Starliner Spacecraft Returns Safely After Three-Month Flight Test

NASA and Boeing successfully returned the uncrewed Starliner spacecraft to Earth on September 6, concluding a three-month flight test to the International Space Station. The spacecraft landed at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 10:01 p.m. MDT. NASA’s Associate Administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate, Ken Bowersox, praised the teamwork behind the mission, … Read more

Steve Mann Pioneers “Mersivity” in Wearable Technology and Beyond

Steve Mann, a renowned expert in wearable computing, has been driving innovation for decades. His latest focus is on “mersivity,” advancing technology that connects people with the physical world. Mann’s work spans various fields, including digital eyeglasses (invented in 1984), wristwatch videophones (1998), and high-dynamic-range (HDR) imaging, which enables better camera performance. As a professor … Read more

Mr. Greedy, prolific penguin dad, dies at 33

Mr. Greedy, an African penguin, has passed away at the age of 33 at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. His remarkable longevity was attributed to his role as a father figure, having helped rebuild the penguin population across North America. Mr. Greedy leaves behind 230 descendants and five generations of offspring through the Association of … Read more

Mars’ Lost Water May Have Escaped into Space

Mars, the Red Planet, has long been a subject of mystery and intrigue. For decades, scientists have wondered whether life once thrived on this barren landscape or if it’s now a desolate wasteland. Another puzzle is where all the water went. Once, Mars had an abundance of water, but three billion years ago, it began … Read more

Supermassive Black Hole at Milky Way Center Likely Formed from Merger

New research suggests that Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, likely formed through the merger of two black holes. The study published in Nature Astronomy found that the misaligned high spin of Sagittarius A* indicates a major merger event rather than gradual growth. The researchers used simulations to … Read more

TIDrone Cyberattackers Target Taiwan’s Drone Manufacturers

A threat actor known as “TIDrone” is actively targeting military- and satellite-related industrial supply chains, particularly drone manufacturers in Taiwan. According to Trend Micro, this Chinese-speaking group uses enterprise resource planning (ERP) software or remote desktop tools to deploy advanced malware. The researchers noted that since the beginning of 2024, they have been receiving incident … Read more

Dynamic Brain Activity Tracks Craving Fluctuations

Researchers at Yale have developed a dynamic method to track rapid brain activity changes, particularly related to craving. Unlike traditional neuroimaging methods, which capture only a snapshot of brain activity, this approach provides a real-time view of how craving fluctuates. The study found that people who experience strong cravings spend more time in brain states … Read more

Carbon Monoxide May Protect Against Parkinson’s Disease

Researchers have discovered that low doses of carbon monoxide, similar to levels experienced by smokers, can protect against neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease models. The study found that carbon monoxide reduced the accumulation of the Parkinson’s-associate protein alpha-synuclein and activated pathways that limit oxidative stress. These findings suggest that molecular mechanisms triggered by low-dose carbon monoxide … Read more

Solid-State EV Battery Defeats Thermal Runaway at 1112°F

A prototype solid-state battery developed by UK startup Ilika has made a significant breakthrough in electric vehicle (EV) technology. The Goliath P1 battery successfully passed the nail penetration test, which simulates a catastrophic incident that can lead to thermal runaway in traditional lithium-ion batteries. The test involved piercing the battery with a nail, causing it … Read more