Science

Astronomers said that a “super-Earth” discovered just 39 light years away may be one of the best candidates outside of our solar system to support life. This new, big, dense planet is rocky, like Earth, and has the right temperatures for water, putting it in the habitable zone for life, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature …

A toxin killed two beluga whales that died suddenly in November 2016, according to a five-month-long investigation by the Vancouver Aquarium. Dozens of toxologists, doctors, and genome specialists contributed to the investigation but could not determine the exact toxin, the aquarium said in a written release. But the investigative team determined the toxin was likely introdued to the whales either …

Researchers have discovered a new garbage patch — this time floating in the remote, frozen reaches of the Arctic. Plastics discarded in Europe and the East Coast of North America slowly drift to a watery graveyard north of Norway, according to a new study — endangering wildlife already struggling to adapt to a changing climate. The consequences of the pollution …

An asteroid over a kilometer across flew safely past the Earth. It was the largest asteroid to pass us in over a decade (the last one was Toutatis in 2004), and there are no known asteroids that size that will get as close for another decade. Brad Tucker, an astronomer at the Australian National University, said: “This tells us how …

A Russian cosmonaut and an American astronaut have arrived at the International Space Station, taking a toy dog for company. NASA astronaut Jack Fischer and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin lifted off from Kazakhstan on Thursday, bound for the International Space Station. About nine minutes into their voyage, the stuffed dog leaped into the air, then began to drift at the …

Researchers from Ohio State University have now said they are able to accurately predict when humans are about to have a ‘learning epiphany’ before we even know we’re going to have it ourselves. Learning by epiphany is something that happens to almost everyone, but until now studying how the body reacts to an ‘a-ha’ moment has been challenging. Most research …

A joint group of astronomers from the European Southern Observatory announced on Wednesday that the group has found a planet 40 light years away from Earth that could potentially support life. The planet, which has been dubbed LHS 1140b, is roughly 40 percent larger than Earth, and is in its star’s habitable zone. The habitable zone is an area around …

A team of physicists from around the world have created a fluid they claim has negative mass. A negative mass fluid is unlike any other physical object in the world. Normally, pushing something moves it away from you, but if you push something with negative mass, it moves in the opposite direction. “That’s what most things that we’re used to …

Scientists have collected the first live specimen of a rare, giant shipworm, found in the Philippines. The long, black worm-like animals were found in waters near the Philippines. Actually a super-elongated mollusk, the giant shipworm is good company for the many hell-spawned, demon fish that roam darkened waters across the globe. It can grow up to five-feet long, and yes, …

A team of researchers say a melting glacier in Canada’s Yukon has caused a river to completely change course. Last spring, its retreat triggered a geologic event at relatively breakneck speed. The toe of ice that was sending meltwater toward the Slims River and then north to the Bering Sea retreated so far that the water changed course, joining the …

A Russian robot is scheduled to exit the Earth’s atmosphere in 2021, but it first needs to learn some basic skills before beginning its voyage. “FEDOR” already knows how to drive and put out a fire, but what happens if it gets ambushed by extraterrestrials? Russia’s deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said the android was designed to benefit mankind, despite …