Science

"It's not the heat, it's the humidity." That adage applies indoors as well as out, which is where an experimental new material comes in. It absorbs humidity within rooms, reducing the need to run power-hungry ventilation systems.

Next time you're driving around on Mars and need to get your tire replaced, chances are good it'll look something like a revolutionary new version made by NASA and Goodyear. The mesh cage design can take a beating and roll right on.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has successfully tested the nuclear fuel that may one day propel and power the spacecraft of the future. The trials verify that the fuel can survive the harsh environment of a nuclear rocket reactor.

A climatic mystery about a year that gave summer a deadly pass may have been solved. Using new ice core techniques, scientists have concluded that the dark, chilly year of 1831 was due to the massive eruption of a volcano north of Japan.

2024 has been a year in space that has seen successes, failures, a clutch of firsts, and some goodbyes – not to mention a long-distance probe rescue, spacesuits on the catwalk, and a couple of cosmic oddities. Let's have a look back.

In what they're calling the "highest density of mechanical bonds ever achieved," researchers created a super-strong flexible material that works very much like chainmail. The breakthrough has already demonstrated its ability to improve body armor.

A 13-year study of tiny penguins in Australia has dispelled the long-held myth that these seabirds mate for life, with the 'divorce rate' nearly 10 times that of the current statistics for US adults. And, not surprisingly, it all comes down to kids.

Another major contender has entered the launch business as Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket roared into orbit today. At 2:03 am EST, the heavy launcher lifted off from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.

It was 50% success today as SpaceX's Starship 7 mission lifted off from Boca Chica, Texas at 4:36 pm CST and ended with the second capture landing of the giant Super Heavy first stage and the unexplained loss of the Starship second stage.

A frothy breakthrough at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), using lasers with a silver metal foam that's as light as air, has created the brightest yet X-ray source ever, twice as brilliant as that of anything previous.