Mic Viral - Mic Viral

Space

A Dune-inspired spacesuit turns astronaut pee into drinking water

In the science-fiction series Dune, the desert-dwelling Fremen of the arid planet Arrakis recycle their body’s moisture using specially designed outfits called stillsuits. Inspired by such imaginings, a new prototype spacesuit converts astronauts’ urine into drinkable water, researchers report July…

houssem23
23/07/2024

Physics

A black hole made from pure light is impossible, thanks to quantum physics

An artistic rendering shows a glowing orb of light with light beams streaming in

Black holes can’t be formed from pure light. Quantum physics would curb their creation under any foreseeable conditions, a new study suggests. Typically, matter is responsible for black holes. They’re often formed when a star’s core implodes at the end…

houssem23
23/07/2024

Genetics

Landfills belch toxic ‘forever chemicals’ into the air

What’s dumped into a landfill is supposed to stay there, but a new study finds that toxic “forever chemicals” are wafting from the waste into the air. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been detected in the gas exuded…

houssem23
23/07/2024

Physics

Something weird is happening to Earth’s inner core

An illustration of the Earth sliced in half to expose a glowing inner core

Something strange is happening at Earth’s center. Decades of earthquake data show that Earth’s inner core has been rotating slower than its mantle and surface since around 2010, researchers report June 12 in Nature. The study appears to confirm a…

houssem23
23/07/2024

Genetics

This AI can predict ship-sinking ‘freak’ waves minutes in advance

Rogue waves are freakishly large ridges of water known for rising out of the blue to ambush hapless ships and beachgoers. But a new artificial intelligence model can predict most of these surprising swells up to five minutes in advance,…

houssem23
23/07/2024

Physics

Jurassic Park inspires a new way to store DNA data

A close-up illustration of a translucent amber-colored rock with a DNA double helix held inside

Sometimes science fiction does inspire science research. À la Jurassic Park’s entombed mosquito, scientists have developed a method to store DNA in an amberlike material and still extract it easily hours later. This storage method is cheaper and faster than…

houssem23
23/07/2024

Space

A planet needs to start with a lot of water to become like Earth

An illustration of a planet with blue watery oceans, reddish land, and an atmosphere, seen from above

In planet formation, as in poker, you have to play the hand you’re dealt. If an Earthlike planet is the goal, the best starting hand might contain three to eight times all the water in Earth’s oceans. “There’s kind of…

houssem23
23/07/2024

Physics

Two real-world tests of quantum memories bring a quantum internet closer to reality

Illustration showing three atoms, representing quantum memories, are connected by lines, representing entanglement, over a cityscape backdrop.

Take our AI survey Scientific news has partnered with Trusting News to gather feedback on the potential use of AI in journalism. Currently, we do not publish any content produced by generative AI (see our policy). We want to hear…

houssem23
23/07/2024

Environment

Breastfeeding must damage bones. A brain hormone may protect them

A photograph of a mother in a green shirt breastfeeding her infant. She is sitting in a white armchair next to a small, potted plant in front of a white wall and curtained window.

houssem23
23/07/2024

Genetics

Federally unprotected streams contribute most of the water to US rivers

A photograph of a small stream. The sunset is reflecting on the water, making it look orange, and medium-sized rocks are sticking through the surface.

houssem23
23/07/2024