329 articles from THURSDAY 12.12.2019

It’s all systems go from NASA for uncrewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner to space station

After conducting a flight readiness review today, NASA gave its go-ahead for launching Boeing's CST-100 Starliner space taxi on an uncrewed demonstration flight to the International Space Station on Dec. 20. Starliner is due for liftoff atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket at 6:36 a.m. ET (3:36 a.m. PT) Dec. 20 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The capsule will deliver...

Spacewatch: ESA awards first junk clean-up contract

Space agency commissions €100m ClearSpace project after competitive bid processClearSpace-1 is planned for launch in 2025 and will be the first mission to remove an item of space debris from orbit. After a competitive bid process, the European Space Agency has awarded a service contract to a consortium led by the Swiss startup company ClearSpace, which is staffed by space debris experts from the...

Tiny quantum sensors watch materials transform under pressure

Since their invention more than 60 years ago, diamond anvil cells have made it possible for scientists to recreate extreme phenomena—such as the crushing pressures deep inside the Earth's mantle—or to enable chemical reactions that can only be triggered by intense pressure, all within the confines of a laboratory apparatus that you can safely hold in the palm of your hand.

Here's what police know about digital evidence

In today's criminal justice system, a Play Station and iPhone are just as important pieces of evidence as eyewitness accounts. Yet, there isn't a strong understanding as to how police officers identify digital evidence—everything from a laptop to a smart television—in the field.

Caribou migration linked to climate cycles and insect pests

Caribou, the North American cousin of reindeer, migrate farther than any terrestrial animal. They can cover thousands of miles as they move between winter feeding grounds and summer calving grounds. But many caribou herds are in decline as the warming climate changes much of the landscape they depend on. Inedible shrubs are rapidly encroaching on the tundra, and more frequent forest fires and...

Tiny insects become 'visible' to bats when they swarm

Small insects that would normally be undetectable to bats using echolocation suddenly become detectable when they occur in large swarms. Arjan Boonman of Tel-Aviv University and colleagues present these findings in PLOS Computational Biology.

Achieving optimal collaboration when goals conflict

New research suggests that, when two people must work together on a physical task despite conflicting goals, the amount of information available about each other's actions influences how quickly and optimally they learn to collaborate. Vinil Chackochan and Vittorio Sanguineti of the University of Genoa, Italy, present these findings in PLOS Computational Biology.

Beyond 'shovelomics': Growing cassava in the air helps study the plant's mysterious roots

The normal way to study cassava roots is digging up the plant. Unfortunately, that tends to kill the plant, causing serious complications for researchers who are interested in learning more about how cassava grows. To solve this, scientists at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture grew cassava in the air—using a technique called aeroponics—and in doing so removed an obstacle for...

Interstellar comet 2I/Borisov swings past sun

When astronomers see something in the universe that at first glance seems like one-of-a-kind, it's bound to stir up a lot of excitement and attention. Enter comet 2I/Borisov. This mysterious visitor from the depths of space is the first identified comet to arrive here from another star. We don't know from where or when the comet started heading toward our Sun, but it won't hang around for long....

Climate cycles and insect pests drive migration timing of reindeer's North American cousin

Biologists have discovered two unexpected drivers for migration timing that dispute long-held assumptions and provide insight into potential future effects of climate change on caribou. First, the start of migration is synchronized across North America and tied to large-scale, ocean-driven climate cycles. Second, warm, windless summers that favored insect pests lead to poorer maternal health and...

Deadly 'superbugs' destroyed by molecular drills

Motorized molecules activated by light target and drill through highly antibiotic resistant bacteria and kill them within minutes. The molecules can open bacteria to attack by drugs they previously resisted. The strategy could be applied to bacterial infections or diseases on the skin, in the lungs or in the gastrointestinal tract.