Odysseus moon lander makes historic landing

Odysseus moon lander makes historic landing

The Odysseus lunar lander, developed by Houston-based company Intuitive Machines, landed on the surface of the moon Thursday – and it was streamed live for the public.

February 23, 2024 21

Environment

Scientists study levels of toxic mercury in Antarctic mammals

Marine biologists collect skin samples from humpback whales and leopard seals in Antarctica to detect the presence of mercury in their bodies. The toxic heavy metal is believed to reach the ocean through rivers or rain. According to the UN environmental agency UNEP, if an animal consumes mercury, it may suffer "reproductive failure, behavioural changes and may even (die)."

February 21, 2024 19

Science & Technology

Brain-computer technology lets kids with disabilities move and play

Eight-year-old Giselle Alnaser can't walk, lift her arms or speak — but for a couple of hours at a time, she can use her brain waves to move and play. When she concentrates on a specific thought, a brain-computer interface (BCI) can interpret those electrical brain signals into action, such as moving her wheelchair across the room to get a toy.

February 21, 2024 22

Environment

HEATED: Challenging objectivity in climate journalism

By Mike DiGirolamo, Rachel Donald Objectivity has been a main tenet of journalism since early in the 20th century, but its application is loosely defined and humanly impossible to achieve, some media experts argue. Presenting an issue like climate change as a debate with two sides, as is still somewhat common, is often justified under the banner of objectivity, but it’s only one of many dissonant standards that environmental reporters are […]

February 14, 2024 16

Environment

‘No end in sight’ for potential of conservation tech: Q&A with Megan Owen

By Abhishyant Kidangoor via MongaBay For the past seven years, the conservation technology lab at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has been working to develop and deploy technology that can automate the collection and processing of wildlife data. Running a tech lab in a zoo has the benefit of providing scientists with a setting where they can use the wildlife in their care to validate the data and calibrate […]

January 9, 2024 12

World

Researchers say they now know what causes morning sickness

Scientists say they have finally solved a millennia old mystery - pinpointing the exact cause of morning sickness. The research could lead to new treatment options for the estimated 80 percent of people who experience nausea and vomiting during their first trimester of pregnancy. Our correspondent Toni Waterman has more.

December 14, 2023 12

Opinion Pieces

Is time travel even possible? An astrophysicist explains the science behind the science fiction

a If traveling into the past is possible, one way to do it might be sending people through tunnels in space. by raggio5 via Pixabay Adi Foord, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. Will it ever be possible for time travel to occur? – Alana C., […]

November 29, 2023 5

Science & Technology

65 years of NASA – an astrophysicist reflects on the agency’s legacy

a Stephen G. Alexander, Miami University Sixty-five years ago, in 1958, several government programs that had been pursuing spaceflight combined to form NASA. At the time, I was only 3 years old. I’ve now been a professor of physics and astronomy for nearly 30 years, and I realize that, like countless others who came of age in the 1960s and ‘70s, NASA’s missions have had a profound effect on my […]

October 18, 2023 3

Africa

Largest all-women voyage to set sail for Antarctica

An expedition of 188 women from all over the world, is setting sail to Antarctica in November, on a collaborative mission to promote the long-term sustainability of the planet. With representatives from South Africa, Kenya and Zimbabwe, the 19-day voyage provides participants, all with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM), with a first-hand experience of one of the earth’s most precious ecosystems, as they leverage their expertise […]

October 18, 2023 1