For most people, the first drink or two of alcohol produces a pleasant buzz. The sensation is caused by the feel-good chemical dopamine flooding the brain’s reward system. But for some, drinking loses its euphoric effects. Chronic alcohol abuse lowers dopamine levels, and it takes heavier drinking to maintain those …
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Four years after it was formed, the US Space Force has begun deploying its first satellite network. For the military, it marks a significant shift from relying on a handful of powerful, expensive satellites to a swarm of smaller, cheaper ones. From the Pentagon’s perspective, they’ll be a harder target …
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The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Life on other worlds—if it exists—might be so alien as to be unrecognizable. There’s no guarantee that alien biology would use the same chemistries as on Earth, with familiar building blocks such as DNA and proteins. Scientists might even spot …
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Gymnastics is an extremely difficult sport, but some people make it look easy. Step forward Simone Biles, who hit a Yurchenko double pike—considered the “hardest vault in the world”—during the artistic gymnastics Women’s Team event at the 2024 Summer Olympics. With both the Women’s Vault and Women’s All-Around events still to come, …
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In retrospect, it might have been a clue. But in early 2010, when Kamni Vallabh first began to complain that her eyesight was failing, there didn’t seem to be much cause for concern. She was 51; maybe middle age was catching up with her. Maybe the harsh western Pennsylvania winter—two …
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The penalty was invented in England on February 14, 1891. It was the last minute of an FA Cup quarter-final between Notts County and Stoke City when a defender for County stopped a shot on the line with his hand. Stoke were awarded a free kick just centimeters from the …
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