There may be no ecosystem on Earth that seems less hospitable than hydrothermal vents. In the perpetual darkness, cold and relentless pressures of the deep sea, these volcanic seeps spew piping hot water so loaded with particles and metals that it looks like black smoke billowing from a chimney. But even these hellish habitats are… Continue reading Strange Ecosystem Found Thriving below Seafloor Hydrothermal Vents
Making Every Defense Dollar Count in Taiwan
The surging security relationship between the United States and Taiwan is exposing some long-simmering differences, with questions about Taiwan’s defense investments atop Washington’s list of concerns. Washington and Taipei agree on the goal of protecting Taiwan’s security, and they are forging the most comprehensive ties in decades. Taiwan faces an existential threat, but Taiwan is… Continue reading Making Every Defense Dollar Count in Taiwan
In a Monster Star’s Light, a Hint of Darkness
His team’s analysis, published in June in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, did not find evidence for wavelike dark matter effects in high-resolution images of arcs of light from one gravitational lens, suggesting that the dark particle must be heavier than the smallest fuzzy candidates. But an April study in Nature Astronomy, led… Continue reading In a Monster Star’s Light, a Hint of Darkness
Why the United States Still Needs Ground Forces in Europe
Russia has faced several setbacks since its February 2022 attack on Ukraine: an estimated hundred thousand military casualties, including to some of its best units; the recent mutiny by Prighozin’s Wagner troops; and the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive, which is slowly gaining ground. With these losses, the threat of a Russian attack against the NATO alliance… Continue reading Why the United States Still Needs Ground Forces in Europe
Andreas Wagner Pursues the Secrets to Evolutionary Success
Quanta Magazine > 0; if (typeof predicate !== ‘function’) { throw new TypeError(‘predicate must be a function’); } var thisArg = arguments[1]; var k = 0; while (k We care about your data, and we’d like to use cookies to give you a smooth browsing experience. Please agree and read more about our privacy policy.Agree… Continue reading Andreas Wagner Pursues the Secrets to Evolutionary Success
UFOs Are Not the Only Potential Threat in American Skies
On Thursday, the House Oversight Committee will hold a public hearing about national security implications of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). It comes on the heels of public inquiries in 2022 by Congress, the Department of Defense, NASA, and the intelligence community (PDF) into what were once called UFOs. If extraterrestrials are visiting our planet, the… Continue reading UFOs Are Not the Only Potential Threat in American Skies
Math Proof Draws New Boundaries Around Black Hole Formation
The modern notion of a black hole has been with us since February 1916, three months after Albert Einstein unveiled his theory of gravity. That’s when the physicist Karl Schwarzschild, in the midst of fighting in the German army during World War I, published a paper with astonishing implications: If enough mass is confined within… Continue reading Math Proof Draws New Boundaries Around Black Hole Formation
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, Neurodiversity, Russia’s ‘Forever War’: RAND Weekly Recap
This week, we discuss public reports of unidentified aerial phenomena; the effects of a potential change in U.S. policy toward Taiwan; how neurodiversity can help national security organizations; treatment for people facing opioid use disorder and mental illness; Ukraine’s path to victory; and pain care for U.S. service members. Photo by Stringer/Reuters The federal government… Continue reading Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, Neurodiversity, Russia’s ‘Forever War’: RAND Weekly Recap
Racism in Health: The Roots of the U.S. Black Maternal Mortality Crisis
[CLIP] Window rolling down Tulika Bose [tape]: Hey, what’s that? Protestor: It’s a brochure about all the help that’s available for pregnant women. Bose: I’m pulling up to one of the last clinics in Georgia where you can still get a medical abortion. Protestor: [tape] It’s a brochure. Bose: [tape] What’s it a brochure about? … Continue reading Racism in Health: The Roots of the U.S. Black Maternal Mortality Crisis
Service Members and Their Families Are Paying for the Air Force’s Fiscal Shortfalls
Recently, the U.S. Air Force announced that it is experiencing a shortfall in Fiscal Year 23 military personnel appropriation funding driven by higher-than-projected personnel costs. To address this insolvency, the Department of the Air Force directed actions to avoid exhausting funds. These actions included pausing permanent change of station (PCS) moves, delaying issuance of retirement… Continue reading Service Members and Their Families Are Paying for the Air Force’s Fiscal Shortfalls