This artist's impression shows the magnetic white dwarf WD 0816-310, where astronomers have found a scar imprinted on its surface as a result of having ingested planetary debris. Credit: ESO/L. Calçada As a star resembling our sun nears the conclusion of its lifecycle, it may devour neighboring planets and asteroids that originated alongside it. Recently,...
The reactor vessel welded by the new methodSheffield Forgemasters The construction pace of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) accelerates significantly, with Sheffield Forgemasters, a UK company, completing the welding of a full-size nuclear reactor vessel in less than 24 hours, a stark contrast to the usual 12-month timeframe. The widespread adoption of this groundbreaking technology has...
An artist's impression of the brightest object ever discovered – a quasar that shines with the light of 500 trillion Suns – which is also the fastest growing black hole, eating the equivalent of a Sun a dayESO/M. Kornmesser One might expect that locating the brightest object in the observable universe would be straightforward, but...
With just a single charge, you could journey to [insert a destination approximately 1,000 kilometers away] from your current location. Credit: Unsplash. One of the primary concerns in the transition from petrol-based vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) revolves around the range issue – how far can an EV travel on a single charge? However, researchers...
Engineers Employ AI to Manage Fusion Power Integration into the Grid. Credit: Google DeepMind Deep within the confines of the tokamak, a toroidal chamber sculpted to embrace the marvels of nuclear fusion, hydrogen atoms collide with immense force, birthing a searing plasma hotter than the sun. Nuclear fusion is key to sustainable energy, leveraging hydrogen isotopes,...
Seafloor spreading rifts could offer some of the world's best geothermal resources, according to CGGCGG A groundbreaking and largely untapped energy source awaits beneath the ocean floor, as outlined in a whitepaper by geoscience technology consultancy CGG. Distinctive conditions beneath the seabed offer the potential for more affordable and readily accessible geothermal energy. Solar and wind...
Credit: Unsplash / Nicolas Thomas. In December 2020, the Chang'e-5 mission embarked on an extraordinary journey to the Moon, marking a milestone in lunar exploration. Its mission is to land, collect, and return rocks to Earth. This endeavor marked the first collection of lunar material in 45 years, offering a treasure trove of insights into...
Artist's concept of a future orbital refueling spacecraftNorthrop Grumman The US Space Force has selected Northrop Grumman's Passive Refueling Module (PRM) as the preferred option to establish the standard for refueling satellites in orbit, thus prolonging their mission duration under the Space Systems Command (SSC). Satellites are expensive to construct and launch into space, prompting engineers...
Researchers say the tools already exist to decarbonize industry by 85%AI-generated by DALL-E (love those grassy smokestacks!) The industrial sector contributes approximately 25% of worldwide CO2 emissions, equivalent to around 9.3 billion metric tonnes annually, and this figure is increasing. However, a group at the University of Leeds asserts that we don't have to rely...
The Avocado abseiling robot is designed to gather environmental data from otherwise inaccessible treetop areasEmanuele Aucone/SNSF Researchers in Switzerland are developing an environmental monitoring robot named Avocado, drawing inspiration from abseiling spiders. This fruit-shaped robot utilizes a winch and rotors to descend through the canopy, collecting data on life in the treetops. The prototype from ETH...
