BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Oct 21, 2020,For thousands upon thousands of years, humans have been harnessing the power of nature to provide energy to push our civilization forward. By leveraging fire, we gained the ability to cook food, provide warmth and shelter, and to protect us from predators. Later on, we tamed a variety of animals, using their labor to perform tasks that would be too strenuous or inefficient for humans. Eventually, natural power sources, like the wind, was harnessed through windmills to turn millstones, grinding grain without any human input...…BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Oct 21, 2020,For thousands upon thousands of years, humans have been harnessing the power of nature to provide energy to push our civilization forward. By leveraging fire, we gained the ability to cook food, provide warmth and shelter, and to protect us from predators. Later on, we tamed a variety of animals, using their labor to perform tasks that would be too strenuous or inefficient for humans. Eventually, natural power sources, like the wind, was harnessed through windmills to turn millstones, grinding grain without any human input...WW…

BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Feb 26, 2021,In 1859, the science of solar physics truly began with the largest eruption in recorded history: the Carrington event. Prior to this time, many people had observed the Sun: counting and monitoring sunspots, watching the Sun’s differential rotation rate, and making a potential link between sunspot activity, the Earth’s magnetic field, and observations of Earth’s aurora. But when astronomers Richard Carrington and Richard Hodgson noticed an enormous “white light flare” on the Sun on September 1, 1859, we realized that the Sun...…BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Feb 26, 2021,In 1859, the science of solar physics truly began with the largest eruption in recorded history: the Carrington event. Prior to this time, many people had observed the Sun: counting and monitoring sunspots, watching the Sun’s differential rotation rate, and making a potential link between sunspot activity, the Earth’s magnetic field, and observations of Earth’s aurora. But when astronomers Richard Carrington and Richard Hodgson noticed an enormous “white light flare” on the Sun on September 1, 1859, we realized that the Sun...WW…

BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Mar 23, 2021,It’s been nearly 100 years since we discovered that the Universe was expanding. Ever since, the scientists who study the expanding Universe have argued over two details of that expansion in particular. First off, there’s the question of how fast: what is the rate of expansion of the Universe, as we measure it today? And second, there’s the question of how this expansion rate changes over time, since the way the expansion changes is completely dependent on exactly what’s in our Universe.Throughout the 20th century, different...…BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Mar 23, 2021,It’s been nearly 100 years since we discovered that the Universe was expanding. Ever since, the scientists who study the expanding Universe have argued over two details of that expansion in particular. First off, there’s the question of how fast: what is the rate of expansion of the Universe, as we measure it today? And second, there’s the question of how this expansion rate changes over time, since the way the expansion changes is completely dependent on exactly what’s in our Universe.Throughout the 20th century, different...WW…

BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Jul 30, 2020,“Research both sides and make up your own mind.” It’s simple, straightforward, common sense advice. And when it comes to issues like vaccinations, climate change, and the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, it can be dangerous, destructive, and even deadly. The techniques that most of us use to navigate most of our decisions in life — gathering information, evaluating it based on what we know, and choosing a course of action — can lead to spectacular failures when it comes to a scientific matter.The reason is simple: most of us,...…BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Jul 30, 2020,“Research both sides and make up your own mind.” It’s simple, straightforward, common sense advice. And when it comes to issues like vaccinations, climate change, and the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, it can be dangerous, destructive, and even deadly. The techniques that most of us use to navigate most of our decisions in life — gathering information, evaluating it based on what we know, and choosing a course of action — can lead to spectacular failures when it comes to a scientific matter.The reason is simple: most of us,...WW…

BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Feb 16, 2021,One of the most fascinating questions in all of science is: “are we alone?” Since our distant ancestors first gazed at the heavens and had the thought that there might be other worlds with life on them, it’s set our terrestrial imaginations alight. Prior to the mid-20th century, the only hope we had of detecting an extraterrestrial presence would have been if it would have arrived on Earth and announced its presence to us. But the past few decades have transformed this existential question from a philosophical one into a...…BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Feb 16, 2021,One of the most fascinating questions in all of science is: “are we alone?” Since our distant ancestors first gazed at the heavens and had the thought that there might be other worlds with life on them, it’s set our terrestrial imaginations alight. Prior to the mid-20th century, the only hope we had of detecting an extraterrestrial presence would have been if it would have arrived on Earth and announced its presence to us. But the past few decades have transformed this existential question from a philosophical one into a...WW…

BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Jan 28, 2021,In 2017, an astronomical event occurred that was unlike any other: for the first time, we observed an object that we are certain originated from beyond our Solar System. Initially, its origin was a hot topic of contention. Was it a comet, albeit one with an unusual orbit? Was it an asteroid, on account of the fact that it didn’t develop a notable tail? Or was it something entirely unique: a visitor from elsewhere in the galaxy, and the first example of an entirely new class of object? Named ‘Oumuamua — Hawaiian for...…BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Jan 28, 2021,In 2017, an astronomical event occurred that was unlike any other: for the first time, we observed an object that we are certain originated from beyond our Solar System. Initially, its origin was a hot topic of contention. Was it a comet, albeit one with an unusual orbit? Was it an asteroid, on account of the fact that it didn’t develop a notable tail? Or was it something entirely unique: a visitor from elsewhere in the galaxy, and the first example of an entirely new class of object? Named ‘Oumuamua — Hawaiian for...WW…

BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Feb 28, 2020,Over the past 20 years, the number of bachelor's degrees awarded in physics has more than doubled: from just under 4,000 per year in the late 1990s to nearly 9,000 per year today, . By many metrics, racial representation is on the rise as well. Black Americans earned more than twice as many STEM degrees as they did 20 years ago. But in physics, the percentage of Black Americans earning Bachelor's degrees has plummeted over that same interval, even as Hispanic representation has nearly quadrupled.Today, across all STEM...…BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Feb 28, 2020,Over the past 20 years, the number of bachelor's degrees awarded in physics has more than doubled: from just under 4,000 per year in the late 1990s to nearly 9,000 per year today, . By many metrics, racial representation is on the rise as well. Black Americans earned more than twice as many STEM degrees as they did 20 years ago. But in physics, the percentage of Black Americans earning Bachelor's degrees has plummeted over that same interval, even as Hispanic representation has nearly quadrupled.Today, across all STEM...WW…

BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Jan 19, 2021,For all of human history until the launch of Sputnik, the only objects in the night sky were naturally occurring ones. From any dark sky site in the world, which included many suburban and rural areas in the 1950s, you could simply look up on a clear night and take in the vast expanse of the Universe beyond our world. In the absence of light pollution, a moonless night would reveal to your naked eye thousands of stars, numerous deep sky objects, extraordinary detail in the Milky Way, and even the occasional comet or...…BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Jan 19, 2021,For all of human history until the launch of Sputnik, the only objects in the night sky were naturally occurring ones. From any dark sky site in the world, which included many suburban and rural areas in the 1950s, you could simply look up on a clear night and take in the vast expanse of the Universe beyond our world. In the absence of light pollution, a moonless night would reveal to your naked eye thousands of stars, numerous deep sky objects, extraordinary detail in the Milky Way, and even the occasional comet or...WW…

BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Jan 14, 2021,NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, originally proposed in the 1990s, is finally slated to launch later this year: at the end of October, 2021. In many ways, it’s the successor telescope to Hubble, capable of showing us the Universe beyond our current limits. Not only will James Webb be the largest telescope ever sent to space, capable of gathering more light and achieving superior resolution compared with any prior space-based observatory, but it will be specialized for near-infrared and mid-infrared wavelengths, allowing...…BETAThis is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by Jan 14, 2021,NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, originally proposed in the 1990s, is finally slated to launch later this year: at the end of October, 2021. In many ways, it’s the successor telescope to Hubble, capable of showing us the Universe beyond our current limits. Not only will James Webb be the largest telescope ever sent to space, capable of gathering more light and achieving superior resolution compared with any prior space-based observatory, but it will be specialized for near-infrared and mid-infrared wavelengths, allowing...WW…

...© 2022 Forbes Media LLC. All Rights ReservedThis site uses cookiesContinue to SiteTo give you a great browsing experience free of charge, this site uses cookies. Cookies help us personalize content and ads, provide social media features,track your preferences, and analyze traffic. Forbes may share this information with its advertising, analytics, and social media partners, who may use itwith information you have provided to them in connection with their services.For more information: To consent and proceed, click "Continue to Site."Jan 6, 2021,If you take a look at the structures...…...© 2022 Forbes Media LLC. All Rights ReservedThis site uses cookiesContinue to SiteTo give you a great browsing experience free of charge, this site uses cookies. Cookies help us personalize content and ads, provide social media features,track your preferences, and analyze traffic. Forbes may share this information with its advertising, analytics, and social media partners, who may use itwith information you have provided to them in connection with their services.For more information: To consent and proceed, click "Continue to Site."Jan 6, 2021,If you take a look at the structures...WW…