Rocky planets: A new target in the search for extraterrestrial life
Since its launch in 2021, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has opened new possibilities for detecting signs of life on exoplanets, planets beyond our solar system. A prime focus in this search is rocky planets orbiting low-mass stars called M-dwarfs, the most common type of stars in the universe. Among the nearby candidates is TRAPPIST-1, an M-dwarf located about 40 light years away, hosting a system of planets that has become a focal point in the search for extraterrestrial life. Challenges to planet habitability Past research raised concerns about the habitability of planets around TRAPPIST-1, suggesting that intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation could...
AI helps humans have a 20-minute ‘conversation’ with a humpback whale named Twain
In a remarkable encounter off the coast of Alaska, human scientists had what they describe as a "conversation" with a humpback whale named Twain. Dr. Brenda McCowan from the University of California Davis was at the heart of this unexpected exchange. Dr. McCowan and her team, known as Whale-SETI, have been studying how humpback whales communicate. They're aiming to understand whale communication systems to help in the search for life beyond Earth. Whale responds to a human greeting Using an underwater speaker, the team played a recorded humpback "contact" call into the ocean. To their astonishment, Twain approached their boat and began responding....
The Three Most and Least Realistic Sci-Fi Movies According to NASA
How often do we watch movies and say, "That would never happen in real life," or "I wonder how realistic that is?" Not that we care, for the most part, since the hilarious, dramatic, or scary is part of Hollywood. It's escapism, and these questions usually come up with disaster films, medical dramas, and out-of-this-world sci-fi movies.