NASA’s silent supersonic aircraft is ready for flight and the main scientific news of the week

Next week we’ll look at NASA’s supersonic plane without a sonic boom

NASA’s supersonic experimental aircraft: the agency’s project pivot mission mission-Preparing to leave his warehouse in the California desert next week. We’ve been waiting for the big moment: The X-59 has been in development for six years and, if successful, will demonstrate supersonic flight without sound waves.-Isaac Schultz Read more

South Korea’s artificial sun is cooking up 100 million degrees of plasma

The Korea Fusion Energy Institute has installed a new diverter on the KSTAR tokamak, which allows the artificial Sun to maintain high ion temperatures of more than 100 million degrees Celsius for long periods of time. -Isaac Schultz Read more

Good luck with urine matters because scientists have discovered why urine is yellow

Scientists say they have finally answered an age-old question: Why is our urine yellow? In new research, a team found an enzyme produced by intestinal bacteria that plays a key role in softening our urine. Curiosity aside, this discovery could help scientists better understand the gut microbiome and how it may contribute to certain health conditions like jaundice in newborns. -Ed Cara Read more

The Quadrantids: How to see hundreds of shooting stars tonight

Meteor lovers, rejoice. The first big rain of the year is upon us. If you want to catch a glimpse of these fireballs, here’s everything you need to know.

Located between the constellations Boötes and Draco (right near the Big Dipper), the Quadrantids are called Quadrans Muralis, a now extinct constellation. They’re an annual shower that peaks in early January and, in my meteor-loving opinion, are a great way to start each new year. -Isaac Schultz Read more

ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rocket to launch on Monday, a challenge for SpaceX

On Monday, January 8, United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur was finally able to make its first flight. ULA has been a rock in the spaceflight industry since its founding in 2006, and with this launch pending, the company is ready to take its next bold step into space. Here’s what you need to know about America’s latest rocket booster and how it could disrupt the sector and compete with the ever-dominant SpaceX. -George Dvorsky Read more

See new close-up images of Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io

The weathered surface of Jupiter’s moon Io was revealed in great detail by the Juno spacecraft, which has been exploring the Jovian system since 2016 and recently performed the closest flyby of the volcanic world. -Pasant Rabi Read more

SpaceX’s latest launch will bring Starlink to T-Mobile phones

SpaceX is preparing to test the ability of its Starlink satellites to connect directly to cell phones in the US, launching the first six satellites under a temporary license in hopes of expanding their connectivity reach beyond cellular signals. Traditional.-Passant Rabi Read more

NASA’s OSIRIS-Apex heads toward the Sun, aiming for a new asteroid target

New mission, who is it? The spacecraft, formerly known as OSIRIS-REx, had a sudden close encounter with the Sun as it followed an elaborate new path to another asteroid, using one of its solar arrays to cast a shadow. Was. -Pasant Rabi Read more

1.75 billion year old fossils are the oldest record of oxygenic photosynthesis

The story of life on Earth cannot be told without photosynthesis, the process by which plants (and some other life forms) convert sunlight. In chemical energy. Now, a team of researchers has announced the discovery of fossilized photosynthetic structures, the oldest yet known, dating back to about 1.75 billion years ago. -Isaac Schultz Read more

Scientists lightly attack people’s brains and make it easier to hypnotize them

Researchers at Stanford University say they have made the kind of discovery one might expect to see in science fiction. A randomized controlled trial published this week found evidence that people can become more sensitive to hypnosis with just two brief sessions of non-invasive brain stimulation. The findings suggest that brain stimulation could make hypnosis a more effective treatment for a variety of health conditions such as pain, although more extensive research will be needed to know for sure. -Ed Cara Read more