Actualité scientifique en anglais

Earth's global average surface temperature in 2020 tied with 2016 as the warmest year on record, according to an analysis by NASA.

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A new study finds that due to COVID-19 deaths last year, life expectancy at birth for Americans will shorten by 1.13 years to 77.48 years -- the largest single-year decline in life expectancy in at least 40 years.

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Flooding has caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damage in the U.S. over the past three decades. Researchers found that 36 percent of the costs of flooding in the U.S. from 1988 to 2017 were a result of intensifying precipitation, consistent with predictions of global warming.

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Scientists believe that planets like Earth bob in a sea of gravitational waves that spread throughout the universe. Now, an international team has gotten closer than ever before to detecting those cosmic ripples.

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It is well known that the expansion of the universe is accelerating due to a mysterious dark energy. Within galaxies, stars also experience an acceleration, though this is due to some combination of dark matter and the stellar density. In a new study, researchers have now obtained the first direct measurement of the average acceleration taking place within our home galaxy, the Milky Way.

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Galaxies begin to 'die' when they stop forming stars, but until now astronomers had never clearly glimpsed the start of this process in a far-away galaxy. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), astronomers have seen a galaxy ejecting nearly half of its star-forming gas. This ejection is happening at a startling rate, equivalent to 10,000 Suns-worth of gas a year. The team believes that this event was triggered by a collision with another galaxy.

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Researchers have for the first time identified the way viruses like the poliovirus and the common cold virus 'package up' their genetic code, allowing them to infect cells. The findings open up the possibility that drugs or anti-viral agents can be developed that would stop such infections.

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New research explains how a 'stop-start' pattern of evolution, governed by environmental change, could explain why crocodiles have changed so little since the age of the dinosaurs.

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Nature, Published online: 18 January 2021; doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03207-w

Evolution of antibody immunity to SARS-CoV-2

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Nature, Published online: 18 January 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00082-3

A sea-bed buoy in a busy shipping lane helps marine biologist Antonio Codarin to record underwater noise and its impact on marine species.

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Nature, Published online: 18 January 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00077-0

Hair-raising sixteenth-century reports emphasize the tests’ control arms and societal benefit.

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Nature, Published online: 16 January 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00118-8

US president-elect also elevates the position to the cabinet for the first time.

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Nature, Published online: 15 January 2021; doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2956-7

Author Correction: Suppression of a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in the Italian municipality of Vo’

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Nature, Published online: 15 January 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00092-1

A common bacterium can be engineered to carry coded messages in its genome.

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Nature, Published online: 15 January 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00078-z

Gut-wrenching infection encourages production of an amino acid consumed by helpful bacteria.

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Nature, Published online: 15 January 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00093-0

Data from nearly 100,000 people find no upper limit to the heart benefits of increasing exercise levels.

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Staying afloat in space can be deceptively hard.  Just ask the characters from Gravity, or any number of the hundreds of small satellites that fall into the atmosphere in a given year.  Any object placed in low Earth orbit (LEO) must constantly fight against the drag caused by the small number of air molecules that …

Continue reading "A New Satellite Is Going to Try to Maintain low Earth Orbit Without Any Propellant"

The post A New Satellite Is Going to Try to Maintain low Earth Orbit Without Any Propellant appeared first on Universe Today.

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Have you ever seen the videos of people taking daily selfies of themselves over the course of years or even decades?  Now the sun has started it’s own series of pictures – with 366 complete pictures from the year 2020, captured by the European Space Agency’s Proba-2 satellite. There are a couple of interesting things …

Continue reading "This is What the Sun Looked Like for Every Day in 2020"

The post This is What the Sun Looked Like for Every Day in 2020 appeared first on Universe Today.

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In a new study, a pair of Harvard astrophysicists did the math on whether or not BLC1 is an extraterrestrial signal - and the results are not good!

The post According to the Math, it’s Highly Unlikely That an Intelligent Civilization is Located at Alpha Centauri appeared first on Universe Today.

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NASA accomplished a major milestone today when it conducted a Hot Fire Test of the SLS Core Stage, firing all four of its engines at once.

The post Space Launch System Performs a Dramatic Hot Fire Test, Blasting With all 4 Engines at Once appeared first on Universe Today.

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The UK Space Agency recently contracted with the British Rolls Royce company to research nuclear propulsion, which could allow for all kinds of deep-space missions!

The post The UK is Considering Nuclear Propulsion in Space appeared first on Universe Today.

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It’s almost time. Soon the James Webb Space Telescope will be on its way to the Sun/Earth L2 Lagrange point and will begin its at least 5-year science mission. Really, it’s going to happen. Despite several delays since the program began in 1996 and a budget that has exceeded the original by several billion dollars, …

Continue reading "James Webb Unfolds Sunshield"

The post James Webb Unfolds Sunshield appeared first on Universe Today.

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Many consider the various rovers we’ve sent to Mars as the next best thing to sending a geologist to the Red Planet. Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity have carried all the necessary equipment similar to what human geologists use on Earth, and are able to navigate the terrain, “see” the landscape with the various cameras, pick …

Continue reading "Thanks to Perseverance, We’re Finally Going to Hear What Mars Sounds Like"

The post Thanks to Perseverance, We’re Finally Going to Hear What Mars Sounds Like appeared first on Universe Today.

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It’s always a sad day when a mission comes to an end. And it’s even sadder when the mission never really got going in the first place. That’s where we’re at with NASA’s InSight lander. The entire mission isn’t over, but the so-called Mole, the instrument designed and built by Germany’s DLR, has been pronounced …

Continue reading "NASA Has Given Up on Trying to Deploy InSight’s Mole"

The post NASA Has Given Up on Trying to Deploy InSight’s Mole appeared first on Universe Today.

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Our narrow definition of intelligence has worsened social, economic and racial inequalities, and left us ill-equipped to come together to solve global problems

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Vikings are rarely portrayed as a civilized people, but new game Assassin's Creed Valhalla has it both ways with people playing nice while still overrunning everything in sight, says Jacob Aron

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The race to vaccinate as many people as possible against covid-19 is under way, but unless countries track who receives the vaccine we won’t be able to ensure the benefits are spread equitably, says Layal Liverpool

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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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Fossils of a gigantic dinosaur are emerging from the ground in Argentina after 98 million years – and the creature may be the largest land animal that scientists have ever found

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Entangled photons have been beamed between drones and to a ground station, creating technology that could form part of an unhackable quantum internet

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We’ve finally made a room-temperature superconductor, so materials that transport electricity without wasting any of it are within our grasp

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For nearly two years, a heat probe attached to NASA’s InSight lander, nicknamed the mole, has been trying to burrow into the Martian surface – but now researchers have thrown in the towel

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The Puerto Rican artist won the National Portrait Gallery's People’s Choice award for his devastating image 'Muerto Rico'

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Expensive, heavy, non-functioning and a little scary looking, the doll created by America's hero-inventor was a commercial flop

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Artifacts linked to the royal are headed home following their purchase at auction by the African island's government

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He was the first African American athlete to light the cauldron that burns during the Games

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Theories regarding the 12-foot-tall metal structure's origins—and ultimate fate—abound

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Members of the public voted to name the three-month-old cub Xiao Qi Ji, or "little miracle"

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Investigators linked the November 2019 burglary to an organized crime syndicate

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A technique never before used in humans may be the fastest way to a vaccine against the novel coronavirus

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The farthest known quasar challenges ideas about how the first supermassive black holes in the universe formed.

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More rigorous efforts to vaccinate, wear masks and social distance are needed to curb the variant’s spread, CDC says.

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The probe is about to make another close pass of the sun. This time, Solar Orbiter, BepiColombo and others will be watching too.

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In his new book, climate scientist Michael Mann draws the battle lines for a new phase of the struggle against climate change denialism.

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Ocean temperature data as well as temperatures measured over land at weather stations around the globe revealed the extent of the warming.

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Some experts worry extending the time between vaccine doses could help the virus evolve in potentially harmful ways, but viral evolution is complex.

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Electric eels were thought be to solitary hunters, until researchers observed over 100 eels hunting together, releasing coordinated electric attacks on corralled prey.

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Flying drones sent entangled particles of light to two locations a kilometer apart.

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Campaigns to change behavior thrive on three factors: social influence, social norms and vivid examples -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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Lessons from other viruses show that even if vaccines don’t completely stop disease spread, they can still successfully contain it -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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The first step is to redefine our concept of what a garden should be -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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After the disaster of 2020, let’s hope we’re not on a figurative one -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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U.S. president-elect also elevates the position to the cabinet for the first time -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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Here are pandemic highlights for the week -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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A new type of sensor may help solve a puzzling cellular phenomenon -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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Its distinctive butterfly shape is caused by one star interfering with the gas expulsion pattern of another -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

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NASA conducted a hot fire Saturday of the core stage for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will launch the Artemis I mission to the Moon. The hot fire is the final test of the Green Run series.

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NASA is hosting a media briefing on Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 4:30 p.m. EST to discuss the upcoming landing of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover.

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NASA’s Science Mission Directorate will hold a community town hall meeting with Thomas Zurbuchen, the agency’s associate administrator for science, at 2 p.m. EST Monday, Jan. 25.

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Earth’s global average surface temperature in 2020 tied with 2016 as the warmest year on record, according to an analysis by NASA.

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NASA is targeting a two-hour test window that opens at 5 p.m. EST Saturday, Jan. 16, for the hot fire test of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage at the agency’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

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NASA and the Government of Japan have finalized an agreement for the lunar Gateway, an orbiting outpost that commercial and international partners will build together.

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Climate researchers from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will release their annual assessment of global temperatures and discuss the major climate trends of 2020 during a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EST Thursday, Jan. 14.

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Following a test readiness review on Monday, NASA is now targeting Saturday, Jan. 16, for the final test in the Green Run testing series for the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will launch the agency’s Artemis I mission.

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Information for all visitors to ESA sites

Coronavirus measures for hosted meetings and visitors

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Week in images: 11 - 15 January 2021

Discover our week through the lens

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Video: 00:07:30

Did you know that in microgravity we are preparing one of the most promising fuels for the future?

Microgravity is helping to find answers and models to refine the processes needed to efficiently burn solid fuel like iron dust. Are we witnessing the rise of a new "Iron Age"? Could we use metal powders instead of petrol to fuel our cars?

Solid fuels are used for burning a match, lighting a sparkler on New Year's Eve as well as the fuel inside the boosters of Ariane and of other rockets. But metals such as iron can also burn, in powder form, and are entirely smokeless and carbon free.

Metals could be produced using clean energy, such as from solar cells or wind turbines. That electricity is stored as chemical energy in...

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ESA Kids app now available

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Image: The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Tanezrouft Basin – one of the most desolate parts of the Sahara Desert.

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Video: 00:02:50

In this week's edition of the Earth from Space programme, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Tanezrouft Basin – one of the most desolate parts of the Sahara Desert.

See also Tanezrouft Basin to download the image.

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Video: 01:36:00

A replay of our start-of-year press conference with ESA Director General Jan Wörner, future Director General Josef Aschbacher and other ESA Directors, held online on Thursday, 14 January 2021.

They looked ahead at Europe's space activities in 2021 and answered questions from media. Highlights in 2021 include two ESA astronauts flying to the International Space Station, the new James Webb Space Telescope being launched from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, and the launch of NASA’s first Artemis mission, in a programme that will take humans to the Moon powered by ESA’s European Service Module.

Download the presentations (pdf): Jan Wörner Josef Aschbacher

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2021 is taking off with ESA's new rocket merchandise

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There are plenty of platforms that will satisfy your messaging needs without asking you to disclose everything about yourself. Here are some options.

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President-Elect Biden has chosen a suite of advisors to help him lead with science and scientists. Meet the people nominated to fill out the science, technology, and infrastructure positions in the cabinet for the next four years.

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Add these unexpected everyday items to your survival kit and you may find it makes the job of survival or outdoor living just a little bit easier.

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Just like some aircraft, cars sometimes feature a head-up display. Here's what we've noticed from the most recent Consumer Electronic Show.

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In a speech on January 15th, 2021, Biden unveiled a five-point plan for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. He intends to rely solidly on science and scientists to execute his plan.

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CES 2021 may have just ended, but there's still a lot of great tech coming down the line and there's no shortage of speculation about what it might be.

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Learn the importance of anti-nutrients, along with a few tips on how to source and balance them in your diet. Vegetarians and vegans should especially take note.

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Searching for the best running shoes for men? Find men's running shoes from adidas, Under Armour, ASICS & more and buy your pair today!

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The first mass die-off on Earth was also one of the deadliest. Scientists continue to piece together the story of what happened.

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OM, the word spoken in meditation and yoga practices, has existed for nearly 5,000 years. Can chanting this small word really provide a multitude of health benefits?

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Many creatures favor one side of the body over another, just as humans do. Scientists are interested in learning what makes animals right or left-pawed, so to speak, because it offer fascinating insights into evolution and brain development.

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The world’s seven warmest years have all occurred since 2014.

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Ancient civilizations used the powerful waterway for trade, agriculture and building projects. In turn, it fueled historic societal growth.

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