Science news 12 Mar, 2021

China's Long March 7A rocket launches on 1st successful flight - Space.com

The first launch attempt in March 2020 failed.

An Underwater Revolution Millions of Years Ago Rewrote The Script of The Ocean - ScienceAlert

Look far enough back in time, and a pattern may emerge. After studying thousands of ancient fossils, paleontologist Jack Sepkoski identified just such a thing in 1981: an epic sequence of life and death, etched into the skeletons of the last 500 mill

Faster than light travel is possible, scientist claims - New York Post

It sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but spaceships that travel at warp speed are possible, according to one top scientist. In a recent study, physicist Dr Erik Lentz outlined a way that a …

We Finally Know What's Going on With That Weird, Long, Recurring Cloud on Mars - ScienceAlert

In 2018, a camera on board the Mars Express mission caught sight of a strangely long and wispy cloud, billowing across the surface of the red planet.

Hubble Space Telescope is back online after software glitch - Space.com

As Negative Views of China Grow in U.S., Russians Are Happy with Their Neighbor - Newsweek

Two recent surveys showed that nearly three out of four Russians had a positive view of China, while only one out of five in the United States had a favorable opinion of the People's Republic, a...

Beached sperm whale in Australia shows scars from tussle with a giant squid - Livescience.com

It's unknown how the whale actually died.

Scientists solve another piece of the puzzling Antikythera mechanism - Ars Technica

“Our reconstruction fits all the evidence... gleaned from the extant remains to date."

Traces of Earth's early magma ocean identified in Greenland rocks - Phys.org

New research led by the University of Cambridge has found rare evidence—preserved in the chemistry of ancient rocks from Greenland—which tells of a time when Earth was almost entirely molten.

‘Potentially hazardous’ asteroid to fly by Earth on March 21, but no threat of collision, NASA says - KTLA Los Angeles

An asteroid predicted to be the largest to sweep by Earth this year will make its closest approach to the planet on the first full day of spring, according to NASA. But not to worry, because there is “no threat” that it will crash into Earth, the space agency…

The Queen ponders the 'rock-strewn' Martian surface during a virtual conversation to mark British Science Week - Telegraph.co.uk

She was also told about a meteorite that landed on British soil last Sunday, the first to be found in the UK for 30 years

Space Station Crew to Relocate Soyuz to Make Room for New Crewmates - NASA

Three residents of the International Space Station will take a spin around their orbital neighborhood in the Soyuz MS-17 on Friday, March 19, relocating the spacecraft to prepare for the arrival of the next set of crew members.

Why Hawaii has the best rainbows, ancient carpet still dazzles thanks to fermented wool – Physics World - physicsworld.com

Excerpts from the Red Folder

New proteins 'out of nothing' - Phys.org

Proteins are the key component in all modern forms of life. Hemoglobin, for example, transports the oxygen in our blood; photosynthesis proteins in the leaves of plants convert sunlight into energy; and fungal enzymes help us to brew beer and bake bread. Rese…

Scientists want to send 335 million seed, sperm and egg samples to the moon to create a lunar Noah's Ark - CBS News

It would take over six times more rockets to transport the samples than it took to build the International Space Station.

Alcubierre Gives us an Update on his Ideas About Warp Drives - Universe Today

A new look at warp drive fuels hope that it might be possible after all.

Astronomers Detect a Supermassive Black Hole on the Move – Unusual Motion Thus Far Unexplained - SciTechDaily

Scientists have long theorized that supermassive black holes can wander through space—but catching them in the act has proven difficult. Now, researchers at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian have identified the clearest case to date of a sup…

NASA is naming new features discovered on Mars in Navajo language - CBS News

The Navajo Nation has provided NASA scientists with a list of 50 names to use for new Martian terrain, including words for "strength," "respect" and "perseverance."

Exclusive: Myanmar's first satellite held by Japan on space station after coup - Yahoo News

Myanmar's first satellite is being held on board the International Space Station following the Myanmar coup, while Japan's space agency and a Japanese...

Trump’s Moon program survived a transfer of power, so what’s next? - The Verge

After winning support from a new administration, Biden’s NASA is focusing on continuity with its Artemis Moon program — while ditching the 2024 timeline.

Controlled by light alone, new smart materials twist, bend and move - Phys.org

Researchers at Tufts University School of Engineering have created light-activated composite devices able to execute precise, visible movements and form complex three-dimensional shapes without the need for wires or other actuating materials or energy sources…

Meteorite from Early Solar System Found in Person’s Driveway - Yahoo Lifestyle

A resident in Gloucestershire, England recently found a super-rare meteorite from the early solar system in their driveway. The post Meteorite from Early...

Eye color genetics not so simple, study finds - Science Daily

Researchers have identified 50 new genes for eye color in a study involving the genetic analysis of almost 195,000 people across Europe and Asia.

Gold and precious gems unearthed in a 5th-century grave in Bohemia - Livescience.com

Other skeletons nearby had been looted, but the woman's grave was untouched.

World's first dinosaur fossil found sitting on a nest of eggs - New York Post

The partially preserved feathered dinosaur had been incubating a nest of 24 eggs, seven of which contained the skeletal remains of developing babies, paleontologists said in the report.

Synthesis of borophane polymorphs through hydrogenation of borophene - Science Magazine

The two-dimensional material borophene, which is formed on silver surfaces, has a diverse polymorphism and is predicted to have unusual materials and electronic properties. However, it is highly unstable outside of ultrahigh vacuum conditions and oxidizes rea…

Ancient Earth was a water world - Science Magazine

Across the ages, sea levels have risen and fallen with temperatures—but Earth's total surface water was always assumed to be constant. Now, evidence is mounting that some 3 billion to 4 billion years ago, the planet's oceans held nearly twice as much water—en…

High-energy particle spotted speeding through Earth in major breakthrough - The Independent

Scientists have watched a high-energy particle speed through the Earth in what they are hailing as a major breakthrough.

Physicists measure the tiniest gravitational force ever - Livescience.com

The experiment could be a trial for many more even smaller ones probing the long-kept secrets of quantum scale gravity.

Cosmic rays being sent towards the Earth are not coming from where we thought, scientists say - The Independent

Los tejanos respondieron al llamado del senador con imágenes de morgues y filas para bancos de alimentos.

Epic Martian cloud forms every summer day around an immense volcano - SYFY WIRE

Every day in the late southern spring and summer, an astonishing elongated cloud forms around a gigantic volcano on Mars. This cloud appears every morning, grows to incredible length, and then dissipates before noon. This apparently happens every Martian year…

'Moon Registry' catalogs human heritage left behind on lunar surface - collectSPACE.com

The moon may be devoid of humans (for now), but there is plenty of humanity to be found strewn across the lunar surface. A new website catalogs the human heritage items that were left behind on the moon, for posterity and for the public to reference.

US Air Force is guarding against electromagnetic pulse attacks. Should we worry? - Livescience.com

Elon Musk Explains Why Starship SN10 Exploded After Landing - ExtremeTech

The SpaceX Starship SN10 prototype landed after its high-altitude test flight only to explode a few minutes later. Now we know a bit about why that happened and how SpaceX aims to solve this problem with SN11.