Science

An international team of researchers from Cornell University’s Boyce Thompson Institute and Shanghai Normal University has produced the first high-quality genomic sequence for spinach (Spinacia oleracea). Additionally, the team has sequenced the transcriptomes (all the RNA) of 120 cultivated and wild spinach plants. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea). Image credit: George Hodan. …

An international group of researchers from UK, France, Hungary and Sweden has provided new insights into the origins of the Archaea, the group of simple cellular organisms that are the ancestors of all complex life. According to Williams et al, the earliest metabolisms of the Archaea were based on the …

NASA’s Juno spacecraft arrived in orbit of Jupiter last summer, and it began its death-defying dives into Jupiter’s magnetic field earlier this year. It’s on a longer 53-day orbit than originally planned due to engine trouble, but NASA is still gathering lots of information. NASA has just published the first …

A new study published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology found that consuming fruit and vegetables may lower the risk of peripheral artery disease. Eating three or more servings of fruit and vegetables per day may lower risk of developing PAD. “Our current study provides important information to …

NASA’s Juno mission is rewriting what planetary researchers thought they knew about Jupiter, the largest and most massive planet in our Solar System: the latest science results from the mission portray the gas giant as a complex, turbulent world, with massive polar cyclones, plunging storm systems, and an extremely strong …

The TRAPPIST-1 star system is interesting to say the least. This solar system is home to seven exoplanets, and astronomers have been watching it closely ever since the discovery was announced early this year. TRAPPIST-1 is particularly fascinating because it contains multiple planets that might be capable of supporting life. …

Most commercial rockets have a carbo capacity measured in tons, but the new Electron launch vehicle from Rocket Lab is designed for lighter duty. This rocket can haul just 150 kg (331 pounds) into orbit, but it’s cheap and small — really, look how cute and little it is. Rocket …

A new species of marine reptile from the Cretaceous period has been identified from fossils found on the eroded banks of the Volga River. Artist’s reconstruction of Luskhan itilensis. Image credit: Andrey Atuchin. Pliosaurs, also known as pliosauroids, were a type of short-necked plesiosaur: marine reptiles built for speed compared …

A Vanderbilt University-led team of archaeologists has made a remarkable discovery in Peru: thousands of 15,000- to 10,000-year-old artifacts, including stone tools, elaborate hand-woven baskets and the remains of maritime and terrestrial foods, from two mound sites in the Chicama Valley on the north coast of Peru reveal that early …

A new study published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters examines whether radioactive decay could support life on ocean worlds like Jupiter’s moon Europa. This artist’s concept shows a simulated view from the surface of Jupiters moon Europa. Europa’s potentially rough, icy surface, tinged with reddish areas, can be seen in …