A SpaceX Booster Falls and Breaks, and More Science News of the Week
Our top science stories this week include a physics experiment to turn light into matter, an update from NASA’s Juno mission (it’s about to make a close encounter with Jupiter’s moon Io), and a roundup of the best archaeological discoveries of 2023.
Physicists Designed an Experiment to Turn Light Into Matter
An artist’s impression of a pulsar—a rapidly spinning neutron star.
Plasma could be wrangled to collide photons and yield matter, according to physicists who ran simulations to explore the practical applications of a world-famous equation. - Isaac Schultz Read More
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Japan Airlines Plane Bursts Into Flames After Collision At Tokyo Airport
There's A Relic Runway From America’s Failed Supersonic Future Hiding In The Everglades
Who is Marvel’s Echo and how is she one of the universe’s most powerful people in the comics?
Michigan’s talent level stops another Jim Harbaugh dry heave
Few disciplines are as full of drama and surprises as archaeology, and this year was no exception. Archaeologists and anthropologists mined ancient genomes, excavated Roman weaponry from caves near the Dead Sea, and found a still-standing shipwreck at the bottom of Lake Huron. - Isaac Schultz Read More
Firefly’s Alpha Rocket Put a Satellite in the Wrong Orbit
The Firefly Alpha rocket launched on December 22.
Following a successful liftoff, Firefly’s Alpha rocket seems to have misplaced its payload due to a second stage anomaly. The mission, called “Fly the Lightning,” was carrying a satellite developed by Lockheed Martin to test an electronically steerable antenna. - Passant Rabie Read More
Juno Spacecraft Gears Up for Closest Look at Jupiter’s Tormented Moon
The north polar region of the Jovian moon Io shown in this image taken on October 15 by NASA’s Juno.
NASA’s curious Jupiter probe is getting chummier with the planet’s most erratic moon, Io. The Juno spacecraft will carry out the closest encounter any mission has had with the volcanic moon in over 20 years, collecting valuable clues about its mysterious activity. - Passant Rabie Read More
Iconic SpaceX Booster Falls and Breaks in the Ocean
The Falcon 9 rocket launching on December 23.
A Falcon 9 first-stage booster broke apart after completing its 19th mission, tipping over on the floating droneship in the Atlantic Ocean due to high winds. - Passant Rabie Read More
Man Gets Eye Exam, Learns He’s Had a Splinter Stuck in His Cornea for 15 Years
Talk about an eyesore. In a case report this month, doctors have described finding a wooden splinter lodged inside a man’s cornea for apparently 15 years. - Ed Cara Read More
NASA Astronauts Test Out Moon Elevator for 2025 Landing Mission
NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Doug “Wheels” Wheelock testing out the mockup elevator.
Ahead of NASA’s long-awaited return to crewed Moon landings, the space agency is testing an elevator that will carry astronauts from their spacecraft to the lunar surface. If all goes as planned, this elevator will be ready for the Artemis 3 and 4 missions, ambitiously set for 2025 and 2028. - Passant Rabie Read More
5 Real Medical Treatments That Sound Like Sci-Fi
An example of what a deep brain stimulation device looks like under X-ray imaging.
Modern medicine has extended our lives and reduced suffering in all kinds of ways. Many of the impactful interventions we have available today have been around for a long time, like antibiotics, most painkillers, and various forms of cancer screening. But every once in a while, scientists come up with novel treatments that jump the line from “cool” to “whoa.” Here are five sci-fi medical innovations that are already here or close to fruition. - Ed Cara Read More
Being a Hypochondriac Might Help Send You to an Early Grave, Study Suggests
Being overly worried about getting sick may, actually, help send you to an early grave, new research out this month suggests. The study found that people diagnosed with hypochondriasis were noticeably more likely to die during the study period than those without it. - Ed Cara Read More
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