Bumblebees can trick plants into flowering early
There’s a secret bumblebee trick that can trigger plants to flower a month earlier than they would otherwise. Researchers in Switzerland discovered that when bumblebees …
Articles by Mike Wehner
Astronomers think they just watched a planet be born
A baby planet was just spotted by scientists using the Very Large Telescope in Chile. The object, a swirling mass of matter surrounding a central …
Jupiter could have easily become a star, and Earth would have been doomed
The massive gas giant Jupiter could have potentially become a star in the earliest days of the solar system. If Jupiter had become a star, …
This is how the CDC wants to reopen the US
The CDC has issued guidance for “reopening the country” even as the coronavirus timeline remains unclear. Many of the recommendations are things we’ve heard before, …
These plant-based bottles could mean the end of plastic waste
A new plastic alternative made of plant sugars could replace traditional bottles while being more environmentally-friendly. The bottles, which were developed by a company called …
NASA’s next great space telescope finally has a name
NASA named its new space telescope after Nancy Grace Roman, the “Mother of Hubble.” The telescope will have greater capabilities than Hubble and will be …
NASA will pay you to spend 8 months locked in a Mars simulation
NASA is recruiting volunteers to spend eight months locked up in a simulated spacecraft on its way to Mars. The participants will be studied throughout …
NASA’s head of human spaceflight resigns days ahead of Crew Dragon launch
NASA’s head of human spaceflight, Doug Loverro, resigned just days before NASA’s first crewed launch in nearly a decade. Loverro told colleagues he was resigning …
Hamsters help to show just how effective masks can be in stopping coronavirus transmission
A new study out of China used hamsters to test the effectiveness of face masks against coronavirus transmission. Hamster cages were covered in surgical mask …
‘Potentially hazardous’ mile-wide asteroid will cruise past Earth on Thursday
An asteroid considered “potentially hazardous” by NASA will pass by Earth on May 21st. The rock, which might be up to a mile in diameter, …
This formula will ‘decode’ the habitability of exoplanets
Scientists from Cornell University have developed a model to “decode” the habitability of distant exoplanets. By taking into account the color of the planet as …
What are the odds of intelligent life existing outside of Earth?
An astronomer has calculated what he believes are the odds that life exists elsewhere in the universe, and they’re quite favorable. Based on his calculations, …
Hurricanes are getting stronger, and it’s all our fault
A new study reveals that hurricanes are indeed getting more powerful on a decade-by-decade basis. The study also draws strong links between more powerful storms …
A deadly virus is spreading across the United States… in rabbits
A deadly virus has been found in rabbits in several US states, and it could pose a risk to populations of various species across the …
Chinese doctors say they may be able to cure coronavirus without a vaccine
A new type of coronavirus treatment could give COVID-19 patients relief. Scientists in China injected antibodies isolated from recovered coronavirus patients and injected them into …
This bird went completely extinct, and then it came back
A species of flightless bird went extinct over 130,000 years ago but then appeared again after evolution gave it a second chance. The birds evolved …
Scientists explain mysterious ‘lava flows’ on Mars
Volcano-like features on Mars may actually be the result of mud flows rather than lava, researchers now say. Using simulated Mars conditions, researchers were able …
The Sun is going quiet as we dive deeper into a solar minimum
Solar activity is waning, and scientists say we’re headed into a period of low Sun activity known as the solar minimum. The Sun follows a …
This chart shows every coronavirus symptom we know about so far
This handy chart shows all the different ways the novel coronavirus can impact different parts of your body. Not everyone experiences the same symptoms, and …
Coronavirus vaccine may be ready in 2020, but don’t ‘bank on it’
We shouldn’t expect a coronavirus vaccine in 2020, according to Dr. Tom Inglesby of Johns Hopkins University. Vaccine development takes a long time and requires …
Breakthrough technique allows blind people to see shapes and objects
Scientists drew shapes onto the brains of visually impaired volunteers using electricity, and the participants were able to identify the shapes with ease. The new …
Aquarium fish are starting to miss humans
Fish at Australia’s popular Cairns Aquarium are feeling a bit down after lockdown prevented visitors from coming to see them. We don’t usually think of …
The Moon ‘disappeared’ 900 years ago, and scientists just figured out why
The Moon’s mysterious disappearance from the sky in the year 1100 is just now getting an explanation by scientists. It’s believed that volcanic activity on …
Restaurants are adding coronavirus surcharges to bills, and people are not happy
Restaurants are feeling financial pressure as the coronavirus pandemic has affected supply chains and resulted in higher and higher prices for meat and produce. Customers …
Scientists can’t figure out why otters love to juggle
Scientists tried to figure out why otters like to juggle rocks but came up empty-handed. Several theories, including rock juggling to build dexterity or practice …
Europa’s hidden ocean supported by decades-old data
Jupiter’s moon Europa may have a vast ocean of water beneath its surface, and new data from Galileo supports that theory. Researchers found that a …
Scientists genetically modified a mouse to be 4 percent human
Scientists injected human stem cells into mouse embryos and let them develop. One of the resulting embryos had 4% human cells after 17 days of …
NASA might accidentally create the first man-made meteor shower
NASA’s DART mission will test the feasibility of redirecting an asteroid, but the debris it creates could generate the first-ever manmade meteor shower. The DART …
Coronavirus test used by Trump and others at White House may be wrong half the time
A coronavirus test used by the White House and touted by Trump as “game-changing” may miss up to half of COVID-19 infections, a new paper …
Astronomers spot tempting ‘Super-Earth’ in a nearby star system
A Super-Earth was spotted near the galactic center, and it appears to be in the habitable zone of its star. The planet is larger than …
