Science

Even when it’s ground into microparticles, 97% of an algae-based plastic biodegrades in compost and water in under seven months, a new study has reported. The researchers hope their plastic will eventually replace existing petroleum-based ones, which have caused concern due to their effects on health and the environment.In recent years, there has been a great deal of chatter about – and research into – microplastics, the tiny, almost indestructible fragments shed from everyday plastic products. Much of that research has…

By NASA March 22, 2024A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soars upward after its liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 4:55 p.m. EDT on Thursday, March 21, on the company’s 30th Commercial Resupply Services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida. Credit: NASA/Glenn BensonA SpaceX…

A new type of phase-change concrete could completely revolutionize how we handle icy conditions. That’s because the new concrete is capable of melting ice and snow, removing the need to use salt or shoveling. Scientists have created a new self-heating material that could heavily reduce the amount of plowing and salting needed to keep roadways safe. As it stands, more than 70% of roads are within snowy regions, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) claims. As such, there are many times throughout the year…

Our universe is full of stars. Scientists estimate that there are up to one septillion stars in the universe and that at least one in 12 of those stars are what we call planet eaters.That’s right. Planet eaters exist all throughout our universe, and a vast majority of the stars found throughout the cosmos have munched on a planet at some point in time. This really shouldn’t be that surprising of news, considering stars are one of the main driving forces of gravity throughout the various systems found in our…

In preparation for a permanent human colony on the Moon, DARPA has awarded a contract to Northrop Grumman to develop a lunar railway concept, as part of the 10-year Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) Capability Study.Running a train on the Moon may seem profoundly silly, but there is some very firm logic behind it. Even as the first astronauts were landing on the Sea of Tranquility in 1969, it was realized that a permanent human presence on Mars would require an infrastructure to maintain it. That includes mines for water ice,…

Intermittent fasting is being touted for a range of short-term benefits revealed in recent studies, but we don't know much about its long-term effects. A new study has found some concerning links that may outweigh the benefits of intermittent fasting in the long run. One form of this popular dietary intervention, known as time-restricted eating (TRE), has dieters restricting their food intake to within a window of just eight hours or less in a day, and fasting for the remaining 16 hours or more. While some people…

In the past it was difficult for scientists, let alone the public, to get a full picture of each animal's inner workings, but with rapid advances in 3D scanning technology, even school children can now digitally 'dissect' these precious specimens. That's the goal of openVertebrate (oVert), a project involving 18 institutions that has spent the past five years creating 3D reconstructions of museum specimens, which are now available freely online. The animals on display behind glass at the museum are just the tip of the…

If you want to see unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in the skies across the US, head west.Researchers from the University of Utah wanted to look into how local environmental factors affect sightings of these UFOs. Now officially described as unidentified anomalous phenomena or UAPs, the term refers to anything seen in the sky which can't readily be attributed to natural phenomena or openly described technology. The analysis of reports recorded in the past couple of decades and measures of features such as sky cover and…

Mild cognitive impairment – an early stage of dementia – is widely underdiagnosed in people 65 and older. That is the key takeaway of two recent studies from our team.In the first study, we used Medicare data for about 40 million beneficiaries age 65 and older from 2015 to 2019 to estimate the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment in that population and to identify what proportion of them had actually been diagnosed. Our finding was sobering: A mere 8% of the number of cases with mild cognitive impairment that we…

X owner Elon Musk recently described using small amounts of ketamine "once every other week" to manage the "chemical tides" that cause his depression. He says it's helpful to get out of a "negative frame of mind". This has caused a range of reactions in the media, including on X (formerly Twitter), from strong support for Musk's choice of treatment, to allegations he has a drug problem. But what exactly is ketamine? And what is its role in the treatment of depression? It was first used as an anestheticKetamine is a…