Day: December 9, 2024

Station Science Top News: Dec. 6, 2024

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Astronaut cognitive performance remains generally stable Researchers found that astronauts on six-month missions to the International Space Station demonstrated generally stable cognitive performance but mild changes in certain areas, including processing speed, working memory, attention, and willingness to take risks. This research provides baseline data that could help identify cognitive changes on future missions and support development of appropriate countermeasures. Research to date has suggested mild decreases in some cognitive performance domains during spaceflight, likely influenced by spaceflight stressors such as radiation and sleep disruption. Longer missions represent greater exposure…

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NASA Astronauts to Answer Questions from US Students Abroad

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NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams aboard the International Space Station on Oct. 15, 2024. (Credit: NASA) Students from U.S. military families based overseas will have the chance to hear NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station answer their prerecorded questions. On Wednesday, Dec. 11, NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams will respond to questions submitted by students from Stuttgart Elementary, followed by another call on Thursday, Dec. 12, with Nick Hague answering questions from Kwajalein School System students. Watch the 20-minute space-to-Earth calls on NASA+ at 12:25…

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‘Silo’ Season 2: ‘The Harmonium’: Does Judge Meadows get her wish to go outside?

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If you’re any kind of fan of the fantastic Steve Zahn, and frankly who isn’t, you’re in for a real treat in this fourth episode of “Silo” Season 2 titled “The Harmonium.” Watching him innocently describe trapeze artists and exotic animals to Juliette while she’s trying to craft a breathing tube apparatus to swim down to a submerged level of Silo 17 is a sheer revelation and a true testament to his enormous range.   Juliette might be a bit annoyed at his carrying on about circuses, elephants’ altruism, and…

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‘Our understanding of the universe may be incomplete’: James Webb Space Telescope data suggests we need a ‘new cosmic feature’ to explain it all

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New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have corroborated data from its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, to determine something is missing from our recipe of the cosmos. The JWST conducted its largest survey yet of the accelerating expansion of the cosmos as scientists attempt to discover why the universe is expanding faster today than our picture of its infancy, billions of years ago, says that it should. Currently, scientists theorize that the accelerating expansion is caused by a placeholder element, “dark energy,” but they really need to…

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Geminid meteor shower peaks this week: Here’s what to expect from the last big meteor shower of the year

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The Geminid meteor shower is one of the most prolific annual meteor showers, impressing skywatchers year after year. It is possible to see up to 120 meteors per hour under dark conditions when the Geminids peak each year. Unfortunately for skywatchers this year, the almost full moon could interfere with shooting star-hunting efforts when the Geminid meteor shower peaks overnight on Dec.13 -14. But while the moonlight will wash out the fainter meteors, it’ll still be possible to see some of the bigger and brighter meteors, so it’s definitely worth…

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