Step towards light-based, brain-like computing chip

Scientists have succeeded in developing a piece of hardware which could pave the way for creating computers resembling the human brain. They produced a chip containing a network of artificial neurons that works with light and can imitate neurons and their synapses.

Hubble's One Picture Containing 265,000 Galaxies

Hubble’s latest contribution comes in the form of a deep-sky mosaic image that was constructed using 16 years’ worth of observations. Known as the “Hubble Legacy Field“ it contains roughly 265,000 galaxies.

Japan’s First Private Rocket Flies to Space

The Japanese company, Interstellar Technologies, has launched their Momo3 rocket from Hokkaido last Saturday May 4th. Momo3 burned its liquid fuel for two minutes and reached a height of 113.4 km.

LIGO detects gravitational waves from neutron stars colliding

Gravitational waves from the collision of two neutron stars have been detected for the second time ever — along with another, less certain signal that a neutron star being swallowed by a black hole.

World’s first ‘BioSolar Leaf’ to tackle air pollution in London, UK

The technology, which is the first of its kind in the world, purifies the air through the photosynthesis of microscopic plants, removing greenhouse gases from the environment whilst generating breathable oxygen.

Drone successfully delivers donor kidney to transplant patient

The flight involved a specially designed drone equipped with an ‘apparatus’ that both monitored the donor organ and maintained it, as well as a mesh network for control and a backup systems.

Rising sea levels could destroy Hawaii's iconic Waikiki Beach

Hawaii’s iconic Waikiki Beach could soon be underwater as rising sea levels caused by climate change overtake its white sand beaches and bustling city streets.

'Biodegradable' plastic bags survive three years in soil

Five plastic bag materials found in UK shops were tested. After more than three years in soil or sea, three of the materials, including biodegradable bags, were still intact.

Surprise 4,000-mile ‘ice corridor’ found on Saturn’s moon Titan

Researchers have spotted surprisingly diverse landscapes on Titan, from broad planes to sandy dunes and even rivers and lakes. And recently a ribbon of exposed bedrock ice that wraps nearly halfway around the moon was spotted there too.

Can cities sue oil companies for damages due to climate change?

A Toronto city councilor is going to try. In the last few years it has been hit by ice storms, floods, and, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, has been hit by six 100-year storms since 2005.

Things we’ve learned about Earth since the last Earth Day

We continue to shape life on Earth, and threaten our survival, in unexpected ways.

New York, U.S. bans plastic bags on Earth Day

Come March of next year, all New Yorkers will be required to bring their own reusable containers to the grocery store after a bill banning single-use plastic bags was signed into law on Monday.

NASA’s InSight lander detects first likely “marsquake”

The signal appears to have been generated inside the planet and not by any surface-level phenomenon. Three other seismic events were detected on 14 March, 10 and 11 April, but they were much smaller and their origins more ambiguous.

New York, U.S. passes sweeping measure to reduce CO2

Big glass-clad buildings, must stop their polluting ways, New York City lawmakers say. The laws apply to nearly all large buildings, but they will have an outsized impact on commercial construction because they have the highest emissions.

There’s no getting away from microplastic contamination

Wherever that plastic is ending up, we know that it's breaking down over time, disintegrating into micro particles less than 5mm in size, and some even breakdown to the nanoscale at less than one micrometer (size of bacteria).