Science

People carrying lanterns watch the sky at night during the annual Perseid meteor shower in El Escorial, outside Madrid, Aug. 13, 2015.

This Senegalese astronomer is helping NASA measure asteroids in space

Science & Technology

NASA is working with Senegalese astronomers to measure the dimensions of asteroids in outer space. Astronomer Maram Kaire speaks with The World’s host Marco Werman about the work of “chasing after the shadow cast by the asteroids.”

In this image made from a NASA livestream, the Double Asteroid Redirection Test spacecraft crashes into an asteroid

NASA spacecraft successfully crashes into asteroid during space defense test

Science & Technology
This combo of images released by NASA shows a side-by-side comparison of observations of the Southern Ring Nebula in near-infrared light, at left, and mid-infrared light, at right, from the Webb Telescope

New images from NASA telescope give a never-before-seen look into the cosmos

Person with blue gloves presents a large medal in a yellow and red box

Papers and relics testifying to Stephen Hawking’s life’s work will be displayed in UK archive

Embryos in a dish

Walter Isaacson on how gene editing will change lives

Science
Wild boar next to apartment buildings

COVID-19 lockdowns are a unique chance to study human-wildlife interactions, researchers say

Environment

Wild animals emerged in unusual places after cities worldwide imposed lockdowns to slow the coronavirus. Researchers are calling the change in human activity an “anthropause” — and they’re proposing a global effort to study how humans and animals may better share our crowded planet.

European Union flags fly outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium

Top scientist says he quit research council over poor European response to COVID-19

COVID-19

Mauro Ferrari, head of Europe’s top science body, resigned from his post — passionately citing frustration with institutional resistance and bureaucratic infighting in the EU’s complex structures. He spoke with The World’s Marco Werman about problems facing the European response to COVID-19.

An asteroid breaking into little pieces in space.

A large asteroid just ‘snuck up on us.’ Why wasn’t it detected sooner?

Kris Stanek monitors the sky for the group All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae, or ASAS-SN, at The Ohio State University. The group observed the giant space rock, known as Asteroid 2019 OK, just before it passed by Earth. 

Four elderly people sit on a park bench.

Can we improve the way we age?

Health & Medicine

Science has made recent breakthroughs in their understanding of age. Find out what scientists are saying does — and doesn’t —  allow us to age slower.

A red car and a large salt truck drive on a snowy road next to a mountain.

Can bacteria help us prevent salt damage to concrete roads and bridges?

Science

Spring has long been filled with bumps and potholes in roads, many of which are caused by the salt that makes driving safe all winter. New research has shown how this annual problem could become a thing of the past with bacteria, which are being used in the fight to maintain our roads and save our streets from costly damage.