Northwestern University engineers developed the smallest flying structure ever made. At about the size of a grain of sand, their “microfliers” are built to catch the wind much like floating maple seeds.
Archaeologists found evidence that humans have been living in extremely cold climates, comparable to modern-day northern Scandinavia, for thousands of years.
Scientists created a robot made from a thin strip of plastic that rolls into a tube and propels itself when exposed to heat. The robot can pull 40 times its own weight. Future iterations may be used in places too small or hot for humans to reach.
Scientists discovered a massive void in space between the Perseus and Taurus molecular clouds — regions of gas and dust where new stars are forming. The void is the result of a supernova, giving insight into the explosion’s aftermath.
Paleontologists uncovered fossils linked to four dinosaurs in Montana: a Triceratops, a duck-billed dinosaur, a relative of T. rex, and a fossil that could be the ostrich-like Anzu or a new species.
The Cumbre Vieja volcano, located on La Palma in the Canary Islands, erupted for the first time in 50 years. The eruption has forced evacuations and destroyed buildings. It may also continue for months, according to the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute.
SpaceX’s all-civilian Inspiration4 mission launched and landed successfully. The crew spent three days in orbit and the mission raised more than $200 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
NASA confirmed that thousands of huge volcanic “super-eruptions” occurred on Mars over a 500-million-year period around 4 billion years ago. Each eruption would have released enough gas and dust to change Mars’ climate.