In my research[1] focused on early farmers of Europe, I have often wondered about a curious pattern through time: Farmers lived in large dense villages, then dispersed for centuries, then later formed cities again, only to abandon those as well. Why?
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is a Halloween visitor from the spooky Oort Cloud − the invisible bubble that’s home to countless space objects
The human mind may find it difficult to conceptualize: a cosmic cloud so colossal it surrounds the Sun and eight planets as it extends trillions of miles into deep space.
The spherical shell known as the Oort Cloud is, for all practical purposes,
Found dead in the snow − how microbes can help pinpoint time of death for forensic investigations in frigid conditions
What happens to a dead body in an extremely cold environment? Does it decompose? How do these conditions affect how forensic scientists understand when the person died?
Estimating time of death, also called the post-mortem interval[1], is a complex task. It
What is space made of? An astrophysics expert explains all the components – from radiation to dark matter – found in the vacuum of space
Curious Kids[1] is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [2]. What is space made of – what does gravity actually bend? – Phil, age 12, Birmingham What
2 solar probes are helping researchers understand what phenomenon powers the solar wind
Our Sun drives a constant outward flow of plasma, or ionized gas, called the solar wind, which envelops our solar system. Outside of Earth’s protective magnetosphere, the fastest solar wind rushes by[1] at speeds of over 310 miles (500 kilometers) per
The Polaris Dawn mission to Earth’s orbit will test SpaceX’s capabilities for a commercial space program
SpaceX’s upcoming Polaris Dawn mission aims to be historic[1] in more ways than one. Polaris Dawn plans to not only orbit Earth higher than any astronauts have in more than 50 years but to also feature the first private spacewalk.
It’s expected to
Astronomers have warned against colonial practices in the space industry − a philosopher of science explains how the industry could explore other planets without exploiting them
The past decade has seen a rapid expansion of the commercial space industry. Rival nations are competing for prime military and economic positions beyond the Earth. Public and private entities are clamoring to[1] mine the Moon[2], and a growing halo of