predictions.” But the reason it makes correct predictions is most likely because it is true. (In pointing this out, I am echoing the arguments of Musgrave, Lipton, Psillos, and Kitcher, who refuted van Fraassen’s argument and analogy long before his 2024 article.) It would be a huge coincidence that it could do so without being true. And that is the point of Putnam’s miracle argument. Thus, contrary to van Fraassen’s suggestion, the mere fact that a theory’s predictive success is why it “sticks around” or “becomes accepted” in the scientific community is not a reason to be skeptical about its truth. ConclusionLet me close by saying something about the fact that empiricists don’t doubt the truth of all scientific theories, just the ones that hypothesize unobservables. In today’s society, this theory is dangerous to espouse publicly. The nuance between being skeptical about all of science, and just the highly technical theories about unobservables, is guaranteed to be lost to the average reader. And there is so much unjustified skepticism and doubt about the findings of science and experts that a headline like “Science Does Not Describe Reality” could easily fuel the anti-science movement, worsen climate change denial and cause the next pandemic.This is why I believe it was important to still respond to van Fraassen’s article, a full two years after he wrote it. Not only, as I have argued, does it represent a philosophically inaccurate view of how scientific reasoning works and what scientific reasoning can do, but it is a dangerous view to boot. It should thus be rejected.
Earth Has Breached 7 Of 9 Planetary Boundaries, Scientists Warn
Seven of Earth's nine planetary boundaries have now been breached, with scientists warning that growing pressure on climate, biodiversity, freshwater and other natural systems is increasing the risk of irreversible environmental changes.
Exploring the solar system through Cornell's image library
This year marks the forty-sixth anniversary of the Spacecraft Planetary Image Facility's technical research and outreach activities.
Call for the WHO to declare the climate crisis a public health emergency of international concern
Researchers from Wits Planetary Health Research (Wits PHR), University of the Witwatersrand, and international partner institutions are calling on the World Health Organization (WHO) and its member states ...
NASA directive might increase the odds of contaminating Mars
The new push loosens U.S. regulations for sterilizing spacecraft bound for the Red Planet, and calls for modernizing the science of “planetary protection”
'We may need to think differently': Star system with 'backward' planet moving the wrong way around its star has scientists puzzled
A newly discovered exoplanet orbits its star backward, and it's a mystery why. The system and others like it could shed light on how some complex planetary systems form.
UW Planetarium to Premiere New Film, Celebrate Halloween Season During
The University of Wyoming Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium will open October with a new film and celebrate the spooky season with some Halloween-themed events near the end of the month.
The north pole of Mars is less dusty than scientists thought
Although Mars may have once resembled Earth, the rocky red planet now appears far from hospitable. Still, certain details—such as ice-bound water—pique researchers' curiosity. As on Earth, ice on Mars ...
Travel plans? Here's what to know as measles exposures reach trains and games
Measles is traveling, with outbreaks in Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York, and exposures on transportation and in sports. What should you know before getting on a plane or train?
Mideast Emergency Landing
A plane takes off as a flydubai aircraft sits on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo)
Family questions mother's remains after police search business tied to funeral home probe
Days after police searched a Glenwood cremation service, an Alsip woman is questioning whether the urn she has actually contains her mother's remains.
How AI is creating a UK super-museum and revealing our planet's history
More than 70 million specimens from 100 UK collections will be put into an online digital museum
How AI is creating a UK super-museum and revealing our planet's history
More than 70 million specimens from 100 UK collections will be put into an online digital museum
Trump’s made his big call on AI. Humanity’s fate may ride on him being right
President Donald Trump held court on the White House drive Tuesday, surrounded by the tech moguls who, in their own estimation, hold the planet’s fate in their hands.
UWEC science hall to hosts last season of planetarium shows
EAU CLAIRE — During previous semesters at UW-Eau Claire, L.E. Phillips Planetarium was the place to spend nights kicking back and looking at the stars.
ACLM position statement links lifestyle medicine to planetary health
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) has released a new position statement asserting that lifestyle medicine offers a practical, evidence-based framework to address both the chronic disease epidemic and the growing environmental challenges affecting health worldwide.
Tiny Grains From Asteroid Bennu Reveal How Jupiter Shaped the Early Solar System
The asteroid’s dust may preserve a record of how planets assembled 4.5 billion years ago.
'We're rapidly running out of time': 7 of Earth's 9 life support systems already breached, and the situation is getting worse, report warns
Our planet has had its annual health check, and the prognosis is pretty grim. Despite breached planetary boundaries, however, scientists argue that Earth can still have a safe and sustainable future.
NSU STEM Day puts science, technology and more in the hands of area high schoolers
NATCHITOCHES, La. – From flying drones to handling snakes, guiding airplanes, and cracking codes, students from 18 high schools were led through demonstrations, workshops, and guided exploration of all branches
In Scotland, NASA Scientists Search for Clues About Mars’ Past
NASA's Goddard Instrument Field Team hauled equipment up and down the cliffs of Scotland's Clachtoll region on a quest to better understand Earth – and Mars.
In 'Digger,' Tom Cruise takes a wild swing worth seeing
Tom Cruise has hung off airplanes, performed crazy motorcycle jumps and run around the world for our cinematic entertainment.
An Earth-like planet with two suns?
A nearby star system with two suns could potentially support an Earth-sized planet in a region where liquid water could exist, according to a new paper examining the dynamics of the system.
Magic in Store: This month, a witchy business will put you in the right spirit
Abby Minnich is a planetary scientist who puts complex concepts into plain language. “I like to connect with the earth,” she said. “Trying to figure out how things came to be. I would say that is my purpose, almost, trying to figure it out and sharing it.” Which leads her to visit metaphysical shops like […]
Spain’s DeAPlaneta Entertainment hires digital content and channels chief
Spanish kids company DeAPlaneta Entertainment has appointed Daniel Acero Montoya as head of digital content and channels.
Newly discovered iron minerals might hold primordial water from when Earth formed
Researchers may have found a missing link in how Earth's mantle gets wet: newly discovered iron minerals that can store water at the extremely high temperatures and pressures present near our planet's core.
Radio Waves Coming From an Alien Planet May Be a Cosmic First
Beta Pictoris b appears to have an aurora caused by a powerful magnetic field. If confirmed, it would be the first such field known outside our solar system.
How an obscure government code unlocks opportunity for businesses
What rhymes with "snakes" and helps the government classify economic activity? NAICS — or the North American Industry Classification System. These codes categorize every industry from artificial turf installation to zucchini farming. But they’re not exactly easy to get. Today we look at one business’ quest for a NAICS code and what makes them so valuable. Fact checking by Leyla Doss. Your Next Listen — How to take the temperature of the US consumer Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
Trump Slashes Fuel-Economy Standards in Blow to Climate, Health, EV Market
One observer called the move a "disaster for people’s health, the planet, and even U.S. automakers.”
Behind the Science with Paleontologist and Curator of Dinosauria Dr. Matthew Carrano
Is the 21st Century the real Age of Dinosaurs? Today, more paleontologists are discovering more dinosaur fossils from more places in the world than ever before. Our understanding of these amazing creatures has leapt forward while their popularity has surged. Museums sit at the junction of these phenomena. The Smithsonian has been a center for dinosaur research for more than a century, and its collections include many iconic and scientifically important specimens. Today, Smithsonian researchers continue to discover new dinosaurs, but they are also uncovering more information about the ones we already know and love. New techniques and approaches allow them to investigate aspects of dinosaur biology, ecology, and evolution in ways that would have been inconceivable to early paleontologists. The result is an ever-improving understanding of dinosaurs as living, breathing, and thriving animals. This month, go behind the science with paleontologist Dr. Matthew Carrano, Curator of Dinosauria at the National Museum of Natural History as he discusses new discoveries at home and abroad, in the field and in the museum. Registration is encouraged. Space is filled on a first come first served basis. ---------------- About the Series: Behind the Science A monthly after-hours series featuring NMNH scientists and researchers Each month, join the National Museum of Natural History for the new series, Behind the Science, where NMNH researchers share insights into their latest discoveries and explore the fascinating questions driving their work—from the origins of life to the future of our planet. Come learn what’s happening behind the scenes and how science shapes our understanding of the natural world. Programs take place in Q?rius, the Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center. Topics and speakers announced on a rolling basis, but save the dates now!
Scientists Pinpoint a Possible “Sweet Spot” for Life’s Origins 4.33 Billion Years Ago
By simulating a billion years of Earth’s history, researchers have identified a possible window for life’s earliest chemistry around 4.33 billion years ago. During its first few hundred million years, Earth was a hostile target. Asteroids, comets, and leftover planetesimals, smaller bodies remaining from planet formation, relentlessly battered the planet, generating intense heat that could
Alien nation? URI fall Honors Colloquium lecture on Oct. 6 explains why space travel means ‘More than Martians’
KINGSTON, R.I. – Sept. 28, 2026 – Interest and fascination in space travel isn’t just about visiting far-away planets, including Mars. Sometimes, it’s learning more about other life forms from another world. But venturing into outer space is still vitally important to understand the world around us, and beyond, even if aliens are never found. […]
We think of comets are harbingers of destruction. But it turns out they may be the reason life on Earth exists at all | BBC Sky at Night Magazine
Science has strengthened theories that the ingredients for life could have been brought to Earth by comets impacting into our home planet.
They discover a lava-covered exoplanet that could reveal what Earth was like billions of years ago
A group led by a scientist from the University of Chicago announced that a "lava world" was discovered.
Airbus probes A321neo flaw as repair plan eases disruption
Airbus and Italy's Leonardo are investigating a glitch at a privately held coatings firm that triggered a quality alert affecting 500 of the planemaker's best-selling A321neo jets, people familiar with the matter said.
Newborn Planet Sets Record as Youngest Known World
Elias 2-24 b, a Jupiter-mass planet under a million years old, is the youngest world ever confirmed and is still growing in the disk around its star
FYI BR: video production training at the arts council, Honey Gold at the planetarium and more
The Honey Gold Experience will perform live at LASM’s planetarium on Oct 3, blending original music and visuals in an immersive dome show with custom video collages and live sound design.
Venus May Have Devoured Its Moon, Scientists Find
Scientists suggest that Venus did indeed once have a moon, which spiraled inwards until it crashed into the planet's surface.
In a mysterious reversal, Earth’s atmosphere has gotten less dusty
The amount of dust in the atmosphere has fallen over the last 20 years, recent research shows. Could that explain why the planet has been warming faster than expected?
Mercury is shrinking faster than anyone thought
Wrinkles on the surface are clues as to the planet’s previous size
CNN says it was left off Air Force One for Trump's trip to college football game
CNN reported it had been scheduled to fly aboard the president’s plane Saturday for a scheduled visit to a midday game between the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and the University of Texas.
CNN says it was left off Air Force One for Trump's Saturday trip to a college football game
CNN, a member of the U.S. network video pool that rotates duties shooting and sharing video coverage of the president, reported it had been scheduled to fly aboard the president’s plane Saturday for a scheduled visit to a college football game.
Harvard Scientists Detect Radio Signal Coming Directly From Planet Outside the Solar System
As detailed in a yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper, a team says they've detected radio signals directly from an exoplanet.
Scientists may have misread a 2-billion-year-old clue about Earth
Scientists have found that a famous 2-billion-year-old chemical signature, once thought to record a massive global change in Earth’s carbon cycle, may instead have been produced by local magma, hydrocarbons, and methane-eating microbes. The discovery raises new questions about what was really happening as oxygen transformed the young planet.
Scientists Found An Atmosphere On A Hellishly Hot Planet That Shouldn't Have One
Being the coldest member of an absurdly hot category is a strange distinction, but when it comes to lava worlds, strange is the norm.
In an $80 Motel Room, a Discovery to Shed Light on the Origins of Life
A scrappy science project led to a significant discovery: two new species of a rare organism that could elucidate a fundamental transition in the history of life on our planet.
NASA teases new PRIMA telescope that could peer even deeper into the infrared universe than the James Webb Space Telescope
NASA has announced that a new telescope concept called PRIMA is moving forward in consideration for a 2033 launch to look at the origins of planets and galaxies.
Decoding Earth's magnetic field may help scientists treat Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Here's how
"It passes through our bodies, our cells and every living organism on the planet, yet we know surprisingly little about whether and how this invisible force affects the way our cells work."
Ace Combat 8 Is a Triumphant Return for One of Gaming’s Best Series
Wings of Theve lands the plane
See Qantas' new business class seats for world's longest flights
Qantas' "Project Sunrise" planes will fly up to 22 hours nonstop between New York and London and Australia starting in 2027.
The science behind seasons
Fall began this week across the Northern Hemisphere, but why does the planet experience seasons?
EJN and Schmidt Ocean Institute Train Brazilian Journalists on Ocean Science, Governance and Data Reporting
The ocean covers more than 70% of the planet, yet much of it remains poorly understood by the public and underreported in the media. To help journalists strengthen their coverage of marine issues and
Trump praises Xi as 'strong, vibrant, and fit' amid health questions
"I met President Xi at the plane (Airport!) yesterday and he looks strong, vibrant, and fit - Better than ever," Trump said on social media.
Earth life support systems are flashing red, warns 2026 Planetary Health Check
Human activities continue eroding the planet’s stability, resilience and life-support functions, the third edition of the Planetary Health Check released in September warns. The “scary” part of the 2026 report, says lead co-author Levke Caesar, is that the trends are largely going in the wrong direction. “We still have seven out of the nine planetary […]
Scientific American Starts Sober but Quickly Relapses
A proposal by University of Washington planetary scientist David Catling addresses what origin-of-life researchers call the phosphate problem.
Scientists Detect Radio Signals from Exoplanet 63 Light Years Away
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – For the first time, astronomers have detected radio signals from a planet beyond our solar system.
Visit Liberty Science Center During Sukkot
(Courtesy of Liberty Science Center) From Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey, has exciting programming planned for the entire family. In addition to fascinating science exhibits and shows, the Science Center will provide a sukkah for those observing Sukkot. The center’s exhibition, “The Power of Poison,” explores the […]
One of the most contagious diseases on the planet is having its worst U.S. outbreak since 1991
The CDC has added a single measles death to its online counter. In the last few weeks, four unvaccinated people have died from measles in Pennsylvania, according to state officials. But RFK Jr. has publicly questioned what caused the deaths.
This trippy new 'Star Trek' comic series may be perfect for the franchise's next feature film
Buckle up for Seven of Nine exploring a remote cluster of uncanny exoplanets, strange alien artifacts, long lost civilizations, and trippy paranormal anomalies.
Soviet ‘sea monster' inspired this futuristic ‘flying boat’
It's a boat! It's a plane! It’s...both?
The Bulletin wins the Miwon Peace Prize
The Bulletin is honored to be awarded the 2026 Miwon Peace Prize for raising global awareness of existential risks and using scientific rigor to warn humanity about planetary threats.
Planet Announces Amazon.ia – A New Tool That Combines Satellite Data, Science and AI to Protect the Amazon
Planet Labs PBC (NYSE: PL), a leading provider of daily data and insights about change on Earth, today announced the launch of Amazon.ia - Inteligencia Ambie...
American Geophysical Union’s 2026 Eugene Shoemaker Lecture
Award: The American Geophysical Union’s Eugene Shoemaker Lecture is presented annually and recognizes excellence in planetary exploration.
The Franklin Institute is throwing an adults-only Halloween party after dark
Science After Hours: Fright Nite will feature horror-movie effects, planetarium dancing and rooftop stargazing Oct. 16, with food and drinks available for purchase.
Earth's closest alien life probably isn't very advanced, says new study
Potential plant life may be a key indicator for exoplanet evolutionary timelines.
The hunt for extraterrestrial life is fundamentally flawed. But there's a fix.
We search for aliens on exoplanets by looking for the chemical signatures of life. But without understanding the host star better, we may be misled.
This year, with shifting political winds, Canada gets more of the spotlight on the UN's stage
Canada has a new posture on the planet’s biggest diplomatic stage as world leaders convene at the U.N. General Assembly this week | WWL
This year, with shifting political winds, Canada gets more of the spotlight on the UN's stage
Canada has a new posture on the planet’s biggest diplomatic stage as world leaders convene at the U.N. General Assembly this week | WWJ Newsradio 950
This year, with shifting political winds, Canada gets more of the spotlight on the UN's stage
Canada has a new posture on the planet’s biggest diplomatic stage as world leaders convene at the U.N. General Assembly this week.