A robot retrieves the first melted fuel from Fukushima nuclear reactor

A remote-controlled robot successfully retrieved a small piece of melted nuclear fuel from inside one of the damaged reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan for the first time. The robot collected a tiny piece of gravel about 5 mm in size (about the size of a small grain) from inside the […]

“Miranda” moon of Uranus likely has an ocean and possibly life

A recent study suggests Miranda, one of Uranus’s moons, may harbor a hidden subsurface ocean beneath its icy crust. This could make it potentially hospitable to extraterrestrial life. Voyager 2 images from 1986 first revealed Miranda’s varied landscape of grooves, cliffs and other geological features, but the cause was unknown. New computer modeling by scientists […]

Scientists Invented an Entirely New Way to Refrigerate Things

Scientists have invented a new method of refrigeration called ionocaloric cooling, which uses ions to lower temperatures as an alternative to traditional vapor compression refrigeration systems. Typical refrigeration works by evaporating and condensing a refrigerant fluid, but many refrigerants in use are harmful to the environment. Ionocaloric cooling works by applying a small electric charge […]

‘Zombie star’ could explode soon, light up sky for the first time in 80 years

An unusual type of star known as a “zombie star” called T Coronae Borealis could explode in the near future after being dormant for decades. Also known as the “Blaze Star”, it is part of a binary star system located around 3,000 light years from Earth. The star goes through periodic explosions where it rapidly […]

Ancient Town From 4,000 Years Ago Found Hidden in Saudi Arabian Oasis

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of an ancient fortified town called al-Natah hidden in an oasis in Saudi Arabia. Radiocarbon dating indicates the town was inhabited 4000 years ago during the early Bronze Age, around 2400 BC. It was located within the walled oasis of Khaybar in northwest Saudi Arabia and covered an area of […]

Scientists Just Revealed Exactly What Happens When an Atom Splits in Two

Scientists have developed the first fully microscopic simulation of what occurs when an atom undergoes nuclear fission, or splits in two. The simulation modeled the fission of uranium-238, plutonium‐240, and californium-252 under different conditions using a national lab supercomputer. It revealed the fission process occurs in 4 main steps over different timescales: 1) Initial rearrangement […]

‘Horizon’ plane’s innovative shape promises greener flights and added comfort

A startup called Natilus is developing a new type of passenger plane called the Horizon that has a blended wing body design, where the wings merge smoothly into the main body of the aircraft. This type of design is more innovative than the traditional tube-and-wing structure of most commercial airplanes. It promises lower emissions and […]

Strange green spots on Mars found by NASA’s Perseverance rover

NASA’s Perseverance rover recently took nighttime images of a rock outcrop on Mars called the Malgosa Crest abrasion patch using its SHERLOC WATSON camera. The images revealed unexpected green-hued spots within the predominantly red Martian rock. The largest green spot was about 2 mm in diameter. On Earth, similar green spots in red rocks can […]