The Winter Solstice ExplainedOn Tuesday, December 21, Northern Hemisphere residents will enjoy the shortest day of 2021. Known as the winter solstice, it also marks the start of the astronomical winter season. This means that while the days following will grow longer, they will also be colder. Conversely, Southern Hemisphere residents will celebrate the summer solstice — the beginning of their astronomical summer — with the longest day and shortest night of the year....
اقرأ المقالTesla's Latest Electric Vehicle Is Just For Kids!Elon Musk has been teasing fans with the Tesla Cybertruck — the company's first all-electric truck — and the equally futuristic Tesla Cyberquad All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) since 2019. However, the car manufacturer has yet to begin production on either model. Instead, the company made up for the delay by announcing the release of the all-electric Cyberquad for Kids on December 1, 2021....
اقرأ المقالPowerful Tornadoes Leave A Trail Of Devastation Across Eight US StatesA series of deadly tornadoes swept across a large swath of the Midwestern and Southeastern US overnight on December 10, 2021. The National Weather Service (NSW) estimates that the severe storms spawned about 50 twisters across eight states — Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio, and Illinois....
اقرأ المقالAlbert Einstein's Notes On Theory of Relativity Set Auction RecordA rare manuscript co-authored by German-American physicist Albert Einstein and Swiss-Italian engineer Michele Besso just became the most expensive autographed scientific paper ever sold. The final price — which added up to more than 13.3 million euros ($15 million) with fees — far exceeded the 3.5 million Euros ($3.9 million) expected by Christie's Auction House Paris office, which hosted the sale....
اقرأ المقالNear-Earth Asteroid May Be A Chunk Of Our MoonKamo'oalewa) (also known as 2016-H03), a small asteroid that orbits the Sun alongside Earth has been known to science since 2016. However, the rock's origins have always remained a mystery to researchers. Now, new observations by University of Arizona (UA) astronomers indicate that the Ferris-wheel-sized space rock may be a piece of our Moon that broke off almost 500 million years ago!...
اقرأ المقالWinter, The Beloved "Dolphin Tale" Star, Passes Away At Florida AquariumWinter, the prosthetic-tailed dolphin whose story inspired a book and two heartwarming movies, died on November 12, 2021. The 16-year-old had been suffering from an intestinal blockage since November 1, 2021. The doctors at Florida's Clearwater Marine Aquarium tried several life-saving efforts but were unable to help the beloved mammal....
اقرأ المقالHeinz Unveils "Marz Edition" Ketchup For Space PioneersH.J. Heinz has been dominating the ketchup market on Earth for almost 150 years. Now, the American food company wants to ensure future space travelers also have access to the tasty condiment. On November 9, 2021, the company unveiled its "Marz Edition" ketchup. The unique recipe contains tomatoes grown under conditions similar to those on the Red Planet....
اقرأ المقالUN Climate Summit Ends With A New Pledge To Combat Climate ChangeOn November 13, 2021, diplomats from nearly 200 countries vowed to step up their efforts to slow global warming. The Glasgow Climate Pact, signed at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, was not as far-reaching as many had hoped. However, there was a clear consensus about the urgency to take action to prevent a catastrophic rise in global temperatures....
اقرأ المقالScientists May Have Discovered An Exoplanet That Orbits Three Stars!Over the years, astronomers have found many planetary systems with two or even three stars. However, the planets within the systems typically orbited a single star. Now, researchers may have found a gaseous exoplanet that orbits its three suns simultaneously!...
اقرأ المقال2021's Final Lunar Eclipse Is A Must-See Event!Partial lunar eclipses are typically not considered as newsworthy as total lunar eclipses. However, the one taking place overnight on November 18 and 19, 2021, is definitely worthy of a mention. It is the year's final partial lunar eclipse — and the longest one in 1000 years. With 97 percent of the Moon slipping into Earth's shadow, the celestial event also promises to be spectacular. The eclipse will be visible to a large area of the globe. Some of the best views will be reserved for North American residents....
اقرأ المقال"America's Top Young Scientist" Wants To Use Music Therapy To Improve Mental HealthSarah Park has known about the impact of music on the brain since a young age. The 13-year-old, who has been playing violin since she was 4, says she noticed its positive effect on those around her, especially her grandmother, who suffered from a mental health illness....
اقرأ المقالRare Tardigrade Fossil Found Trapped In AmberTardigrades, or water bears, are virtually indestructible. The eight-legged microscopic animals can withstand extreme temperatures, survive without food for decades, and even exist in a vacuum in space. But, despite being around for over 500 million years, they rarely appear on the fossil record. Their miniature size and lack of hard tissue make it hard for them to fossilize. Even when they do get preserved, the tiny creatures are hard to spot and often get overlooked. Over the years, only two tardigrade fossils have been found. Now, a third specimen — one of a new tardigrade species — has joined this exclusive group....
اقرأ المقالBritish Columbia Resident Gets Rudely Awakened By A Falling MeteoriteHalloween may be a few weeks away, but Ruth Hamilton has already been subjected to a spooky "trick." On October 3, 2021, the Golden, British Columbia, resident was in deep slumber when she heard a massive explosion. Shortly after, Hamilton felt some debris on her face. She jumped off the bed and turned on the light only to find a melon-sized boulder on the pillow and a huge hole in her ceiling....
اقرأ المقالOil Spill Off The Coast Of California Closes Beaches And Threatens WildlifeA ruptured undersea oil pipeline off the coast of Huntington Beach, CA, has leaked thousands of gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean, threatening fish and wildlife and causing numerous beach closures. The spill, caused by a 13-inch tear in a pipeline that transports crude oil from an offshore drilling platform to a pump station in Long Beach, CA, was first reported by locals on October 1, 2021. Experts are still trying to determine the amount of oil leaked before the pipeline was shut down on October 3, 2021. The estimates range anywhere from 25,000 gallons to 136,000 gallons....
اقرأ المقالMonterey Bay Aquarium's Resident Sea Otter Kit Invents "The Shrimp Game"Most seafood lovers — animal or human — would find it hard to resist a tasty shrimp morsel. However, not Kit, a mischievous sea otter that resides at California's Monterey Bay Aquarium. Rather than gulping down the tiny crustacean, Kit used it as a game piece to play what the aquarium officials dubbed "The Shrimp Game."...
اقرأ المقالChain Mail-Inspired Fabric Can Stiffen On DemandMany superheroes wear capes. But Batman's imposing floor-length cloak is legendary. The twisting sheath not only adds to the Dark Knight's mystique but also transforms into a rigid fabric that allows him to fly for extended periods. Now, engineers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore have replicated the shape-shifting material in real life....
اقرأ المقالCanary Island Volcano Continues To Erupt After Two WeeksLa Palma, one of Spain's Canary Islands, has been feeling the wrath of the Cumbre Vieja volcano since September 19, 2021. The explosive volcano, which came to life shortly after 3:00 pm local time, has been spewing out large amounts of molten lava, sometimes up to 20 feet (6 meters) high. The slow-moving rivers of magma have destroyed nearly 400 homes, buried dozens of kilometers of roads, and consumed hundreds of acres of farmland....
اقرأ المقالThis Ingenious Portable Desalination Device Makes Seawater DrinkableHumans have flown to the Moon and may even make it to Mars. But providing clean water to all remains a challenge. The World Health Organization estimates that one in three people globally still do not have easy access to clean water. While desalinating ocean water is an obvious solution, the current process is both expensive and harmful for the environment. Now, some Malaysian students may have found a cheaper, more sustainable way to transform seawater into drinkable water....
اقرأ المقالFirefighters Save Sequoia National Park's Beloved Giant Forest From Raging WildfireThe Sequoia National Park in California's southern Sierra Nevada mountains is best known for its namesake giant sequoias. The park boasts 40 groves of the massive trees, which occur naturally only on its western slopes. But the most beloved is the Giant Forest, a collection of 2000 trees that includes half of the Earth's largest and longest-living trees. This past weekend, the ancient wonders came dangerously close to being scorched by the KNP Complex Fire. But thanks to quick-thinking firefighters, the precious grove has been saved....
اقرأ المقالRetired Circus Elephants Move To New Home With Plenty Of Room To ExploreAfter years of intense public pushback, the now-shuttered Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus finally announced the retirement of their Asian elephant performers in 2016. While the decision was a resounding victory for animal lovers and activists, it raised a new issue. The mighty pachyderms were raised in captivity and lacked the skills to survive in the wild. Now, thanks to Florida-based White Oak Conservation, the animals have a new home — one where they can roam freely....
اقرأ المقالCommonly Found North American Wildflower Turns Out To Be A CarnivoreThe western false asphodel — an herb-like plant found in abundance along North America's West Coast — has been known to science since 1879. But it is only recently that researchers from the University of British Columbia discovered the innocent-looking plant's penchant for insects. The finding is particularly exciting given that this is the first new predatory plant to be discovered in 20 years....
اقرأ المقالRare Embryo Found Inside Prehistoric Turtle EggThe Henan Province in central China is a treasure trove of dinosaur eggs. However, the odd-looking black orb with a blue tint, presented to Fenglu Han and Haishui Jiang by a farmer in 2018, was unlike any dinosaur egg the experts had encountered before. The paleontologists from the China University of Geosciences initially thought the egg might belong to a new species of the prehistoric giants....
اقرأ المقالMattel Honors Six Female Pandemic Heroes With Custom Barbie DollsMattel's Barbie Role Models series, designed to inspire young girls to pursue their dreams, has highlighted the work of many incredible women. On August 4, 2021, the US toymaker revealed the latest additions to the collection — custom, one-of-a-kind dolls modeled after six female COVID-19 frontline workers....
اقرأ المقالHurricane Ida Makes Landfall In Louisiana As A Powerful Category 4 StormThe 2021 Atlantic hurricane season began with a bang for the residents of Louisiana. On August 29, 2021, the Gulf Coast state was battered by Hurricane Ida, a powerful Category 4 storm that officials believe was the strongest to hit the area in 165 years. To make matters worse, Ida arrived on the sixteenth anniversary of the devastating Hurricane Katrina and made landfall twice....
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