A long day for microbes, and the rise of oxygen on Earth
Virtually all oxygen on Earth was and is produced by photosynthesis, which was invented by tiny organisms, the cyanobacteria, when our planet was still a rather uninhabitable place. Cyanobacteria evolved more than 2.4 billion years ago, but Earth only slowly transformed to the oxygen-rich planet we know today.
"We do not fully understand why it took so long and what factors controlled Eart Bird brains left other dinosaurs behind
Today, being "birdbrained" means forgetting where you left your keys or wallet. But 66 million years ago, it may have meant the difference between life and death - and may help explain why birds are the only dinosaurs left on Earth.
Research on a newly discovered bird fossil led by The University of Texas at Austin found that a unique brain shape may be why the ancestors of living birds su The chips are down: why there's a semiconductor shortage
A shortage of semiconductors has sent shockwaves through the global economy, squeezing supplies of everything from cars to headphones.
The dearth of chips has exposed the modern world's reliance on these miniscule components, the basic building blocks of computers which allow electronic devices to process data. Why is the shortage happening, and what can be done about it?
- How is the NASA's Oceans Melting Greenland Mission Leaves for Its Last Field Trip
This week, NASA's airborne Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) mission begins its final survey of glaciers that flow from Greenland into the ocean. OMG is completing a six-year mission that is helping to answer how fast sea level is going to rise in the next five, 10, or 50 years.
Greenland's melting glaciers currently contribute more fresh water to sea level rise than any other source does. Th Earth's Magnetosphere: Protecting Our Planet from Harmful Space Energy
Among the four rocky planets in our solar system, you could say that Earth's "magnetic" personality is the envy of her interplanetary neighbors.
Unlike Mercury, Venus, and Mars, Earth is surrounded by an immense magnetic field called the magnetosphere. Generated by powerful, dynamic forces at the center of our world, our magnetosphere shields us from erosion of our atmosphere by the solar China’s space station emerges as competitor to commercial ventures
Companies involved with commercial activities on the International Space Station or planning their own space stations may face a new competitor in China’s new space station.
Missile defense space sensor made by Northrop Grumman and Ball Aerospace clears design review
A new sensor payload developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation and Ball Aerospace to detect missile launches has passed a critical design review.
Op-ed | China’s Success in Space Calls for Caution in Pursuing a New Treaty for Outer Space
Any decision by the U.S. to pursue a new treaty for outer space should take into account whether the worldview espoused by the U.S. and its allies is solidified in international law and has the political will to prevail over attempts by China and its client states to subvert an enacted treaty.
Planet and SpaceX announce multiyear launch agreement
Planet announced a multiyear agreement Aug. 5 that designates SpaceX as the Earth-observation company’s “go-to-launch provider through the end of 2025.”
What lies beneath the far side of the moon?
A new technique for processing lunar radar data has allowed scientists to see what lies beneath the surface of the moon in the clearest ever detail.
In a study led by the University of Aberdeen, a team of researchers discovered multiple layers of soil that lie directly beneath an area on the far side of the moon's surface, overturning an existing theory of a single deep layer in the same area.
The area studied was the landing site of the Chang'E-4 spacecraft mission—the first to the far side of the moon.
Analysis of radar data captured by the mission's rover, Yutu-2, had suggested the existence of a single soil layer in the moon's regolith (subsurface). However, the data did not indicate the existence of different layers of soil, which were transparent to electromagnetic waves due to the smooth boundaries between them.
By developing a new method of processing the data captured by Yutu-2, which uses the shape of radar signatures of buried rocks and boulders to infer the properties of surrounding lunar soil and detect previously unseen layers with smooth boundaries, scientists were able to detect four distinct layers of soil, stacked to a depth of 12 meters.
