Category: Science

Deep in the Swedish forest, where reindeer roam and scientists ski in winter, lies one of Europe’s hopes for a spaceport that can ultimately compete with the United States, China and Russia. For decades, Europe has relied upon the U.S. for its security among the stars. But the Trump administration’s “America First” policies, plus a…

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The skyscrapers of the Shinjuku area are pictured as Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain at 3,776 metres, looms in the background of Tokyo, 2023. | Photo Credit: AFP Mount Fuji hasn’t erupted since 1707. But for Volcanic Disaster Preparedness Day, Japanese officials have released computer- and AI-generated videos showing a simulation of a potential violent…

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Quiz: That September 1, 1939, paper Name this physicist for whom the maximum mass limit of a white dwarf is named. START THE QUIZ 1 / 6 | Name this physicist for whom the maximum mass limit of a white dwarf is named. 2 / 6 | On September 1, 1939, J. Robert Oppenheimer and…

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The Nilgiri mountains in the Western Ghats are a biodiversity hotspot, home to a diverse array of birds, mammals, plants, and other life forms. Called the ‘blue mountains’ because of the blooming of Strobilanthus flowers, the Nilgiris are home to many species that are endemic and of conservation concern, including the Nilgiri pipit, the Nilgiri…

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Nerve cells in REM sleep are as alive as they are in wakefulness | Photo Credit: Tamara Govedarovic/Unsplash A: Sleep does not mean the brain is inactive and we do hear sounds while sleeping. Sleep is a recurrent and healthy state of inertia and reduced responsiveness found among higher vertebrates. It is controlled by the…

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Some rivers split up as they flow while some others don’t. This riverine phenomenon has intrigued researchers for decades. What determines whether a river flows as a single thread or develops into a multi-threaded system? The question may sound simple but it has become a fundamental issue in river geomorphology, straddling concepts across geology, geography,…

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