The story of the red planet, it turns out, may be due for a revision. At one time, experts thought that Mars was covered with fields of rocks with iron trapped inside. Somehow or other, and over a long period, those rocks reacted to water in the air. That reaction formed rust, in much the same way it does when iron and water meet on Earth. Then, over billions of years, those rocks slowly eroded. As they broke down into dust, heavy winds spread the scarlet silty substance all around, until Mars� ...read more

LTT 9779 b, an exoplanet 262 light years from Earth, always stares directly at the sun. With a surface of nearly 2000 degrees Celsius (about 3632 degrees Fahrenheit), the planet glows bright red while still reflecting starlight. Researchers have called it a rare ultra-hot Neptune.Thanks to images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) published in Nature Astronomy, researchers are now able to see and analyze extreme weather patterns on this intriguing exoplanet, which can help them better un ...read more

A red onion a day may keep the microplastics at bay. Or a serving of raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or cranberries may do the job. Really, any food high in anthocyanins — an antioxidant in many fruits and vegetables purported to fight inflammation and boost heart health — could offset the potentially harmful effects of microplastics accumulating in your body, according to a study in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis.What Are Microplastics?Marine ecologist Richard Thompson coine ...read more

Our sun may be responsible for life on Earth, but stars across the galaxy are also responsible for creating a plethora of elements on the period table. These are some of the building blocks of life as well as the basic material that forms planets and other astral bodies.But how do stars form, evolve, and eventually die?The answer depends in part on the size of the star, and even then, the outcome may differ based on several factors.How are Stars Formed?Most stars form in a similar way. Clouds of ...read more

The first case of bird flu in cattle was reported on March 25, 2024. In less than a year, the virus has hit 973 herds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) first issued an order to test cows that farmers intended to move between states last April. Then, in December 2024, the agency issued a federal order for milk testing. The order stipulated that unpasteurized milk samples be collected from dairy processing faciliti ...read more

At the edge of our solar system, a host of large, icy bodies make up the Oort cloud, which appears to sport two spiral arms reminiscent of a disk-shaped galaxy. New research founded upon a simulation using NASA’s Pleiades supercomputer has proposed that the Oort cloud takes on this spiral as a result of a phenomenon known as the Galactic tide, centered around gravitational forces. A recent paper published in the arXiv preprint server presents an updated perspective on the Oort cloud, which ha ...read more

Over the past five years, many of us have encountered vaccines, whether through routine immunizations or COVID-19 shots. This well-established method helps prevent serious infections caused by harmful pathogens that have threatened human health for centuries. But some patients are afraid of the needle. Exploring alternative vaccine delivery systems could increase accessibility and encourage those who fear needles to receive necessary healthcare.While investigating the role of the skin in immunit ...read more

Ancient Mars may have been a beach paradise 4 billion years ago. A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that the Chinese Mars rover Zhurong detected evidence of an underground beach in an area that may have once been an ocean. Though Zhurong is now inactive, the evidence the rover has collected is vital to understanding the Red Planet’s history. These findings also help support the theory that Mars once had a massive ocean. "The structures don't look ...read more

What makes one a Hun and where did the Huns come from? Historians have long argued these questions about the fierce nomadic fighters who contributed to the fall of the Roman empire and the beginning of the “Dark Ages” in Europe.One dominant theory about Hunnic origin posits that the equestrian warriors originated in what is now Mongolia, during the Xiongnu Empire. They then swept westward toward Europe, pivoted south through Germany, leaving death and destruction in their wake. However, ther ...read more

There has always been the tendency to put our understanding of the Universe into silos. It makes it easier to create models within those silos that explain how parts of our world might operate. However, as with any model, these silos are just the boundaries we set to allow for the model to work. Otherwise, trying to account for every potential factor would far exceed any ability to make sense out of complexity.When it comes to models, we have to take the crunchy with the smooth. They are great b ...read more