Science news
Cape Horn Dam. Izzy Vanderheiden. Remember how a shady Southern California water agency, the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, announced that it wanted to take over the Potter Valley Project on the Eel River, seemingly to thwart dam removal? We have some good news. Earlier this month, the Federal Energy Regulator Commission (FERC) … Read more
As Vandenberg Space Force Base looks to build the “Spaceport of the Future,” it’s bringing back a squadron that was deactivated in 2018. The 4th Space Launch Squadron was first activated in 1994 and oversaw Titan, Delta and Atlas rocket launches before it was deactivated. According to Colonel James T. Horne III, Space Launch Delta … Read more
Yuval Boger interviews mathematician Gil Kalai about his long-standing skepticism regarding scalable quantum computing. Kalai explains two main arguments behind his theory: correlated noise that may defeat quantum error correction and complexity-based limits on NISQ devices achieving quantum supremacy. They discuss experimental claims such as Google’s 2019 result, potential tests of Kalai’s conjectures, and the … Read more
The discovery has prompted authorities to limit public access to the region while conservationists monitor the nesting site. In a routine search for wild mushrooms deep in a community forest in Nepal, extraordinary wildlife has been discovered. Local residents exploring the forest floor near Jhakri Sota in the Ambe Community Forest came across something few … Read more
LANTON, France (AP) — With his watering can and bucket, Jean-François Pauner meanders from one small fire to the next along a forest floor, dousing small flare-ups of wildfires that have swept through woodlands four times the size of Paris in southwestern France. “This is the first fire I’m experiencing real-time, and I can tell … Read more
The scintillating cosmic phenomenon of a total solar eclipse will be visible to millions of people across parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, Spain and Portugal on August 12. It’s the first of three eclipses anticipated over Spain in the next two years. The best way to prepare for safe viewing of the stellar lineup … Read more
At sea level, an oxygen mask and a pressure suit can look like two versions of the same idea. Both seem to give a pilot air. At about 19 kilometres above Earth, the difference becomes the difference between breathing and remaining physically intact. This is an account of aerospace physiology and flight protection, not guidance … Read more
As a backcountry ranger at a national park, Sam built a career doing work that many visitors never see: patrolling trails, checking campsites and educating hikers on how to keep themselves and the park safe. Sam had never been asked to collect entry fees — until this year. Now, Sam works overtime each week at … Read more
UN chief Guterres calls for halt to new fossil fuels as El Nino induces heatwaves, floods, and drought worldwide Published On 31 Jul 202631 Jul 2026 A rapidly intensifying El Nino event is set to dominate global weather patterns in the coming months, unleashing extreme weather across the planet, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned. … Read more
The Starlink 17-52 mission lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Image: SpaceX. SpaceX launched its next batch of Starlink satellites from California on Friday night, four days later than original planned. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space … Read more