Where did Earth's water come from? Not melted meteorites, according to scientists
A new study published in the journal Nature brings scientists one step closer to answering that question. Led by University of Maryland Assistant Professor of Geology Megan Newcombe, researchers analyzed melted meteorites that had been floating around in space since the solar system's formation 4 1/2 billion years ago.. continue reading

The Methods and Benefits of Flood Monitoring

A flood monitoring system is used to monitor a rise in water levels. The system comprises sensors that are deployed in cities or any area of interest. The sensors can be connected to either the main electricity or can be solar-powered. These sensors are deployed on bridges, wells, lakes, or beaches to measure water levels in real-time and continuously send data remotely to the centralized data system management via different networks such as GSM, mobile cell networks, or Wi-Fi.. Continue reading

100 Facts About Earth

How much do you know about the beautiful blue marble we call home? From how our planet formed to just how many species there are, here are 100 things you need to know about Earth and life on Earth, adapted from an episode of The List Show on YouTube.. Continue reading

Isaac Newton’s life was one long search for God

It is hard to think of a name that has been more influential in science than Isaac Newton. Sure, Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg, Darwin, Curie, and [add your favorite here] are all spectacular scientists and deserve the immortality they enjoy. But what makes Newton unique is that his science, as is the case for Darwin’s, is a science we can relate to in our everyday life, as opposed to being either far away in the realm of atoms (quantum physics) or at speeds we are not able to perceive directly (theory of relativity).. Continue reading

The Year in Physics - Quanta Magazine

Puzzling particles, quirky (and controversial) quantum computers, and one of the most ambitious science experiments in history marked the year’s milestones. One of the first articles Quanta Magazine published in 2021 described a cosmic surprise: A long-puzzling smudge of X-ray light was not, as most believed, a nearby cloud of gas, the remnant of some long-ago stellar explosion. Instead, it was the edge of a truly enormous structure, a bubble that towered over our Milky Way galaxy.. Continue reading

2021 Was an Amazing Year for NASA: Mars Landing, First Flight, Artemis, More [Video]

In 2021, NASA completed its busiest year of development yet in low-Earth orbit, made history on Mars, continued to make progress on its Artemis plans for the Moon, tested new technologies for a supersonic aircraft, finalized launch preparations for the next-generation space telescope, and much more – all while safely operating during a pandemic and welcoming new leadership under the Biden-Harris Administration.. Continue reading

Why e, the Transcendental Math Constant, Is Just the Best

Last month, we presented three puzzles that seemed ordinary enough but contained a numerical twist. Hidden below the surface was the mysterious transcendental number e. Most familiar as the base of natural logarithms, Euler’s number e is a universal constant with an infinite decimal expansion that begins with 2.7 1828 1828 45 90 45.. Continue reading

7 ways Einstein changed the world

Albert Einstein (1879-1955) is one of the most famous scientists of all time, and his name has become almost synonymous with the word "genius." While his reputation owes something to his eccentric appearance and occasional pronouncements on philosophy.. Continue Reading

The Kármán Line: Where does space begin?

Experts have suggested the actual boundary between Earth and space lies anywhere from a mere 18.5 miles (30km) above the surface to more than a million miles (1.6 million km) away. However, for well over half a century, most — including regulatory bodies — have accepted something close to our current definition of the Kármán Line.. Continue reading

Scientists detect signatures of life remotely

"When light is reflected by biological matter, a part of the light's electromagnetic waves will travel in either clockwise or counterclockwise spirals. This phenomenon is called circular polarization and is caused by the biological matter's homochirality.. Continue reading

No One Can Explain Why Planes Stay in the Air

By far the most popular explanation of lift is Bernoulli’s theorem, a principle identified by Swiss mathematician Daniel Bernoulli in his 1738 treatise, Hydrodynamica. Bernoulli came from a family of mathematicians.. Continue reading

Ten computer codes that transformed science

In 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope team gave the world the first glimpse of what a black hole actually looks like. But the image of a glowing, ring-shaped object that the group unveiled wasn’t a conventional photograph. It was computed.. Continue reading

Physicists report definitive evidence how auroras are created

"Measurements revealed this small population of electrons undergoes 'resonant acceleration' by the Alfven wave's electric field, similar to a surfer catching a wave and being continually accelerated as the surfer moves along with the wave," .. Continue reading

How Scientists Are Using the ISS to Study Earth’s Climate

On Earth, we often look toward the sky longing to know what resides in the rest of the universe. Meanwhile, 250 miles above our planet, the International Space Station is looking back.. Continue reading

Explainer: Earth - layer by layer

Mountain ranges tower to the sky. Oceans plummet to impossible depths. Earth’s surface is an amazing place to behold. Yet even the deepest canyon is but a tiny scratch on the planet. To really understand Earth, you need to travel 6,400 kilometers (3,977 miles) beneath our feet.. Continue reading

Decoding the age of the ice at Mars' north pole

Mars' north pole contains a large ice cap made up of many layers of frozen water. Like ice cores on Earth, those layers offer a tantalizing record of climate on Mars over the past several million years. The first step in decoding that climate record is to figure out how those layers form and how old each one might be - a difficult task to perform from orbit.. Continue reading

Explainer: Our atmosphere - layer by layer

Earth’s atmosphere is all around us. Most people take it for granted. But don’t. Among other things, it shields us from radiation and prevents our precious water from evaporating into space. It keeps the planet warm and provides us with oxygen to breathe. In fact, the atmosphere makes Earth the livable, lovable home sweet home that it is.. Continue reading

Solar system formation in two steps

An international team of researchers from the University of Oxford, LMU Munich, ETH Zurich, BGI Bayreuth, and the University of Zurich discovered that a two-step formation process of the early Solar System can explain the chronology and split in volatile and isotope content of the inner and outer Solar System.. Continue reading