New brain scans read minds

Hibernation for space travel

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7/3/23 Thank you for subscribing to The Cheat Sheet, from Science News Explores. If you like this newsletter, share it with a friend or colleague. Did someone forward this to you? Sign up for our weekly updates. Got questions, suggestions or comments? Email us at sns@sciencenews.org and put “The Cheat Sheet” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you. In the News The onslaught of record heat in Texas over the last couple of weeks is a brutal reminder just how much rising global temperatures threaten safety and strain the power grid. Since traditional air conditioning — which devours energy and adds greenhouse gases to the atmosphere — is not a sustainable solution, scientists are looking for greener ways to beat the heat.  Some ideas involve new technologies, such as coatings for windows or walls that block out heat and release energy into space. Adopting styles of architecture already used in tropical areas could also keep buildings cooler in places now baked by climate change. Meanwhile, scientists and engineers are strategizing ways to transform our power grid, so that the AC we do use comes from cleaner energy sources that don’t lead to more heat in the long run.  A New Magazine for Kids Learn more and subscribe to Science News Explores, a new print magazine designed to satisfy young readers’ curiosity about how the world works.      SUBSCRIBE NOW   Catch up with the latest from Science News Explores Neuroscientists use brain scans to decode people’s thoughts: The research may lead to new devices for people who can’t communicate easily. It also raises privacy concerns. Readability: 6.7 Resources: power words, video, alternate version at Science News Race car drivers usually blink at the same places in each lap: Blinking is usually thought to be somewhat random. But a new study tracking blinks in Formula One drivers shows it can be predictable — and strategic. Readability: 7.0 Resources: power words, alternate version at Science News For greener toilets and air conditioning, consider saltwater: Using saltwater would allow coastal cities to save their freshwater for drinking and to reduce their carbon footprints. Some could save money, too. Readability: 7.4 Resources: power words, video Scientists Say: Ellipse: Ellipse describes the shapes of planetary orbits around their stars and explains the wacky acoustic phenomenon of “whispering chambers.” Readability: 8.0 Resources: power words, audio recording Technically Fiction In movies, space travelers are often seen hibernating through long, interstellar voyages. But could future astronauts really sleep through space travel this way? We explore in a recent installment in our Technically Fiction series.    Find out more about the resources available for using Science News Explores stories for learning. And if you like this newsletter, please share it with a friend or colleague. Did someone share this with you? Subscribe to this newsletter here. If you’ve got questions, suggestions or comments, email us at sns@sciencenews.org. Thank you for reading! Privacy policy  |  Update Profile  | Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe This email was sent by: Society for Science 1719 N Street NW Washington, DC, 20036, US