World News

Oldest animal sperm discovered in 100-million-year-old amber

Oldest animal sperm discovered in 100-million-year-old amber

Scientists have found the oldest sample of animal sperm, concealed in a 100 million-year-old piece of amber. Paleontologists discovered the sample in the reproductive tract of an ancient female crustacean encased in resin — one of several samples of ostracods from Myanmar. The previously unknown species of crustacean, now named Myanmarcypris hui, resembles a modern…

This is how we should build on Mars, scientists say

If we make it to Mars, we’re not going to be able to bring everything humankind needs to stay for an extended period of time — or to construct colonies on the red planet. In order to build shelters and manufacture tools, astronauts may only need to bring one key ingredient — with minerals in…

Giant planet found orbiting a dead white dwarf star

Giant planet found orbiting a dead white dwarf star

For the first time, a planet has been discovered orbiting a white dwarf, also known as a dead star. This exoplanet, a planet outside of our solar system, is the size of Jupiter and it’s known as WD 1586 b. This giant exoplanet zips around the star remnant, which is about the size of Earth,…

The sun has started a new solar cycle, experts say

The sun has started a new solar cycle, experts say

Every 11 years, the sun completes a solar cycle of calm and stormy activity and begins a new one. It’s important to understand the solar cycle because space weather caused by the sun — eruptions like solar flares and coronal mass ejection events — can impact the power grid, satellites, GPS, airlines, rockets and astronauts…

What you need to know about coronavirus on Wednesday, September 16

What you need to know about coronavirus on Wednesday, September 16

President Donald Trump has defended his handling of the coronavirus pandemic many times before, but on Tuesday he faced his most threatening critics yet — undecided voters. At an ABC town hall in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania, the President hit back at a question over his remarks to renowned journalist Bob Woodward that…

Gene editing breakthrough could produce livestock ‘super dads’

Gene editing breakthrough could produce livestock ‘super dads’

Scientists have successfully created animal surrogate fathers that carry only the genes of donor animals — nicknamed “super dads” — in a step forward for gene editing with potential implications for global food production. Researchers from universities in the United States and United Kingdom produced male pigs, goats, cows and mice whose sperm carry the…

Carbon-rich planets made of diamonds may exist beyond our solar system, study says

Exoplanets, or planets outside of our solar system, that contain more carbon than Earth could be made out of diamonds, according to a new study. Data provided by NASA’s planet-hunting TESS mission, the Hubble Space Telescope and retired Kepler mission have shown that our galaxy is filled with exoplanets that are very different from the…

A gas found on Earth that signifies life has been detected in the clouds on Venus

A gas found on Earth that signifies life has been detected in the clouds on Venus

A gas on Earth has also been detected in the atmosphere of Venus. The “entirely surprising” discovery of phosphine could hint at unknown processes occurring on Earth’s “twin.” Phosphine suggests the presence of life on Earth. And the idea of aerial life in the clouds of Venus is intriguing. But it’s not likely. On Earth,…

Amazon expert killed with arrow while working to protect uncontacted tribes in Brazil

Amazon expert killed with arrow while working to protect uncontacted tribes in Brazil

An expert who worked to protect uncontacted Amazonian tribes has been shot and killed with an arrow in Brazil, according to the government’s Indigenous affairs agency, Fundação Nacional do Índio (Funai). Rieli Franciscato was killed on Wednesday while responding to a report of a sighting of an isolated group in Seringueiras, in the northern Brazilian…

Hubble images reveal new aspect of mysterious dark matter in the universe

Hubble images reveal new aspect of mysterious dark matter in the universe

The quest for dark matter just got a little more interesting. While stars, planets and other celestial bodies may seem like bright jewels that stand out against the dark void of space, they only make up a small percentage of the universe. In reality, the elusive and invisible dark matter that provides the universe with…

This asteroid is ejecting particles into space. A spacecraft may tell us why

This asteroid is ejecting particles into space. A spacecraft may tell us why

This asteroid has been full of surprises since a NASA spacecraft arrived to orbit it in December 2018. Bennu is a near-Earth asteroid that is currently being orbited by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission. And in October, the spacecraft will play “tag” the asteroid, collect samples from the surface and return them to Earth by 2023. While…

Want to study better? Just two minutes of exercise beforehand could help

Want to study better? Just two minutes of exercise beforehand could help

If you’re feeling a bit sluggish today, just two minutes of exercise could give your brain a boost, a new study shows. Researchers from Jönköping University in Sweden analyzed a range of 13 studies into the effects of exercise on people aged 18-35 conducted by scientists between 2009 and 2019. Writing in the journal Translational…

What you need to know about coronavirus on Friday, September 11

What you need to know about coronavirus on Friday, September 11

The summer is over. It’s time to hunker down. The coronavirus pandemic is not going to ease up, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned yesterday. In fact, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said he believes the situation is likely to worsen again in the months ahead. “I just think we need…

Climate crisis could displace 1.2 billion people by 2050, report warns

The global climate crisis could see more than a billion people displaced from their homes in the next 30 years, as ecological disasters drive mass migrations and greater armed conflict, according to a new report released Wednesday. The Ecological Threat Register, conducted by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), projected that as many…

Meet OPTIMISM, the Perseverance rover’s twin on Earth

Meet OPTIMISM, the Perseverance rover’s twin on Earth

This will be a test drive like no other. An SUV-size rover will roll across a seemingly alien red landscape this week, climbing slopes and maneuvering over rocks and other obstacles for the sake of exploration. But it’s happening in Pasadena, California — on Earth, not Mars. The NASA Perseverance rover launched in July and…