Well, Einstein’s done it again!
That is to say, the gravitational theories of Albert Einstein have once again been confirmed, and to a new degree of precision. The equations of general relativity predicted a certain quantity would be zero, and physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have calculated a record-low, unbelievably tiny result — basically, as good to zero as we can get.
So what did they measure? The variation between different ultra-precise ...read more
We all know a bullshitter. They can shoot off explanations and rationales for just about anything — even if they don’t know what they’re talking about. They’re not liars, purposefully hiding the truth, but they certainly don’t care if what they’re saying is true or not. Scientists have studied the phenomenon before, digging into how we perceive bullshit and its consequences. But what makes us actually bullshit in the first place? That’s what psychologis ...read more
Curiosity’s self portrait on Mars. (Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)
After suffering more than a year with a broken drill, NASA’s 5-year-old Mars rover Curiosity is now collecting and analyzing samples once again.
The drill sits at the end of Curiosity’s LeBron James-sized robotic arm and is vital for grabbing and dropping dirt into the spacecraft’s onboard laboratory. Scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) put many months of effort into hacking ...read more
When NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft zipped by Pluto at 31,000 mph in July 2015, it captured a plethora of breathtaking photos of the distant dwarf planet’s surface. Within these highly detailed images, researchers noticed what looked to be an extensive system of strange dunes stretching 75 miles along the boundary of Pluto’s massive Al-Idrisi Montes mountain range and Sputnik Planitia — a nitrogen-ice plain that forms the left lobe of the planet’s fa ...read more
A dyeing poison frog showing off its bright colors. Photo by Bernard DUPONT
The conspicuous colors of poison frogs are presumed to be a warning. Indeed, vibrant patterns so often signal toxicity that biologists even have a special term for them: aposematic coloration. But, weird as it might sound, new research suggests that radiant skin patterns might help these frogs stay hidden, too.
Poison frogs are armed with some of the planet’s most potent toxins. T ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine
