Recent advancements in climate research have shed light on a crucial element of global sea-level rise: the mass of water added to the oceans, primarily from melting land ice. A new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, highlights how space-based technologies, including satellite laser ranging (SLR), are now being used
For millions of years, Earth’s history has been shaped by cosmic impacts, yet one ancient collision in Brazil remained hidden, until now. A recent study published in Geology has uncovered evidence of a meteorite strike that occurred 6.3 million years ago. Led by Álvaro Penteado Crósta, the discovery reveals a new field of tektites, expanding
replying to: C. Candelora & I. Zeljkovic Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10126-1 (2026). In our paper1, we demonstrate that the relative intensities of charge-density-wave (CDW) peaks in the Fourier transform of STM topographies of RbV3Sb5 can be controlled by an electric field induced by laser light. Moreover, we show that this change in the intensities is accompanied by
The United States Space Force has been testing its top-secret Boeing X-37B space plane for over a decade. Two versions of the unusual spacecraft have completed seven orbital missions over the last 15 years, spending a combined thousands of days in space. Despite its extensive experience of being launched atop a rocket and slowing its
When we look up at the night sky and see a satellite glide past, we might not consider climate change or the ozone layer. Space may feel separate from the environmental systems that sustain life on Earth. But increasingly, the way we build, launch and dispose of satellites is starting to change that. Over the
Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech In early January, NASA unexpectedly announced it had been forced to delay a scheduled spacewalk involving two crewmates on board the International Space Station, citing a “medical situation” that “involved a single crew member who is stable.” Two
Shettleworth, S. J. Cognition, Evolution, and Behavior (Oxford Univ. Press, 2009). Byrne, R. W. & Whiten, A. Machiavellian Intelligence: Social Expertise and the Evolution of Intellect in Monkeys, Apes, and Humans (Oxford Univ. Press, 1988). Ashton, B. J., Kennedy, P. & Radford, A. N. Interactions with conspecific outsiders as drivers of cognitive evolution. Nat. Commun.
In the distant reaches of the solar system are many icy objects that resemble snowmen — pairs of conjoined spheres. Now, a new study reveals the simple way in which these mysterious objects might form. Beyond the orbit of Neptune lie icy building blocks from the dawn of the solar system known as planetesimals. Much
In northeastern Algeria, a significant fossil discovery is offering new insights into ancient marine life. For years, scientists have studied the Cretaceous period, a time when the oceans were filled with diverse marine reptiles. However, plesiosaurs, one of the most iconic groups of these creatures, have been notably absent from fossil records in North Africa.
Greenland’s eastern edge rarely causes a stir. Then, with no warning, seismic instruments across the world lit up at the same time with a slow, steady rhythm that lasted for nine full days. The pulse rose and fell every ninety-two seconds. The rumble was far too soft for people to feel, but strong enough to