Science and Tech

NASA’s plan was to send astronauts up for a trip to the International Space Station (ISS) on a Boeing Starliner in June 2024. That is what they did. What they didn’t do was bring them home. The spacecraft that brought them up to the ISS was deemed ready to fly them up safely. It wasn’t capable of flying them back, however,  according to NASA’s safety program. 

Thanks to a special Texas law that allows astronauts to be able to vote from space in the event of their absence with an ongoing presidential election, Wilmore and Williams will still be able to perform their civic duty. “It’s a very important duty that we have as citizens, and I’m looking forward to being able to vote from space, which is pretty cool,” Williams told reporters during a September 13 news conference from the space station.

Happy Pride! To anyone identifying as LGBTQ+ or exploring their identity, we see and respect you, not just in June, but all year round. Diversity is something to be celebrated, after all.  Unfortunately, how progressive people are varies between locations, with discrimination against the queer community still being very prevalent in some areas. In the Southern states, laws restricting LGBTQ+ rights and prohibiting the teaching of the subject in schools are repeatedly passed - no person should have those basic rights denied simply because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. Government officials will  argue that homosexuality isn’t natural, that being transgender is a sin, in order to justify their outlandish proposals.  What’s curious, though, is that taking a look at nature proves the exact opposite. Over 1,500 different species, from salmon to spiders,  dolphins to ducks, have been observed engaging in homosexual behavior. Biologist Bruce Bagemihl explains in his book Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity that examples of homosexual behavior (besides actual intercourse) include courtship, pair bonding, and raising young, all of which have been exhibited by a wide range of creatures.

The rise of independent work and self-employment after the pandemic has led to a fun rise in independent video game producers and Kickstarters. Not to say Kickstarters weren’t popular and successful before the pandemic, but recently, I’ve seen a bunch of ads for up and coming projects. Here are a few lovely projects to follow and support!

The first ever sequel developed by Supergiant Games since the studio’s creation in 2009, Hades II has taken the gaming world by storm.

Have you ever wondered if there are spiders on Mars? Well, the answer is a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no. The European Space Agency (ESA) recently shared some incredible images of dark formations, known as “spiders” or “ice spiders”.  Let's uncover the truth behind these mysterious formations. 

What comes to mind when you think about fairies? The more contemporary definition involves fancy wings and a stereotypically feminine appearance, but classical folklore invites all sorts of magical creatures to be classified as fairies, provided that they are humanoid. An armadillo, on the other hand, shares a rather limited pool of qualities with these creatures of folklore.

By Aarav Sapra Mount Ruang in Indonesia underwent a massive explosion last week, with volcanic gasses reaching up to the stratosphere. According to satellites, the...

By: Sophia Byl Say you pull up to a car wash one afternoon just for a short clean. It’s something you’ve been putting off for...

By Jessica A. Dennehy The Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research device (KSTAR) at the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, Credit: CNN) Nuclear fusion, the reaction of...