"In general, people tend to get discouraged by how hard language learning can be, but if you could give someone 13 percent to 15 percent better results after their first session, maybe they'd be more likely to want to continue."

Zapping the brain improved language abilities in new study

Zapped

Researchers showed that electrical stimulation through simple ear pieces improved adult participants' abilities to recognize foreign language tones.

Zapping the Brain Improved Language Learning Abilities by 13%

Learning new languages could become a lot easier in the future.

Mars Nightglow Animation from MAVEN Observations

New NASA animation shows Mars’ creepy greenish “nightglow”

Green Planet

A new NASA simulation shows the ghostly ultraviolet flashes of Mars's "nightglow," represented by greenish hues in the Martian night sky.

New NASA Animation Shows Mars’ Creepy Greenish “Nightglow”

This strange glow in the Martian night sky is "as bright in the ultraviolet as Earth’s northern lights."

"There has to be something in the cloud that has heated up the dust and which makes it shine."

Scientists may have found a star that's just 33 years old

Born in the 80s

A team of astronomers have found new evidence suggesting there's a neutron star lurking in the center of the supernova 1987A that's only 33 years old.

Astronomers May Have Found a Star That’s Just 33 Years Old

This star is a 90s kid. Really.

"We peered into a place previously unexplored, opening new avenues of study within transient science."

Your bones are made out of this exploded star, scientists say

Skeleton Wars

A team of astronomers discovered a new type of supernova, a "calcium-rich supernova," that produces a ton of calcium through a chemical reaction.

Your Bones Are Made Out of Exploded Stars, Scientists Say

"[The supernova] wasn't just calcium rich. It was the richest of the rich."

NASA never "closed" and it was never "dead."

Former astronaut blasts Trump for lying about NASA

Trump Brain

In a recent tweet on Wednesday, president Donald Trump claimed that "NASA was Closed & Dead until I got it going again." The space community wasn't happy.

Former Astronaut Blasts Trump For Lying About NASA

"Great leaders take blame and pass along credit."

NASA Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Animations

Testing the Mars Helicopter Delivery System on NASA's Perseverance Rover

After decades of landers, probes, and rovers, NASA is ready to take to the skies.

NASA's Mars Helicopter could revolutionize off-planet exploration

A New Perspective

The size of NASA's Mars Helicopter may be unassuming, but Ingenuity's first tiny hops could set the stage for something far bigger.

NASA’s Mars Helicopter Could Revolutionize Off-Planet Exploration

If it succeeds, future missions could soar over alien landscapes — instead of crawling across them like bugs.

The result looks far more peculiar than the elegant comet-like shape from conventional models.

NASA imaged the bubble around the solar system and... yikes

Deflated Croissant

According to new research, the shape of our solar system's heliosphere could resemble a "deflated croissant," not a comet with a long tail.

NASA Imaged the Bubble Around the Solar System and… Yikes

It almost looks... biological?

"We were really really comfortable coming through the atmosphere, even though we were inside an animal."

NASA astronauts "almost speechless" at how well SpaceX Crew Dragon did

Falling Out of the Sky

In a news conference, NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley told reporters what it's like to ride SpaceX's Crew Dragon back to Earth.

NASA Astronauts “Almost Speechless” At How Well SpaceX Crew Dragon Did

"It doesn't sound like a machine, it sounds like an animal."

Ancient life on Mars might have had a better chance of surviving than previously thought.

Study: Ancient Mars was covered in ice sheets, not rivers

Ice Ice Baby

According to a new study, a large number of ancient valleys on the Martian surface today were formed by subglacial meltwater below — not flowing rivers.

Study: Ancient Mars Was Covered in Ice Sheets, Not Rivers

The new research could force us to rethink what Mars looked like billions of years ago.

"Mars spacesuits will be more like ones we use for the Moon and less like those for the ISS."

On tomorrow's Launch, NASA is sending spacesuit chunks to Mars

Martian Duds

Besides a whole host of fascinating scientific instruments, NASA"s Perseverance rover will also be carrying small bits of space suit to the Martian surface.

On Tomorrow’s Launch, NASA Is Sending Spacesuit Chunks to Mars

Is this what Martian spacesuits could eventually be out of?

"It truly is a major discovery, and helps to bring the origin of these mysterious phenomena into focus."

A dead star gave off something scientists have never seen before

Shine So Bright

In late April, the international team observed a massively bright outburst of X-rays and radio waves. They traced it back to a magnetar in the Milky Way.

A Dead Star Gave Off Something Scientists Have Never Seen Before

Well, that was surprising.

"We started with what we believed would be an optimal customer experience and then we built the spaceship around it."

Virgin Galactic unveils sleek spaceship cabin for tourist flights

Rocket Man

In a sleek announcement video, Virgin Galactic has unveiled the cabin interior of its SpaceShipTwo space plane, a vehicle designed for space tourism.

Virgin Galactic Unveils Sleek Spaceship Cabin for Tourist Flights

"It is the rocket ride of your life."

The team is expecting to generate ten times the heat than what has to be put in.

Scientists start construction of world's largest fusion reactor

30 Years Away

Engineers have begun construction of the world's largest nuclear fusion project today in southern France, with operations planned to begin in late 2025.

Scientists Start Construction of World’s Largest Fusion Reactor

"Enabling the exclusive use of clean energy will be a miracle for our planet."

"If, in my lifetime, I can help to build a marketplace where people can access safe, standard medicine, that would be glorious for me."

Meet the woman who wants to sell psychedelic drugs to scientists

Local Drugstore

Havn Life wants to build a safe, standardized supply chain for psilocybin researchers in Canada so they can develop new medical treatments.

Meet the Woman Who Wants to Sell Psychedelic Drugs to Scientists

More on psilocybin: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/canadian-startup-building-shroom-farm-in-jamaica">This Startup Is Building a Huge Magic Mushroom Farm in Jamaica</a>

Rx/Medicines

"We all had to hide for so long and grow massive crops in indoor spaces without being arrested."

Gates says the long wait for test results is "just stupidity."

Bill Gates called most US coronavirus tests "garbage"

Ya Blew It

Bill Gates says that the long wait times for coronavirus test results render the whole thing useless. Or, in his words, the tests are "garbage."

Bill Gates Called Most US Coronavirus Tests “Garbage”

READ MORE: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/bill-gates-on-covid-most-us-tests-are-completely-garbage/">Bill Gates on Covid: Most US Tests Are ‘Completely Garbage’</a> [Wired]

More on Bill Gates: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/bill-gates-slams-elon-musk-covid">Bill Gates Slams Elon Musk for Spouting COVIC Misinformation</a>

Developments

"The majority of all U.S. tests are completely garbage, wasted."

"My dream has been to bring testing like this to the consumer."

Machine detects COVID-19 in 90 minutes

Swab Mob

A small UK-based DNA-testing company called DnaNudge has come up with a toaster-sized machine that can detect COVID-19 in just 90 minutes.

Machine Detects COVID-19 in 90 Minutes

READ MORE: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-06/how-a-dna-test-machine-mutated-to-find-covid-in-90-minutes?sref=YfHlo0rL">How a DNA Test Machine Mutated to Find Covid in 90 Minutes</a>

More on the virus: <a href="https://futurism.com/neoscope/scientists-trained-dogs-can-smell-coronavirus">Scientists: Trained Dogs Can Smell Coronavirus</a>

Devices

Health officials are already ordering thousands.

"In these unprecedented times of COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent increase in the incidence of mental health conditions, accessing ways to improve community mental health and reduce the incidence of anxiety, depression and suicide is ever more important."

Scientists propose adding psychoactive drug to our water supplies

On Tap

Scientists who identified a link between naturally-present lithium in drinking water and lower suicide rates suggest lacing communities' water supply.

Scientists Propose Adding Psychoactive Drug to our Water Supplies

READ MORE: <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/akzyeb/link-between-lithium-in-drinking-water-suicide-study">Scientists Say Lithium Should Be Added to Drinking Water to Prevent Suicides</a> [Vice]

More on mental health: <a href="https://futurism.com/neoscope/american-life-expectancy-falling-drugs-suicide">The American Life Expectancy Is Now Falling Due to Drugs, Suicide</a>

Mental Health

They say it could prevent suicides.

In ten years, the President could be traveling at Mach 5.

Air Force One's successor could go 5x the speed of sound

Ludicrous Speed

The aerospace startup Hermeus won a contract to build a hypersonic version of Air Force One capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 5.

Air Force One’s Successor Could Go 5x the Speed of Sound

That's fast.

"Our goal is that all names are aligned with our values of diversity and inclusion, and we'll proactively work with the scientific community to help ensure that."

NASA says it will stop using racist names for space objects

Better Late Than Never

NASA is finally taking stock and getting rid of the various racist nicknames the space agency has granted objects in space over the years.

NASA Says It Will Stop Using Racist Names for Space Objects

"Science depends on diverse contributions, and benefits everyone, so this means we must make it inclusive."

"One of NASA's major goals is to identify planets that could support life. But how would we know a habitable or an uninhabited planet if we saw one?"

Scientists are using the Moon as a giant mirror to search for aliens

Moon Mirror

Scientists treated the Moon like a giant mirror to study the Earth's atmosphere, a trick they say could help search for inhabited worlds.

Scientists Are Using The Moon as a Giant Mirror to Search For Aliens

They're looking at a reflection of the Earth — to see what a habitable planet would look like from far away.

The genes "MARCH1" and "SEPT1," for instance, kept getting auto-formatted by Excel.

Scientists had to rename genes because they confused Microsoft Excel

Formatting Error

Genetics research is full of errors because Microsoft Excel reformats some gene names into calendar dates. To fix it, scientists just renamed the genes.