Earth’s energy imbalance is much more extreme than climate models show, but scientists aren’t sure why
The world’s best climate models don’t capture the true extent of Earth’s energy imbalances, and scientists don’t know why. Rather than reflecting actual satellite observations, the model consistently underestimates the growing gap, or imbalance, between the amount of energy Earth receives from the sun and the amount of energy the planet radiates into space, a […]
Chinese satellite equipped with robotic Octopus arm passes critical refueling test in orbit – increasing chances of extending the lifespan of space assets
A Chinese satellite equipped with a robotic “octopus arm” has passed a crucial refueling test in low Earth orbit (LEO), state media said. This achievement highlights China’s continued leadership in this particular technology, which NASA has yet to catch up to. The experimental spacecraft will eventually deploy giant balloons in LEO, which could help solve […]
‘That’s not the way to build a digital mind’: How failures in reasoning are preventing AI models from achieving human-level intelligence
Architectural limitations of today’s most popular artificial intelligence (AI) tools may limit their ability to become more intelligent, new research suggests. A study published on February 5th on the preprint arXiv server argues that modern large-scale language models (LLMs) are inherently prone to breakdowns in problem-solving logic known as “reasoning failures.” Reasoning failures occur when […]
Scientists cured type 1 diabetes in mice by creating a mixed immune system
Scientists cured type 1 diabetes in mice without causing long-term immunosuppression. Type 1 diabetes has historically required lifelong doses of powerful immunosuppressive drugs for the immune system to attack insulin-producing cells and replace them with transplanted cells from a donor, severely limiting the scope of such transplants. But in a new study, researchers created a […]
Native Americans invented dice and games of chance more than 12,000 years ago, archaeological research reveals
Native American tribes in the western United States invented dice more than 12,000 years ago, providing archaeologists with the world’s earliest evidence of gambling and perhaps the earliest use of probability, a new study finds. However, the purpose of these games of chance was very different from modern gambling: the games helped people (mostly women, […]
Artemis II launches: humans are returning to the moon
The Artemis II crew departed for the moon in a historic rocket launch at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Captain Reed Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen are currently aboard the Orion spacecraft, becoming the first humans to return to the moon in more than 50 years. […]
Astronauts could be exposed to “nearly lethal doses” of sunlight – so why launch Artemis II at peak solar activity? Space scientist Patricia Leaf explains.
The Artemis II astronauts are about to take off on a record-breaking flight around the moon, giving NASA a rare opportunity to study how deep space flight affects the human body. After leaving Earth’s protective magnetic field, the four-person crew will be exposed to space weather, including bursts of high-energy radiation from the Sun known […]
Hubble photos reveal that Fart Comet has reversed its rotation for the first time in history and may soon explode on its own.
Thanks to newly analyzed Hubble Space Telescope photos, astronomers have, for the first time in history, witnessed a comet change the speed and direction of its rotation. A new study says the unexpected reversal was caused by an “outgassing” jet that injected an icy mixture of gas and dust into the solar system. The comet, […]
Diagnostic dilemma: Teenager’s hives turned out to be caused by rare water allergy
Patient: A teenage girl living in Canada. Symptoms: This teenage girl comes to the clinic because her hives recur every time her skin comes into contact with water. When she visited the clinic, she was suffering from hives. The inflamed bump was surrounded by red patches of skin about 0.4 to 1.2 inches (1 to […]
China’s massive push to reduce air pollution has unintended consequences for the Arctic
China’s significant reductions in air pollution may have brought unexpected benefits to the Arctic. A new study shows that aerosol-driven storms have decreased, resulting in less sea ice loss. But at the same time, experts say this drastic drop in aerosols may have accelerated global warming. “The Chinese people have been suffering from poor air […]