After many delays, the observatory finally got to work this year This year marked the end of a decades-long wait for astronomers. The James Webb Space Telescope is finally in action. The telescope, which launched in December 2021, released its first science data in July (SN: 8/13/22, p. 30) andContinue Reading
The next generation will be different than the men of the Apollo missions When astronaut Eugene Cernan stepped from the moon’s surface into his spacecraft in December 1972, he was aware it was the end of an era. His mission, Apollo 17, was the last of the Apollos. “Take yourContinue Reading
Polymyxins turn cell membranes into brittle, breakable crystals To kill drug-resistant bacteria, “last-resort” antibiotics borrow a tactic from Medusa’s playbook: petrification. New high-resolution microscope images show that a class of antibiotics called polymyxins crystallize the cell membranes of bacteria. The honeycomb-shaped crystals that form turn the microbes’ usually supple skinsContinue Reading
Upticks in radiocarbon in ancient tree rings do not align with the solar cycle A cryptic chemical signature of unknown origins, hidden for centuries inside the trunks of Earth’s trees, just became even more mysterious. In the last decade, scientists have discovered traces on Earth of six intense bursts ofContinue Reading
This interactive map shows locations, suggesting that finding care for lingering symptoms can be a challenge For the millions of people in the United States with long COVID, getting help comes down to where they live. Long COVID clinics have been popping up, but their accessibility and the kind ofContinue Reading
Tiny protrusions on the bears’ paws offer greater friction Tiny “fingers” can help polar bears get a grip. Like the rubbery nubs on the bottom of baby socks, microstructures on the bears’ paw pads offer some extra friction, scientists report November 1 in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.Continue Reading
Matter’s dominance over antimatter may revolve around lightweight subatomic particles The answer to one of the greatest mysteries of the universe may come down to one of the smallest, and spookiest, particles. Matter is common in the cosmos. Everything around us — from planets to stars to puppies — isContinue Reading
Pahrump poolfish react oddly to danger, a new study finds Getting out into society after a long isolation gets awkward. Ask the Pahrump poolfish, loners in a desert for some 10,000 years. This hold-in-your-hand-size fish (Empetrichthys latos) has a chubby, torpedo shape and a mouth that looks as if it’sContinue Reading
A population of stars at the galactic center is the oldest known in the galaxy, a study finds The Milky Way left its “poor old heart” in and around the constellation Sagittarius, astronomers report. New data from the Gaia spacecraft reveal the full extent of what seems to be theContinue Reading
This lightning bolt over Oklahoma was one of the rarest and most powerful on Earth. The sky turns dark, a heavy rain falls and a bolt of lightning crackles through the air. But instead of striking down toward the ground, or zipping sideways between clouds, this lightning bolt does somethingContinue Reading