Credit: DepositphotosWaves rippling from Earth's core provide valuable clues about its composition and the distribution of its materials.Researchers from ETH Zurich and Caltech have used seismic waves to uncover unexpected chunks of Earth's plates in surprising locations. For over a century, geologists have mapped Earth's interior by analyzing how seismic signals travel at different...
Multiple flares recorded on the Sun. (NOAA)As Earth completes another orbit around the Sun, a storm brewing in space may soon illuminate our skies with a breathtaking display of auroras.On December 29 and 30, the Sun unleashed a series of dramatic events, including massive eruptions, powerful flares, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), potentially aimed in...
A new study demonstrates a possible way to deflect an Earthbound asteroidDepositphotosAsteroids pose a serious threat to Earth, as history has shown – just ask the dinosaurs. Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories have now demonstrated a potential method for diverting a dangerous asteroid using X-rays.NASA's Current Defense MeasuresNASA has already taken proactive steps to...
An artist's impression of Earth with a ring – a phase suggested by new evidenceOliver HullNew Evidence of Earth's Potential Ring SystemSaturn's rings are famous, but new evidence suggests that Earth might have also had a ring at some point in its history. This ring would have caused significant impacts on the surface.We...
NASA/Conceptual Image Lab, Wes Buchanan, and Krystofer KimNASA scientists have confirmed the existence of a third global energy field encircling Earth, known as the ambipolar electric field. This newly discovered field plays a crucial role in propelling charged particles into space from the poles.Historical Context and Existing FieldsTraditionally, Earth’s global energy fields have been...
Earth has sweltered through its hottest day on record this weekDepositphotosEarth experienced its hottest day on record twice this week. According to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), Sunday initially set the record for the highest global average temperature since records began in 1940, only for Monday to surpass it.On Sunday, July...
Credit: PixabayThe Southern Ocean is celebrated for its pristine air quality, long an enigma until recent findings shed light on the mystery.The cleanliness isn't solely due to limited human activity. While the region sees minimal industrial chemical use and fossil fuel burning, natural sources like sea salt from spray or wind-driven dust also contribute.Aerosols,...
A microbial fuel cell buried in soil and generating powerBill Yen/Northwestern UniversityA groundbreaking innovation from Northwestern University showcases a compact device capable of producing electricity by harnessing the power generated as microbes decompose soil, as long as there is carbon present.This device, about the size of a paperback book, operates on microbial fuel...
Brachycephalus pulex. Credit: Dias, I/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SAA group of biologists from Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz in Brazil has confirmed that the Brachycephalus pulex, commonly known as the Brazilian flea toad, found exclusively in southern Brazil, holds the title of the world's smallest amphibian and vertebrate. Their findings are published in the journal Zoologica Scripta.In...
Virtual Incision co-founder Shane Farritor tries his hand at controlling spaceMIRACraig Chandler, UNL Communication and MarketingA team of six doctors in Nebraska has accomplished a surgical robot operation on the International Space Station (ISS). While the procedure was conducted on rubber bands this time, this achievement holds significance for upcoming missions to Mars and...
