As a hurricane intensifies, hurricane hunters do something almost unimaginable in the skies: They fly through the storm’s center. With each pass, scientists aboard these aircraft take measurements that satellites can’t and send them back to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center. Jason Dunion, a University of Miami meteorologist who leads hurricane field programs for… Read More »
Scientists may have unlocked the secret of the still-beating hearts of “dead stars” at the far reaches of the universe – but the explanation is twisted. The team thinks this “glitch” in the rotation of a class of neutron stars called pulsars is caused by an avalanche of quantum tornadoes as they become entangled with… Read More »
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific advances and more. Denisovans survived and thrived on the high-altitude plateau of Tibet for more than 100,000 years, according to new research that deepens scientific understanding of the mysterious ancient humans first described in 2010. Researchers analyzed thousands… Read More »
If space systems like GPS were hacked and knocked offline, much of the world would instantly revert to 1950s communications and navigation technologies, but space cybersecurity is largely invisible to the public at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions. Cyberattacks on satellites have been occurring since the 1980s, but the global wake-up call only sounded… Read More »
America has a physics problem. Research shows that access to physics education varies by race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability. Physics courses are often offered as standard in suburban high schools, but not in urban and rural schools. Even where physics is taught, the lessons rarely emphasize how physics can be applied to students’ daily… Read More »
If aliens were to rock their planet with powerful greenhouse gases like we do, we might understand. That’s according to a recent thought experiment in which scientists identified five “artificial” greenhouse gases that could be detected in the atmospheres of certain planets if they were present in sufficient quantities. outer planets Using existing technology, James… Read More »
The commander of the ill-fated Challenger space shuttle flight is being remembered on the 40th anniversary of the first space flight in a commercial spacecraft bearing his name. NASA astronaut Francis R. “Dick” Scobee, who flew on Challenger twice (first as pilot in 1984 and then as commander two years later), is also the name… Read More »
NASA says Boeing’s Starliner capsule performed well enough on its first astronaut mission that it could remain in orbit beyond the originally envisioned 45-day limit. Launched on June 5, Starliner has docked with the International Space Station (ISS) for an indefinite mission extension. The spacecraft is in good condition and is rated to depart the… Read More »
Astronomers have discovered two new satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, and the findings could help us better understand dark matter. Dark matter is the mysterious substance that makes up about 85% of the matter in the universe but is effectively invisible to us. The discoveries also bring scientists one step closer to solving an… Read More »
“The Great Food Truck Race” kicked off its 17th season on the Food Network by landing at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. Host and celebrity chef Tyler Florence welcomed nine first-time food truck teams to George S. Abbey Rocket Park to get a sneak peek of their trucks and compete in their first competition,… Read More »