We are not used to considering dust as a valuable material – unless it comes from space. And more precisely, from the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. An analysis of its dust has provided valuable information about this celestial object, and, more generally, on the history of the Solar System.
Four ways having a pet increases your lifespan
To better focus on a new task, try this plan
Multigrain, wholegrain, wholemeal: what’s the difference and which bread is best?
Want faster data and a cleaner planet? Start mining asteroids
Mining asteroids might seem like the stuff of science fiction, but there are companies and a few governments already working hard to make it real. This should not be surprising: compared with the breathtaking bridges that engineers build on Earth, asteroid-mining is a simple, small-scale operation requiring only modest technological advances. If anything is lacking, it is the imagination to see how plausible it has become. I am afraid only that it might not arrive soon enough to address the urgent resource challenges that the world is facing right now.
A black hole is pushing the stars around in the Globular Cluster
Astronomers have been fascinated with globular clusters ever since they were first observed in 17th century. These spherical collections of stars are among the oldest known stellar systems in the Universe, dating back to the early Universe when galaxies were just beginning to grow and evolve. Such clusters orbit the centers of most galaxies, with over 150 known to belong to the Milky Way alone.
Fungi can help concrete heal its own cracks
Infrastructure supports and facilitates our daily lives – think of the roads we drive on, the bridges and tunnels that help transport people and freight, the office buildings where we work and the dams that provide the water we drink. But it’s no secret that American infrastructure is aging and in desperate need of rehabilitation.
A huge asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs, but what danger do smaller ones pose?
Which medicines don’t go well with flying?
Why do we always fall asleep in cars?
Everything you never wanted to know about bed bugs, and more
Super-black feathers can absorb virtually every photon of light that hits them
True happiness isn’t about being happy all the time
What supplements do scientists use, and why?
Crying elephants and giggling rats – animals have feelings, too
The libraries of the future will be made of DNA
You too can be an astrophysicist with your new telescope
These 5 tips may help you finally quit smoking
Quitting smoking is a popular New Year’s resolution—but many have trouble sticking with it. “Many people underestimate how difficult it is to not only quit smoking, but to maintain the change,” says Zane Freeman, research coordinator for the YMCA exercise intervention for smoking cessation study taking place at the University of Texas at Austin.