9 hours ago
Ancient teeth reveal clues to the environment humans’ early ancestors evolved in millions of years ago
Teeth are like tiny biological time capsules. They tell stories about ancient diets and environments long after their owners have died and landscapes have changed.
After bones break down, tooth enamel stays hard and unchanged, even in fossilized teeth that have been buried under sediment and rock for millions of years and are now being uncovered by erosion or excavation.
Tooth enamel forms when an animal is young, and it remains chemically stable for the rest of that animal’s life. The f
Teeth are like tiny biological time capsules. They tell stories about ancient diets and environments long after their owners have died and landscapes have changed.
After bones break down, tooth enamel stays hard and unchanged, even in fossilized teeth that have been buried under sediment and rock for millions of years and are now being uncovered by erosion or excavation.
Tooth enamel forms when an animal is young, and it remains chemically stable for the rest of that animal’s life. The f
16 hours ago
Wildfires used to 'go to sleep' at night. Climate change has them burning overtime
WASHINGTON (AP) — Burning time for North American wildfires is going into overtime. Flames are lasting later into the night and starting earlier in the morning because human-caused climate change is extending the hotter and drier conditions that feed fires, a new study found.
Fires used to die down or even die out at night as temperatures dropped and humidity increased, but that's happening less often. The number of hours in North America when the weather is favorable for wildfires is 36% higher than 50 year
WASHINGTON (AP) — Burning time for North American wildfires is going into overtime. Flames are lasting later into the night and starting earlier in the morning because human-caused climate change is extending the hotter and drier conditions that feed fires, a new study found.
Fires used to die down or even die out at night as temperatures dropped and humidity increased, but that's happening less often. The number of hours in North America when the weather is favorable for wildfires is 36% higher than 50 year
6 days ago
NASA already has next Artemis flight in its sights following astronauts' triumphant moon flyby
HOUSTON (AP) — Never-before-glimpsed views of the moon’s far side. Check. Total solar eclipse gracing the lunar scene. Check. New distance record for humanity. Check.
With NASA’s lunar comeback a galactic-sized smash thanks to Artemis II, the world is wondering: What’s next? And how do you top that?
“To people all around the world who look up and dream about what is possible, the long wait is over,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said as he introduced Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, pilot
HOUSTON (AP) — Never-before-glimpsed views of the moon’s far side. Check. Total solar eclipse gracing the lunar scene. Check. New distance record for humanity. Check.
With NASA’s lunar comeback a galactic-sized smash thanks to Artemis II, the world is wondering: What’s next? And how do you top that?
“To people all around the world who look up and dream about what is possible, the long wait is over,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said as he introduced Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, pilot
21 days ago
Old age isn’t a modern phenomenon – many people lived long enough to grow old in the olden days, too
Every year I ask the college students in the course I teach about the 14th-century Black Death to imagine they are farmers or nuns or ****** les in the Middle Ages. What would their lives have been like in the face of this terrifying disease that killed millions of people in just a few years?
Setting aside how they envision what it would be like to confront the plague, these undergrads often figure that during the medieval period they would already be considered middle-aged or elderly at th
Every year I ask the college students in the course I teach about the 14th-century Black Death to imagine they are farmers or nuns or ****** les in the Middle Ages. What would their lives have been like in the face of this terrifying disease that killed millions of people in just a few years?
Setting aside how they envision what it would be like to confront the plague, these undergrads often figure that during the medieval period they would already be considered middle-aged or elderly at th
21 days ago
Apollo vs. Artemis: What to know about NASA's return to the moon
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s Apollo moonshots are a tough act to follow, even after all this time.
As four astronauts get set to blast off on humanity’s first trip to the moon in more than half a century, comparisons between Apollo and NASA’s new Artemis program are inevitable.
The world's first lunar visitors orbited the moon on Apollo 8. The Artemis II crew will play it safe and zip around the moon in an out-and-back slingshot.
Another key difference: Artemis reflects more of society, with a woman, person of color a
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s Apollo moonshots are a tough act to follow, even after all this time.
As four astronauts get set to blast off on humanity’s first trip to the moon in more than half a century, comparisons between Apollo and NASA’s new Artemis program are inevitable.
The world's first lunar visitors orbited the moon on Apollo 8. The Artemis II crew will play it safe and zip around the moon in an out-and-back slingshot.
Another key difference: Artemis reflects more of society, with a woman, person of color a
21 days ago
Astrophotographer captures spectacular photo of Antennae Galaxies dueling in deep ****** e
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Astrophotographer Greg Meyer took aim at the constellation Corvus to capture a majestic view of the Antennae Galaxies, whose once spiral forms have been rendered chaotic as they merge into a single elliptical monster of a galaxy.
The deep ****** e image captures a fleeting moment in a ****** anic struggle that has lasted hundreds of millions of years, as the gravitational influence of the galaxies
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Astrophotographer Greg Meyer took aim at the constellation Corvus to capture a majestic view of the Antennae Galaxies, whose once spiral forms have been rendered chaotic as they merge into a single elliptical monster of a galaxy.
The deep ****** e image captures a fleeting moment in a ****** anic struggle that has lasted hundreds of millions of years, as the gravitational influence of the galaxies
22 days ago
As Western heat wave ends, scientists try to make sense of its length and intensity
The scorching spring heat dome that baked the West for well over a week has finally moved along, after setting more than 1,500 temperature records across 11 states, according to the research group Climate Central.
In its wake, climate scientists, irrigation managers and local officials are taking stock of a looming water crisis and trying to make sense of just how exceptional the heat wave turned out to be. Even before the high temperatures arrived, Western states were reporting some of their weakest snowpa
The scorching spring heat dome that baked the West for well over a week has finally moved along, after setting more than 1,500 temperature records across 11 states, according to the research group Climate Central.
In its wake, climate scientists, irrigation managers and local officials are taking stock of a looming water crisis and trying to make sense of just how exceptional the heat wave turned out to be. Even before the high temperatures arrived, Western states were reporting some of their weakest snowpa
22 days ago
‘Inoculation’ helps people spot political deepfakes, study finds
Informing people about political deepfakes through text-based information and interactive games both improve people’s ability to spot AI-generated video and audio that falsely depict politicians, according to a study my colleagues and I conducted.
Although researchers have focused primarily on advancing technologies for detecting deepfakes, there is also a need for approaches that address the potential audiences for political deepfakes. Deepfakes are becoming increasingly difficult to identify, verify and combat as artificial
Informing people about political deepfakes through text-based information and interactive games both improve people’s ability to spot AI-generated video and audio that falsely depict politicians, according to a study my colleagues and I conducted.
Although researchers have focused primarily on advancing technologies for detecting deepfakes, there is also a need for approaches that address the potential audiences for political deepfakes. Deepfakes are becoming increasingly difficult to identify, verify and combat as artificial
22 days ago
Meet the Artemis crew in NASA's first astronaut mission to the moon in more than a half-century
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The four astronauts making NASA’s next lunar leap bear little resemblance to the Apollo era.
The Americans who blazed the trail to the moon more than half a century ago were white men chosen for their military test pilot experience. This first Artemis crew includes a woman, a person of color and a Canadian, products of a more diversified astronaut corps.
None of them were alive during NASA’s storied Apollo program that sent 24 astronauts to the moon including 12 moon
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The four astronauts making NASA’s next lunar leap bear little resemblance to the Apollo era.
The Americans who blazed the trail to the moon more than half a century ago were white men chosen for their military test pilot experience. This first Artemis crew includes a woman, a person of color and a Canadian, products of a more diversified astronaut corps.
None of them were alive during NASA’s storied Apollo program that sent 24 astronauts to the moon including 12 moon
23 days ago
New study measures ******* anium in Apollo rock to uncover Moon’s early chemistry
The Earth and the Moon may look very different today, but they formed under similar conditions in ******* e. In fact, a dominant hypothesis says that the early Earth was hit by a Mars-sized object, and it was this giant impact that spun off material to form the Moon. But unlike Earth, the Moon lacks plate tectonics and an atmosphere capable of reshaping its surface and recycling elements such as oxygen over billions of years.
As a result, the Moon preserves a record of the geological conditions that helped sh
The Earth and the Moon may look very different today, but they formed under similar conditions in ******* e. In fact, a dominant hypothesis says that the early Earth was hit by a Mars-sized object, and it was this giant impact that spun off material to form the Moon. But unlike Earth, the Moon lacks plate tectonics and an atmosphere capable of reshaping its surface and recycling elements such as oxygen over billions of years.
As a result, the Moon preserves a record of the geological conditions that helped sh
27 days ago
Rare daytime fireball may have dropped meteorites on Texas: Here's where to find them
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
NASA has released a "strewn field" map of where meteorites may have fallen after a rare daytime fireball explosively disintegrated in the skies over Houston on Saturday (March 21) evening — with the force of 26 tons of TNT.
Houston residents reported hearing loud booms as pressure waves brought about by the meteor's demise reached the ground at 5:40 p.m. EDT (21:40 GMT), following its brief but fiery de
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
NASA has released a "strewn field" map of where meteorites may have fallen after a rare daytime fireball explosively disintegrated in the skies over Houston on Saturday (March 21) evening — with the force of 26 tons of TNT.
Houston residents reported hearing loud booms as pressure waves brought about by the meteor's demise reached the ground at 5:40 p.m. EDT (21:40 GMT), following its brief but fiery de
27 days ago
Can you survive inside a tornado? This scientist did by accident – he’s lucky to be alive
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUStheconversation.com.
Can a person survive inside a tornado? – Sophia, age 14, Greencastle, Indiana
I have seen the center of a monster. Most people describe the sound of a tornado as like a freight train, but up close, it’s more like a thousand screaming jet engines. I am one of the few people on Earth who has driven into a tornado and lived to tell the tale.
While it mi
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUStheconversation.com.
Can a person survive inside a tornado? – Sophia, age 14, Greencastle, Indiana
I have seen the center of a monster. Most people describe the sound of a tornado as like a freight train, but up close, it’s more like a thousand screaming jet engines. I am one of the few people on Earth who has driven into a tornado and lived to tell the tale.
While it mi
1 month ago
Meteorite hunters scour Ohio for fragments of 7-ton **** e rock that crashed into Earth
MEDINA, Ohio (AP) — Meteorite hunters fanned out across a wide swath of Ohio on Thursday, hoping to collect fragments of an estimated 7-ton (6,350 kilograms) **** e rock that crashed into Earth this week after a dazzling fireball that was seen from hundreds of miles away.
The meteoroid broke apart around 9 a.m. Tuesday over Valley City, a half-hour south of Cleveland, after it sped through the atmosphere at about 45,000 miles (72,420 kilometers) per hour. It caused a sonic boom that rattled buildings an
MEDINA, Ohio (AP) — Meteorite hunters fanned out across a wide swath of Ohio on Thursday, hoping to collect fragments of an estimated 7-ton (6,350 kilograms) **** e rock that crashed into Earth this week after a dazzling fireball that was seen from hundreds of miles away.
The meteoroid broke apart around 9 a.m. Tuesday over Valley City, a half-hour south of Cleveland, after it sped through the atmosphere at about 45,000 miles (72,420 kilometers) per hour. It caused a sonic boom that rattled buildings an
1 month ago
You probably agree with the animals on which bird calls, frog noises and cricket chirps are most attractive – new research
Animals do all sorts of things to attract each other as potential mates. Many birds, for example, produce feathers with elaborate color patterns – from the iridescent plumage of many hummingbirds to the famously brilliant tail of a peacock. Charles Darwin, an early pioneer in the theory of evolution, saw these colors and concluded that they exist because other birds find them attractive.
But this raised a peculiar question: Why did Darwin himself find these colors beau
Animals do all sorts of things to attract each other as potential mates. Many birds, for example, produce feathers with elaborate color patterns – from the iridescent plumage of many hummingbirds to the famously brilliant tail of a peacock. Charles Darwin, an early pioneer in the theory of evolution, saw these colors and concluded that they exist because other birds find them attractive.
But this raised a peculiar question: Why did Darwin himself find these colors beau
1 month ago
Watch NASA roll out Artemis 2 moon rocket tonight ahead of April 1 launch
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
NASA will roll its Artemis 2 moon rocket out to the launch pad tonight (March 19) ahead of a planned April 1 liftoff, and you can watch the action live.
The Artemis 2 stack will leave Kennedy ******* e Center's (KSC) huge Vehicle ******* embly Building (VAB) tonight at around 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT on March 20) and head for Launch Pad 39B, which lies about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) away. The trek, made atop NASA's mas
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
NASA will roll its Artemis 2 moon rocket out to the launch pad tonight (March 19) ahead of a planned April 1 liftoff, and you can watch the action live.
The Artemis 2 stack will leave Kennedy ******* e Center's (KSC) huge Vehicle ******* embly Building (VAB) tonight at around 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT on March 20) and head for Launch Pad 39B, which lies about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) away. The trek, made atop NASA's mas
1 month ago
NASA rover detects some of the oldest evidence of water flowing on Mars
By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - Using ground-penetrating radar, NASA's Perseverance rover has detected underground remains of an ancient river delta on Mars in some of the oldest evidence yet obtained showing how water once flowed on the surface of Earth's planetary neighbor.
Researchers said the six-wheeled rover revealed geological features up to 115 feet (35 meters) underground while traversing 3.8 miles (6.1 km) of terrain inside Jezero Crater, an area in the Martian northern hemisphere believed
By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - Using ground-penetrating radar, NASA's Perseverance rover has detected underground remains of an ancient river delta on Mars in some of the oldest evidence yet obtained showing how water once flowed on the surface of Earth's planetary neighbor.
Researchers said the six-wheeled rover revealed geological features up to 115 feet (35 meters) underground while traversing 3.8 miles (6.1 km) of terrain inside Jezero Crater, an area in the Martian northern hemisphere believed
1 month ago
SpaceX fires up next-gen 'V3' Starship for 1st time ahead of April launch (photos)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
SpaceX's biggest, most powerful Starship to date just breathed fire for the first time.
On Monday (March 16), the company conducted a static fire test with Starship's "Super Heavy" first stage, briefly igniting the booster's engines while the vehicle remained anchored to Pad 2 at ******* eX's Starbase site in South Texas.
It was the first-ever static fire for a Version 3 (V3) vehicle — the latest iteratio
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
SpaceX's biggest, most powerful Starship to date just breathed fire for the first time.
On Monday (March 16), the company conducted a static fire test with Starship's "Super Heavy" first stage, briefly igniting the booster's engines while the vehicle remained anchored to Pad 2 at ******* eX's Starbase site in South Texas.
It was the first-ever static fire for a Version 3 (V3) vehicle — the latest iteratio
1 month ago
Watch live today: NASA astronauts conducting ***** ewalk delayed by ISS medical evacuation
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Two NASA astronauts will conduct a long-delayed ***** ewalk today (March 18), and you can watch the action live.
NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Chris Williams will venture outside the International ***** e Station (ISS) today at around 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT), kicking off a ***** ewalk expected to last about 6.5 hours.
You can watch it live here at ***** e.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly via th
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Two NASA astronauts will conduct a long-delayed ***** ewalk today (March 18), and you can watch the action live.
NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Chris Williams will venture outside the International ***** e Station (ISS) today at around 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT), kicking off a ***** ewalk expected to last about 6.5 hours.
You can watch it live here at ***** e.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly via th
1 month ago
7-ton meteor identified as likely cause of boom heard across Ohio
An asteroid weighing about 7 tons and traveling at 45,000 miles per hour zoomed over multiple states and lit up the sky as a meteor Tuesday morning, causing a loud boom that some residents mistook for an explosion, officials said.
NASA said eyewitnesses from 10 states, Washington, D.C., and the Canadian province of Ontario reported seeing the "bright fireball" moments before 9 a.m. ET. The National Weather Service office in Pittsburgh shared an employee's video of the meteor arcing across the sky.
Witnesses in Ohio, New Yor
An asteroid weighing about 7 tons and traveling at 45,000 miles per hour zoomed over multiple states and lit up the sky as a meteor Tuesday morning, causing a loud boom that some residents mistook for an explosion, officials said.
NASA said eyewitnesses from 10 states, Washington, D.C., and the Canadian province of Ontario reported seeing the "bright fireball" moments before 9 a.m. ET. The National Weather Service office in Pittsburgh shared an employee's video of the meteor arcing across the sky.
Witnesses in Ohio, New Yor
1 month ago
X-ray ****** ecraft watches monster black hole wake up and fire cosmic bullets at starburst galaxy
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
The joint NASA and ****** an Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission XRISM has spotted a monster black hole awakening in a distant "starburst" galaxy.
The research is revolutionary to black hole science, because it represents the first observation of the exact stage at which "winds" from a black hole begin to shape an entire galaxy.
Thus, the "switching on" of this supermassive black h
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
The joint NASA and ****** an Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission XRISM has spotted a monster black hole awakening in a distant "starburst" galaxy.
The research is revolutionary to black hole science, because it represents the first observation of the exact stage at which "winds" from a black hole begin to shape an entire galaxy.
Thus, the "switching on" of this supermassive black h
1 month ago
SpaceX launches 10,000th active Starlink satellite in low Earth orbit
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Almost seven years after starting to build out its broadband constellation in low Earth orbit, ***** eX now has more than 10,000 active Starlink satellites circling the planet.
The company launched two new batches of the internet relay units on Tuesday (March 17), totaling 54 satellites. The milestone 10,000th Starlink was on board the first Falcon 9 rocket, which successfully lofted 25 satellites from Vandenberg *****
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Almost seven years after starting to build out its broadband constellation in low Earth orbit, ***** eX now has more than 10,000 active Starlink satellites circling the planet.
The company launched two new batches of the internet relay units on Tuesday (March 17), totaling 54 satellites. The milestone 10,000th Starlink was on board the first Falcon 9 rocket, which successfully lofted 25 satellites from Vandenberg *****
1 month ago
How fast is the universe expanding? Astronomers may be one step closer to resolving 'Hubble trouble'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
The local universe may be expanding more slowly than previously thought, scientists have found. The discovery, made in two separate pieces of research, could relieve one of the most troubling headaches in cosmology, the Hubble tension.
The Hubble constant — named after Edwin Hubble, the astronomer who found in the early 1900s that the universe is expanding — is the rate at which that expa
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
The local universe may be expanding more slowly than previously thought, scientists have found. The discovery, made in two separate pieces of research, could relieve one of the most troubling headaches in cosmology, the Hubble tension.
The Hubble constant — named after Edwin Hubble, the astronomer who found in the early 1900s that the universe is expanding — is the rate at which that expa
1 month ago
Paleontologists uncover a new ‘Spinosaurus’ species by following a clue from a decades-old book into the Sahara Desert
My fixation on a small, desolate locale in the heart of the Sahara Desert started with a single line buried in a 630-page tome in French about the rocks of the central Sahara: “Dent de Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Depéret,” which translates to “tooth of Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Depéret” – “Depéret” refers to the scientist who originally named the species.
The intrepid French geologist Hugues Faure (1928-2003) had collected one saber-shaped tooth in the early 1950s at
My fixation on a small, desolate locale in the heart of the Sahara Desert started with a single line buried in a 630-page tome in French about the rocks of the central Sahara: “Dent de Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Depéret,” which translates to “tooth of Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Depéret” – “Depéret” refers to the scientist who originally named the species.
The intrepid French geologist Hugues Faure (1928-2003) had collected one saber-shaped tooth in the early 1950s at
1 month ago
2 seconds that changed the world: Robert Goddard launched the 1st liquid-fueled rocket 100 years ago today
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
It's been a century since a two-second rocket flight in Massachusetts kicked off the liquid-rocket-fuel revolution. Robert H. Goddard (1882-1945), who directed the flight, is widely considered to be one of the founders of modern rocketry, along with Hermann Oberth in Germany and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in Russia. Goddard most notably designed, built and tested the first flown liquid-f
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
It's been a century since a two-second rocket flight in Massachusetts kicked off the liquid-rocket-fuel revolution. Robert H. Goddard (1882-1945), who directed the flight, is widely considered to be one of the founders of modern rocketry, along with Hermann Oberth in Germany and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in Russia. Goddard most notably designed, built and tested the first flown liquid-f
1 month ago
Oldest known whale recording could unlock mysteries of the ocean
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A haunting whale song discovered on decades-old audio equipment could open up a new understanding of how the huge animals communicate, according to researchers who say it’s the oldest such recording known.
The song is that of a humpback whale, a marine giant beloved by whale watchers for its docile nature and spectacular leaps from the water, and was recorded by scientists in March 1949 in Bermuda, said researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
Just as significant
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A haunting whale song discovered on decades-old audio equipment could open up a new understanding of how the huge animals communicate, according to researchers who say it’s the oldest such recording known.
The song is that of a humpback whale, a marine giant beloved by whale watchers for its docile nature and spectacular leaps from the water, and was recorded by scientists in March 1949 in Bermuda, said researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
Just as significant
1 month ago
After attacks on Iran's oil facilities, toxic black rain endangers the public
Clouds of toxic smoke unleashed into the atmosphere by U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iranian oil facilities made a dangerous return to Earth in the form of “black rain,” prompting international health officials to warn of serious risks to the public.
Residents in Tehran complained last week of burning eyes and difficulty breathing when the dark and oily precipitation fell near the Iranian capital after several fuel oil depots and a refinery were struck.
Plumes of dark smoke have also been seen across other parts of
Clouds of toxic smoke unleashed into the atmosphere by U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iranian oil facilities made a dangerous return to Earth in the form of “black rain,” prompting international health officials to warn of serious risks to the public.
Residents in Tehran complained last week of burning eyes and difficulty breathing when the dark and oily precipitation fell near the Iranian capital after several fuel oil depots and a refinery were struck.
Plumes of dark smoke have also been seen across other parts of
1 month ago
Pi pops up where you don’t expect it
Happy Pi Day, where we celebrate the world’s most famous number. The exact value of π=3.14159… has fascinated people since ancient times, and mathematicians have computed trillions of digits. But why do we care? Would it actually matter if somebody got the 11,137,423,895,285th digit wrong?
Probably not. The world would keep on turning (with a circumference of 2πr). What matters about π isn’t so much the actual value as the idea, and the fact that π seems to crop up in lots of unexpected places.
Let’s start with the expected places. If a circle has radi
Happy Pi Day, where we celebrate the world’s most famous number. The exact value of π=3.14159… has fascinated people since ancient times, and mathematicians have computed trillions of digits. But why do we care? Would it actually matter if somebody got the 11,137,423,895,285th digit wrong?
Probably not. The world would keep on turning (with a circumference of 2πr). What matters about π isn’t so much the actual value as the idea, and the fact that π seems to crop up in lots of unexpected places.
Let’s start with the expected places. If a circle has radi
1 month ago
From rockets to cancer research, here's how the number pi is embedded in our lives
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Math nerds and dessert enthusiasts unite to celebrate Pi Day every March 14, the date that represents the first three digits of the mathematical constant pi.
Representing the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, pi is approximately equal to 3.14159 — but its digits go on forever. In school, you might have used it to calculate the area of a circle or the volume of a cylinder. But the applications of pi are endless and part of every corner of our world.
The holiday was created
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Math nerds and dessert enthusiasts unite to celebrate Pi Day every March 14, the date that represents the first three digits of the mathematical constant pi.
Representing the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, pi is approximately equal to 3.14159 — but its digits go on forever. In school, you might have used it to calculate the area of a circle or the volume of a cylinder. But the applications of pi are endless and part of every corner of our world.
The holiday was created
1 month ago
The March full moon glows red through Saharan dust in eerie composite view
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Astrophotographer Josh Dury captured a gorgeous composite view of the March full moon as it rose off the coast of the United Kingdom mere hours after a dramatic blood moon total lunar eclipse.
"This image was captured from the Dorset coast looking out to sea," Dury told ****** e.com. "In spite of the lunar eclipse not being visible from the UK this time, the Sahara dust in the atmosphere would give the illusion it
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Astrophotographer Josh Dury captured a gorgeous composite view of the March full moon as it rose off the coast of the United Kingdom mere hours after a dramatic blood moon total lunar eclipse.
"This image was captured from the Dorset coast looking out to sea," Dury told ****** e.com. "In spite of the lunar eclipse not being visible from the UK this time, the Sahara dust in the atmosphere would give the illusion it
1 month ago
Jupiter's moons leave cold 'footprints' in the planet's auroras, James Webb ****** e Telescope finds
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Jupiter's moons can have surprising effects on the world's displays of auroral lights by "stomping down" on the planet's gigantic magnetic environment.These surprising effects, detected in observations from the James Webb ****** e Telescope (JWST), include a cold spot in Jupiter's atmosphere, and a rapid increase in the density of charged particles."The moons constantly interact with the m
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Jupiter's moons can have surprising effects on the world's displays of auroral lights by "stomping down" on the planet's gigantic magnetic environment.These surprising effects, detected in observations from the James Webb ****** e Telescope (JWST), include a cold spot in Jupiter's atmosphere, and a rapid increase in the density of charged particles."The moons constantly interact with the m
