Space
- Chemistry
Human waste could power plastic-making in space
Someday recycled urine and exhaled breath could feed specially engineered yeast to make plastics and other useful chemicals on long space missions.
- Planets
Preparing for that trip to Mars
These scientists are working to make a human mission to Mars a reality.
- Microbes
Most Americans would welcome a microbial E.T.
People are more likely to welcome than be scared by new evidence pointing to extraterrestrial life, Americans report — at least if the E.T.’s are tiny.
- Earth
Pollution from new technologies threatens astronomy
Pollution from new technologies will make it harder to observe the night sky, astronomers say.
- Planets
Saturn’s rings might be shredded moons
Final data from the Cassini spacecraft put a mass and a date of birth on the gas giant’s iconic rings.
- Space
Scientists Say: Neutron star
When large, ancient stars die, they explode. But they don’t disappear. The remnants become incredibly dense neutron stars.
- Physics
Major gravity experiment recreated aboard a satellite
A spacecraft was used to “drop” two objects and test their rate of fall. The new, super-precise findings confirm objects will fall at the same rate (in the absence of air resistance) — and that when it comes defining the effects of gravity, Einstein got it right.
- Earth
Hot on the trail of Antarctic meteorites
For intrepid scientists, spotting meteorites against Antarctica’s dazzling whiteness is easy. Then what?
- Space
Weird star explodes over and over, cheating death
There’s a weird supernova out there. This dying diva may have had multiple explosions, and it’s lately been glowing for more than three years.
- Climate
Revisit 2017’s most important stories
The year was full of major scientific events and discoveries, from the finding of a new continent to a solar eclipse witnessed by millions.
- Materials Science
Want a tougher space suit? Just add liquid
Using a special liquid, engineers are designing new treatments for spacesuits so that they can better resist puncturing from tiny meteorites and other hazards.
- Physics
Ancient light may point to where the cosmos’ missing matter hides
The universe is missing some of its matter. Now astronomers may have a way to find it.
