Science

February 18, 2022

The Doomsday Vault Is Opening Its Doors for Some New Types of Seeds

Lots of people have thought about the apocalypse, including what they might eat when society or the environment collapses. While preppers stock up on canned goods, scientists have a different idea—they're storing seeds. Banking seeds is both a present safeguard of biodiversity and a last-ditch hope for humanity's food sources should the worst come to pass.

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February 8, 2022

Out-of-This-World Winners of the ASTRO2021 Photo Contest

Astrophotographers from 30 nations entered their best work into the inaugural photo competition from the Save a Star non-profit. ASTRO2021 is an extension of the group's mission to save the night sky from light pollution. The collection of winning photos certainly makes a great case for keeping our night skies clear and visible. Australian photographer Andy Campbell was awarded the title of Astronomy Photographer of 2021.

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February 2, 2022

NASA Celebrates James Webb Space Telescope Successfully Reaching Its Destination

NASA is in celebration mode. Its James Webb Space Telescope has successfully deployed, positioning itself almost one million miles from Earth. Folded within a rocket and launched on Christmas Day, the telescope promises to photograph the origins of the universe. Before it can search for ancient light, however, the craft had to unfold a sun shield the size of almost three tennis courts and align its golden mirrors.

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January 26, 2022

Researchers Discover That Humans Are 33,000 Years Older Than We Thought

How old is our human species? This question is a tricky one. Our genus Homo evolved from the more ancient Australopithecus around 2.8 million years ago. Scientists examining fossils believe modern humans—scientifically known as Homo sapiens—only emerged around 300,000 years ago. They continue to learn more about this process by examining the fossil record. A new study published in Nature is an example of such continuing study.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.