Look at the full moon! Tonight it may appear larger and more orange than usual, reports Space.com, “taking on a fitting appearance for the fall season and for the build-up to Halloween.” This is the result of something called the ‘moon illusion’ and the fact it is being viewed close Read more…
In 2008 California’s voters approved the first bonds for a $33 billion San Francisco-to-Los Angeles bullet train. 14 years later, the New York Times is now calling the project “a case study in how ambitious public works projects can become perilously encumbered by political compromise, unrealistic cost estimates, flawed engineering Read more…
It’s one of the largest airlines in the world. But now Futurism reports that United Airlines “is projecting it could have electric powered commercial flights by the tail end of this decade, potentially laying the groundwork for a much more environmentally friendly future for air travel.” “Initially we want to Read more…
You know how grocery stores have rolls of tear-off plastic bags in their produce sections for holding vegetables and fruit? Last week California’s governor signed a law that will force supermarkets to discontinue them before 2025, reports the Bay Area Newsgroup, replacing them with either recycled paper bags or bags Read more…
A new study suggests that a billboard-like constellation of about 50 satellites, costing $65 million all in, could shine ads to every corner of the Earth for months — and potentially make money while doing so. The study, from Russian researchers at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) Read more…
Enzymes that rapidly break down plastic bags have been discovered in the saliva of wax worms, which are moth larvae that infest beehives. The enzymes are the first reported to break down polyethylene within hours at room temperature and could lead to cost-effective ways of recycling the plastic. The discovery Read more…
Trees have long been known to buffer humans from the worst effects of climate change by pulling carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Now new research shows just how much forests have been bulking up on that excess carbon. The study, recently published in the Journal Nature Communications, finds that elevated Read more…