A concept image of NASA’s Fission Surface Power Project NASA NASA is going to build a nuclear reactor on the moon by the mid-2030s. That’s the plan outlined in a new directive from the US space agency’s acting administrator, Sean Duffy. It isn’t a new idea – NASA awarded contracts in 2022 to three companies…
Rebecca Morelle Science Editor Alison Francis Senior Science Journalist David Lochridge David Lochridge was sacked after raising safety concerns When the Titan submersible went missing during a dive to the wreck of the Titanic in 2023, David Lochridge hoped the five people on board – including his former boss – could be rescued. “I always…
Victoria Gill Science correspondent, BBC News Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Female gorillas appear to maintain their social relationships for many years The relationships built up between female mountain gorillas are more important than previously understood, new research from Rwanda suggests. It shows that when one of these social great apes moves into a new group,…
Getty Images Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Parts of the Great Barrier Reef have suffered the largest annual decline in coral cover since records began nearly 40 years ago, according to a new report. Northern and southern branches of the sprawling Australian reef both suffered their most widespread coral bleaching, the Australian Institute of Marine Science…
Crystals and glasses have opposite heat-conduction properties, which play a pivotal role in a variety of technologies. These range from the miniaturization and efficiency of electronic devices to waste-heat recovery systems, as well as the lifespan of thermal shields for aerospace applications. The problem of optimizing the performance and durability of materials used in these…
Johns Hopkins University researchers have grown a novel whole-brain organoid, complete with neural tissues and rudimentary blood vessels — an advance that could usher in a new era of research into neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism. “We’ve made the next generation of brain organoids,” said lead author Annie Kathuria, an assistant professor in JHU’s Department…
A team of Chinese researchers led by Prof. GAO Caixia from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed two new genome editing technologies, known collectively as Programmable Chromosome Engineering (PCE) systems. The study, published online in Cell on August 4, achieves multiple types of precise DNA manipulations…
A new analysis of the bite strength of 18 species of carnivorous dinosaurs shows that while the Tyrannasaurus rex skull was optimized for quick, strong bites like a crocodile, other giant, predatory dinosaurs that walked on two legs — including spinosaurs and allosaurs — had much weaker bites and instead specialized in slashing and ripping…
Georgina Rannard Science correspondent NASA A concept image of NASA’s Fission Surface Power Project US space agency Nasa will fast-track plans to build a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030, according to US media. It is part of US ambitions to build a permanent base for humans to live on the lunar surface. According…
Esme Stallard Climate and science reporter, BBC News Nipah Dennis/Bloomberg/Getty Images Plastic production has exploded in the last century – to some it has been a miracle product while to others it is a pollution nightmare. Scientists have estimated that there are nearly 200 trillion pieces floating in the world’s oceans, and this could triple…
