Our top science stories this week include a physics experiment to turn light into matter, an update from NASA’s Juno mission (it’s about to make a close encounter with Jupiter’s moon Io), and a roundup of the best archaeological discoveries of 2023.
Plasma could be wrangled to collide photons and yield matter, according to physicists who ran simulations to explore the practical applications of a world-famous equation. - Isaac Schultz Read More
Into fossils? Taking a road trip across the country and looking for a side quest? Perhaps you’re just looking for an escape from modernity writ large. Well, these are the places for you. - Isaac Schultz Read More
Few disciplines are as full of drama and surprises as archaeology, and this year was no exception. Archaeologists and anthropologists mined ancient genomes, excavated Roman weaponry from caves near the Dead Sea, and found a still-standing shipwreck at the bottom of Lake Huron. - Isaac Schultz Read More
The Firefly Alpha rocket launched on December 22.Photo: Firefly Aerospace/Trevor Mahlmann
Following a successful liftoff, Firefly’s Alpha rocket seems to have misplaced its payload due to a second stage anomaly. The mission, called “Fly the Lightning,” was carrying a satellite developed by Lockheed Martin to test an electronically steerable antenna. - Passant Rabie Read More
The north polar region of the Jovian moon Io shown in this image taken on October 15 by NASA’s Juno.Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS, Image processing by Ted Stryk
NASA’s curious Jupiter probe is getting chummier with the planet’s most erratic moon, Io. The Juno spacecraft will carry out the closest encounter any mission has had with the volcanic moon in over 20 years, collecting valuable clues about its mysterious activity. - Passant Rabie Read More
The Falcon 9 rocket launching on December 23.Photo: SpaceX
A Falcon 9 first-stage booster broke apart after completing its 19th mission, tipping over on the floating droneship in the Atlantic Ocean due to high winds. - Passant Rabie Read More
Image: Kitreel (Shutterstock)
Talk about an eyesore. In a case report this month, doctors have described finding a wooden splinter lodged inside a man’s cornea for apparently 15 years. - Ed Cara Read More
NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Doug “Wheels” Wheelock testing out the mockup elevator.Photo: SpaceX
Ahead of NASA’s long-awaited return to crewed Moon landings, the space agency is testing an elevator that will carry astronauts from their spacecraft to the lunar surface. If all goes as planned, this elevator will be ready for the Artemis 3 and 4 missions, ambitiously set for 2025 and 2028. - Passant Rabie Read More
An example of what a deep brain stimulation device looks like under X-ray imaging.Photo: Hellerhoff/Wikimedia Commons
Modern medicine has extended our lives and reduced suffering in all kinds of ways. Many of the impactful interventions we have available today have been around for a long time, like antibiotics, most painkillers, and various forms of cancer screening. But every once in a while, scientists come up with novel treatments that jump the line from “cool” to “whoa.” Here are five sci-fi medical innovations that are already here or close to fruition. - Ed Cara Read More
Image: Pixfiction (Shutterstock)
Being overly worried about getting sick may, actually, help send you to an early grave, new research out this month suggests. The study found that people diagnosed with hypochondriasis were noticeably more likely to die during the study period than those without it. - Ed Cara Read More
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