Applied sciences

Photo: Mario Tama (Getty Images)This story was originally published by Grist. You can subscribe to its weekly newsletter here.Midwest soil is eroding at an alarming rate according to new, first-of-its-kind research.Researchers at the University of Massachusetts found that the rate of soil erosion in the Midwestern US is 10 to 1,000 times greater than it was before modern agriculture practices reigned supreme across the region. The study found that before modern agriculture, the rate of soil erosion was vastly smaller than…

On the left is a monochromatic image showing infrared data from Webb of the Southern Ring Nebula. On the right is a processed image showing the same view in full color.Image: Gizmodo/NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScIOn July 12, the first full-color images from the Webb Space Telescope showed countless nebulae, galaxies, and a gassy exoplanet as they had never been seen before. But Webb only collects infrared and near-infrared light, which the human eye cannot see—so where are these gorgeous colors coming from?Image developers on…

Before LCDs and LEDs became cheap enough to add to nearly any device, mechanical flap displays were used in large-scale signage and bedside alarm clocks for improved legibility. Shinsaku Hiura has recreated one from scratch with a fun twist: they’ve replaced the numbered flaps with playing cards, a design that will appeal to anyone who knows you never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table.Take a moment to browse Hirua’s YouTube channel and you’ll find a hardware hacker who seemingly has an obsession with…

Modern air conditioners typically emit greenhouse gases and are energy intensive.Image: Dirk Waem (Getty Images)The path to creative climate solutions is paved with the skeletons of a million startups, but Blue Frontier wants to be different. Blue Frontier is chasing the dream of cleaner air conditioning systems with its use of a concentrated salt solution, and results are so promising that the company just got a big check from Bill Gates.In the dog days of summer, most of us try to gravitate toan air conditioned place…

Lunar Glass is the proposed project that will simulate gravity through centrifugal force. Gif: Kajima Corporation/GizmodoInterest in the Moon has been reignited recently, and Japan is looking to get in on the fun. Researchers and engineers from Kyoto University and the Kajima Corporation have released their joint proposal for a three-pronged approach to sustainable human life on the Moon and beyond.The future of space exploration will likely include longer stays in low gravity environments, whether in orbit or on the…

Designed for the pocket instead of the wrist, the Caliber 89 debuted in 1989, after nine years of development, to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of watchmaker Patek Philippe. Just four were ever manufactured, each made from a different precious metal (yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, and platinum) but the limited availability was also due to the complexity of the timepiece. The Caliber 89 weighed in at 2.5 pounds and featured 1,728 components that included 24 moving hands, a thermometer, and even a star chart.…

Io, a volcanically active moon orbiting Jupiter.Image: NASA/Newsmaker (Getty Images)There are just eight planets in our Solar System (sorry Pluto), so the neighborhood can feel pretty empty. But there are over 200 moons orbiting objects in the solar system,including planets and large asteroids.Many of these moons have atmospheres, complex topography, and even weather systems. They are dynamic, volcanic, and exquisite objects for space agencies trying to learn more about the diversity of planetary bodies and their…

Illustration: ESA/Gaia/DPAC/CU6It wasn’t all stars for Gaia’s third dataset. The space observatory also mapped the orbit of more than 150,000 asteroids, from the inner parts of the solar system all the way out to the Trojan asteroids that trail behind, and lead in front of, Jupiter. The different types of asteroids are indicated by different colors.The yellow dot at the center of the illustration is the Sun, while the blue represents the inner part of the solar system,with its rocky planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, and…

NASA said today that one of the Webb Space Telescope’s primary mirror segments was hit by a micrometeoroid, a small asteroid fragment, between May 23 and May 25. Initial assessments of the telescope found that the spacecraft was still performing exceptionally well, though the effects of the impact were noticeable in recent data readouts.Micrometeoroids are extremely small (dust-sized), fast-moving space debris. They’re a regular part of a hostile space environment that will bombard the Webb telescope throughout itsyears…