On a cosmic timescale, WASP-12b doesn't have much time left.

A super-black planet is about to literally crash into its star

Strange World

An ultrahot gas giant that's even darker than asphalt is going to crash into its star significantly sooner than scientists thought.

A Super-Black Planet Is About to Literally Crash Into Its Star

A horrible fate. 

"In this gold rush, space is still a high-risk business, no matter how you slice it."

Former NASA scientist predicts "gold rush" in space

Interplanetary Infrastructure

Computer scientist and investor Sailesh Ramakrishnan says that the space industry is about to see a "gold rush" that will transform off-world exploration

Former NASA Scientist Predicts “Gold Rush” in Space

"I'm not saying we'll find aliens in five years or anything like that. But space will touch every part of our lives."

It offers tons of binge-worthy content that informs while it entertains.

Curiosity Stream is a streaming service tailor-made for people who love to learn

Brands We Love

If you're tired of the same old televison, and want factual, educational, thought-provoking content, it's time to try Curiosity Stream.

Curiosity Stream Is a Streaming Service Tailor-Made for People Who Love to Learn

Why We're Different

Aptera Motors says its solar panel-adorned car can travel for a long time without plugging in.

Startup says solar-powered electric car never needs to charge

Top It Off

Aptera Motors says its upcoming electric car may never need to be plugged in thanks to solar panels that give it 45 miles of extra range every day.

Startup Says Solar-Powered Electric Car Never Needs to Charge

Okay, that's pretty cool. 

There are officially too many damn monoliths

Sick & Tired

Are all these monoliths an international Banksy-level art installation or an extraterrestrial race pulling an uninspired prank on humanity? Likely neither.

There Are Officially Too Many Damn Monoliths

The number of monoliths is too damn high.

"I felt like my brain was running at overdrive to constantly correct for where my hands were."

Living in "third person view" with VR and a backpack-mounted camera

Lakitu Style

YouTubers are challenging themselves to live life in third-person: going about their day with a camera on their back that feeds into a VR headset.

Living in “Third Person View” With VR and a Backpack-Mounted Camera

With a VR rig and a backpack-mounted camera, you can experience life from a third person view — like a video game character.

"The sunspot image achieves a spatial resolution about 2.5 times higher than ever previously achieved, showing magnetic structures as small as 20 kilometers on the surface of the sun."

The sharpest-ever image of a sunspot looks like a portal to hell

Satan's Butthole

The Inouye Solar Telescope, the largest solar observatory in the world, just released the first-ever image of a sunspot.

The Sharpest-Ever Image of a Sunspot Looks Like a Portal to Hell

The Sun is a truly chaotic place.

NASA denies it. The Russians look the other way. But now we know the truth: They are definitely drinking up there.

So, uh, astronauts routinely smuggle booze into space

Spacedrunk

Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that you’re an astronaut, with a ticket to the International Space Station, where you’ll be hanging out for months, if not nearly an entire year. And while you’re part of an incredibly elite group of people on the planet, you’re also not immune to enjoying (like most of […]

So, Uh, Astronauts Routinely Smuggle Booze Into Space

We're just learning this now. And don't lie: You would too.

"Competitors will then race their rovers remotely, navigating through harsh terrain, racing around a sphere of cameras, which will capture every aspect."

SpaceX will launch remote controlled racecars to lunar surface

Moon Madness

With the help of SpaceX, a multimedia company is sending a pair of 5.5 pound remotely-controlled racecars to hold the first car race on the Moon.

SpaceX Will Launch Remote Controlled Racecars to Lunar Surface

The plan is to hold the first-ever car race on the surface of the Moon — in 2021.

Some scientists were close to tears during interviews.

Arecibo SETI Telescope collapses completely

The iconic Arecibo Observatory collapsed on Tuesday, according to officials. The 900-ton platform suspended above the 1,000 foot dish antenna crashed.

Arecibo SETI Telescope Collapses Completely

As recently as yesterday, NASA had been exploring options to repair the ailing dish.

"They gave a couple of pushes on the monolith and one of them said 'You better have got your pictures.'"

A gang of men apparently stole the Utah monolith

Monolith Heist

Thanks to a detailed account posted by photographer Ross Bernards on Instagram, we may just have figured out who stole the mysterious Utah monolith.

A Gang of Men Apparently Stole the Utah Monolith

It "popped out and landed on the ground with a loud bang."

NO SOUL ))))

"Are we on the frontlines of legitimate creative fair use? Are we the canary in the coal mine? Or is this still just a wide-open gray area for the future to delineate?"

A bot made Frank Sinatra cover Britney Spears. YouTube removed it over copyright claims.

Bot Versus Bot

An AI composed Toxic by Britney Spears in the style of Frank Sinatra, only to be taken down by YouTube. Learn about this copyright claim.

AI Made Frank Sinatra Cover Britney Spears, Removed Over Copyright

An AI tool made Frank Sinatra sing Britney Spears' "Toxic." What followed was a battle over who owns the rights when AI gets creative.

A Bot Made Frank Sinatra Cover Britney Spears. YouTube Removed It Over Copyright Claims.

Physicists say universe filled with mystery substance called "quintessence"

Fifth Element

A team of cosmologists claim they have found evidence that the expansion of the universe is caused by "quintessence," a form of dark energy.

Physicists Say Universe Filled With Mystery Substance Called “Quintessence”

"We’re back to a situation where we have zero idea about how the Universe is going to end."

AstraZeneca keeps bungling stuff about its vaccine

Bullet, Meet Foot

AstraZeneca didn't tell the FDA it halted its coronavirus vaccine trial after a volunteer got sick. The ommission could hurt the company's credibility.

AstraZeneca Keeps Bungling Stuff About Its Vaccine

READ MORE: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/business/covid-vaccine-oxford-astrazeneca.html">Blunders Eroded U.S. Confidence in Early Vaccine Front-Runner</a> [The New York Times]

More on the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine: <a href="https://futurism.com/neoscope/pharmaceutical-wrong-dose-vaccine-trial">Pharmaceutical Accidentally Gave Wrong Dose in COVID Vaccine Trial</a>

Rx/Medicines

"The world bet on this vaccine. What a disappointment."

Health experts have speculative guesses but no answers for what's causing it.

Mysterious, epilepsy-like outbreak still spreading in India

No Answers

The mysterious outbreak that's causing epilepsy-like symptoms in southeast India continues to grow, and experts have no idea what's causing it.

Mysterious, Epilepsy-Like Outbreak Still Spreading in India

READ MORE: <a href="https://apnews.com/article/india-mystery-illness-baffles-experts-f607e38af215896bca5276ded25bf893">‘Nobody knows’: Experts baffled by mystery illness in India</a> [The Associated Press]

More on the outbreak: <a href="https://futurism.com/neoscope/mysterious-new-disease-outbreak-india">There&#8217;s a Mysterious New Disease Outbreak in India</a>

Developments

More than 500 have been hospitalized.

Two people who had the shot developed adverse allergic reactions.

Some are getting severe allergic reactions to the COVID vaccine in the UK

COVID Flare Up

Health authorities in the UK are advising that those with a history of strong allergic reactions shouldn't get Pifzer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine.

Some Are Getting Severe Allergic Reactions to the COVID Vaccine in the UK

READ MORE: <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-britain-vaccine/uk-warns-people-with-serious-allergies-to-avoid-pfizer-vaccine-idUSKBN28J1D1">UK warns people with serious allergies to avoid Pfizer vaccine after two adverse reactions</a> [Reuters]

More on vaccines: <a href="https://futurism.com/neoscope/covid-vaccine-effective-two-weeks">COVID Vaccine Is Effective After Just Two Weeks</a>

They're advising people with a history of serious allergic reactions to skip the shot.

Yet another glowing endorsement of Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine.

COVID vaccine is effective after just two weeks

More Good News

The COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is effective after just two weeks following a single dose, according to FDA data.

COVID Vaccine Is Effective After Just Two Weeks

READ MORE: <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/8/22163146/covid-vaccine-fda-review-safe-effective-time-pfizer-biontech">COVID-19 vaccine starts working within two weeks after first shot</a> [The Verge]

More on the vaccine: <a href="https://futurism.com/neoscope/trump-turned-down-doses-vaccine">Trump Turned Down Opportunity to Buy 500M Doses of COVID Vaccine</a>

"This is what an A+ report card looks like for a vaccine."

Elon Musk explains why Starship launch ended in huge explosion

Woah

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk chimes in on the space company's mostly successful Starship high-altitude test flight. "Mars, here we come!!"

Elon Musk Explains Why Starship Launch Ended in Huge Explosion

"Mars, here we come!!"

Starship | SN8 | High-Altitude Flight Test

SpaceX Starship explodes in spectacular fireball

Big Launch

Mission Success SpaceX has successfully launched its SN8 Starship prototype to an altitude of roughly 40,000 feet at its Boca Chica, Texas test facility. The spectacular event saw the towering 165-foot stainless steel rocket ignite its three Raptor engines to launch itself to approximately 12.5 kilometers. A previous attempt on Tuesday had to be aborted […]

SpaceX Starship Explodes in Spectacular Fireball

Watch the explosion right here.

"It really is amazing to think that the first woman and the next man on the moon are among the names we just read, and may be standing in the room right now."

BREAKING: NASA Announces Its Moon Landing Astronauts

Gettin' Real

NASA has officially announced the first team of American astronauts headed to the Moon as soon as 2024 as part of its Artemis program.

Here are the first women and men headed to the surface of the Moon in almost half a century.

Spraying a Car in the WORLD'S BLACKEST Paint (Darker than Vanta Black?)

It looks like someone punched a hole in reality.

This super-black car is so dark that it looks like a silhouette

Missing Vehicle Alert

YouTubers painted a car with Musou Black, a paint that absorbs 99.4 percent of light, leaving the vehicle looking more like a silhouette than an object.

This Super-Black Car Is So Dark That It Looks Like a Silhouette

It's darker than Vantablack — like staring into a black hole.

"Climate change, droughts, population growth, and pollution are likely to make water scarcity issues and pricing a hot topic for years to come."

Wall Street is now betting on the future of water supplies

Drying Up

Wall Street is about to launch futures contracts tied to the price of water for the first time in US history, as Business Insider reports.

Wall Street Is Now Betting on the Future of Water Supplies

When water supplies run low, should investors profit?

"This is an important pledge made by China as a responsible major country, towards the peaceful exploration and utilisation of space by humans."

China crashed spacecraft into the Moon so it wouldn't become space junk

Lunar Graveyard

The Chinese space agency instructed part of the Chang'e-5 spacecraft to crash back into the Moon after its job was done so it wouldn't become space junk.