Notices by Flipboard Science Desk (sciencedesk@flipboard.social), page 13

For the first time, astronomers have recorded the motions of giant gas bubbles on the surface of a star 180 light-years away in the Dorado constellation. The star, which is named R. Doradus, is so massive that the surface bubbles alone are 75 times bigger than our sun. Read more from CNN.

https://flip.it/X.hWXI

#Space #Sun #Star #Astronomy #Galaxy

Four astronauts on the Polaris Dawn mission have now traveled farther into outer space than any human has since NASA’s Apollo era ended more than 50 years ago. Two of the astronauts, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, share the distinction of traveling father from Earth than any woman has before. The crew, commanded by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, is on day two of a five-day itinerary which includes a spacewalk. Read more from USA Today.

https://flip.it/LZmOnu

#Space #SpaceX #Polaris #Orbit #Astronaut

Spacewalking is the new domain of the rich as billionaire attempts first private spacewalk.

From AP: "The stage is set for the first private spacewalk Thursday. Tech billionaire Jared Isaacman will pop out of the hatch of his orbiting SpaceX capsule, two days after blasting off from Florida on a chartered flight that lifted him and his crew higher than anyone since NASA’s moonwalkers. He partnered with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to buy a series of rocket rides and help develop brand new spacesuits."

https://flip.it/7_KqyH

#Space #SpaceX #Spacewalk #Billionaires #Wealth #Tech #Musk #Science

Does fidgeting really help you focus? According to science, it depends.

From @popsci: "Both children and adults diagnosed with ADHD who engage in more intrinsic movements (measured with devices placed on the wrists and ankles) during a task perform better, based on two separate studies involving dozens of participants."

https://flip.it/3TS0I0

#Psychiatry #Psychology #Brain #ADHD #BehavioralScience #Science

NASA spacecraft to study Jupiter moon’s underground ocean cleared for October launch.

AP reports: "It will take six years for Europa Clipper to reach Jupiter, where it will orbit the gas giant every three weeks."

https://flip.it/00BF7C

#NASA #Jupiter #Space #Science

"SpaceX’s latest mission — a bold and risky trek into Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts by a four-person crew of civilians who will also aim to conduct the first commercial spacewalk — just took flight."

CNN has the latest on the Polaris Dawn mission: https://flip.it/eDtlGG

#SpaceX #Space #Astronaut #Spacewalk #Science

The 2022 eruption of the underwater Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano unleashed a powerful tsunami that destroyed homes and caused four deaths throughout Tonga. It also launched 150 metric tons of water vapor into the stratosphere. Live Science tells us how the explosion has affected the Southern Hemisphere's climate ever since: https://flip.it/grvkap
#Science #Volcano #Climate #Tonga #Eruptions #Ocean

A food dye that helps give certain sodas and snacks (like Doritos) their hallmark orange hue can temporarily turn biological tissue transparent to the naked eye. Scientists have used the dye, called tartrazine, to see the organs in a mouse’s intact abdomen, glimpse the pulsing vessels surrounding a rodent skull, and to get an exceptionally clear view of muscle tissue through a microscope. Could this method spur new scientific findings? Popular Science has more: https://flip.it/wm.9iW
#Science #Research #FoodDye #Doritos #Laboratory #Mice

The Florida grasshopper sparrow was near extinction only a few years ago. Now, there’s rekindled optimism for North America’s most endangered bird after the release of the 1,000th captive-raised sparrow into the wild. Read more from @InsideClimate: https://flip.it/gD152f
#Science #EndangeredSpecies #Animals #Birds #Birdsofmastodon

The Polaris Dawn mission this week will send four civilian astronauts into space — where fewer than 700 people have been since 1961. Private space companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin hope to boost that number to many thousands, and SpaceX is already taking bookings for flights to Earth orbit. But space is an unnatural environment for humans, and the mission is rife with danger. For @ScienceAlert, an astronomer assesses the risks and rewards of leaving Earth. https://flip.it/J-IvPP
#Science #Space #SpaceExploration #PolarisDawn #SpaceX #BlueOrigin

Which pets are smarter — cats or dogs? In the ultimate pet showdown, @sciencefocus sized up the cerebral powers of our favorite furry friends in the categories of social intelligence, counting, and self-awareness. Read more for the final verdict: https://flip.it/PUoWMg
#Science #Dogs #Cats #Pets #Intelligence #Animals

The Milky Way galaxy is acting like that person taking your elbow rest on a cross-country flight, rudely touching another galaxy, scientists are saying. The outer boundary of our home Milky Way may be stretching much farther into the vastness of space than initially thought — and is in fact already touching its closest neighbor, the galaxy Andromeda. Futurism has more: https://flip.it/Hnnq8M
#Science #Space #MilkyWay #Astronomy #Stars

As if mosquitoes didn’t already have the upper hand in their quest for human blood, the biting pests are using infrared sensing in their antennae to track down their prey, a new study has found. And they’re more than a nuisance in many parts of the world, spreading deadly pathogens like dengue fever. ScienceAlert has more: https://flip.it/zB4gna
#Science #Health #Illness #Human #Mosquitoes

Boeing's Starliner capsule just returned to Earth without astronauts, marking the beginning of a new set of investigations by NASA. Space.com tells us what's next for this astronaut taxi. https://flip.it/qVDlAA
#Science #Space #NASA #Boeing #Starliner #SpaceExploration #ISS

"Boeing's troubled Starliner spacecraft — not trusted by NASA to safely bring its crew home from the International Space Station — was rigged for undocking Friday and an unpiloted return to Earth to close out a disappointing test flight marred by helium leaks and thruster problems."

CBS News has the latest: https://flip.it/yFS6DK

For similar content, follow @space-ScienceAlert

#Starliner #Boeing #NASA #Space #Astronaut #Science

Many dogs like to play fetch. But what about cats? 🐕 🐈

From @TheConversationUS: "Despite their very different hunting and play styles, fetching appears to combine elements of predatory and social behavior for both species."

https://flip.it/6yguem

#Cats #Dogs #Animals #CatsOfMastodon #Science

What’s that smell — and how’d you know?

From @KnowableMag: "It’s clear that genes, receptors and neurons all play a role in detecting odors. But much of how we make sense of what we sniff remains mysterious. A neuroscientist explains."

https://flip.it/NZPPm0

#Smell #Neuroscience #Science

Humpback whales make custom fishing nets – out of bubbles.

NPR reports: "The 50-foot whales blow circles of bubbles underwater, creating a net of air that entraps the krill. A new study shows that humpbacks can do this with remarkable precision to corral their prey, even tailoring the bubble nets for the type of food they’re eating."

https://flip.it/iLAMeA

#Whales #Animals #Ocean #Science

NASA is known for its cool tools, and the space agency has developed another: an autonomous underwater robot. A fleet of these robots will dive deep under Antarctica’s polar ice to help scientists better understand how rapidly the ice is melting due to climate change. Learn more about Project IceNode in this video from CNN: https://flip.it/YJQaRs
#Science #NASA #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #Antarctica

The paws of a dog have a distinctly similar smell to a popular snack food: Fritos. We’re not sure if that’s an insult to dogs, corn chips, or what but a veterinarian has an explanation. Read more from Live Science: https://flip.it/SEMK.I
#Science #Dogs #Odor #Smells #Snacks