Space Science Series

Why is the sky dark at night? The 200-year history of a question that transformed our understanding of the Universe

Jun 19, 2023 06:20 am UTC| Science

As dawn rose over the German city of Bremen on May 7 1823, Heinrich Olbers put the finishing touches to an article that left his name in history. After the deaths of his wife and daughter, Dr Olbers had recently given up...

Space Science Series

For the first time, astronomers have found life-supporting molecules called phosphates on Enceladus

Jun 15, 2023 05:24 am UTC| Science

The search for habitable conditions beyond Earth has just become more interesting with the discovery of biologically available phosphorus from one of Saturns moons. Phosphorus is the most elusive of the six crucial...

Space Science Series

An element essential to life discovered on one of Saturn's moons, raising hopes of finding alien microbes

Jun 15, 2023 03:51 am UTC| Science

Enceladus is the tiny moon of Saturn that seems to have it all. Its icy surface is intricately carved by ongoing geological processes. Its icy shell overlies an internal, liquid ocean. There, chemically charged warm water...

Drilling down on treatment-resistant fungi with molecular machines

May 29, 2023 05:35 am UTC| Science

`Fungi are present on the skin of around 70% of the population, without causing harm or benefit. Some fungal infections, like athletes foot, are minor. Others, like Candida albicans, can be deadly especially for...

Space Science Series

Astronomers detected two major targets with a single telescope – a mysterious signal and its source galaxy

May 25, 2023 14:28 pm UTC| Science

Astronomers have been working to better understand the galactic environments of fast radio bursts (FRBs) intense, momentary bursts of energy occurring in mere milliseconds and with unknown cosmic origins. Now, a study...

Biodegradable plastic in clothing doesn't break down nearly as quickly as hoped – new research

May 25, 2023 14:27 pm UTC| Science

Plastic pollution has emerged as one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Over 100 million tonnes of plastic enters the environment each year, with more than 10 million tonnes ending up in our oceans....

Gravitational wave detector LIGO is back online after 3 years of upgrades – how the world's most sensitive yardstick reveals secrets of the universe

May 23, 2023 15:11 pm UTC| Science

After a three-year hiatus, scientists in the U.S. have just turned on detectors capable of measuring gravitational waves - tiny ripples in space itself that travel through the universe. Unlike light waves, gravitational...