Latest articles by Rafi Letzter
Chinese Probe Uncovers New Mystery on the Dark Side of the Moon
The 'dark' side of the moon isn't really darker than the 'light side of the moon. But it does appear to get colder at night.
North Dakota Will Get Colder Than The North Pole Tonight — Here's Why
A meteorologist explains the science behind the historic weather event hitting the Midwest and Plains right now.
Physicists Made a Flying Army of Laser Schrödinger's Cats
A laser pulse glanced off a rubidium atom and entered the quantum world — taking on the weird physics of Schrödinger's cat.
A New Satellite Will (Safely) Drop 'Meteors' Over Hiroshima
There's a new satellite in space, and it was put there to drop "meteors" over the city of Hiroshima.
Bizarre Superfluid Could Explain the Existence of the Modern Universe
Back in the first moment of the universe, everything was hot and dense and in perfect balance. A new quantum experiment aims to show how that changed.
Here's How China's Cotton Sprouts Died on the Far Side of the Moon
China managed to grow some tiny cotton sprouts on the moon, but it killed them. Here's how.
Dark Matter Behaves Differently in Dying Galaxies
Astronomers barely know anything about dark matter, but now they know this: It behaves differently in old, dying galaxies than in new, star-forming ones.
Physicists Built a Machine That Breaks the Normal Rules of Light
Physicists have built a ring in which pulses of light whip circles around each other and the normal rules that govern light's behavior stop applying.
No, Bacteria Aren't Mutating into Superbugs on the International Space Station
Bacteria on the International Space Station are evolving and changing in the strange orbital environment. But they don't seem to be any more dangerous to humans.
There Are Plants and Animals on the Moon Now (Because of China)
China's Chang'e-4 lander contains a living experiment that could lay the groundwork for agriculture at its future lunar base.
4 Dark Matter Searches to Watch in 2019
As 2019 nears, physicists are hard at work on the next generation of dark matter detectors, and on parsing confusing data from detectors that already exist.
Scientists Proposed a Nuclear 'Tunnelbot' to Hunt Life in Europa's Hidden Ocean
A group of scientists wants to send a nuclear-powered "tunnelbot" to Europa to blaze a path through its thick shell of ice and search for life.
The Rubber Ducky Comet Blasted a Magnetic Path Through Space
Rosetta's comet sent a magnetic shock wave screaming out in front of it, blazing a trail through the stellar wind. And scientists just found it.
Physicists Keep Trying — and Failing — to Find Dark Matter in Dark Places
A summertime sparkle seemed to hint that researchers had found dark matter, but it looks like those scientists were wrong.
Here's the Truth Behind a NASA Document on Aliens Visiting Earth
Silvano Colombano said that his view on aliens visiting Earth “is not accurately represented” in a viral Fox News article.
Astronomers Think They've Figured Out the Raging Swirls of Gas Around Supermassive Black Holes
Churning, hellish, hot-cold gas storms swirl around our universe's supermassive black holes. But the scientists involved in discovering them would prefer you call them "fountains."
Humanity's Largest Atom Smasher Takes a Pause, Will Wake Up Again in 2021
Particles: Breathe easy. Scientists at the world's largest particle collider have no plans to smash you together until spring 2021.
We Could Spray Cheap Chemicals in the Air to Slow Climate Change. Should We?
A new paper reveals that it would cost less to slow climate change than it would to fix New York City's subway system.
Einstein's Theory of General Relativity Just Survived a Massive Crash in Outer Space
Once again, a decades-old theory of gravity has survived a modern scientific onslaught. Einstein wins again.
Ugh, When These Stars Die They're Probably Gonna Get Sand Everywhere
A new study reveals the origin of silica, and how a bunch of old supernovas got it all over everything.
This Spinning, Snakelike Star System Might Blast Gamma Rays into the Milky Way When It Dies
Astronomers found a star system in our galaxy that could produce a gamma-ray burst — one of the brightest and most energetic events in the universe.
European Researchers Baked Fake Moon Dust into Money and Screws
Why did the European Space Agency create a whole bunch of fake moon dust and use it to 3D print small screws, gears and even a fake coin?
Do Not Fear the Dark Matter Hurricane (The Dark Matter Hurricane Is Good)
Scientists think there's a 'dark matter hurricane' coming, but it's definitely not going to kill you. It's actually kind of exciting.
