The search for technological relics of extraterrestrial civilizations will inspire the public and attract talent to the field of astronomy
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/to-look-or-not-to-look-that-is-the-question/
Ordinary human dilemmas are tougher to solve than the most difficult problems of physics and mathematics
A proposal plans to study how to build a giant spacecraft
Contrary to what we’ve long assumed, this reservoir of comets surrounding the solar system may have more visitors than permanent residents
Ions flowing through atom-thin stacks of carbon confirm classic theories but also yield new surprises
Economic inequality, an indulgent trip to space and an ongoing legal battle with NASA are putting the space company in the hot seat
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-is-so-reviled/
These novel missiles cannot live up to the grand promises made on their behalf, aerodynamics shows
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-physics-and-hype-of-hypersonic-weapons/
Recent work has shown how “naked singularities” might defy the cosmic censorship conjecture
Years of weather monitoring suggest a high-altitude locale in Qinghai Province could host future telescopes
Fred Hoyle and George Gamow were brilliant iconoclasts who reached opposite conclusions about the expanding universe (for the record, Gamow was right)
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/when-physicists-follow-their-gut/
A battle for the future of American stargazing is about to begin—and the stakes are sky high
Despite the best efforts of scientists eager to study Earth’s sister world, U.S. efforts to send a dedicated spacecraft to Venus languished—until NASA made a surprising announcement
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa-just-broke-the-venus-curse-heres-what-it-took/
The groundbreaking scientist ushered in a revolution in how we think about the universe. She also lived by a set of principles that made her an exceptional human being
They’re not quite stars and not quite planets but can help us understand both
Project Galileo could make that happen sooner rather than later
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/when-will-we-hear-from-extraterrestrials/
Theories that try to explain these big metaphysical mysteries fall short, making agnosticism the only sensible stance
Stretching the mind across time can help us become more responsible planetary stewards and foster empathy across generations
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-art-of-pondering-earths-distant-future/
Using data from the OSIRIS-REx mission, scientists calculated slightly increased (but still low) odds the space rock will collide with our planet in the 2100s
After an alarming failure, the rover is set to continue its mission to retrieve specimens for eventual return to Earth
In trying to explain the spectacular star trails of the star cluster Palomar 5, astronomers stumbled on a very large trove of black holes.
Meteorites reveal that so long as groundwater is present, the Martian subsurface is habitable
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/martian-crust-could-sustain-life-through-radiation/
The rare tetraquark is one of dozens of nonelementary particles discovered at the accelerator and could help test theories about the strong nuclear force
We need to avoid the mistakes European countries made during the age of colonization
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-ethics-of-sending-humans-to-mars/
Seeking to collect its inaugural core sample, the mission hopes to begin what could be humanity’s boldest search for extraterrestrial life
Five reasons why sorting all of this out is so scientifically challenging
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/o-ufos-where-art-thou/