Why shooting stars arent stars at all: Understanding meteors, meteorites, and meteor showers
Witnessing a meteor, or shooting star, is a dazzling event caused by tiny space rocks burning up in Earth's atmosphere. These celestial fragments, originating from comets or asteroids, offer crucial insights into the early Solar System. Astronomers distinguish between meteoroids (in space), meteors (burning in the atmosphere), and meteorites (those that land on Earth).
The most pristine star ever found reveals secrets about the universes first moments
Astronomers have identified the most pristine star ever observed, located in the Milky Way's halo. This ancient star, with exceptionally low levels of heavy elements, offers a rare glimpse into the universe's earliest moments, potentially formed from the remnants of the first generation of stars.
Earths first animal revealed and its not what you think
Scientists at MIT have uncovered compelling evidence that ancient sea sponges were Earth's first animals. Chemical fossils found in rocks over 541 million years old point to these soft-bodied ocean dwellers. This discovery challenges previous ideas about the dawn of animal life. It suggests sponges existed long before the Cambrian explosion, fundamentally reshaping our understanding of evolution's earliest stages.
What happens to your brain and body when you get scared
When startled, your brain and body activate the fight-or-flight response, flooding you with stress hormones. This rapid reaction, coordinated by the amygdala and hypothalamus, quickens breathing, raises heart rate, and sharpens senses for survival. While essential, chronic activation can harm health, but managing fear through mindfulness, exercise, and support is possible.
Astronomers are stunned by interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS releasing water vapor unusually far from the Sun. This rare event, detected by NASA's Swift Observatory, suggests microscopic ice grains are sublimating, challenging existing cometary models. The discovery offers vital insights into how life's building blocks travel across the galaxy, highlighting the diverse origins of planetary materials.
Trio win Nobel chemistry prize for work on 'Hermione's handbag' materials
Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi have been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their groundbreaking work on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These innovative materials, with exceptionally large surface areas, offer solutions for critical global challenges like water scarcity and climate change.
Today marks the birth anniversary of G.N. Ramachandran, a brilliant Indian scientist whose work revolutionized protein structure and medical imaging. His groundbreaking collagen model and the Ramachandran plot are vital tools in biology and medicine. Despite his immense contributions, he remained largely unrecognized in India, a testament to his enduring, yet underappreciated, genius.
Only human deaths in space: How three cosmonauts died in just two minutes aboard Soyuz 11
The Soyuz 11 mission tragically ended with the deaths of three cosmonauts due to a rapid depressurization during re-entry. A faulty valve opened, venting the capsule's air into space. This disaster led to crucial safety upgrades, including mandatory pressure suits for all future missions.
Three scientists win Physics Nobel for work that paved way for cellphones
US scientists John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis have won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for groundbreaking experiments demonstrating quantum physics in action. Their work, proving quantum tunneling and energy quantization in a visible system, laid the foundation for technologies like cellphones and current quantum computing efforts.
Can gold grow on trees? Scientists find natures hidden gold-making process
Finnish researchers discovered tiny gold nanoparticles within Norway spruce needles, a process seemingly driven by microbes. Specific bacteria, living in biofilms inside the needles, transform soluble gold from soil into solid particles. This groundbreaking finding could revolutionize gold exploration, making it greener and more sustainable by using plants as indicators and potentially for metal recovery.
167-million-year-old fossil of Breugnathair elgolensis reveals how snakes first evolved from lizards
A remarkable fossil, Breugnathair elgolensis, unearthed on Scotland's Isle of Skye, offers crucial insights into snake evolution. This 167-million-year-old reptile exhibits a unique blend of lizard-like bodies and limbs with snake-like jaws and teeth, challenging previous assumptions. The discovery bridges the evolutionary gap, revealing how ancient lizards transformed into the slithering predators of today.
NASA's Perseverance rover may have captured early images of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. While a viral photo shows a bright, cylindrical object, experts suggest it's likely a photographic artifact from long-exposure imaging. Amateur astronomers are analyzing data from the comet's October 3, 2025, flyby, offering a rare glimpse of this unusual visitor.
Meet Anna Menon: SpaceX engineer preparing for NASAs Moon and Mars missions
Anna Menon, a pioneering engineer and astronaut candidate, has made history by becoming the first NASA astronaut selected after flying on a private orbital mission. Her career spans crucial roles at NASA and SpaceX, including managing astronaut operations and serving as a mission specialist on the historic Polaris Dawn mission.
