British novelist Samantha Harvey has been awarded the 2024 Booker Prize for her novel Orbital, described as a “space pastoral” and written through the perspectives of astronauts. It was the best-selling book on the Booker Prize shortlist, outselling all three of the previous winners combined when measured on the eve of their…
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In Kenya, on the edge of the legendary Tsavo National Park, African honey bees contentedly buzz about near rows of well-tended crops. It’s a scene that’s becoming more common in these rural areas and is driven by an extreme need: to deter elephants from encroaching on farmlands, eating crops, and destroying…
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These white dots arranged in five clusters against a black background simulate an extraterrestrial signal transmitted from Mars and deciphered by a father-daughter team on Earth after a year-long decoding effort. The project was organized by some of the world’s top astronomers to run the scenario of a citizen science response…
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One might imagine the hostile environment of space as bad news for any organic molecules. However, Japanese engineers just created a wooden satellite called LignoSat, with preparations for a summertime 2025 launch. The mission is meant as a demonstration of the capacities of this humble material to live long and prosper…
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A remarkable new sea slug nicknamed the “mystery mollusk” has been discovered swimming deep in the ocean’s lightless zone. The species has adaptations for life in the pitch-black depths including a large gelatinous hood to trap prey, a paddle-like tail, and the ability to light up, say American scientists. The 5.6-inch…
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Attached to the presidential ballots in this year’s elections, Rhode Island had posed question 4: would the voter like to see the state borrow money for environmental preservation? Question 4 passed by a three-to-one margin, authorizing the state to issue $53 million in so-called “Green Bonds” and use the money for…
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From the Île de la Cité in Paris, out from the northern Belfry of the Notre Dame, the tolling of bells was heard by thousands. It was the first tolling since 2020, a year after a fire destroyed much of the 850-year-old building in 2019, and their restoration represents an important…
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