Huge, expensive space missions like crewed exploration or complex rovers sent to other planets aren’t the only way to discover more about the universe. NASA could soon be launching four new small-scale astrophysics projects which aim to unpick the mysteries of the cosmos on a relatively tiny budget, using small satellites and science balloons.The four missions, chosen under the Pioneers program, are capped at a cost of $20 million each — a fraction of the billions spent on cutting-edge projects like the . They will answer questions in astrophysics like how our galaxy evolved and how to spot...…Huge, expensive space missions like crewed exploration or complex rovers sent to other planets aren’t the only way to discover more about the universe. NASA could soon be launching four new small-scale astrophysics projects which aim to unpick the mysteries of the cosmos on a relatively tiny budget, using small satellites and science balloons.The four missions, chosen under the Pioneers program, are capped at a cost of $20 million each — a fraction of the billions spent on cutting-edge projects like the . They will answer questions in astrophysics like how our galaxy evolved and how to spot...WW…

Tech CEO Elon Musk has urged his almost 42 million Twitter followers to use secure messaging app Signal instead of Facebook products. In a series of tweets, Musk shared referencing Facebook’s role in the spread of misinformation leading to the attack on Congress this week and suggested people should .Use Signal— Elon Musk (@elonmusk)The tweets seem to have been prompted by a recent change to Facebook’s privacy policy. As reported by , the new updates allow more sharing of data between Facebook and its partner company WhatsApp, including the sharing of phone numbers, interactions on the...…Tech CEO Elon Musk has urged his almost 42 million Twitter followers to use secure messaging app Signal instead of Facebook products. In a series of tweets, Musk shared referencing Facebook’s role in the spread of misinformation leading to the attack on Congress this week and suggested people should .Use Signal— Elon Musk (@elonmusk)The tweets seem to have been prompted by a recent change to Facebook’s privacy policy. As reported by , the new updates allow more sharing of data between Facebook and its partner company WhatsApp, including the sharing of phone numbers, interactions on the...WW…

There’s a strange type of neutron star called a magnetar; rarely spotted and only vaguely understood. To date, only 30 of these objects have been discovered, but recently a 31st was identified — and it turns out to be even more unusual than its brethren.A is incredibly dense, similar to a black hole, and is created when an enormous star collapses and dies. There are several thousand known neutron stars in our galaxy, and they are often used to study distant galaxies as well. But there is a special, rare type of neutron star called a magnetar that has a tremendously powerful magnetic...…There’s a strange type of neutron star called a magnetar; rarely spotted and only vaguely understood. To date, only 30 of these objects have been discovered, but recently a 31st was identified — and it turns out to be even more unusual than its brethren.A is incredibly dense, similar to a black hole, and is created when an enormous star collapses and dies. There are several thousand known neutron stars in our galaxy, and they are often used to study distant galaxies as well. But there is a special, rare type of neutron star called a magnetar that has a tremendously powerful magnetic...WW…

Everyone knows how much damage plastics are doing to the environment, from the plastics comprising the Great Pacific garbage patch to the microplastics infesting the ocean, to landfill sites that are overflowing with plastic waste. , but the resulting products are often low-quality and not that useful. This means that only a small percentage of all the plastic we create and use ends up being recycled.Now, chemists from the University of California Santa Barbara and other universities have come up with a new way to recycle plastic into something more valuable, which could help reduce the...…Everyone knows how much damage plastics are doing to the environment, from the plastics comprising the Great Pacific garbage patch to the microplastics infesting the ocean, to landfill sites that are overflowing with plastic waste. , but the resulting products are often low-quality and not that useful. This means that only a small percentage of all the plastic we create and use ends up being recycled.Now, chemists from the University of California Santa Barbara and other universities have come up with a new way to recycle plastic into something more valuable, which could help reduce the...WW…

NASA’s Curiosity rover continues to make discoveries that challenge our understanding of the Martian environment. The latest strange puzzle taxing scientists is the variation of oxygen levels on the planet’s surface, as detected Curiosity’s portable chemistry lab, Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM).In its journey around the Gale Crater, Curiosity discovered the Martian atmosphere has a composition at the surface of 95% by volume of carbon dioxide (CO2), 2.6% molecular nitrogen (N2), 1.9% argon (Ar), 0.16% molecular oxygen (O2), and 0.06% carbon monoxide (CO). The nitrogen and argon levels follow...…NASA’s Curiosity rover continues to make discoveries that challenge our understanding of the Martian environment. The latest strange puzzle taxing scientists is the variation of oxygen levels on the planet’s surface, as detected Curiosity’s portable chemistry lab, Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM).In its journey around the Gale Crater, Curiosity discovered the Martian atmosphere has a composition at the surface of 95% by volume of carbon dioxide (CO2), 2.6% molecular nitrogen (N2), 1.9% argon (Ar), 0.16% molecular oxygen (O2), and 0.06% carbon monoxide (CO). The nitrogen and argon levels follow...WW…

When it departs for its journey to Mars later this year, NASA’s Mars 2020 rover won’t only be armed with an array of scientific instruments — it will also be toting a high-powered laser.The laser is part of the for analyzing rocks and minerals found on the Martian surface. The laser beam sends out pulses from the end of the mast, which you could think of as the rover’s “head,” vaporizing rocks from up to 20 feet away. Once a rock is vaporized, the instrument can analyze the material to search for particular elements or chemical compounds.The laser heats its targets to around 18,000 degrees...…When it departs for its journey to Mars later this year, NASA’s Mars 2020 rover won’t only be armed with an array of scientific instruments — it will also be toting a high-powered laser.The laser is part of the for analyzing rocks and minerals found on the Martian surface. The laser beam sends out pulses from the end of the mast, which you could think of as the rover’s “head,” vaporizing rocks from up to 20 feet away. Once a rock is vaporized, the instrument can analyze the material to search for particular elements or chemical compounds.The laser heats its targets to around 18,000 degrees...WW…