RealClear Science

I nearly failed organic chemistry. That is not how these essays usually open, but it is the truest place to start. I was a student at Andhra Christian College in Guntur, India, and the lecturer's pace made no sense to me. Rather than keep drowning in class, I put the lectures aside and worked through Morrison and Boyd on my own, at my speed, stopping wherever I got stuck until I actually understood it. I finished the term as the top student in the class. The system had not taught me.

(via TEDEd) To coincide with the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Japan launched a groundbreaking bullet train that inspired countries around the world to invest in high-speed rail. Today, high-speed trains regularly travel at over 300 km/h, on par with the take-off speed of a commercial airplane. But can it ever be faster than flying? Ning Zhao details the possibilities and hurdles facing high-speed rail transit. Show comments Hide Comments

When the Earth's Waters Were Slimed

(via Sabine Hossenfelder) The dumber you are, the more certain you are that you aren't. That's the Dunning-Kruger effect, and it's been used to explain everything from bad politicians to the state of social media. Now psychologists have gone back to the biggest dataset we have and come out with the opposite conclusion. But there's a reason both sides can look at the same dots and see the opposite thing. Let's take a look. Show comments Hide Comments

The brain evidently can regenerate itself better than previously assumed after injuries or certain autoimmune diseases. Using a mouse model, researchers at the University of Zurich have demonstrated that special supporting and nourishing cells repopulate damaged areas of the brain by initially sending only newly formed cell nuclei there. Read Full Article » Show comments Hide Comments

One of China’s most used rockets, the Long March 7A, exploded a little more than a minute after lifting off on Monday evening, local time. The medium-lift rocket’s payload was classified, but it was believed to be a military communications satellite. The rocket’s liftoff from Wenchang Space Launch Site appeared to be nominal, but publicly captured videos (such as this one) showed that the rocket’s first stage exploded about 1 minute and 20 seconds into flight. Read Full Article »

It’s been more than two weeks since SpaceX’s Starship splashed down in the Indian Ocean following a largely successful thirteenth flight test. As of Friday, the recovery team was still working to bring the upper stage, known as “Ship,” back to shore, but in a post on X, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said it was “not looking good.” Read Full Article » Show comments Hide Comments

A new kind of nuclear-based power production, now being tested in space for the first time, could pave the way for long-term electricity generation on the moon’s surface—and therefore, human habitation. These nuclear “batteries” could survive the long, bitterly cold lunar nights with ease. Read Full Article » Show comments Hide Comments

Trump Signs Anti-Vaccine Executive Order President Donald Trump on Monday made his most significant attempt yet to reshape how Americans vaccinate their children, signing an executive order that called for cutting the number of recommended childhood vaccines, spacing out those shots and making other changes that would upend decades of federal guidance. Read Full Article »

Scientists—and dog lovers—have long known that dogs are remarkably good at interpreting our laughs, frowns, and tears. But the biology behind this ability has remained largely unexplored until now. Read Full Article » Show comments Hide Comments