SPA

Dec 15 2024TECHNOLOGY

How Digital Copies of Things Might Keep Us Safe

Imagine you're in a spaceship far from Earth, and something goes wrong. Back in 1970, NASA folk had to fix a problem on the Apollo 13 journey using only what they had onboard. They couldn't just pop over to the store for spare parts! So, they used something called a "digital twin" for help. It's lik

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Dec 14 2024SCIENCE

Io's Volcanoes: Not Fueled by a Massive Magma Ocean After All

For over 40 years, scientists have been puzzled by Io's extreme volcanic activity. This tiny moon, discovered by Galileo in 1610, is the most volcanically active body in our solar system. But what fuels its 400 active volcanoes? New data from NASA's Juno mission has revealed that Io's volcanoes aren

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Dec 14 2024SCIENCE

The Fresh Approach to Monitoring Mass Changes from Space

Imagine tracking how water moves around our planet from space, like watching a global ballet of Earth's fluids. This is what the MOBILE mission aims to do! By placing satellites at different heights, we can measure tiny changes in gravity and figure out where water and ice are moving. The innovative

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Dec 14 2024HEALTH

Uncovering a New Weapon Against Alzheimer's: The Hunt for Caspase-6 Inhibitors

Caspase-6, a protein linked to brain cell death and neurodegeneration, has been on scientists’ radar for a while. This protein is especially active during inflammation and may play a role in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers have now combined two drug-designing approaches to find

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Dec 14 2024SCIENCE

Space Force: Testing Satellite Tech for Faster Missions

The U. S. Space Force is gearing up to test new modular satellite technology in an upcoming mission. This mission is part of their Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) program, aiming to speed up the launch of important payloads like surveillance sensors into space. The Space Force wants to use a sys

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Dec 13 2024HEALTH

Kidney Transplant Access: A Southeast Struggle

Did you know that the Southeastern United States has some of the lowest kidney transplant rates in the country? It's true. And it's not just about numbers. There are big differences in who gets these life-saving procedures based on race and money. To tackle this, a study called RaDIANT was launched

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Dec 13 2024EDUCATION

Honouring Janice Hill: A New Space for Indigenous Connection

Imagine a spot on Queen’s University campus where people gather to learn and connect with Indigenous ways of knowing and being. This special place is the Outdoor Indigenous Gathering Space. It’s going to be named after someone very special: Kanonhsyonne, also known as Janice Hill. She’s been a key p

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Dec 13 2024HEALTH

Uncovering Hidden Shifts: A New Way to Study Temperature and Mortality

Studying how temperature affects mortality rates is crucial in environmental health research. Traditional methods often rely on precise models, but these models can't capture all the complexities involved. This study introduces a new, flexible approach that doesn't just look for simple patterns but

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Dec 11 2024SCIENCE

Space Twins: Creating Eclipses on Command

Imagine being able to create your own solar eclipse, whenever you want. That's what scientists are hoping to do with two satellites launched by the European Space Agency. These spacecraft, part of the Proba-3 mission, are designed to work together in perfect harmony, like a well-choreographed dance.

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Dec 10 2024SCIENCE

Researchers to Build Solar Wind Detectors for Space Weather Satellites

The Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) from San Antonio has landed a big deal worth $26. 1 million. They'll be designing and building two special instruments called magnetometers for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These magnetometers will measure the magnetic f

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