ScientistPankaj: Week in Science: First private space walk was a stellar success

Friday, September 13, 2024

Week in Science: First private space walk was a stellar success

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Scientific American

September 13—This week, the world's first-ever commercial space walk went off without a hitch. Plus, U.S. deaths from heat are dangerously undercounted, and the surprising benefits of gossip. All that and more below!

—Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor

Jared Isaacman outside the Dragon capsule, with Earth in the background

Polaris Dawn's First Private Space Walk Was a Stellar Success

The world's first commercial space walk, by billionaire Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis, tested new technology and was practically flawless

Smiling ginger cat.

A New Quantum Cheshire Cat Thought Experiment Is Out of the Box

The spin of a particle seems to detach and move without a body—a strange experimental observation that's stirring up debate

Portrait of Aaron James sitting on a park bench in New York City

The First Person to Receive an Eye and Face Transplant Is Recovering Well

A man who received a partial face and eye transplant after a serious accident does not have any vision in the transplanted eye, but the eye itself is still alive

Conceptual image with talking mouths spreading rumors, gossips isolated over pink background

The Surprising Benefits of Gossip

Social scientists are uncovering the intricate group dynamics of gossip

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on NASA's Crew Flight Test approaches the International Space Station while orbiting 263 miles above Quebec, Canada

Starliner Spacecraft Safely Returns to Earth, sans Astronauts

Starliner's first crewed test flight has concluded with a successful touchdown—and two astronauts still in orbit awaiting a different ride home

Satellite imagery of Tropical Storm Francine over the Gulf of Mexico

Hurricane Francine Heads toward Louisiana, Ending Atlantic Hurricane Lull

Tropical Storm Francine formed on Monday, ending a lull in the Atlantic hurricane season. It is expected to hit Louisiana as a hurricane

Andrea Thompson

This image from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter depicts Reiner Gamma, a bright patch amid the otherwise dark Oceanus Procellarum mare on the near side of the moon

Shields Up! Lunar Swirls Arise from Ancient Underground Force Fields on the Moon

Wispy whorls on the moon's surface are as lovely as they are strange. Scientists are starting to unravel their origins

Visitors walk past a sign reading

U.S. Deaths from Heat Are Dangerously Undercounted

By vastly understating the number of heat-related deaths, medical officials make it harder to improve heat safety and save lives

Ariel Wittenberg; Chelsea Harvey; E&E News

A small blue sphere orbits a larger green sphere against a purple background, with

Balancing Long-Term Caregiving with Personal Well-Being

Caring for aging loved ones brings its own set of emotional and physical hurdles. Experts offer guidance on finding support.

Rachel Feltman; Lauren J. Young; Tanya Lewis; Madison Goldberg, contract writer; Fonda Mwangi

Setting midnight sun lights melting icebergs from Jakobshavn Isfjord along Disko Bay on summer evening.

We Must Secure Our Future in a Hotter, More Dangerous World

Defending the U.S. is much more complicated in an era of climate change

Sherri Goodman, expert writer

Pyrocumulus cloud over landscape with trees.

How Wildfires Create Rain and Change the Weather

Because wildfires create their own wind patterns, they can also spawn their own weather. Here's how it works

Kyle Hilburn, partner content; The Conversation US

Silhouette of a person vaping electronic cigarette, close up.

Vape Additives that Mimic Nicotine Are Potent—and Largely Unregulated

Nicotine analogs allow e-cigarette makers to avoid traditional tobacco product regulations. But data on their safety in humans are lacking

Bradley van Paridon