Thursday, October 3, 2024

Space & Physics: The U.S. is losing the new race for the moon

October 3—This week's top story is a troubling diagnosis from a former NASA official about what ails the space agency's Artemis moonshot program. Major changes are needed, writes NASA's former science chief Thomas Zurbuchen, if the U.S. is to succeed in its 21st-century push for crewed lunar exploration. Elsewhere this week, we have stories about a bright new comet in Earth's sky, the excitement of rare and fleeting particle decays, the physics of pickleball, and much, much more. Enjoy!

--Lee Billings, Senior Editor, Space and Physics

Top Stories
NASA Needs a 'Lunar Marathon' to Match China on the Moon

We are in a new and different kind of moon race, one the U.S. is losing. To win, says a former NASA official, we need new strategies

A One-in-10-Billion Particle Decay Hints at Hidden Physics

Physicists have detected a long-sought particle process that may suggest new forces and particles exist in the universe

Pickleball Physics Explained, from Balls and Paddles to Shots

"Professor Pickleball" reveals the science behind the U.S.'s fastest-growing sport

Will This Comet Be the Brightest of 2024?

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) could soon shine very bright in Earth's skies

Can Scientists Save the World from an Apocalyptic Asteroid Strike?

Sooner or later a doomsday asteroid will wipe out most life on Earth—unless, that is, we prevent threatening space rocks from hitting us in the first place

Evidence of 'Negative Time' Found in Quantum Physics Experiment

Physicists showed that photons can seem to exit a material before entering it, revealing observational evidence of negative time

Science-Fiction Books Scientific American's Staff Love

Scientific American's staff share their favorite sci-fi books, from beloved classics to overlooked gems and our modern favorites

The Next President Faces Tough Nuclear Weapons Deadlines

Whoever wins the 2024 presidential election will face heightened nuclear geopolitics, deadlines on nuclear deals with Russia and Iran and decisions on a $2-trillion weapons-modernization effort

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Power-Thirsty AI Turns to Mothballed Nuclear Plants. Is That Safe?

As Microsoft strikes a deal to restart a reactor at Three Mile Island to power AI, nuclear specialists weigh in on the unprecedented process

How Mathematicians Wrestled with the Biggest Controversy in the Field

A surprisingly simple concept shook the foundations of mathematics

Is Math Part of Nature or an Invention of the Mind?

Mathematics communicator and drag queen Kyne Santos guides you through the ongoing debate about what math really is.

From the Archive
Meet Earth's New Mini Moon

A small asteroid, 2024 PT5, will spend the next two months alongside our planet as a mini moon before swooping back to deep space

Scientist Pankaj

Today in Science: Humans think unbelievably slowly

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