Tweaking non-neural brain cells can cause memories to fade
Neurons and a second cell type called an astrocyte collaborate to hold memories.
Jacek Krywko
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20
Science // Science & Exploration
Ancient fish-trapping network supported the rise of Maya civilization
The Maya were landscape engineers on a grand scale, even when it came to fishing.
Kiona N. Smith
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35
Our Universe is not fine-tuned for life, but it’s still kind of OK
Inspired by the Drake equation, researchers optimize a model universe for life.
Jacek Krywko
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124
A former Orion manager has surprisingly credible plans to fly European astronauts
"I know it's super hard, and I know it was crazy."
Eric Berger
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76
Russian ballistic missile attack on Ukraine portends new era of warfare
This is the first time an IRBM, once restricted by a Cold War arms treaty, has been used in combat.
Stephen Clark
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645
Rocket Report: Next Vulcan launch slips into 2025; Starship gets a green light
"Constellation companies and government satellite operators are desperate."
Eric Berger
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172
Surgeons remove 2.5-inch hairball from teen with rare Rapunzel syndrome
The teen didn't return for follow-up. Instead, she planned to see a hypnotherapist.
Beth Mole
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127
We’re closer to re-creating the sounds of Parasaurolophus
Preliminary model suggests the dinosaur bellowed like a large trumpet or saxophone, or perhaps a clarinet.
Jennifer Ouellette
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35
Most Read
NASA is stacking the Artemis II rocket, implying a simple heat shield fix
NASA expects it to take about four months to fully assemble the main parts of the SLS rocket.
Stephen Clark
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119
Yes, tapping on frescoes can reveal defects
Acousticians put a traditional "knock" test for delaminated areas to the test.
Jennifer Ouellette
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28
Horrifying medical device malfunction: Abdominal implant erupts from leg
Suspicious deaths, perforated sheep veins went unreported before device hit market.
Beth Mole
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132
Qubit that makes most errors obvious now available to customers
Can a small machine that makes error correction easier upend the market?
John Timmer
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29
Why Aztec “death whistles” sound like human screams
The basic mechanism relies on the Venturi effect, producing a unique rough and piercing sound.
Jennifer Ouellette
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99
SpaceX just got exactly what it wanted from the FAA for Texas Starship launches
"All pertinent conditions and requirements of the prior approval have been met."
Eric Berger
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238
Cracking the recipe for perfect plant-based eggs
Hint: It involves finding exactly the right proteins.
Knowable Magazine
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141
The key moment came 38 minutes after Starship roared off the launch pad
SpaceX wasn't able to catch the Super Heavy booster, but Starship is on the cusp of orbital flight.
Stephen Clark
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240
Microsoft and Atom Computing combine for quantum error correction demo
New work provides a good view of where the field currently stands.
John Timmer
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29
Scientist behind superconductivity claims ousted
After claims of high-temp superconductivity were retracted, Ranga Dias lost his university job.
Jennifer Ouellette
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137
Novo Nordisk sells hit weight-loss drug in China—at fraction of US price
As US struggles to afford GLP-1 drugs, the rest of the world sees much lower prices.
Beth Mole
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187
SpaceX will try some new tricks on Starship’s sixth test flight
"An additional objective for this flight will be attempting an in-space burn using a single Raptor engine."
Stephen Clark
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258
Emergent gravity may be a dead idea, but it’s not a bad one
Gravity may not emerge, but some interesting ideas did.
Paul Sutter
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102
Can going to a haunted house boost the immune system?
Study found marked decrease in inflammatory markers and white blood cells after visiting a haunted house.
Jennifer Ouellette
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40
The ISS has been leaking air for 5 years, and engineers still don’t know why
"This is a an engineering problem, and good engineers should be able to agree on it."
Stephen Clark
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134
Trust in scientists hasn’t recovered from COVID. Some humility could help.
Intellectual humility could win back much-needed trust in science, study finds
Beth Mole
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410
To invent the wheel, did people first have to invent the spindle?
The physics of spinning objects may have seeded concepts key to the wheel.
Kiona N. Smith
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64
The amorous adventures of earwigs
Elaborate courtship, devoted parenthood, gregarious nature (and occasional cannibalism)—earwigs have a lot going for them.
Knowable Magazine
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29
SpaceX president predicts rapid increase in Starship launch rate
"It's going to be hard to catch us, but I certainly hope people try."
Eric Berger
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204
Study confirms Egyptians likely used hallucinogens in rituals
Special concoction also contained honey, sesame seeds, pine nuts, licorice, and grapes to make it look like blood.
Jennifer Ouellette
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52
A lot of people are mistaking Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites for UAPs
"We were able to assess that they were all in those cases looking at Starlink flares."
Stephen Clark
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194
As ABL Space departs launch, the 1-ton rocket wars have a clear winner
"Our path to making a big contribution as a commercial launch company narrowed considerably."
Eric Berger
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103
Are standing desks good for you? The answer is getting clearer.
Whatever your office setup, the most important thing is to move.
Beth Mole
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116
IBM boosts the amount of computation you can get done on quantum hardware
Incremental improvements across the hardware and software stacks add up.
John Timmer
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39
What did the snowball Earth look like?
Entire continents, even in the tropics, seem to have been under sheets of ice.
John Timmer
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76
Firefly Aerospace rakes in more cash as competitors struggle for footing
The Series D fundraising round was "oversubscribed" and netted Firefly $175 million.
Stephen Clark
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45
Teen in critical condition with Canada’s first human case of H5 bird flu
The teen had no clear exposures to animals. No contacts have tested positive.
Beth Mole
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113
Revisiting the Stanford Prison Experiment 50 years later
Ars chats with director Juliette Eisner and original study participants in new documentary series.
Jennifer Ouellette
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65