Technology
Physicists Pin Down the Nuclear Reaction After the Big...
The newly measured rate of a key nuclear fusion process that forged the first atomic nuclei matches the picture of the universe 380,000...
Climate Change Is Intensifying the Tsunami Threat in Alaska
As glaciers retreat and permafrost thaws, massive landslides threaten coastal communities. Those, in turn, could trigger giant sea...
Pfizer Seeks Approval, the CDC Urges Restraint, and More...
Catch up on the most important updates from this week.
A Solar-Powered Rocket Might Be Our Interstellar Ticket
The idea for solar thermal propulsion has been around for decades, but researchers tapped by NASA just conducted a first test.
Iowa’s Covid Wave and the Limits of Personal Responsibility
Until Monday, the governor urged Iowans to “do the right thing” but kept businesses open and masks optional. Now cases are surging...
The Physics of Materials at Minus 80 Degrees Celsius
Pfizer's new vaccine has to be stored at extremely low temperatures. Here's how things work when it gets that cold.
An Enormous Iceberg Is Headed for South Georgia Island—Again
If they collide, it could cause big problems for breeding penguins and seals by cutting off their access to the open sea.
How a Medication for OCD Ended Up in a Covid-19 Trial
In a small study, the drug kept patients with mild symptoms from worsening. If it holds up in a larger test, it could help keep more...
Can You Get Covid-19 on an Airplane? Yeah, Probably
As usual, a lack of good data makes evaluating the risk of getting the virus on a flight hard to calculate. It’s probably low. It’s...
Larry Brilliant: We’ll Beat Covid—After We Go Through Hell
The epidemiologist calls it "the best of times and the worst of times," as good news on vaccines and testing coincides with a terrifying...
