Science

An artist’s rendering of the spacewalk on the Polaris Dawn mission SpaceX SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission is a leap forward for private space flight – even though it demonstrates the same capabilities that government space agencies have had for decades. The mission included the first ever spacewalk, also called an extravehicular activity or EVA, performed by

What happens when a warp drive collapses? – Physics World Skip to main content Close search menu Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2024 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here

WASHINGTON — The NASA astronauts left on the International Space Station after Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth uncrewed said they supported NASA’s decision but believed that, given more time, the agency may have acted differently. In a call with reporters Sept. 13, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the commander and pilot of the

A common eastern bumblebee gathering nectar Nature Picture Library/Alamy In the first study of its kind, scientists have discovered that feeding bees absorbent bits of hydrogel boosts their chances of surviving exposure to toxic pesticides. As key pollinators, bees provide essential services to both wild plants and human-grown crops. But the pollen they ingest is

UK reveals next STEPs toward prototype fusion power plant – Physics World Skip to main content Close search menu Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2024 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here

WASHINGTON — As the space race intensifies and geopolitical tensions rise, the Pentagon is looking for technologies to enhance its understanding of activities in outer space. The Space Security and Defense Program (SSDP), a joint initiative of the Department of Defense and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, on Sept. 11 issued a

Illustration of the end-Permian extinction event, when extreme temperatures may have killed off forests RICHARD JONES/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY The Great Dying at the end of the Permian Period 250 million years ago may have been amplified by El Niño events far stronger and longer lasting than any today. These mega El Niños caused wild swings

Annular eclipse photograph bags Royal Observatory Greenwich prize – Physics World Skip to main content Close search menu Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2024 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department’s enthusiasm for commercial innovation isn’t backed by sufficient funding, space industry executives said Sept. 11. These executives from venture-backed companies argued that while the Pentagon has created several initiatives to collaborate with private companies — such as the Defense Innovation Unit, the Office of Strategic Capital and SpaceWERX — these

We have probably all heard someone say they are “a little bit OCD”, perhaps jokily or as a matter of pride, in reference to their meticulous rearrangement of their bookshelves or habit of spending rather too long cleaning their bathroom. Most of us have a rough idea of what obsessive-compulsive disorder is, but it tends

Dancing humans embody topological properties – Physics World Skip to main content Close search menu Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2024 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here

WASHINGTON — Satellite communications company OneWeb unveiled a new positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) service amid global concerns about GPS vulnerability to jamming and interference in critical sectors such as defense, aviation and emergency services. The service, called Astra, aims to ensure uninterrupted communications for OneWeb’s satellite broadband customers, even when GPS or other global

Black garden ants take steps to stop diseases spreading through the colony Leonid Serebrennikov / Alamy When ants have been exposed to a pathogen, they change the way they build their nests in order to reduce the risk of an epidemic. Nathalie Stroeymeyt at the University of Bristol in the UK and her colleagues demonstrated

Flagship journal Reports on Progress in Physics marks 90th anniversary with two-day celebration – Physics World Skip to main content Close search menu (Courtesy: iStock/koto_feja) Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2024 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here

TAMPA, Fla. — Lynk Global has revamped its leadership team as efforts to raise the capital needed to expand its direct-to-smartphone constellation drag on. Chief commercial officer Dan Dooley was promoted to CEO Sept. 9, taking over from co-founder Charles Miller, who was appointed chairman of its board of directors. John Olson, a retired Air

NASA’s Valkyrie robot, ready to be inhabited through virtual reality James Woodford I am standing before one of the most advanced robots in the world and am awestruck and disoriented by its humanoid form. Part Transformer, part Star Wars stormtrooper and with hands that look like they can crush beer cans, at 1.8 metres tall

Fusion’s public-relations drive is obscuring the challenges that lie ahead – Physics World Skip to main content Close search menu Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2024 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here

Even as the community of nations on Earth fractures further into rival blocs, an effort to build greater cohesion in space is gathering momentum. The extent to which this succeeds, or not, may set the course of global peace and security for the foreseeable future. Diplomats along with military, industry, civil and academic experts are