Albert Lin with one of his drones, preparing to explore the Nan Madol site in Micronesia, in a scene from Lost Cities. (Credit: National Geographic)
One of the happy surprises of the space age is that the same technologies propelling our civilization into the future have also proven hugely valuable for recovering lost details of civilizations past. Over the past three decades, satellite imagery and space-based radar have been used to locate more than 1,000 unknown ancient tombs in Egypt, to ...read more
The GOES-16 weather satellite captured this view of smoke streaming out over the Pacific Ocean from California's Kincade Fire on Oct. 24, 2019. (Source: RAMMB/CIRA/SLIDER)
Northern California is bracing for winds forecast to gust as high as 80 miles per hour on Sunday morning — posing extreme wildfire risks in an area primed to burn.
"A potentially historic, long duration, extremely critical offshore wind event is forecast to occur beginning around 8pm tonight and persist through ea ...read more
(Credit: AbElena/shutterstock)
If you spend too much time in the sun, everyone can see it in your red, burnt skin. But if you get just enough sun exposure, scientists can see it in your poop — at least, according to a new study in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.
Specifically, the researchers studied people with low Vitamin D to see how they reacted to UV light. This kind of sunlight is one of the main ways our bodies get enough Vitamin D, and the scientists saw that UV exposur ...read more
(Credit: Kirasolly/Shutterstock)
Since ancient times,
the health benefits of green tea have been the stuff of legend. Now,
researchers are turning to the antioxidant-rich leaves for a decidedly modern purpose
— triggering cell-based therapies.
In a study published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine, a team of researchers with East China Normal University and First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University found that green tea can work to activate lab-made cells for disease ...read more
An artist illustration of NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER. (Credit: NASA Ames/Daniel Rutter)
Before sending the first woman and next man to the moon, NASA will send a golf cart-sized rover to the lunar south pole to search for sources of ice water. The space agency hopes to have the rover exploring the moon’s surface by December 2022.
The new spacecraft was announced Friday at the International Astronautical Congress, a yearly conference where ...read more
(Credit: wonderYusya/Shutterstock)
Flame retardants are everywhere. They’re embedded in your TV, your couch — even your child’s car seat. For years, a group of flame retardants was added to a host of consumer products in the U.S. before scientists realized their potentially toxic effects. And now, the old class has been mostly swapped out for a new group that may be just as toxic — and even more widespread — as the chemicals they were created to replace
In a n ...read more
An artist's rendering shows an early galaxy surrounded by gas and forming new stars at a tremendous rate. (Credit: James Josephides/Christina Williams/Ivo Labbe)
Our universe’s history began about 13.8 billion years ago with the Big Bang. When astronomers probe deep into space, they see parts of the universe as they were early in this history. That's because it takes light a long time to travel vast distances. To find out how galaxies formed and evolved over time, astronomers look for t ...read more
California bull kelp. (Credit: Peggy Foreman, NOAA Fisheries)
Every year, a forest of bull kelp springs up from the ocean floor along 200 miles of California coast, fostering a regenerated, thriving ecosystem each time it appears.
But starting in 2013, this kelp forest suffered hits from several disasters. First, a mysterious and lethal disease cropped up among starfish in the area. Then, a massive heat wave stunted kelp growth. In just four years, over 90 percent of this stretch of kelp ...read more
An illustration of Blue Moon, the lunar lander Blue Origin is planning. A larger version of this could be the model for the new Human Landing System. (Credit: Blue Origin)
Some of the biggest names in the aerospace industry are teaming up with Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos to create the Human Landing System (HLS), which will bring humans back to the lunar surface by 2024 as part of NASA’s Artemis program.
The announcement at the International Astronautical congress named ...read more
(Credit: Hector Garrido)
From one end to another, this giant geode is about as long as a small RV. If you wanted, you could comfortably house several adults within its dazzling interior. And the crystalline slabs that jut from its walls may even be taller than you are.
However you slice it, the geode of Pulpí is absolutely gigantic. The interior of the egg-shaped cavity — which measures 25 feet long, 7 feet wide and about 5 feet tall — is encrusted with shimmering cryst ...read more
