Shape-Shifting Plastic May Be In Your Future

What if you could transform the plastic spoon you used at lunch into a cup for your water and then change it back to a spoon? That is precisely what researchers at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering had in mind when they created "pluripotent plastic."...

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Meet Methuselah, The World's Oldest Living Aquarium Fish

Methuselah, a female Australian lungfish at San Francisco's Steinhart Aquarium, has always been a favorite with locals. But she has achieved global fame since September 2023, after scientists announced that she was at least 93 years old, making Methuselah the world's oldest living aquarium fish. The title was previously held by Grandad, an Australian lungfish who lived at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium. He was believed to be between 109 and 115 years old when he died in 2017....

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New Research Suggests Starfish Bodies Are Really Just Heads

As far as anatomy goes, there have been few animals as puzzling to researchers as the starfish. Most animals have easily identifiable heads, bodies, and legs. However, starfish bodies are made up of five identical arms with a layer of "tube feet," to help them propel forward. The lack of a discernable head led some to even suggest they did not have one. But, a new study asserts that the opposite is true. The sea star's body is just one big head and no tail!...

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The Moon May Be 40 Million Years Older Than Previously Believed

About 4.5 billion years ago, a Mars-sized planet smashed into the newly-formed Earth. The collision ejected a large amount of planetary debris into space. Scientists believe that due to the energy from the impact, the debris was initially molten. It solidified over time as the material cooled and eventually became the Moon. However, how quickly that happened is up for debate....

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Peregrine Lunar Lander Burns Up After Failed Mission

On January 8, 2024, the world witnessed a remarkable effort by NASA and Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology to land a spacecraft on the Moon. It was the first US attempt at the lunar surface since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The Peregrine Lunar Lander was launched into Earth's orbit without a hitch. Its final destination was an unexplored area on the western rim of the Moon's largest impact crater....

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Female Bottlenose Dolphins Use "Baby Talk" With Their Calves

When it comes to brainpower, bottlenose dolphins are second only to humans. The intelligent animals are known to use tools, help fellow dolphins in distress, and even prepare their food to make it more palatable. Now, a new study has found that just like humans, dolphin moms change their voices when "talking" to their young ones....

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Five Fascinating Dinosaur Discoveries Of 2023

2023 was a remarkable year for dinosaur fossil finds. Paleontologists across the globe unearthed a myriad of well-preserved remains, providing new insights into the ancient giants that roamed Earth millions of years ago. Here is a short list of some of the amazing and important finds made in 2023....

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The Northern Hemisphere Winter Will Officially Begin On December 21st

With the days getting increasingly shorter and colder, it may appear that winter is already upon us. However, the astronomical start of the chilly season in the Northern Hemisphere will not be until December 21, 2023. Often referred to as the winter solstice, it marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Conversely, Southern Hemisphere residents will celebrate the summer solstice on this day. They will enjoy the longest day and shortest night of 2023....

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Geminid Meteor Showers Promise A Spectacular Show This Year

There are over 30 meteor showers throughout the year. But most of them pale in comparison to the Geminids. Nicknamed the "900-pound gorilla of meteor showers" by NASA, they outweigh other dust streams by factors of between 5 to 500! The "shooting stars" are also easier to see because they go through the skies at about 22 miles (35 km) per second. This is almost half the speed of the Perseid meteors, which zip past at 37 miles (60 km) per second....

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ESA's Euclid Telescope Captures Spectacular Images Of The Cosmos

On November 7, 2023, the European Space Agency (ESA) released the first images from its deep space telescope, Euclid. The stunning full-color photos offer the clearest views of our cosmos yet. They are part of the telescope's six-year mission to create an extensive 3D map of the Universe around us. Scientists hope it will help solve the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter that make up 95 percent of our Universe....

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"Giant" Trapdoor Spider Fossil Unearthed in Australia

Australian researchers recently unveiled an exceptionally well-preserved fossil of an ancient spider. The arachnid roamed the continent between 16 million and 11 million years ago. Megamonodontium mccluskyi was unearthed at the McGraths Flat in New South Wales. Once covered with lush rainforests, the site has an abundance of insect and plant fossils that existed during the Miocene era. Many are new to science....

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14-Year-Old Heman Bekele is "America's Top Young Scientist"

With about 100,000 new cases diagnosed annually, skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the US. It is also expensive to treat. The CDC estimates that over $8 billion is spent annually to fight the disease. Now, scientists may have some help from 14-year-old Heman Bekele. The ninth-grader from Annandale, Virginia, has created a cheap bar of soap that could potentially help fight skin cancer. His invention won him the title of "America's Top Young Scientist" at the 3M Young Scientist Challenge on October 10, 2023....

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Japanese Scientists Create Recyclable Glue That Sticks And Unsticks On Demand!

Glue manufacturers must find a balance between two things when making the sticky substance — how strong it holds and how easily it can be pulled apart. That's because boosting one attribute usually weakens the other. As a result, the end product is either not sticky enough or extremely strong. The latter makes it hard to undo to adjust for mistakes or when the product is no longer useful. Now, scientists in Japan have created an intriguing, reusable glue that can instantly be stuck on and off....

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NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio Accidentally Breaks The Record For Longest Time In Space

Frank Rubio has inadvertently set a new record for the longest time in space by an American. The NASA astronaut who returned to Earth on September 23, 2023, was supposed to have been at the International Space Station (ISS) for 180 days. Instead, he was stuck there for 371 days. Rubio's time in space surpasses Mark Vande Hei's US spaceflight record of 355 days set in 2022. Russia holds the world record of 437 days, set in the mid-1990s....

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A Spectacular "Ring Of Fire" Eclipse Will Be Visible From The Americas On October 14th

Fall stargazing is about to get even more exciting. On October 14, 2023, the Moon will partially block the Sun, turning it into a stunning "ring of fire." The annular — Latin for ring-shaped — solar eclipse will be visible within a roughly 125-mile-wide (201 km) path from Oregon to Texas. The last time the US witnessed an annular eclipse was on May 20, 2012. The next time will not be until July 2084!...

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Pleasant Smells May Help You Remember Things Better

We have all experienced the strong link between smell and memory. A whiff of chlorine probably reminds you of summer pool parties, while the scent of flowers may bring back memories of your grandma's garden. Now, researchers from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) have found that breathing in pleasant aromas could even help improve memory and learning....

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