humpback whale (representative image) Something unusual may be unfolding in the Southern Ocean. In late June, whale watchers in southwest Western Australia reported a sharp drop in humpback whale sightings, around 60% below normal, just when the whales should have been migrating north to calve and feed. A week later, birdwatchers on Australia’s east coast…

Artist’s concept of a close-up naked-eye view of a GRB. Credit: NASA For more than half a century, gamma-ray bursts have remained one of the most puzzling events observed in space. These bursts are sudden flashes of gamma rays, a very high-energy form of light. They can appear from almost any direction in the sky…

An astronaut caring for plants inside the Veggie growth chamber, part of NASA’s long-running research into producing fresh food during extended space missions. Growing fresh vegetables aboard the International Space Station has become a familiar part of NASA‘s efforts to support astronauts on long-duration missions. Now, researchers believe those same plants could take on a…

Sisyphus: The Absurd Hero or Asymptomatic Case? An office worker wakes up to an alarm at six in the morning, sits in two hours of traffic, and spends eight hours entering data into a spreadsheet. The next day, the alarm rings at six again, and the exact same cycle repeats. This routine can continue for…