Test of mining prowess of microbes lifted off yesterday. The moons, planets and asteroids of our solar system are full of useful stuff: water to make hydrogen fuel, metals and minerals for construction, even rocks that can be broken down into soil-like material for farming and terraforming. “Virtually all the raw materials you need to […]
Inside Science
The Environmental Benefits of Making Gin from Peas
New distilling technique creates a new, refreshing use for mashed peas. A cold gin and tonic on a hot afternoon can really hit the spot, and now researchers in the U.K. have found a way to make that refreshing cocktail more environmentally friendly — by making the gin out of peas. Read more in Inside […]
Refrigeration Research Seeks to Ditch Toxic, Polluting Gases
So-called plastic crystals could open new avenues in the quest to make refrigerators with only solid components. Refrigeration has been around for about 100 years, but hasn’t changed much in that time. A time traveller from the early 1900s would still recognize the big box full of chilled food in your kitchen. But soon, researchers […]
Popular Music is Getting Sadder and Angrier, New Study Finds
An analysis of more than 50 years of song lyrics identifies a dark trend in popular music. “Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth,” sings Pharrell Williams in “Happy,” but the joyful sentiments in that 2013 hit are becoming rarer, according to a new analysis of decades of song lyrics. The study finds […]
Playing Many Sports as a Kid May Help Hockey Players Reach the Top
Research suggests most North American college and professional hockey players don’t specialize as youngsters. Becoming a professional athlete takes drive, dedication and years of practice. But for many young players, specializing too early in their chosen sport will not help them reach elite levels, and could actually harm their health. Read more in Inside Science.
Two Share 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for Cancer Discoveries
James P. Allison and Tasuku Honjo share prize for discovery of checkpoint inhibitors for cancer therapy. The 2018 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine has been awarded to James P. Allison, from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and Takusu Honjo, from Kyoto University in Japan, “for their discovery of cancer […]
Why a Brick Oven Is Best for Cooking Pizza
The science of heat transfer confirms the wisdom of Italian pizzaiolos. Connoisseurs of pizza know that there’s something special about a pizza cooked in a traditional wood-fired brick oven. But what is it that makes such a pie so much better than one cooked at home in a domestic oven? While sampling the local pizza […]
Shrinking Protected Areas Can Hurt Genetic Diversity
Populations with a variety of genes can help a species adapt to threats like diseases and climate change. Protected areas like national parks and national monuments provide a refuge for not just a wide array of different species, but for a diversity of genes within those species, according to new research. The Trump Administration’s plan […]
Social Fish Will Brave the Cold to Stay with Their Pals
Individuals will compromise on their own temperature preferences to gain the benefits of group life. You’ve probably experienced it: Your friends want to sit on a restaurant patio and you grudgingly go along even though it is clearly too cold to eat outside. It turns out, some fish know exactly how you feel. They will […]
Oysters to Fight Erosion and Help Preserve Southern Louisiana History
As erosion claims land, local scientists explore using oysters to preserve parts of the Mississippi delta. In southern Louisiana, the land is disappearing fast. The region loses 25,000 acres of coastal land every year — the equivalent of a football field every 15 minutes. The land loss is devastating for the people and economy of […]