From Around the Web

New 2-D Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) layered perovskite-based solar cells 0
- From Around the Web, Science & Technology, Space
- December 12, 2020
In recent years, researchers worldwide have been trying to develop solar cells and other technologies that can produce electrical energy from renewable sources, as these could reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and thus help to preserve life on our planet. Solar cells can be built using a variety of materials, including silicon, copper or other semiconductors.

By David Aragorn
Martian Brines May Not Be as Widespread as Previously Thought 0
- From Around the Web, Space
- December 12, 2020
In a new study published in the Planetary Science Journal, a team of U.S. scientists combined experimentally verified data on brine evaporation rates along with a global circulation model to develop a new extensive framework of brine stability on the surface and subsurface of Mars. They found that the equatorial regions of Mars typically have temperatures too high for stable brines, while high latitudes are susceptible to permanent freezing.

By David Aragorn
SpaceX Starship Explodes On Landing, But Still Hailed As Successful Test 0
- From Around the Web, Science & Technology, Space
- December 12, 2020
SpaceX’s Starship SN8 has exploded on landing, after reaching a height of 12.5 kilometers (7.8 miles) in its first high altitude test flight. The complete destruction of the spacecraft is not quite the setback for Elon Musk’s plans to colonize Mars it might seem. The chance of a successful landing were considered slim, and the company is hailing the rest of the flight a success.

By David Aragorn
Lunar Gold Rush Could Create Conflict On The Ground If We Don’t Act Now – New Research 0
- From Around the Web, Space
- December 12, 2020
When it comes to the Moon, everyone wants the same things. Not in the sense of having shared goals, but in the sense that all players target the same strategic sites – state agencies and the private sector alike. That’s because, whether you want to do science or make money, you will need things such as water and light.

By David Aragorn
Scientists brave enough to grow a spine 0
- From Around the Web, Science & Technology
- December 11, 2020
Stem cells self-organise into trunk-like structures.

By David Aragorn
Top 10 questions I’d ask an alien from the Galactic Federation 0
- From Around the Web, Space
- December 11, 2020
Talking to E.T. would be the interview of a lifetime

By David Aragorn
Space Station Spiders Found a Hack to Build Webs Without Gravity 0
- From Around the Web, Space
- December 11, 2020
Experiments on the International Space Station suggest spiders can weave normal-looking webs in space—they just need a surprising resource.

By David Aragorn
Exoplanet around distant star resembles reputed ‘Planet Nine’ in our solar system 0
- From Around the Web, Space
- December 11, 2020
Astronomers confirm bound orbit for planet far from its star, showing that far-flung planets exist

By David Aragorn
Monoliths: Why are these strange monuments appearing around the world?0
- Earth Mysteries, From Around the Web
- December 11, 2020
Shiny pillars have been erected without explanation at sites across world

By David Aragorn
New superhighway system discovered in the Solar System 0
- From Around the Web, Space
- December 10, 2020
Researchers have discovered a new superhighway network to travel through the Solar System much faster than was previously possible. Such routes can drive comets and asteroids near Jupiter to Neptune’s distance in under a decade and to 100 astronomical units in less than a century. They could be used to send spacecraft to the far reaches of our planetary system relatively fast, and to monitor and understand near-Earth objects that might collide with our planet.

By David Aragorn