A major renewable energy project in Australia billed as the world's largest solar farm in development has had its proposed location revealed.The AUD$20 billion facility – the heart of an ambitious electricity network called the – will be built at a remote cattle station in the Northern Territory, roughly halfway between Darwin and Alice Springs. The gargantuan 10-gigawatt array – spread out across some of photovoltaic panels – might be situated close to the heart of the Australian outback, but the energy reaped from the plant will ultimately be transported far, far away from the sunburnt...…A major renewable energy project in Australia billed as the world's largest solar farm in development has had its proposed location revealed.The AUD$20 billion facility – the heart of an ambitious electricity network called the – will be built at a remote cattle station in the Northern Territory, roughly halfway between Darwin and Alice Springs. The gargantuan 10-gigawatt array – spread out across some of photovoltaic panels – might be situated close to the heart of the Australian outback, but the energy reaped from the plant will ultimately be transported far, far away from the sunburnt...WW…

A major renewable energy project in Australia billed as the world's largest solar farm in development has had its proposed location revealed.The AUD$20 billion facility – the heart of an ambitious electricity network called the – will be built at a remote cattle station in the Northern Territory, roughly halfway between Darwin and Alice Springs.The gargantuan 10-gigawatt array – spread out across some of photovoltaic panels – might be situated close to the heart of the Australian outback, but the energy reaped from the plant will ultimately be transported far, far away from the sunburnt...…A major renewable energy project in Australia billed as the world's largest solar farm in development has had its proposed location revealed.The AUD$20 billion facility – the heart of an ambitious electricity network called the – will be built at a remote cattle station in the Northern Territory, roughly halfway between Darwin and Alice Springs.The gargantuan 10-gigawatt array – spread out across some of photovoltaic panels – might be situated close to the heart of the Australian outback, but the energy reaped from the plant will ultimately be transported far, far away from the sunburnt...WW…

The acclaimed Nobel Prize-winning scientist James Watson will be forever remembered as one of the . But also as something much worse.In a resurfaced controversy that further dims the shine of one of the 20th century's most esteemed scientists, Watson – awarded the Nobel in 1962 for his role in the discovery of DNA's 'double helix' molecular structure – has been stripped of academic titles after repeating offensive racist views that began to shred his reputation over a decade ago. After new racist comments by Watson surfaced in the recent PBS documentary , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory...…The acclaimed Nobel Prize-winning scientist James Watson will be forever remembered as one of the . But also as something much worse.In a resurfaced controversy that further dims the shine of one of the 20th century's most esteemed scientists, Watson – awarded the Nobel in 1962 for his role in the discovery of DNA's 'double helix' molecular structure – has been stripped of academic titles after repeating offensive racist views that began to shred his reputation over a decade ago. After new racist comments by Watson surfaced in the recent PBS documentary , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory...WW…

The hole in the layer over Antarctica has expanded to one of its greatest recorded sizes in recent years.In 2019, scientists revealed that the Antarctic ozone hole had hit its in 1982, but the 2020 update on this atmospheric anomaly – like other things this year – brings a sobering perspective. "Our observations show that the 2020 ozone hole has grown rapidly since mid-August, and covers most of the Antarctic continent – with its size well above average," project manager Diego Loyola from the German Aerospace Center.New measurements from the European Space Agency's Copernicus Sentinel-5P...…The hole in the layer over Antarctica has expanded to one of its greatest recorded sizes in recent years.In 2019, scientists revealed that the Antarctic ozone hole had hit its in 1982, but the 2020 update on this atmospheric anomaly – like other things this year – brings a sobering perspective. "Our observations show that the 2020 ozone hole has grown rapidly since mid-August, and covers most of the Antarctic continent – with its size well above average," project manager Diego Loyola from the German Aerospace Center.New measurements from the European Space Agency's Copernicus Sentinel-5P...WW…

Microplastics can now be found in almost , but scientists know surprisingly little about how the products we use every day shed these tiny plastic particles. If you drink from a plastic water bottle or eat out of a microwaveable container today, there's a good chance that you're using polypropylene. Polypropylene is thought to be for lots of different applications – which is why it's the most widely used plastic in food preparation.Another place you'd expect to find polypropylene is in baby feeding bottles. We generally assume that bottles made from this plastic are rigid and stable when...…Microplastics can now be found in almost , but scientists know surprisingly little about how the products we use every day shed these tiny plastic particles. If you drink from a plastic water bottle or eat out of a microwaveable container today, there's a good chance that you're using polypropylene. Polypropylene is thought to be for lots of different applications – which is why it's the most widely used plastic in food preparation.Another place you'd expect to find polypropylene is in baby feeding bottles. We generally assume that bottles made from this plastic are rigid and stable when...WW…

A giant, catastrophic tsunami in Alaska triggered by a landslide of rock left unstable after glacier melting is likely to occur in the next two decades, scientists fear - and it could happen within the next 12 months. A group of scientists warned of the prospects of this impending disaster in Prince William Sound in an to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) in May.While the potential risks of such a landslide are very serious, there remain a lot of unknowns about just how or when this calamity could take place.What is clear is that glacier retreat in , along the south coast of...…A giant, catastrophic tsunami in Alaska triggered by a landslide of rock left unstable after glacier melting is likely to occur in the next two decades, scientists fear - and it could happen within the next 12 months. A group of scientists warned of the prospects of this impending disaster in Prince William Sound in an to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) in May.While the potential risks of such a landslide are very serious, there remain a lot of unknowns about just how or when this calamity could take place.What is clear is that glacier retreat in , along the south coast of...WW…

In November 2018, after an epic, 41-year voyage, Voyager 2 finally crossed the boundary that marked the limit of the Sun's influence and entered interstellar space. But the little probe's mission isn't done yet - it's now sending home information about the space beyond the Solar System. And it's revealing something surprising. As Voyager 2 moves farther and farther from the Sun, the density of space is increasing.It's not the first time this density increase has been detected. Voyager 1, which entered interstellar space in 2012, detected a similar density gradient at a separate...…In November 2018, after an epic, 41-year voyage, Voyager 2 finally crossed the boundary that marked the limit of the Sun's influence and entered interstellar space. But the little probe's mission isn't done yet - it's now sending home information about the space beyond the Solar System. And it's revealing something surprising. As Voyager 2 moves farther and farther from the Sun, the density of space is increasing.It's not the first time this density increase has been detected. Voyager 1, which entered interstellar space in 2012, detected a similar density gradient at a separate...WW…

The oxygen supply system has failed in a module on the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) but the crew is in no danger, Russian space agency Roscosmos said Thursday. The oxygen supply system on the Zvezda module on the orbital lab failed late on Wednesday but a second system on the American segment is operating normally, a Roscosmos spokesperson told AFP."Nothing threatens the security of the crew and the ISS," said the spokesperson, adding this repair work to fix the issue would be carried out on Thursday.The issue arose after three new crew - two Russian cosmonauts...…The oxygen supply system has failed in a module on the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) but the crew is in no danger, Russian space agency Roscosmos said Thursday. The oxygen supply system on the Zvezda module on the orbital lab failed late on Wednesday but a second system on the American segment is operating normally, a Roscosmos spokesperson told AFP."Nothing threatens the security of the crew and the ISS," said the spokesperson, adding this repair work to fix the issue would be carried out on Thursday.The issue arose after three new crew - two Russian cosmonauts...WW…

The human brain is a remarkable thing;  are not even close to competing with our powers of higher consciousness and ingenuity. And yet, those 80 billion or so neurons are also incredibly fragile.  with a particular connection - maybe something misfires, or a certain neural pathway is blocked - things can fall apart very quickly.And, oddly enough, even without any injuries or structural malfunctions, the human brain can get weird all by itself - turns out,  to trick it into seeing and hearing things that aren't actually there.We're not talking about  to make yourself hallucinate.  - you just...…The human brain is a remarkable thing;  are not even close to competing with our powers of higher consciousness and ingenuity. And yet, those 80 billion or so neurons are also incredibly fragile.  with a particular connection - maybe something misfires, or a certain neural pathway is blocked - things can fall apart very quickly.And, oddly enough, even without any injuries or structural malfunctions, the human brain can get weird all by itself - turns out,  to trick it into seeing and hearing things that aren't actually there.We're not talking about  to make yourself hallucinate.  - you just...WW…

Does it feel like all eyes are on these days? The discovery of the potential biomarker phosphine in the planet's upper atmosphere last month garnered a lot of attention, as it should. There's still some uncertainty around what the phosphine discovery means, though. Now a team of researchers claims they've discovered the amino acid glycine in Venus' atmosphere.The paper announcing the finding is titled ''. The lead author is Arijit Manna, a Ph.D. Research Scholar in the Dept. of Physics at Midnapore College in West Bengal, India. The paper is at the pre-print site arxiv.org, which means it...…Does it feel like all eyes are on these days? The discovery of the potential biomarker phosphine in the planet's upper atmosphere last month garnered a lot of attention, as it should. There's still some uncertainty around what the phosphine discovery means, though. Now a team of researchers claims they've discovered the amino acid glycine in Venus' atmosphere.The paper announcing the finding is titled ''. The lead author is Arijit Manna, a Ph.D. Research Scholar in the Dept. of Physics at Midnapore College in West Bengal, India. The paper is at the pre-print site arxiv.org, which means it...WW…

Picturing how our species might appear in the far future often invites wild speculation over stand-out features , , and . Yet subtle shifts in our anatomy today demonstrate how unpredictable evolution can be. Take something as mundane as an  in our arms, which going by current trends could be common place within just a few generations.Researchers from Flinders University and the University of Adelaide in Australia have noticed an artery that temporarily runs down the centre of our forearms while we're still in the womb isn't vanishing as often as it used to.That means there are more adults...…Picturing how our species might appear in the far future often invites wild speculation over stand-out features , , and . Yet subtle shifts in our anatomy today demonstrate how unpredictable evolution can be. Take something as mundane as an  in our arms, which going by current trends could be common place within just a few generations.Researchers from Flinders University and the University of Adelaide in Australia have noticed an artery that temporarily runs down the centre of our forearms while we're still in the womb isn't vanishing as often as it used to.That means there are more adults...WW…

Nuclear power is as one of the best ways to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels to generate the electricity we need, but new research suggests that going all-in on renewables such as wind and solar might be a better approach to seriously reducing the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Based on an analysis of 123 countries over a quarter of a century, the adoption of nuclear power did not achieve the significant reduction in national carbon emissions that renewables did – and in some developing nations, nuclear programmes actually pushed carbon emissions higher.The study also finds...…Nuclear power is as one of the best ways to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels to generate the electricity we need, but new research suggests that going all-in on renewables such as wind and solar might be a better approach to seriously reducing the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Based on an analysis of 123 countries over a quarter of a century, the adoption of nuclear power did not achieve the significant reduction in national carbon emissions that renewables did – and in some developing nations, nuclear programmes actually pushed carbon emissions higher.The study also finds...WW…

Despite the fact that there's that  was once habitable, and was so similar to our own planet that it's been nicknamed , it doesn't really get talked about all that much. Certainly not as much .But Venus is millions of kilometres closer, so why aren't we interested ?  there's a huge disparity between the kind of attention that and Venus get, both from space agencies around the world, and in popular culture. And that can have a big impact on policy surrounding space exploration.Right now, we've got and governments interested in sending manned missions to Mars. Billionaires to get their own...…Despite the fact that there's that  was once habitable, and was so similar to our own planet that it's been nicknamed , it doesn't really get talked about all that much. Certainly not as much .But Venus is millions of kilometres closer, so why aren't we interested ?  there's a huge disparity between the kind of attention that and Venus get, both from space agencies around the world, and in popular culture. And that can have a big impact on policy surrounding space exploration.Right now, we've got and governments interested in sending manned missions to Mars. Billionaires to get their own...WW…

In , NASA is going to bounce its probe OSIRIS-REx off asteroid Bennu. The mission will collect a sample from the asteroid, and return it to Earth for closer study - one of the first missions of its kind. That return sample will help us to understand not just asteroids, but the earliest days of the Solar System's existence. However, that is not the sole mission of OSIRIS-REx.The probe arrived in Bennu orbit in , and since that time has been using its suite of instruments to learn as much as it can about the asteroid before their long-planned meet-up.And boy, has it ever. Six separate papers...…In , NASA is going to bounce its probe OSIRIS-REx off asteroid Bennu. The mission will collect a sample from the asteroid, and return it to Earth for closer study - one of the first missions of its kind. That return sample will help us to understand not just asteroids, but the earliest days of the Solar System's existence. However, that is not the sole mission of OSIRIS-REx.The probe arrived in Bennu orbit in , and since that time has been using its suite of instruments to learn as much as it can about the asteroid before their long-planned meet-up.And boy, has it ever. Six separate papers...WW…

Einstein's theory of gave us the speed limit of the Universe - that of light in a vacuum. But the absolute top speed of sound, through any medium, has been somewhat trickier to constrain. It's impossible to measure the speed of sound in every single material in existence, but scientists have now managed to pin down an upper limit based on fundamental constants, the universal parameters by which we understand the physics of the Universe.That speed limit, according to the new calculations, is 36 kilometres per second (22 miles per second). That's about twice the speed of sound travelling...…Einstein's theory of gave us the speed limit of the Universe - that of light in a vacuum. But the absolute top speed of sound, through any medium, has been somewhat trickier to constrain. It's impossible to measure the speed of sound in every single material in existence, but scientists have now managed to pin down an upper limit based on fundamental constants, the universal parameters by which we understand the physics of the Universe.That speed limit, according to the new calculations, is 36 kilometres per second (22 miles per second). That's about twice the speed of sound travelling...WW…

Cats have a reputation for standoffishness, especially compared with dogs, but if you find your feline friend a little hard to bond with, maybe you're just not speaking their language. Never fear - new research has shown that it's not so difficult. You just need to smile at them more. Not the human way, by baring your teeth, but the cat way, by narrowing your eyes, and blinking slowly. By observing cat-human interactions, scientists were able to confirm that this expression makes cats - both familiar and strange - approach and be receptive to humans."As someone who has both studied animal...…Cats have a reputation for standoffishness, especially compared with dogs, but if you find your feline friend a little hard to bond with, maybe you're just not speaking their language. Never fear - new research has shown that it's not so difficult. You just need to smile at them more. Not the human way, by baring your teeth, but the cat way, by narrowing your eyes, and blinking slowly. By observing cat-human interactions, scientists were able to confirm that this expression makes cats - both familiar and strange - approach and be receptive to humans."As someone who has both studied animal...WW…

The ice-covered Grímsvötn volcano on Iceland produced an unusually large and , sending ash 20 kilometres into the atmosphere, causing the cancellation of about 900 passenger flights. In comparison, the much smaller 2010 eruption of led to the . Understandably, any mention of another explosive eruption from an Icelandic volcano will raise concerns in the air travel industry, which is from the .But there are clear signs that the Grímsvötn volcano is getting ready to erupt again. As a result, the authorities have recently for this volcano.Grímsvötn is a peculiar volcano, as it lies almost...…The ice-covered Grímsvötn volcano on Iceland produced an unusually large and , sending ash 20 kilometres into the atmosphere, causing the cancellation of about 900 passenger flights. In comparison, the much smaller 2010 eruption of led to the . Understandably, any mention of another explosive eruption from an Icelandic volcano will raise concerns in the air travel industry, which is from the .But there are clear signs that the Grímsvötn volcano is getting ready to erupt again. As a result, the authorities have recently for this volcano.Grímsvötn is a peculiar volcano, as it lies almost...WW…

In its 4.5 billion year history, Earth has had to run the gauntlet. Numerous catastrophes have imperilled the planet, from massive impacts, to volcanic conflagrations, to frigid episodes of snowball Earth. Yet life persists. Among all of the hazards that threaten a planet, the most potentially calamitous might be a nearby star exploding as a supernova. When a massive enough star reaches the end of its life, it explodes as a supernova (SN). The hyper-energetic explosion can light up the sky for months, turning night into day for any planets close enough. If a planet is too close, it will...…In its 4.5 billion year history, Earth has had to run the gauntlet. Numerous catastrophes have imperilled the planet, from massive impacts, to volcanic conflagrations, to frigid episodes of snowball Earth. Yet life persists. Among all of the hazards that threaten a planet, the most potentially calamitous might be a nearby star exploding as a supernova. When a massive enough star reaches the end of its life, it explodes as a supernova (SN). The hyper-energetic explosion can light up the sky for months, turning night into day for any planets close enough. If a planet is too close, it will...WW…

The surface of is renowned for its aridity. The entire planet is a dusty, barren desert - a wasteland of rock and, in some regions, ice; but of liquid water, has been found. But , scientists unveiled a bombshell discovery - they'd found evidence of a colossal underground reservoir of liquid water at the Martian south pole.Now, they've taken that discovery a crucial step forward. There's not one, but an entire network of multiple lakes under the southern polar ice cap. And that means that the first reservoir was not a one-off or a freak of Martian nature."The existence of a single subglacial...…The surface of is renowned for its aridity. The entire planet is a dusty, barren desert - a wasteland of rock and, in some regions, ice; but of liquid water, has been found. But , scientists unveiled a bombshell discovery - they'd found evidence of a colossal underground reservoir of liquid water at the Martian south pole.Now, they've taken that discovery a crucial step forward. There's not one, but an entire network of multiple lakes under the southern polar ice cap. And that means that the first reservoir was not a one-off or a freak of Martian nature."The existence of a single subglacial...WW…

No one has yet managed to travel through time – at least to our knowledge – but the question of whether or not such a feat would be theoretically possible continues to fascinate scientists. As movies such as The Terminator, Donnie Darko, Back to the Future and many others show, moving around in time creates a lot of problems for the fundamental rules of the Universe: if you go back in time and stop your parents from meeting, for instance, how can you possibly exist in order to go back in time in the first place?It's a monumental head-scratcher known as the 'grandfather paradox', but now a...…No one has yet managed to travel through time – at least to our knowledge – but the question of whether or not such a feat would be theoretically possible continues to fascinate scientists. As movies such as The Terminator, Donnie Darko, Back to the Future and many others show, moving around in time creates a lot of problems for the fundamental rules of the Universe: if you go back in time and stop your parents from meeting, for instance, how can you possibly exist in order to go back in time in the first place?It's a monumental head-scratcher known as the 'grandfather paradox', but now a...WW…

As the US prepares to return humans to the Moon this decade, one of the biggest dangers future astronauts will face is space radiation that can cause lasting health effects, from cataracts to and neurodegenerative diseases.​ Though the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s proved it was safe for people to spend a few days on the lunar surface, NASA did not take daily radiation measurements that would help scientists quantify just how long crews could stay.This question was resolved Friday after a Chinese-German team published in the journal Science Advances the results of an carried out by...…As the US prepares to return humans to the Moon this decade, one of the biggest dangers future astronauts will face is space radiation that can cause lasting health effects, from cataracts to and neurodegenerative diseases.​ Though the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s proved it was safe for people to spend a few days on the lunar surface, NASA did not take daily radiation measurements that would help scientists quantify just how long crews could stay.This question was resolved Friday after a Chinese-German team published in the journal Science Advances the results of an carried out by...WW…

For mouthless, lungless bacteria, breathing is a bit more complicated than it is for humans.We inhale oxygen and exhale ; Geobacter - a ubiquitous, groundwater-dwelling genus of bacteria - swallow up organic waste and 'exhale' electrons, generating a in the process. Those waste electrons always need somewhere to go (usually into a plentiful underground mineral like oxide), and Geobacter have an unconventional tool to make sure they get there."Geobacter breathe through what is essentially a giant snorkel, hundreds of times their size," Nikhil Malvankar, an assistant professor at Yale...…For mouthless, lungless bacteria, breathing is a bit more complicated than it is for humans.We inhale oxygen and exhale ; Geobacter - a ubiquitous, groundwater-dwelling genus of bacteria - swallow up organic waste and 'exhale' electrons, generating a in the process. Those waste electrons always need somewhere to go (usually into a plentiful underground mineral like oxide), and Geobacter have an unconventional tool to make sure they get there."Geobacter breathe through what is essentially a giant snorkel, hundreds of times their size," Nikhil Malvankar, an assistant professor at Yale...WW…

It was very common for ancient Egyptians to be buried with mummified birds as offerings to the gods, including Horus, Ra or Thoth. In fact, the number of sacrificial birds of prey and ibis buried with Egyptian mummies is thought to reach into the millions. But up until now it hasn't been clear whether the birds were bred for this specific purpose (as cats were) or captured in the wild.New research looking at the chemical composition of these birds strongly suggests they were wild and untamed, living out in the natural world before being entombed.Which begs the question: how did ancient...…It was very common for ancient Egyptians to be buried with mummified birds as offerings to the gods, including Horus, Ra or Thoth. In fact, the number of sacrificial birds of prey and ibis buried with Egyptian mummies is thought to reach into the millions. But up until now it hasn't been clear whether the birds were bred for this specific purpose (as cats were) or captured in the wild.New research looking at the chemical composition of these birds strongly suggests they were wild and untamed, living out in the natural world before being entombed.Which begs the question: how did ancient...WW…

As the world struggles with the ongoing crisis of the , scientists warn that the infection may pose yet another serious threat to human health, in the form of a of neurological consequences that could follow in the wake of the . While the specific risks remain hypothetical at this point, the concerns are very real. In fact, a similar long-term effect was seen after the Spanish Flu pandemic last century.We already know that has , , and . What's less clear is how the infection can bring about these crippling symptoms, in what volume, and to what ultimate effect."Although scientists are still...…As the world struggles with the ongoing crisis of the , scientists warn that the infection may pose yet another serious threat to human health, in the form of a of neurological consequences that could follow in the wake of the . While the specific risks remain hypothetical at this point, the concerns are very real. In fact, a similar long-term effect was seen after the Spanish Flu pandemic last century.We already know that has , , and . What's less clear is how the infection can bring about these crippling symptoms, in what volume, and to what ultimate effect."Although scientists are still...WW…

Innovative ways to live more sustainably are - including in how we ship items across the planet.Right now, of the world's merchandise is transported by shipping, and although that can be better for the environment than air freight, cargo ships are still powered by fossil fuels, so there's big room for improvement. In fact, emissions from the cheap fossil fuels used in the  are thought to be responsible for  of energy-related carbon emissions across the world – and the total amount continues to rise. Now, researchers at a shipping company have designed a new type of cargo vessel that will be...…Innovative ways to live more sustainably are - including in how we ship items across the planet.Right now, of the world's merchandise is transported by shipping, and although that can be better for the environment than air freight, cargo ships are still powered by fossil fuels, so there's big room for improvement. In fact, emissions from the cheap fossil fuels used in the  are thought to be responsible for  of energy-related carbon emissions across the world – and the total amount continues to rise. Now, researchers at a shipping company have designed a new type of cargo vessel that will be...WW…