How can information move at incredible speeds, or electricity flow without wasting energy? Answering these questions has pushed scientists and technology companies toward quantum materials, whose behavior is governed by physics at the smallest scales. Building these advanced materials depends on understanding how atoms and electrons behave, an area where many mysteries remain. Now, researchers
In a quarry nestled in the hills of southern China, paleontologists have uncovered a fossil bed unlike any previously found from its time. The discovery, quietly developing over the past five years, has now drawn global scientific attention for what it captures, and the timing it represents. Preserved in fine-grained shale, thousands of fossilized marine
NASA has scheduled the launch for the Artemis II moon rocket for no earlier than Feb. 8. WTOP will have details on the mission as they become available. “Eyes to the Skies” is a recurring feature and publishes on the first of every month. You can find it on WTOP’s The Space Place. Email Greg your
An old-world technique rooted in agricultural labor is quietly redefining how strength and endurance are being built in modern fitness and rehabilitation settings. Once confined to strongman contests and military training, the farmer’s walk has made its way into clinical protocols, athletic conditioning, and general wellness routines. At first glance, the movement appears simple: carry
A fossilized foot found in the dusty sediments of northern Ethiopia has reopened one of paleoanthropology’s most consequential questions: how many species of early hominins walked the Earth at the same time, and what paths did they take? Initially recovered in the early 2010s, the foot was long suspected to hold evolutionary significance. Only recently,
A medieval seal with a blood-red gemstone that was discovered in the U.K. is hiding an ancient secret, researchers have found. A metal detectorist discovered the medieval seal in Gosfield, in the eastern county of Essex, in the fall of 2024. But a recent analysis of the seal by experts with the U.K.’s Portable Antiquities
Editor’s note: This article was updated on Jan. 29, 2026. It was originally published in May, 2025, when the related study was released as a preprint. The study has now been peer-reviewed and published in the Open Journal of Astrophysics. Quotes from a NASA statement have also been added. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
Tonight, Sunday 1 February, the full Moon will rise in the eastern sky, kicking off the month with a beautiful lunar spectacle. This is the Snow Moon, which is the name given to February’s full Moon. It rises in the east, tracks across the sky to the south, then will set in the west around
NASA’s Artemis program is preparing for an incredible journey that could reshape humanity’s presence on the Moon. As part of this groundbreaking mission, the Artemis 2 crew will wear specially designed spacesuits that will help protect them during their voyage around the Moon. These suits are not just pieces of clothing; they represent a key
Refresh 2026-02-01T14:17:45.435Z Countdown begins for Artemis 2 fueling test (Image credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky) Good morning, space fans! Happy Sunday. NASA officially began the countdown last night for its upcomiong Artemis 2 fueling test as it works toward a Feb. 8 launch target for the first astronaut trip around the moon in over 50 years. The