Apollo 7 sent a trio of astronauts into space in 1968, making it the first successful crewed NASA mission. But about 15 hours into the flight, astronaut Wally Schirra began developing the symptoms of a bad head cold, with the rest of his team following suit. Balancing a fog of symptoms, including sniffles and congestion, on top of their heavy workload was a recipe for misery. Considering the extensive training and screening astronauts go through to ensure they’re in optimal health for missions ...read more
As winter approaches, bears and other hibernators — from butterflies to box turtles — begin preparing to clock out until spring. Us humans, on the other hand, find ourselves stuck all-too-consciously contemplating the frozen months ahead. In winter, everything feels twice as hard: getting dressed, shoveling snow, averting existential meltdown. Wouldn’t it be nice to ring in the new year, promptly tunnel down some dark burrow, and curl up to wait for better days?There’s no clear path to h ...read more
Radio telescopes around the globe have provided scientists with data on astronomical phenomena for nearly a century. We have even built telescopes and sent them into orbit, the most recent of which — the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) — has provided astronomers with brand new insights into the formation of early galaxies, nebula where stars are born, and the chemical composition of atmospheres of newly discovered worlds.But science doesn't stop. Astronomers have been asking what the next ...read more
The Science Near Me blog is a partnership between Discover magazine and ScienceNearMe.org.If you’re searching for a place to learn, create, and explore all kinds of STEM activities, look no further than a local science festival! These events happen all over the country and offer exciting opportunities to learn about and do science right.Some science festivals are localized enough to be hosted on a college campus, like the Virginia Tech Science Festival, while others span entire cities and stat ...read more
Before the Neolithic Revolution, around 12,000 years ago, Homo sapiens lived scattered about the world in small groups, mostly with their extended families. They hunted, gathered and moved around, living in temporary shelters.They had to follow the food because they didn’t yet know how to grow their own. But gradually, over generations, agriculture began sprouting up across the globe, and the world began to change. Early H. sapiens could finally stay in one place because they cultivated th ...read more