Saturn hasn’t always had rings
Reading Time: 3 minutesONE of the last acts of NASA’s Cassini spacecraft before its death plunge into Saturn’s hydrogen and helium atmosphere was to coast between the planet and its rings and let them tug it around, essentially acting as a gravity probe. Precise measurements of Cassini’s final trajectory have now allowed scientists to make the first accurate […]
Scientists rewrite corn domestication story
Reading Time: 4 minutesDrawing on genetic and archaeological evidence, researchers have found that a predecessor of today’s corn plants still bearing many features of its wild ancestor was likely brought to South America from Mexico more than 6,500 years ago. SMITHSONIAN scientists and collaborators are revising the history of one of the world’s most important crops. Drawing on […]
Missing link in planet evolution found
Reading Time: 2 minutesFOR the first time ever, astronomers have detected a 1.3 km radius body at the edge of the Solar System. Kilometre sized bodies like the one discovered have been predicted to exist for more than 70 years. These objects acted as an important step in the planet formation process between small initial amalgamations of dust […]
Scientists seeking to regrow kidneys make promising discovery
Reading Time: 2 minutesSCIENTISTS seeking to regrow damaged kidneys have discovered that blocked kidneys in newborns have a remarkable ability to repair themselves after the obstruction is removed. The finding offers insights into how that happens and could eventually help doctors regenerate kidneys in adults. The new research, from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, looked at […]
How do butterflies eat?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIF you’re lucky enough to be able to get close to a butterfly, you will see that it doesn’t have a mouth. So, how do they eat? Well, a small little pipe, like a straw, which is coiled under its head most of the time is what an adult butterfly uses to suck up all […]