Space
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Cosmology
Remembering Joe Polchinski, the modest physicist who conceived a multiverse
String theorists lament the death of Joe Polchinski, one of their field’s most esteemed and respected thinkers.
- Life
A rare rainstorm wakes undead microbes in Chile’s Atacama Desert
Microbial life in Chile’s Atacama Desert bursts into bloom when moisture is available.
- Planetary Science
Readers weigh in on human gene editing and more
Readers debated feeling morally obligated to edit their kid's genes and had questions about exoplanets.
- Astronomy
An amateur astronomer caught a supernova explosion on camera
An amateur astronomer has caught a supernova explosion on camera.
- Space
Americans would welcome alien life rather than fear it
Americans would probably take the discovery of extraterrestrial microbes pretty well.
- Astronomy
James Webb Space Telescope challenges artists to see in infrared
Astronomy artists face new challenges in translating James Webb’s invisible data into visuals.
- Planetary Science
What will it take to go to Venus?
Undeterred by funding woes, scientists are scraping together ideas to tackle heat, pressure and acidity challenges of landing on Venus.
- Astronomy
Readers ask about supernovas, dark energy and more
Readers had questions about a supernova that continuously erupts, the difference between dark energy and dark matter, and more.
- Astronomy
SpaceX just launched its biggest rocket for the first time
SpaceX just launched the Falcon Heavy — the most powerful rocket since the Saturn V — for the first time.
- Cosmology
The way dwarf galaxies move puts a new spin on galaxy formation
Distant dwarf galaxies orbit a larger galaxy in a coordinated loop, rather than randomly as expected. The finding could challenge theories of dark matter.
- Astronomy
Some of TRAPPIST-1’s planets could have life-friendly atmospheres
The seven planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1 are probably rocky and some may have life-friendly atmospheres, two new papers suggest.
- Astronomy
Universes with no weak force might still have stars and life
An alternate universe that lacks one of the four fundamental forces might still have galaxies, stars, planets and perhaps life, a new study suggests.
