This week, the International Space Station received
a close-up view of Orbital ATK's Cygnus cargo craft. Cygnus carried with it supplies for new and ongoing experiments, including measuring neutrons and starting fires in space.
NASA
How To Milk A Devil
In a recent study in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers found that the milk of a Tasmanian devil contains compounds that kill bacteria, including the antibiotic-resistant one that scientists fear, MRSA. If they can isolate the useful compound then it could turn into a drug to help humans.
Out With The Old, In With The New
Apple’s new MacBook Pro laptop will include an interactive Touch Bar above the keyboard that changes depending on what app you are using. The day Apple announced this update also happened to be the 25th anniversary of when its first laptop came out. The 1991 Powerbook is pictured above next to the newest MacBook Pro. What a difference 25 years makes.
Microsoft Studio
Microsoft’s new Surface Studio convertible desktop.
Mars Lander Fragments
Earlier this month, the European Space Agency failed to guide its ExoMars lander successfully to Mars’ surface. Now we can see exactly what the extent of the damage looks like, thanks to images like the one above, taken by NASA’s High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE).
Worms As Medicine
Hookworms have traditionally been thought of as parasites that only cause digestive havoc. But recently, scientists have found that a lack of hookworms in the digestive tract may be a key factor in the development of autoimmune conditions, such as asthma. Scientists are trying to harness the hookworms’ power to treat and prevent these diseases. This week, researchers have identified a protein that might hold the healing powers.
An Iridescent Leaf
We typically think of flowers as being iridescent, but oddly enough Begonia pavonina, a plant found in the forests in Malaysia, has iridescent leaves. Researchers figured out that the leaves might help the plant perform photosynthesis while in deep shade.
A Close Up Of Orbital ATK’s Cygnus
This week, the International Space Station received a close-up view of Orbital ATK’s Cygnus cargo craft. Cygnus carried with it supplies for new and ongoing experiments, including measuring neutrons and starting fires in space.
Chocolate Hills Of Mars
NASA tweeted this photo of “chocolate hills” on Mars for National Chocolate Day today. These rock formations have a thick, darkly-colored coating on the outside that baffles scientists. Right now, they think it might be the remains of an old rock layer that either eroded away or melted due to the heat from a meteor impact. Part of the Opportunity rover’s mission is to figure out how these hills formed.
How To Terraform Mars
Humans want to bring life to Mars, but in order to do that we need to figure out a way for life to survive there. Read our article on how to terraform Mars by warming it with super-greenhouse gases.
On Demand Flying Cars?
This week, Uber announced that its next project will be to invent an app-summoned vertical-takeoff (VTOL) aircraft. But perhaps these plans for an on-demand flying car are a bit too lofty. Here, Popular Science discusses the history of VTOLs and whether Uber’s plans are plausible.
