Actualité scientifique en anglais

It could be a milestone on the path to detecting life on other planets: Scientists detect a key molecular property of all living organisms from a helicopter flying several kilometers above ground. The measurement technology could also open up opportunities for remote sensing of the Earth.

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In a bid to find or refine laboratory research models for cancer that better compare with what happens in living people, scientists report they have developed a new computer-based technique showing that human cancer cells grown in culture dishes are the least genetically similar to their human sources.

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Researchers studying prions -- misfolded proteins that cause lethal incurable diseases -- have identified the surface features of human prions responsible for their replication in the brain.

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In the last few decades, physicists have found ways to super-cool objects so that their atoms are at a near standstill, wrestling small objects such as clouds of millions of atoms, or nanogram-scale objects, into such pure quantum states. Now scientists have cooled a large, human-scale object to close to its motional ground state. The object isn't tangible in the sense of being situated at one location, but is the combined motion of four separate objects. The 'object' that the researchers cooled has an estimated mass of about 10 kilograms, and comprises nearly 1 octillion atoms.

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Using neural networks, researchers have developed a new method to search the human genome for beneficial mutations from Neanderthals and other archaic humans. These humans are known to have interbred with modern humans, but the overall fate of the genetic material inherited from them is still largely unknown. Among others, the researchers found previously unreported mutations involved in core pathways in metabolism, blood-related diseases and immunity.

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Philosophers, artists and scientists -- and probably all the rest of us -- have long obsessed over the key to human immortality. We all, no matter our income, culture or religion are bound to die. Even if we escape mortal diseases or accidents, we all face a deadly biological deterioration. While the debate of human longevity has divided the scientific community for centuries, a new study finds fresh evidence for our inevitable death.

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In a discovery that challenges long-held dogma in biology, researchers show that mammalian cells can convert RNA sequences back into DNA, a feat more common in viruses than eukaryotic cells.

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Researchers have identified the brain regions involved in choosing whether to find out if a bad event is about to happen.

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A new study predicts massive range declines of Africa's great apes -- gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos -- due to the impacts of climate change, land-use changes and human population growth.

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Why do some babies react to perceived danger more than others? According to new research, part of the answer may be found in a surprising place: an infant's digestive system.

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Nature, Published online: 21 June 2021; doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03720-y

In vivo monoclonal antibody efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 variant strains

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Nature, Published online: 21 June 2021; doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03710-0

Dysregulation of brain and choroid plexus cell types in severe COVID-19

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Nature, Published online: 21 June 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01683-8

Bernardo Reyes-Tur aims to unravel the mating mysteries of Cuba’s imperilled Polymita.

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Nature, Published online: 21 June 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01660-1

Humidity on summer days has declined since 1950, threatening water supplies and increasing the risk of wildfires.

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Nature, Published online: 21 June 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01682-9

As the first national network of early-career researchers marks its 21st birthday, the founders of Hungary’s describe how and why they set up theirs in 2019.

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Nature, Published online: 21 June 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01684-7

A look at notable research tools and projects that have rocketed to prominence reveals some common routes to success.

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Nature, Published online: 18 June 2021; doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03340-6

Author Correction: Assembly of synaptic active zones requires phase separation of scaffold molecules

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Nature, Published online: 18 June 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01694-5

Scientists are asking why the third mRNA vaccine may have fallen at the last hurdle.

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Nature, Published online: 18 June 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01687-4

G7 leaders commit to donating one billion COVID-19 vaccination doses by the end of next year. Plus, three missions to the ‘forgotten planet’ Venus and how scientists are embracing NFTs.

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Nature, Published online: 18 June 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01114-8

A single dose of an adenine base editor shows promise in treating the ageing-related disease Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome. It corrected the LMNA mutation underlying the disease in patient-derived cells and improved cardiovascular health and lifespan in mice.

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New evidence shows that black holes and galaxies have a significant effect on each other in young galaxies.

The post Supermassive Black Hole Winds Were Already Blowing Less Than a Billion Years After the Big Bang appeared first on Universe Today.

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Since the Juno spacecraft has been in orbit around Jupiter for nearly five years — since July 4, 2016 — you may have forgotten about that time back in 2013 Juno flew past Earth. The spacecraft needed a little extra boost to reach Jupiter, so it used Earth for a gravity assist. Image editor Kevin …

Continue reading "Juno Captured This Image of Earth on its Way Out to Jupiter Back in 2013"

The post Juno Captured This Image of Earth on its Way Out to Jupiter Back in 2013 appeared first on Universe Today.

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It is hard for humans to wrap their heads around the fact that there are galaxies so far away that the light coming from them can be warped in a way that they actually experience a type of time delay.  But that is exactly what is happening with extreme forms of gravitational lensing, such as …

Continue reading "Astronomers saw the Same Supernova Three Times Thanks to Gravitational Lensing. And in Twenty Years They Think They’ll see it one More Time"

The post Astronomers saw the Same Supernova Three Times Thanks to Gravitational Lensing. And in Twenty Years They Think They’ll see it one More Time appeared first on Universe Today.

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In this week’s edition of new unexplained astronomical phenomena, a team of astronomers led by Dr. Leigh Smith from Cambridge found a star 100 times larger than our sun that nearly disappears from the sky every few decades.  They also have no idea why it does so. The star, called VVV-WIT-08, is located 25,000 light …

Continue reading "Astronomers Find a Blinking Star Near the Center of the Milky Way"

The post Astronomers Find a Blinking Star Near the Center of the Milky Way appeared first on Universe Today.

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Internal geological processes on the moon are almost non-existent.  However, when it gets smacked by a space rock, its surface can change dramatically.  Debris from that impact can also travel over large distances, transplanting material from one impact site hundreds of kilometers away, where it can remain untouched in its inert environment for billions of …

Continue reading "Apollo 17 Astronauts Brought Home Samples From the Oldest Impact Crater on the Moon"

The post Apollo 17 Astronauts Brought Home Samples From the Oldest Impact Crater on the Moon appeared first on Universe Today.

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A new study takes a look at how the presence of a surface can affect an exoplanets atmosphere, giving astrobiologists a way to study exoplanet surfaces without having to "see" them directly.

The post A New Technique for “Seeing” Exoplanet Surfaces Based on the Content of their Atmospheres appeared first on Universe Today.

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The Lunar Lantern, an intriguing concept for establishing a human presence on the Moon, is currently being featured at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition.

The post The Lunar Lantern Could be a Beacon for Humanity on the Moon appeared first on Universe Today.

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We’ve known for a while about the large-scale structure of the Universe. Galaxies reside in filaments hundreds of millions of light-years long, on a backbone of dark matter. And, where those filaments meet, there are galaxy clusters. Between them are massive voids, where galaxies are sparse. Now a team of astronomers in Germany and their …

Continue reading "The Largest Rotating Objects in the Universe: Galactic Filaments Hundreds of Millions of Light-Years Long"

The post The Largest Rotating Objects in the Universe: Galactic Filaments Hundreds of Millions of Light-Years Long appeared first on Universe Today.

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Now’s the time to catch Nova Herculis 2021, before it fades from view.

The post Catch New Galactic Nova Herculis 2021 in Hercules the Hero appeared first on Universe Today.

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Black holes destroy stars, but their powerful jets can also clear the way for new stars to form.

The post Black Holes don't Just Destroy, They Also Help With Star Formation appeared first on Universe Today.

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Turning air into protein with electricity from solar panels would take a tenth of the land required to grow that protein the conventional way, according to a new analysis

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Huge blocks of Venus’s crust appear to be jostling and bumping together similar to continental blocks on Earth, and they could help us understand our own planet’s past

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Astronomers have found a large object entering our solar system – it could be an unusually large comet or even a minor planet, and it will get nearly as close to the sun as Saturn by 2031

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The latest coronavirus news updated every day including coronavirus cases, the latest news, features and interviews from New Scientist and essential information about the covid-19 pandemic

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A secure quantum link has been created between two Chinese cities, allowing researchers to send entangled photons more than 500 kilometres using a relay hub in the middle that doesn't need to be trusted

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Huge swathes of Pluto’s surface are covered in a mysterious red material, and planetary scientists’ best guess for what it could be doesn’t seem to match up to data from the New Horizons probe

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Algorithms are crucial to many of life’s biggest decisions, but lots of us know nothing about how they actually work. To improve our relationship with algorithms, we should get to grips with the basics of the most important ones

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Temperature and humidity changes that influence the way flowers grow can make bumblebees picky eaters – and climate change could make them even more so

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Aphids and other garden foes often make us reach for pesticides, but a wildlife rethink could be in order. With many insects in decline, we should be planting to lure invertebrates to our gardens, says Clare Wilson

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Four friends find a portal to the multiverse in the movie Parallel, with consequences none of them expect. It's a familiar-ish premise that depends on its sharp ideas for success

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The display seeks to continue a citywide conversation about the defaced Edward Colston sculpture's future

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The site's board authorized the creation of a truth-telling exhibit, a new logo and a relocated Confederate flag plaza

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Artist Maya Lin hopes to call attention to one of the dire effects of climate change with an installation in Madison Square Park

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Officials and parents hope to vaccinate young teens against the coronavirus in time for summer recreation and school in the fall

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The massive showcase facility offers plenty of space for social distance along with plenty of air and space travel history

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Culture Minister Monika Grütters describes the move as a "historic milestone"

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On the occasion of the lunar landing's 50th anniversary, we spoke to the former director of the National Air and Space Museum

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Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul is a scheme made famous by Charles Ponzi. Who was this crook whose name graces this scam?

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"White Lies Matter" had pledged to deliver the stone chair intact if the United Daughters of the Confederacy displayed a specific banner

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The five-part PBS series chronicles the community's story through archival footage, interviews

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In 1971, reports of unidentified flying objects were on the decline. Fifty years later, sightings have spiked thanks in part to pandemic lockdowns.

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Close-up views of glasswing butterflies reveal the secrets behind the insect’s see-through wings: sparse, spindly scales and a waxy coating.

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Monitoring volcanoes from space could enhance scientists’ understanding of, and ability to predict, even small eruptions.

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A method called optogenetics offers insights into memory, perception and addiction.

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Unidos Contra COVID’s Spanish-speaking volunteers go to where Philadelphia’s Hispanic people gather, giving shots and addressing concerns one-on-one.

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Using LIGO’s laser beams to reduce jiggling rather than detect gravitational waves, scientists have gotten closer to the realm of quantum mechanics.

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Runaway collapse of ice cliffs could dramatically boost sea level. But these cliffs may not be so vulnerable, new simulations suggest.

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In ‘Tsunami: The World’s Greatest Waves,’ two scientists chronical hundreds of eyewitness accounts to show the human cost of life at the water’s edge.

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Scientists had two options to explain Betelgeuse’s weird behavior in late 2019. They chose both.

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People use values and beliefs as a shortcut to determine how risky an activity is during the pandemic. Those biases can lead people astray.

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They’re vastly more common in captivity than in the wild—the result of inbreeding that’s good for pulling in gawkers, but bad for the big cats themselves -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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The risk of infection increased by up to 30 percent or so among people with observances in the first 10 months of 2020 -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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Engineers study solar and wind at the same power plant, nuclear reactors that also make hydrogen -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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But if so, it’s probably in the form of robotic probes—something both UFO enthusiasts and SETI scientists should be able to agree on -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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Drought and extreme rainfall led to an infestation in the nation’s farming areas -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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Genomic sequencing efforts are limited in developing countries, but scientists are mobilizing to help -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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Even “sustainable” technologies such as electric vehicles and wind turbines face unbreachable physical limits and exact grave environmental costs -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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The genetic factor that contributed most to the deaths of 47 Black men in police custody was the color of their skin, not the contents of their red blood cells -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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We are your personal advocate, cheerleader, companion, guide, ear, rock -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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Pandemic highlights for the past two weeks -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy took office Monday after she was given the oath of office by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson during a ceremony at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington.

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The following are statements from Pam Melroy and Administrator Bill Nelson on Thursday’s U.S. Senate confirmation of Melroy as deputy administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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Cleaner-burning jet fuels made from sustainable sources can produce 50%-70% fewer ice crystal contrails at cruising altitude, reducing aviation’s impact on the environment, according to research conducted by NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

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NASA Administrator Bill Nelson released the following statement Thursday regarding the China National Space Agency’s launch of the first crew to its Tiangong space station:

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La NASA lanza la Misión Equity (equidad, en español), un esfuerzo integral para evaluar la expansión y modificación de programas, compras de suministros, becas, y políticas de la agencia y examinar qué obstáculos y desafíos potenciales existen para las comunidades que históricamente están subrepresentadas y desatendidas.

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NASA is launching Mission Equity, a comprehensive effort to assess expanding and modifying agency programs, procurements, grants, and policies, and examine what potential barriers and challenges exist for communities that are historically underrepresented and underserved.

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As NASA continues plans for multiple commercial deliveries to the Moon’s surface per year, the agency has selected three new scientific investigation payload suites to advance understanding of Earth’s nearest neighbor.

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Two teams of scientists from the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, have won first and second place in NASA's Vascular Tissue Challenge.

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NASA Administrator Bill Nelson released the following statement Tuesday after the Senate passage of the U.S. Innovation and Competitiveness Act.

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NASA has selected Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to provide the agency with administrative support and coordination of research opportunities between NASA’s mission directorates and centers across the agency.

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Careers at ESA

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Following liftoff last November and more than six months spent carefully calibrating the most advanced mission dedicated to measuring sea-level rise, Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich is now operational – meaning that its data are available to climate researchers, ocean-weather forecasts and other data users.

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Image: Stark reality of Californian drought from space

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ESA is inviting up to 25 committed mobile app developers and specialists in artificial and machine learning related to observing Earth from space to join this year’s Space App Camp, which will be a virtual event over eight weeks, from 20 July to 20 September.

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Week in images: 14 - 18 June 2021

Discover our week through the lens

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The UK’s new National Space Propulsion Facility has been declared open. ESA oversaw the design, assembly and commissioning of the facility – equipped to test-fire the most powerful classes of rocket engines used aboard spacecraft.

ESA’s General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) has invested around €4,500 000 in the design, development and building of the National Space Propulsion Facility, in collaboration with the UK Space Agency and UK industrial partners including rocket manufacturer and facility contractor Nammo UK. 

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The Tana River, Kenya’s longest river, is featured in this false-colour image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.

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Image: André Kuipers with a European Robotic Arm model on the Space Station

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Video: 00:03:38

An instrument destined for Jupiter orbit undergoes eight days of cryogenic radio-frequency testing using a new test facility at ESA’s ESTEC technical centre in the Netherlands. The Submillimetre Wave Instrument of ESA’s Juice mission will survey the churning atmosphere of Jupiter and the scanty atmospheres of its Galilean moons.

Testing took place in ESA’s custom-built Low-temperature Near-field Terahertz chamber, or Lorentz. The first chamber of its kind, the 2.8-m diameter Lorentz chamber can perform high-frequency radio-frequency testing in realistic space conditions, combining space-quality vacuum with ultra-low temperatures.

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Start making your wish list now, as there’s no better time than Amazon Prime Day 2021 to get the best deals. Julia M Cameron, Unsplash

Explore the best Prime Day deals to score on tech, home goods, and more.

The post Best Prime Day deals: Amazon deals today appeared first on Popular Science.

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There’s still a lot researchers don’t know about the connection between psychosis and meditation.

Meditation has a very real effect on the brain—and for some people, there are side effects involved.

The post Meditation isn’t always calming. For a select few, it may lead to psychosis. appeared first on Popular Science.

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Russ Smith

When conventional therapy and drugs fail, a new wave of clinics are helping patients get high.

The post Can tripping on ketamine cure PTSD? I decided to try. appeared first on Popular Science.

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Before you head out, log on for the best Amazon Prime Day 2021 deals on outdoor gear. Toomas Tartes, Unsplash

Looking for Amazon Prime deals on the best outdoor gear? Look no further for the best deals online.

The post Best Amazon Prime deals on outdoor gear: Find top Amazon Prime Day 2021 discounts appeared first on Popular Science.

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Entertain some electronics upgrades on Amazon Prime Day 2021. cottonbro, Pexels

Here are the best Prime Day sales to find the entertainment system upgrades you need.

The post Amazon Prime Day sales: The Best Prime Day 2021 deals for home entertainment systems appeared first on Popular Science.

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Give the living room even more life with the best TV deals on Amazon Prime Day 2021. Matt Wildbore, Unsplash

Upgrade your home entertainment experience for a fraction of the normal cost with the best Prime Day TV deals.

The post Best Prime Day TV deals: We’re screening Amazon Prime Day 2021 for the best prices appeared first on Popular Science.

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The right upgrade on Amazon Prime Day 2021 can make life exciting for the entire house. YoonJae Baik, Unsplash

Explore this one-stop shop for all the best Amazon Prime Day sales daily.

The post Daily deals: Amazon Prime Day deals you won’t want to miss appeared first on Popular Science.

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To get the best deals online it pays to be quick, and we can help prep you for Amazon Prime Day 2021. Ivan Samkov, Pexels

It’s almost that time again—Amazon Prime Day—which means you need to know the when, where, and how.

The post Prime Day preview: Amazon Prime Day 2021 hacks to get the best deals online appeared first on Popular Science.

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These are the Nintendo Switch games worth exploring in widescreen. Unsplash, Ke Vin

While not a graphical powerhouse, style shines through in the best Nintendo Switch games.

The post Best Nintendo Switch games for graphics: The titles that justify jumping to the big screen appeared first on Popular Science.

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Snakes have always had a mysterious air about them. Duncan Sanchez/Unsplash

The answer is hidden in the air around them.

The post Why do snakes flick their tongues? appeared first on Popular Science.

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A tiny particle's unexpected magnetism is shaking up what physicists thought they knew about the universe.

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Species from praying mantises to snakes have been observed engaging in sexual cannibalism. Like most things in nature, there’s a reason behind the behavior.

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King tides happen when the Earth, Sun and moon align, sometimes creating "sunny day flooding." To understand how sea level rise will change future flood patterns, researchers and citizen scientists are teaming up to map areas that are already impacted.

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Ketamine may help change drinking habits by promoting neuroplasticity. But questions linger over the treatment's ethics and safety.

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The most important COVID-19 lessons are shoring up our collective defenses and priming the medical world for the next rogue pathogen.

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Humans and their activities hijacked Earth. Scientists investigate when the takeover began.

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The nature of space weather hasn’t changed much. But society has, and understanding and predicting space weather is more important than ever.

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It’s not just the pandemic. And the news is not all doom and gloom, either.

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The study of déjà vu is now legit science, though researchers still don’t know what exactly causes it.

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Biologist Jack Longino has spent most of his career hunting for ants in the rainforests of Central America. But this serendipitous discovery happened much closer to home.

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