Astronomers discover 3I/ATLAS – Third interstellar object to visit Solar System
For only the third time in history, astronomers have discovered a new interstellar object that originated from outside our Solar System. The object, known as 3I/ATLAS, is likely a comet and is much faster than any other interstellar object found before. The object appears to be hurtling towards our Sun at about 60 kilometres a […]
Third Interstellar Object Discovered
MPEC 2025-N12 : 3I/ATLAS = C/2025 N1 (ATLAS) The following Minor Planet Electronic Circular may be linked-to from your own Web pages, but must not otherwise be redistributed electronically. A form allowing access to any MPEC is at the bottom of this page. Read MPEC 2025-N11 Read MPEC 2025-N13 M.P.E.C. 2025-N12 Issued 2025 July 2, […]
Trans-Taiga Road:The farthest you can get from a town on a road in North America
The Trans-Taiga Road is a gravel road that runs 666 km east from near the top end of the James Bay Road. It was built to access the various dams and generating stations that extend upriver along the La Grande River. This is an extremely remote road, leading 666 km east – almost to Labrador […]
Whole-genome ancestry of an Old Kingdom Egyptian
Abstract Ancient Egyptian society flourished for millennia, reaching its peak during the Dynastic Period (approximately 3150–30 bce). However, owing to poor DNA preservation, questions about regional interconnectivity over time have not been addressed because whole-genome sequencing has not yet been possible. Here we sequenced a 2× coverage whole genome from an adult male Egyptian excavated at […]
What to build instead of AI agents
Here’s what you should build instead Paul: Today, the scene is owned by Hugo, a brilliant mind who advises and teaches teams building LLM-powered systems, including engineers from Netflix, Meta, and the U.S. Air Force. He runs a course on the LLM software development lifecycle, focusing on everything from retrieval and evaluation to agent design, […]
The War on the Walkman
🗓️ On this day in 1979 the Sony Walkman was first released, marking its 46th anniversary The Sony Walkman is now an icon of the 1980s, eliciting nostalgia for the ‘good old days’ of owning music, rather than renting it. Affection for the device is now universal, but that wasn’t always the case… The sudden […]
American science to soon face its largest brain drain in history
Sign up for the Starts With a Bang newsletter Travel the universe with Dr. Ethan Siegel as he answers the biggest questions of all. From World War II until 2024, the US stood unchallenged as the scientific leader of the free world. Across practically every discipline — physics, materials science, astronomy, chemistry, biology, medicine, geology, […]
The History of Electronic Music in 476 Tracks (1937–2001)
Photo of Karlheinz Stockhausen by Kathinka Pasveer via Wikimedia Commons You may hear the phrase “electronic music” and think of superstar dubstep DJs in funny helmets at beachside celebrity parties. Alternatively, you may think of the mercurial compositions of Karlheinz Stockhausen, the musique concrete of Pierre Henry, or the otherworldly experimentalism of François Bayle. If […]
Physicists Start to Pin Down How Stars Forge Heavy Atoms
The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) may not glitter quite like the night sky, plunked as it is between Michigan State University’s chemistry department and the performing arts center. Inside, though, the lab is teeming with substances that are otherwise found only in stars. Here, atomic nuclei accelerate to half the speed of light, […]
Couchers is officially out of Beta
Quick summary: we are out of Beta and into version 1, we’re releasing a new strategy around safe & active community instead of bashing our competitors, a fancy redesigned landing page, and a bunch of new features to make core couch surfing functionality better! Share the platform with your friends and let’s grow the community […]