Tag Archives: WATER

Astronomers Claim to Spot Multiple Bodies of Liquid Water on Mars

Two years ago, a team of Italian scientists claimed to have discovered a subglacial lake near the Martian south pole. The same team has collected further evidence to bolster this claim, including the apparent discovery of even more buried bodies of liquid water. The new research speaks to the potential for life on Mars, but not everyone is convinced by the evidence. Continue reading Astronomers Claim to Spot Multiple Bodies of Liquid Water on Mars

Why Did the Maya Abandon the Ancient City of Tikal?

In the ninth century A.D., the Maya abandoned the great city of Tikal after hundreds of years of prosperity and expansion. Researchers have long sought to explain how and why the city collapsed, but despite extensive study of the site, unanswered questions remain. Continue reading Why Did the Maya Abandon the Ancient City of Tikal?

Disney Casts Halle Bailey as Ariel in Live-Action ‘Little Mermaid’

The cast of Disney’s live-action(ish) reboot of The Little Mermaid has been filling out as of late, with speculation that Melissa McCarthy, Awkwafina, and Jacob Tremblay are attached to star. Now Variety reports Disney has a lead for the Rob Marshall-directed film, as Halle Bailey of Chloe x Halle and Grown-ish fame is set to take the role of the titular mermaid, Ariel. Marshall confirmed the news himself. Continue reading Disney Casts Halle Bailey as Ariel in Live-Action ‘Little Mermaid’

How the ISS recycles its air and water

Storage is hard to come by aboard the International Space Station. Even if a rocket had room to ferry thousands of pounds of water and oxygen to supply a six-month mission, you’d struggle to find anywhere to stash it. So engineers have devised creative ways to squeeze essentials from astronauts’ sweat, urine, and breath. But we’re not at total recovery yet. Right now, the ISS recycles 90 percent of its water—or more than 1,000 gallons annually—and 40 percent of the oxygen astronauts breathe. The rest comes up on resupply missions. This diagram shows how NASA gets so close to a self-­sustaining space home.

Continue reading How the ISS recycles its air and water

Salty Water Under the Surface of Mars Could Have Enough Oxygen for Life

Mars may have a hostile, dusty exterior bathed in dangerous radiation, but a new study suggests that it’s possible life could exist under that inhospitable crust. Pockets of salty water with enough dissolved oxygen to support life may be present in certain parts of the planet, according to a new paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience. Continue reading Salty Water Under the Surface of Mars Could Have Enough Oxygen for Life