Because, following a string of remarkable discoveries over the past two decades, the idea of alien life is not as far-fetched as it used to seem.
Explainer: how does the immune system learn?
We’re outnumbered by bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that can make us ill. And the only thing standing between them and our devastation is our immune system. The immune system does such a good job most of the time that we only really think about it when things go wrong. But to provide such excellent protection against a whole host of pathogens, our immune system must constantly learn.
Could coffee be the secret to fighting obesity?
Mars’ Moon Phobos is Slowly Falling Apart
Could cold spot in the sky be a bruise from a collision with a parallel universe?
Scientists have long tried to explain the origin of a mysterious, large and anomalously cold region of the sky. In 2015, they came close to figuring it out as a study showed it to be a “supervoid” in which the density of galaxies is much lower than it is in the rest of the universe. However, other studies haven’t managed to replicate the result.
The future of leather might be based on mushrooms!
The world’s five deadliest volcanoes … and why they’re so dangerous
Electronics are getting small, and that is causing big problems
Your television, computer, smartphone or any other electronic device wouldn’t work without being able to shuttle electric charges around their circuits. Yet, as these devices gain in performance, with their individual components getting smaller and smaller – reaching the nanoscale – it becomes increasingly difficult to precisely channel these electric charges to where they’re needed.
Do dogs understand the words we say to them?
Why battery-powered vehicles stack up better than hydrogen
Low energy efficiency is already a major problem for petrol and diesel vehicles. Typically, only 20% of the overall well-to-wheel energy is actually used to power these vehicles. The other 80% is lost through oil extraction, refinement, transport, evaporation, and engine heat. This low energy efficiency is the primary reason why fossil fuel vehicles are emissions-intensive, and relatively expensive to run.
If we’re searching for earth 2.0, would we know it when we find it?
In the past few decades, there has been an explosion in the number of extra-solar planets that have been discovered. As of April 1st, 2018, a total of 3,758 exoplanets have been confirmed in 2,808 systems, with 627 systems having more than one planet. In addition to expanding our knowledge of the Universe, the purpose of this search has been to find evidence of life beyond our Solar System.
Why do some galaxies stop making new stars?
Measuring growth of the universe reveals a mystery
Astronomers have made the most precise measurement to date of the rate at which the universe is expanding. But there’s also some unsettling news: The new number remains at odds with independent measurements of the early universe’s expansion, which could mean that there is something unknown about the makeup of the universe.
