SmallSat revolution: Tiny satellites poised to make big contributions to essential science
Jan 28, 2017 07:27 am UTC| Science
Tiny satellites, some smaller than a shoe box, are currently orbiting around 200 miles above Earth, collecting data about our planet and the universe. Its not just their small stature but also their accompanying smaller...
Some scientific explanations for alien abduction that aren't so out of this world
Jan 28, 2017 06:37 am UTC| Science
Accounts of mysterious flashing lights in the sky, spacecrafts and encounters with real aliens reflect high levels of public interest in UFOs and the belief that there is something out there. However, many psychologists...
The Outer Space Treaty has been remarkably successful -- but is it fit for the modern age?
Jan 28, 2017 06:12 am UTC| Science Economy Law
Space exploration is governed by a complex series of international treaties and agreements which have been in place for years. The first and probably most important of them celebrates its 50th anniversary on January 27 ...
To tackle the post-truth world, science must reform itself
Jan 27, 2017 10:51 am UTC| Insights & Views Science
Before Brexit and the US elections, Nature magazine columnist Colin Macilwain set out a challenge: If Donald Trump were to trigger a crisis in Western democracy, scientists would need to look at their part in its...
Why the Earth's magnetic poles could be about to swap places – and how it would affect us
Jan 27, 2017 10:43 am UTC| Science
The Earths magnetic field surrounds our planet like an invisible force field protecting life from harmful solar radiation by deflecting charged particles away. Far from being constant, this field is continuously changing....
From flask to field: How tiny microbes are revolutionizing big agriculture
Jan 26, 2017 07:20 am UTC| Science
Walk into your typical U.S. or U.K. grocery store and feast your eyes on an amazing bounty of fresh and processed foods. In most industrialized countries, its hard to imagine that food production is one of the greatest...
Scientists may have proven women are better at multitasking than men
Jan 26, 2017 05:58 am UTC| Science
Women are less affected by interference when carrying out certain tasks than men, and hormones may play a part in this discrepancy. Our recent experiment found that the walking pattern of men - who typically have low...
Johannesburg in a time of darkness: Ivan Vladislavić’s new memoir reminds us of the city’s fragility
Economist Chris Richardson on an ‘ugly’ inflation result and the coming budget
Biden administration tells employers to stop shackling workers with ‘noncompete agreements’
IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects