NASA’s Plasma Rocket Could Reach Mars in 2 Months
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In our top stories this week, reporter Passant Rabie describes in in-development rocket engine that NASA could eventually use to reach Mars in two months. Reporter Isaac Schultz details the severe geomagnetic storm warning and a new fusion breakthrough, while health reporter Ed Cara describes a previously unknown genetic cause of Alzheimer’s, among other fascinating stories this week. - George Dvorsky
NASA’s Proposed Plasma Rocket Would Get Us to Mars in 2 Months
The future of space travel depends on our ability to reach celestial pit stops faster and more efficiently. As such, NASA is working with a technology development company on a new propulsion system that could drop off humans on Mars in a relatively speedy two months’ time rather than the current nine month journey required to reach the Red Planet. - Passant Rabie Read More
World Warned to Prepare for Today’s Severe Geomagnetic Storm, First in 20 Years
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center forecasted a “severe solar storm” that’s expected to hit Earth this weekend, according to a release. These geomagnetic storms happen every so often, but as the Sun approaches the maximum of its 11-year solar cycle, the space weather is getting more intense. - Isaac Schultz Read More
The Titanic Tourist Sub Was Always Going to Kill Its Passengers
It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year since OceanGate’s Titan submersible disappeared. Surely, that happened at least three years ago, right? After several days of searching, experts determined that the sub most likely imploded, killing everyone on board. Debris and possible human remains were eventually recovered, but that was it for the Titan submersible. Thanks to new research, though, we may finally have a better idea of exactly what went wrong. Or rather, new research appears to confirm what we knew all along — the sub was basically designed from the beginning to fail. - Collin Woodard, Jalopnik Read More
New Fusion Record Achieved in Tungsten-Encased Reactor
A tokamak in France set a new record in fusion plasma by encasing its reaction in tungsten, a heat-resistant metal that allows physicists to sustain hot plasmas for longer, and at higher energies and densities than carbon tokamaks. - Isaac Schultz Read More
You’re Practically Guaranteed to Get Alzheimer’s If You Have This Genetic Variant
A team of scientists seems to have discovered a previously hidden genetic cause of Alzheimer’s. In a new study Monday, the researchers found strong evidence that people carrying two copies of a genetic variation already tied to Alzheimer’s risk are practically destined to develop the neurodegenerative disorder as they get older. As much as 2% of the general population may have the same mutation, suggesting that the genetic risk of Alzheimer’s is larger than currently assumed. - Ed Cara Read More
29 Hilarious Finalists From the Comedy Pet Photo Awards
Pets are our loving companions and offer moments of levity even when times are tough. Though it’s hard to say whether they understand humor, they certainly provide us with plenty. From cats stuck in stone walls to dogs stuck in cat doors, our domesticated animals give us something to live for—and occasionally laugh at. - Isaac Schultz Read More
SpaceX Unveils New Spacesuits for Historic Private Astronaut Spacewalk
SpaceX is preparing to launch a private crew of astronauts on a five day journey through Earth orbit, and they will be the first to try on the company’s latest spacesuit design during a first-of-its-kind spacewalk. - Passant Rabie Read More
Trippy NASA Visualization Takes You Inside a Black Hole
Light famously cannot escape the event horizon of a black hole, leaving astrophysicists to theorize and speculate what it’s like beyond the limits of human perception. Now, NASA researchers take that theorization a step further, in the form of an animation that takes you (the viewer) into the black hole. - Isaac Schultz Read More
Undiagnosed Nerve Disorders May Be Widespread Among Americans, Doctors Warn
A constant feeling of strange tingling and numbness along a person’s legs might be much more common than assumed in some parts of the U.S., new research out Wednesday suggests. Researchers have found evidence that a substantial majority of older adults in Flint, Michigan are experiencing neuropathy, an uncomfortable ailment caused by nerve damage that can raise the risk of other serious health problems such as infections and falls. Often, these patients were even unaware that they had it. - Ed Cara Read More
