Why NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Will Never Live As Long As Hubble

Every decision that’s made — in both astronomy and in life — comes with its own set of pros and cons. Setting up an observatory in space is expensive, precarious, and is dependent on a successful launch and deployment: there are multiple single-points-of-failure, and if anything catastrophic goes wrong, the entire mission is all for naught. Yet if you succeed, you can observe as no ground-based observatory can: without interference from the atmosphere, without concern for day-or-night, without being affected by terrestrial light pollution, and over a range of wavelengths that are heavily restricted back on Earth.

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The 10 biggest space science stories of 2021

The universe revealed more of its secrets this year, and new missions will further explore our solar system and beyond.

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Idiocracy: a disturbingly prophetic look at the future of America – and our era of stupidity

Mike Judge critiques the nonsense of the modern world in this dystopian 2006 comedy – which, in 2021, feels more like a documentary

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Kawasaki's K-RACER Completes Testing of Its Delivery Robot

Kawasaki's K-RACER and assistance delivery robot drone has successfully completed its proof of concept testing.

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SpaceX fires up Starship SN20 prototype again ahead of landmark test flight

SN20 continues to prep for a landmark orbital test flight.

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Tequila fish get second shot at life after being declared extinct

It is the first time an extinct species of fish has been successfully reintroduced in Mexico

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James Webb Space Telescope’s fuel expected to last more than 10 years

It’ll allow more support for science operation, NASA says

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Omicron may be less severe, but it’s still dangerous

Even if it’s milder than Delta, high transmissibility means three times more cases, and more hospitalisation and deaths.

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Tiny tardigrades walk like insects 500,000 times their size

Also: the controversial claim of a frozen water bear achieving quantum entangled state

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Overuse of antibiotics on farms threatens pandemic ‘much bigger than Covid’

Preventative use of antibiotics on farm animals will be banned in the EU from January; now the UK is thinking about whether to follow suit

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Do Video Games Damage Your Mental Health? Research Reveals Complicated Truth

Fears about what video games are doing to young minds have been growing for years — not least because now 97% of teenagers play them. They’re said to reduce socialising with real friends, damage psychological adjustment and the violence depicted in many games may be corrupting.

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America needs more science and technology literacy

From extreme weather to vaccines to remote learning and virtual working, science and technology (S&T) underpins daily life. But only 22 percent of high school graduates are proficient in science, according to the U.S. Department of Education, illustrating the S&T knowledge gap in many Americans.

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The US government needs a commercialization strategy for quantum

Quantum computers, sensors and communications networks have the potential to bring about enormous societal and market opportunities — along with an equal amount of disruption. Unfortunately for most of us it takes a Ph.D. in physics to truly understand how quantum technologies work, and luminaries in the field of physics will be the first to admit that even their understanding of quantum mechanics remains incomplete.

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A promising new treatment for depression

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Scientists find water in Mars’ Grand Canyon

A spacecraft orbiting Mars has made the unexpected discovery of water in Mars' Grand Canyon, otherwise known as Valles Marineris.

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Eye-tracking study suggests that people with social anxiety not only avoid looking at strangers but also their surroundings

A new study published in the journal PLOS One suggests that social anxiety is characterized by increased avoidance, rather than hypervigilance, during social situations.

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What Children Lose When Their Brains Develop Too Fast

Adverse early experiences can make young minds inflexible, while a carefree childhood has clear cognitive benefits.

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One of the World's Most Powerful Supercomputers Uses Light Instead of Electric Current

The technology will now be offered to select users within the Jean Zay research community.

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Space cadets Branson and Bezos scoop the 2021 shamelessness prize

Virgin and Amazon bosses do well in our awards for business brass neck, but there are also nods to big oil, big money – and a powerful whiff of Musk

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Autonomous delivery robots: ‘In the next 2-3 years you’re going to see them in every major city in the country,’ Serve Robotics CEO

CEO of Serve Robotics, Ali Kashani, joins Yahoo Finance to talk about the goal of replacing 5% of food delivery with robots.

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At long last, the world's most powerful space telescope is ready to launch

Decades of tension, debate, and determination have led to this moment, as the James Webb Space Telescope begins its million-mile journey into deep space.

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Porsche Working on Synthetic Fuel with EV-Level Clean Emissions

The hydrogen-based fuel will be ready for testing in 2022, including in the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car.

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After years of doubts, hopes grow that nuclear fusion is finally for real and could help address climate change - The Boston Globe

After breakthroughs this year at MIT and elsewhere, scientists — and a growing number of deep-pocketed investors — insist that fusion is for real and could start sending power to electricity grids in about a decade.

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'World's biggest offshore wind farm' produces first power, passing key milestone

The U.K. is home to a mature offshore wind sector that looks set to expand in the coming years.

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The world is addicted to natural gas. Fossil fuel companies are lobbying hard to keep it that way

Imagine a world entirely free of fossil fuels. That's no longer such an abstract concept, as most of the everyday things we do can be powered by electricity -- driving a car, heating a home, charging a phone or computer -- and all that energy could come from sources like the wind, the sun and the natural movement of water.

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The 'huge year' for space investing expected to continue into 2022

This year's historic momentum in space tourism is expected to continue well into 2022 and beyond. "We had thirteen human space flight missions, three private companies had milestone historic missions," said Chad Anderson, managing partner at Space Capital, a seed venture capital firm.

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High wind postpones launch of NASA's newest space telescope

Dangerously high wind will keep NASA's newest space telescope on the ground for at least an extra day, with the launch now targeted for Saturday—Christmas Day—at the earliest. NASA announced the latest delay Tuesday. Upper-level high wind could force a rocket off-course or even damage or destroy it.

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Ruler of the Metaverse: Blockchain or Big Tech?

Crypto advocates Jack Dorsey and Elon Musk have strong opinions on Big Tech muscling in on the metaverse and Web3.

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Why the most powerful space telescope ever needs to be kept really, really cold

The James Webb Space Telescope will give a glimpse of the earliest galaxies formed after the Big Bang — but only if the telescope is kept frigid. That's why there's a tennis court-sized sunshield.

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Physicists have coaxed ultracold atoms into an elusive form of quantum matter

An elusive form of matter called a quantum spin liquid isn’t a liquid, and it doesn’t spin — but it sure is quantum. Predicted nearly 50 years ago, quantum spin liquids have long evaded definitive detection in the laboratory. But now, a lattice of ultracold atoms held in place with lasers has shown hallmarks of the long-sought form of matter, researchers report in the Dec. 3 Science.

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How is Koenigsegg producing 600 hp from a 3 cylinder engine?

Christian von Koenigsegg created the Swedish company in 1994 to produce a "world-class" sports car. It took many years of development and testing to bring the first production car CC8S, to market in 2002.

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The world’s first octopus farm - should it go ahead?

The world’s first commercial octopus farm is closer to becoming reality - but scientists are up in arms.

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Domestic violence goes unrecognized in faith communities

Australians who are frequently involved in religion and who identify as religious are less likely to acknowledge domestic violence is an issue within their faith community, despite acknowledging it as a national issue, a new study has found.

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Are Rocket Scientists and Brain Surgeons Really Smarter Than Everyone Else?

Despite the commonly used phrases “It’s not rocket science” and “It’s not brain surgery” the findings show that both aerospace engineers and neurosurgeons have similar levels of intelligence to those in the general population. As such, the researchers say that both specialties might be unnecessarily put on a pedestal, and that phrases unrelated to careers such as “It’s a walk in the park” might be more appropriate.

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These are the viruses that mRNA vaccines may take on next

Now that mRNA vaccines have proved effective against the coronavirus, scientists are taking aim at influenza, HIV and other viruses.

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Vacuum-Sealed Container From 1972 Moon Landing Will Finally Be Opened

Apollo mission planners were really smart. Recognizing that future scientists will have better tools and richer scientific insights, they refrained from opening a portion of the lunar samples returned from the historic Apollo missions. One of these sample containers, after sitting untouched for 50 years, is now set to be opened.

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Elon Musk slams California's $8 per kW monthly utility charge plan for solar owners

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has slammed California’s plan for homeowners who use solar panels in their homes. The proposal calls for a discounted rate for excess power sold into the grid, as well as a monthly utility charge of $8 per kW to cover the cost of maintaining the state’s power infrastructure. Musk noted that the idea, which essentially penalizes sustainable energy, is “insane.”

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NASA’s Juno Spacecraft ‘Hears’ Jupiter’s Moon

An audio track collected during Jupiter mission’s Ganymede flyby offers a dramatic ride-along. It is one highlights mission scientists shared in a briefing at American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. Sounds from a Ganymede flyby, magnetic fields, and remarkable comparisons between Jupiter and Earth’s oceans and atmospheres were discussed during a briefing today on NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in New Orleans.

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New technology lets police link DNA to appearance and ancestry – and it's coming to Australia

The Australian Federal Police recently announced plans to use DNA samples collected at crime scenes to make predictions about potential suspects. This technology, called forensic “DNA phenotyping”, can reveal a surprising and growing amount of highly personal information from the traces of DNA that we all leave behind, everywhere we go – including information about our biological sex, ancestry and appearance.

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'Significant amounts of water' found in Mars' massive version of the Grand Canyon

Mars has its own version of the Grand Canyon, and scientists have learned this dramatic feature is home to "significant amounts of water" after a discovery made by an orbiter circling the red planet, according to the European Space Agency.

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The Race for the Next-Gen Space Station

NASA hopes private companies will replace the ISS by 2030—but which one(s)?

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AI argues for and against itself in Oxford Union debate

The artificial intelligence was given access to the whole of Wikipedia and news articles in preparation.

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New Meteorite Study Reveals How The Solar System Was Formed

A new paper on meteorites says scientists have discovered pieces of the puzzle on how the solar system was formed. Asteroids and meteorites have gotten more and more attention in recent years. Missions to asteroids and meteorite studies have long tried to solve the big questions of life.

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Could hydrogen airships return as fast, cheap, green cargo transports?

California startup H2 Clipper wants to bring back hydrogen-filled airships, claiming they can unlock completely green intercontinental cargo operations carrying 8-10 times the payload of any cargo plane over 6,000 miles, at a quarter of the price.

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Scientists have developed biodegradable printed paper batteries

Scientists at NTU Singapore have developed paper-thin, biodegradable zinc batteries that might one day be used in energy storage systems.

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Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy leads $65M funding round for Stoke Space’s reusable rockets

Breakthrough Energy Ventures is leading a $65 million round for Stoke Space’s reusable-rocket venture — and believe it or not, there’s a climate change angle.

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Archaeologists Discover Oldest Domesticated Dog Remains in Americas

When Quentin Mackie first crawled into a limestone cave on the west coast of Haida Gwaii, an archipelago off British Columbia’s north coast, he wasn’t expecting to enjoy the experience. The cave was cold, cramped, and damp, yet Mackie, an archaeologist with the University of Victoria in British Columbia, found the long days excavating underground quite pleasant: “The heightened sensory experience” in the passages was amazing.

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China won't talks arms control with U.S. on Earth, Biden seeks a deal in space

"China really is that second, number two behind the United States in space, so I think they recognize that. I think they want to be seen more as a peer in this area," a State Department official told Newsweek.

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Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa delivers first Uber Eats in space

"It took a bit longer than the usual 30 minutes to arrive."

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Why nuclear power will never supply the world's energy needs

(PhysOrg.com) -- The 440 commercial nuclear reactors in use worldwide are currently helping to minimize our consumption of fossil fuels, but how much bigger can nuclear power get? In an analysis to be published in a future issue of the Proceedings of the IEEE, Derek Abbott, Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Adelaide in Australia, has concluded that nuclear power cannot be globally scaled to supply the worlds energy needs for numerous reasons. The results suggest that were likely better off investing in other energy solutions that are truly scalable.

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