(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
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine