Physicists Discover A New Phase Of Matter

We’re With You When You Fly

Did you know that “We’re With You When You Fly”? Thanks to our advancements in aeronautics, today’s aviation industry is better equipped than ever to safely and efficiently transport millions of passengers and billions of dollars worth of freight to their destinations. In fact, every U.S. Aircraft flying today and every U.S. air traffic control tower uses NASA-developed technology in some way. Here are some of our objectives in aeronautics:

Making Flight Greener

From reducing fuel emissions to making more efficient flight routes, we’re working to make flight greener. We are dedicated to improving the design of airplanes so they are more Earth friendly by using less fuel, generating less pollution and reducing noise levels far below where they are today.

Getting you safely home faster

We work with the Federal Aviation Administration to provide air traffic controllers with new tools for safely managing the expected growth in air traffic across the nation. For example, testing continues on a tool that controllers and pilots can use to find a more efficient way around bad weather, saving thousands of pounds of fuel and an average of 27 minutes flying time per tested flight. These and other NASA-developed tools help get you home faster and support a safe, efficient airspace.

Seeing Aviation’s Future

Here at NASA, we’re committed to transforming aviation through cutting edge research and development. From potential airplanes that could be the first to fly on Mars, to testing a concept of a battery-powered plane, we’re always thinking of what the future of aviation will look like.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

Finland Explores Offering a Universal Basic Income to its Citizens

The Finnish Social Insurance Institution is preparing a proposal that would provide a tax free universal basic income of €800 per month to every Finnish citizen. Read more at: http://futurism.com/links/finland-explores-offering-a-universal-basic-income-to-its-citizens/

“Zeno Effect” Verified: Atoms Won’t Move When They’re Being Watched

Remember playing Super Mario Bros. 3 as a kid (okay, maybe as an adult, too) and encountering Boos? The sneaky ghosts would only move when you weren’t watching them. Well, Cornell physicists proved that, much like the fictional enemies from the Mario universe, a quantum system can’t change while you’re watching it.

Learn about the physics behind the find: http://futurism.com/links/20727/

Solar System: Things to Know This Week

Our solar system is huge, let us break it down for you. Here are a few things you should know this week: 

1. Closeup of a King

For the first time since it entered orbit around Jupiter in July, our Juno spacecraft has flown close to the king of planets—this time with its eyes wide open. During the long, initial orbit, Juno mission managers spent time checking out the spacecraft “from stem to stern,” but the science instruments were turned off as a precaution. During this latest pass, Juno’s camera and other instruments were collecting data the whole time. Initial reports show that all went well, and the team has released a new close-up view that Juno captured of Jupiter’s north polar region. We can expect to see more close-up pictures of Jupiter and other data this week.

+Check in with Juno

2. Getting Ready to Rocket

Our OSIRIS-REx mission leaves Earth next week, the first leg of a journey that will take it out to an asteroid called Bennu. The mission will map the asteroid, study its properties in detail, then collect a physical sample to send back home to Earth. The ambitious endeavor is slated to start off on Sept. 8.

+See what it takes to prep for a deep space launch

3. New Moon Rising

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has already mapped the entire surface of Earth’s moon in brilliant detail, but the mission isn’t over yet. Lunar explorers still have questions, and LRO is poised to help answer them.

+See what’s next for the mission

4. A Mock-Eclipse Now

We don’t have to wait until next year to see the moon cross in front of the sun. From its vantage point in deep space, our Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) sometimes sees just that. Such an event is expected on Sept. 1.

+See the latest sun pictures from SDO

5. Jupiter’s Cousins

Our galaxy is home to a bewildering variety of Jupiter-like worlds: hot ones, cold ones, giant versions of our own giant, pint-sized pretenders only half as big around. Astronomers say that in our galaxy alone, a billion or more such Jupiter-like worlds could be orbiting stars other than our sun. And we can use them to gain a better understanding of our solar system and our galactic environment, including the prospects for finding life.

Want to learn more? Read our full list of the 10 things to know this week about the solar system HERE. 

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

Black (Hole) Friday!

It’s Black Friday, but for us, it’s the 3rd annual Black Hole Friday! Today, we’ll post awesome images and information about black holes.

A black hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light cannot get out. The gravity is so strong because matter has been squeezed into a tiny space…sort of like all of those shoppers trying to fit into the department stores today.

Because no light can get out, people can’t see black holes. They are invisible. Space telescopes with special tools can help find black holes (sort of how those websites help you find shopping deals).

How big are black holes? Black holes can be big or small…just like the lines in all of the stores today. Scientists think the smallest black holes are as small as just one atom. These black holes are very tiny but have the mass of a large mountain! Mass is the amount of matter, or “stuff”, in an object.

So how do black holes form? Scientists think the smallest black holes formed when the universe began. Stellar black holes are made when the center of a very big star falls upon itself, or collapses. When this happens, it causes a supernova. A supernova is an exploding star that blasts part of the star into space. Scientists think supermassive black holes were made at the same time as the galaxy they are in.

For more fun facts and information about black holes, be sure to follow us on social media.

First sketch of Copenhagen Suborbitals’ SPICA capsule. They aim to be the first amateur organization to send a man to space.

via reddit

Gearing up for Thanksgiving weekend and desperate for small talk topics that make you sound slightly smarter? We’ve got you covered:

1. Tricks for building a Wi-Fi network that covers your entire house Excellent Wi-Fi coverage in your home may be easier to achieve than you might think—if you’ve got the right router placed in a central position, a Wi-Fi extender if needed, and a little bit of patience. via: BGR

2. The dream life of driverless cars Thanks to 3D scanning, driverless cars can do more than take you from one place to another: They can also produce artistic renditions of their surrounding environments, peculiarities and all. Talk about an IoT dream journal. via: The New York Times

3. Lego’s new digital system and other “toys-to-life” will be huge this holiday season Toys won’t only be played within the realm of a child’s imagination, but in mobile apps that can take physical toys into virtual spaces. via: @quartz

4. The dictionary, emoji, and redefining the word ‘word’ What do rent money, fart jokes, and student loans have in common? They all solicit a reaction that’s encapsulated in Oxford Dictionaries’ Word of the Year: the Face with Tears of Joy emoji. via: @theverge

4D Printing Allows You to Print Objects That Change over Time http://futurism.com/videos/4d-printing-allows-print-objects-change-time/

HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS?!

Li-Fi is 100 times faster than Wi-Fi

What’s next in high-speed Internet? Beams of light, flickering faster than the eye can see. A recent test by New Delhi-based startup Velmenni used “Li-Fi” to transfer data at 1 gigabyte a second. The futuristic tech uses LED lightbulbs to send the high speed data — which could have a great impact on our world.