Canada's Artemis II astronaut gives thumbs-up to 'Project Hail Mary'

HOUSTON (AP) – The new space movie “Project Hail Mary” starring Ryan Gosling is getting rave reviews more than halfway to the moon. Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen said Saturday that he and his Artemis II crewmates got to watch the film with their families. He said it was “a real treat” to view the movie while getting ready for his own space adventure.

World's oldest known tortoise still very much alive despite rumor to the contrary

LONDON (AP) – Reports on April Fools’ Day of the death of the world’s oldest living land animal – a 193-year-old tortoise called Jonathan – were greatly exaggerated.  Jonathan is still kicking – albeit slowly – on the island of St. Helena. “It was a hoax, I can just assure you that he is very much alive.”

EPA moves to designate microplastics and pharmaceuticals as contaminants

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed Thursday to include microplastics and pharmaceuticals on a list of contaminants in drinking water for the first time, a step that could lead to new limits on those substances for water utilities.

Artemis II astronauts bound for moon after first lunar voyage in decades

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – Four astronauts embarked on a high-stakes flight around the moon Wednesday, humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century and the thrilling leadoff in NASA’s push toward a landing in two years.

NASA begins countdown for humanity's first moon launch in 53 years

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – NASA began the countdown Monday for humanity’s first launch to the moon in 53 years. The 32-story Space Launch System rocket is poised to blast off Wednesday evening with four astronauts. After a day in orbit around Earth, their Orion capsule will propel them to the moon and back.

NASA is shooting for the moon. A guide to the Artemis II mission

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – It’s humanity’s first flight to the moon since 1972. In a throwback to Apollo, NASA’s Artemis II mission will send four astronauts on a lunar fly-around. They’ll hurtle several thousand miles beyond the moon, hang a U-turn and then come straight back. No circling around the moon, no stopping for a moonwalk.

Arctic sea ice hits lowest winter level as unprecedented heat hits smashes records all over Earth

WASHINGTON (AP) – Vital Arctic sea ice shrank to tie its lowest measured level for the winter, the season when ice grows, as a warming Earth shattered records across the continents.

Artemis II astronauts arrive at Florida launch site for first moon trip in 53 years

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – The astronauts set to become the first lunar visitors in more than half a century arrived at their launch site Friday, joining the towering rocket that stands poised to blast off next week and send them around the moon.

In wrangling dark matter, scientists find inspiration in the Torah, Krishna and Christ

When an invisible entity making up 85% of the universe’s mass stumps the greatest scientific minds of our time, awe is an understandable response. Physicists call it ” dark matter, ” a substance they describe as the cosmic glue, the scaffolding, a web that uses gravity to corral, shape and hold together stars, planets and galaxies. Yet nobody knows exactly what it is.