HISTORICAL FACTS: 12 - Caught on Camera

Star Trek is turning 60 – and the vision it promised feels more distant than ever

The US’s deployment of weaponry in space marks the latest backward step from the show’s optimistic conception of the future

The Guardian - US · Sep 20

China’s stranglehold on rare earths must be ended, says hopeful supplier to EU

Rafael Moreno, whose company has opened demo plant in Brazil, says market is ‘nervous’ as Trump-Xi summit looms

The Guardian - UK · Sep 20

Tech Uncovers Buried Roman Road: Google Earth helps trace Via Egnatia; around 300 sites found

Recent analysis of satellite imagery has brought to light the historic Via Egnatia, a Roman road lost under the ground in Greece. By integrating various data sources, scientists were able to map its ancient trajectory, previously obscured by years of agricultural and construction activities. This significant finding showcases the vital…

The Times of India · Sep 20

India's Slender Loris Is a Venomous Nocturnal Predator That Hunts Insects in Total Silence

The muscle trick that makes it invisibleMost predators announce themselves through speed. The slender loris does the opposite. Its skeletal muscles are composed almost entirely of slow-twitch fibres, which means every movement it makes is so gradual and so free of tremor that the insects it hunts never register it…

Times Life · Sep 20

‘Persisted and even increased’: Scientists say North Korea’s nuclear tests appear to be behind surprising seismic activity at the test site

"The Earth’s crust has a long memory."

We Got This Covered · Sep 19

In 2021, NASA sent 11 types of crop seeds outside the space station for 8 months; after their return, scientists tested whether they could still grow

The 2021 NASA seed experiment ultimately demonstrates why some of the most important space discoveries can begin with objects that appear remarkably simple. A tiny seed contains the potential for an entire crop, yet its ability to remain viable after prolonged exposure to the space environment could become increasingly important…

The Economic Times · Sep 19

If Earth was built close to the young Sun, where did its water come from? New isotope analysis rewrites part of Earth’s origin story and gives scientists a new mystery to solve

New analysis suggests Earth formed solely from inner Solar System material. This challenges previous theories about outer Solar System contributions to our planet. Researchers examined isotopic signatures across ten different isotope systems. Jupiter's gravity may have separated inner and outer Solar System reservoirs. The origin of Earth's water now presents…

The Economic Times · Sep 19

SETI Scientists Propose Using AI to Search Through Lunar Soil for Alien Dyson Swarm Fragments

Researchers affiliated with the SETI Institute propose screening lunar soil with AI for microscopic technosignatures, while stressing that the study presents no evidence of extraterrestrial technology

International Business Times UK · Sep 19

Europe weighs the cost of sending its own astronauts into space

French President Emmanuel Macron wants Europe to develop its own way of sending astronauts into space within a decade. Europe already builds rockets and satellites and sends astronauts to the International Space Station – but it still relies on American spacecraft to get them there. As the global space sector…

Radio France Internationale · Sep 19

This strange world has no star to orbit, yet James Webb has revealed its changing weather from 20 light-years away

Webb telescope observed SIMP 0136, a brown dwarf twenty light-years away. Researchers found its changing appearance stems from temperature and cloud structure. These two factors explain most atmospheric variability observed by the telescope. The brown dwarf's atmosphere exhibits three recurring weather states as it rotates. This new method helps study…

The Economic Times · Sep 19