Science

NASA’s Voyager 1 is about to reach a historic one-light-day milestone

NASA’s Voyager 1 is approaching an extraordinary milestone nearly 50 years after its launch, even as engineers battle dwindling power and mysterious technical problems. A clever energy-saving maneuver has extended the spacecraft’s scientific mission, while an unexplained 48-hour communications blackout recently gave NASA a scare. On November 18, Voyager 1 will reach a distance of one light-day from Earth, making even the simplest round-trip communication take 48 hours.

via ScienceDaily 5 days ago

Science

Scientists discover new Alzheimer’s drug that repairs DNA damage and reduces brain inflammation

Scientists have discovered that a drug originally developed for spinal cord injuries can tackle several key features of Alzheimer’s disease, including DNA damage and inflammation. Already tested for initial safety in humans, the experimental treatment could offer a faster path toward therapies that target the disease at its roots.

via ScienceDaily 6 days ago

Science

China imports millions of donkey hides from Africa every year: New book traces the drivers and impact

The demand for donkey hides has grown exponentially over the past 15 years, driven mainly by demand from China. Lauren Johnston is a specialist on China trade with Africa. She has spent several years looking into the donkey trade, and has just published a book, "China, Africa and the Market for Donkeys." She answers questions about what she found.

via Phys.org 6 days ago

Science

How political disagreement with our neighbors relates to whether we bother casting a ballot

In the 2025 federal election, Canadians voted at the highest rate since 1993. Explanations for high or low turnout usually focus on the national election campaign, including how close the race was and what seemed to be at stake.

via Phys.org 6 days ago

Science

Large Hadron Collider reveals evidence of Big Bang matter in surprisingly small collisions

Scientists at CERN's Large Hadron Collider have uncovered compelling new evidence that even relatively small atomic collisions can recreate the extraordinary state of matter that filled the universe moments after the Big Bang. Known as quark-gluon plasma, this exotic substance forms at temperatures more than 100,000 times hotter than the center of the Sun, causing ordinary particles to break apart into their fundamental building blocks.

via ScienceDaily 6 days ago

Science

Ceres’ water ice can mask massive surface salt deposits

The dwarf planet Ceres is arguably one of the most overlooked and underappreciated planetary objects in the solar system. This could be because while Ceres has the same dwarf planet designation as Pluto, Ceres is largely considered an "asteroid" since it resides in the main asteroid belt. However, along with being the largest object in the main asteroid belt, Ceres accounts for between 25% and 30% of the belt's total mass.

via Phys.org 6 days ago

Science

Climate change is making the tropics hotter

A new study finds that tropical areas often thought to be safe from the effects of climate change are actually experiencing significant changes in rainfall and extreme temperature events. The paper, "Shifting climate in Caribbean tropical forests: Long-term trends at La Selva (Costa Rica) and El Verde (Puerto Rico)," is published in PLOS Climate.

via Phys.org 6 days ago

Science

Chinese writing developed square forms gradually, shaped by language, tools and tradition, analysis suggests

A new historical analysis challenges the received wisdom as to why Chinese characters developed their distinctive square shapes. The work, published in the International Journal of Arts and Technology, argues that their shape resulted from interacting linguistic, technological and cultural factors rather than a single cause.

via Phys.org 6 days ago

Science

Scientists just found a loophole that could let black holes split in two

Scientists have discovered a possible loophole in the laws that normally prevent black holes from splitting apart, suggesting that extremely fast-spinning black holes might divide into two. The surprising finding raises the possibility of an entirely new black hole phenomenon that future telescopes could potentially detect.

via ScienceDaily 6 days ago

Science

UK storm surges have far-flung, global climate connections

Where a storm surge strikes along a stretch of U.K. coastline is decided by global climate patterns in the Atlantic, Arctic and even further afield—according to new research led by Cambridge University.

via Phys.org 6 days ago