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The most famous carbon dioxide absorber
The Apollo 13 astronauts were stranded in space. Their survival depended on if they could make a carbon dioxide absorber inside the spacecraft.
Topics /
Science & Space
The most popular blog posts about science & space on Hacker News. 422 posts.
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Fingers wrinkle the same way every time they’re in the water too long
A question from a child inspired a new biomedical engineering paper.
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Scientists find ways to boost memory in aging brains
In two separate studies, Virginia Tech researchers identified age-related molecular changes in the brain and adjusted them to improve memory.
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Can a model trained on satellite data really find brambles on the ground?
Can a model trained on satellite data really find brambles on the ground? We put a new model to the test with a field trip around Cambridge. The results...
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A supersonic engine core makes the perfect power turbine
It started, as many things do these days, by scrolling on X.
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Why you can’t grow cool-climate plants in hot climates
Since moving to Deep South Texas 4 years ago I've come to realize that many plants I used to love growing in the cool mild maritime climate of the SF bay area are impossible to grow where I live. This is not just because of the high daytime heat. It's not as simple as that. Specifically, it is the h
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New material gives copper superalloy-like strength
Breakthrough material could transform aerospace, defense and industrial applications.
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NeurIPS 2025 Best Paper Awards
The Best Paper Award Committee members were nominated by the Program Chairs and the Database and Benchmark track chairs, who selected leading researchers across machine learning topics. These nominations were approved by the General Chairs and Next Generation and Accessibility Chairs.
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Caesar's Last Breath
Caesar’s Last Breath — Charlie Sabino.
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HealthBench – An evaluation for AI systems and human health
HealthBench is a new evaluation benchmark for AI in healthcare which evaluates models in realistic scenarios. Built with input from 250+ physicians, it aims to provide a shared standard for model performance and safety in health.
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Trials avoid high risk patients and underestimate drug harms
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, and business professionals.
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Forests offset warming more than thought: study
Replanting forests can cool the planet even more than some scientists once believed, especially in the tropics. But even if every tree lost since the mid-19th century is replanted, the total effect won’t cancel out human-generated warming.
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PYREX vs. pyrex: What's the difference?
For 100 years, Corning has developed special glass for use in both chemical and life science laboratories, including PYREX® glass.
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An Introduction to Stochastic Calculus (2022)
Through a couple of different avenues I wandered, yet again, down a rabbit hole leading to the topic of this post. The first avenue was through my main focus on a particular machine learning topic th
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Solar panels + cold = A potential problem
You purchased a new Delta Pro and looked up the specifications - Delta Pro can take up to 1600w/150v/15a of solar input. Then you buy four EcoFlow 400w Rigid solar panels to plug them in series.
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Next generation LEDs are cheap and sustainable
Cost, technical performance and environmental impact – these are the three most important aspects for a new type of LED technology to have a broad commercial impact on society. This has been demonstrated by LiU-researchers in a new study.
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Famous cognitive psychology experiments that failed to replicate
A quick reference
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Biomolecular shifts occur in our 40s and 60s (2024)
Time marches on predictably, but biological aging is anything but constant, according to a new Stanford Medicine study.
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Tides are weirder than you think
Our world relies on the sea more than ever: 80% of goods traded worldwide move by ship. Today’s mariners take it for granted that they can get an accurate chart of the tides for any location on Ear…
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University of Alabama Engineer Pioneers New Process for Recycling Plastics
Researchers at the University of Alabama have developed a way of more efficiently and effectively recycling polymers.
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A woman on a mission to photograph every species of hummingbird
In less than a decade amateur photographer and Hummingbird Spot founder Carole Turek has photographed more than 250 hummingbird species, including one that was long considered extinct.
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Total lunar eclipse over Teide crater, Tenerife – a project with many obstacles
Rarely have I thought so often about abandoning a photography project as during this lunar eclipse on Tenerife. Somehow, everything seemed to conspire against us this time. This is the story of an elaborately planned photo project where almost everything … Continue reading →
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Sports supplement creatine makes no difference to muscle gains, trial finds
People hoping to build muscle with the support of a creatine supplement might be disappointed by new research that shows it has little to no effect when taken at the recommended level.
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John Coltrane's Tone Circle
An article about the John Coltrane Tone Circle, a 5-octave Circle of Fifths and a double-ring Hexatonic Circle as well. Interpretation, explanation ...
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A study on how turtles navigate using the Earth’s magnetic field
Carolina researchers publish a groundbreaking study on how turtles navigate using the Earth’s magnetic field.
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What methylene blue can (and can’t) do for the brain
Methylene blue is touted as yet another universal boost-all, fix-all drug, the ultimate biohacking tool. Find out why that's not exactly true.
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Student refines 100-year-old math problem, expanding wind energy possibilities
A Penn State engineering student's work on a century-old math problem that expands research in aerodynamics, unlocking new possibilities in wind turbine design, was recently published in Wind Energy Science.