Current:Home > MarketsAstronomers have some big gravitational wave news -Elevate Money Guide
Astronomers have some big gravitational wave news
View
Date:2025-04-24 11:42:55
All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro returns to nerd-out with Regina G. Barber and Geoff Brumfiel on science in the news. They discuss the discovery of new gravitational waves, a robot prototype that draws design inspiration from nature and why orcas might be attacking boats along the coast of Europe.
A 'multi-modal' robot, inspired by nature
This week in the journal Nature Communications, a group of scientists describe a new robot they're working on — with funding from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory — inspired by the way animals use their limbs to move in different ways. They call it the "Multi-Modal Mobility Morphobot," or M4. It's being developed with search-and-rescue in mind, but could be useful in future space exploration as well.
Researchers have uncovered a new kind of gravitational wave
Scientists have new evidence that the fabric of space and time is rippling with gravitational waves as big as the Milky Way. The waves could be created by some of the biggest black holes in the universe. Black holes are thought to send out these elusive waves when they merge. Until now, researchers have only been able to detect gravitational waves from much smaller black holes. These newly detected waves could be a signal from the dawn of the universe itself. Learn more from NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce.
Orcas are attacking boats — and scientists can only guess why
As NPR's Scott Neuman reported this month, scientists can only guess why orcas — also known as killer whales — continue to attack boats in and around the Strait of Gibraltar, a busy waterway that links the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. One theory suggests the whales' action is the result of trauma. Others think it may be a form of play.
Have questions about science in the news? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
Listen to Short Wave on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.
This episode was produced by Megan Lim and Carly Rubin. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez, Brent Baughman and Christopher Intagliata. Brit Hanson checked the facts. The audio engineers were Ted Mebane and Robert Rodriguez.
veryGood! (1394)
Related
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- The Dropout’s Amanda Seyfried Reacts to Elizabeth Holmes Beginning 11-Year Prison Sentence
- Solar Power Taking Hold in Nigeria, One Mobile Phone at a Time
- Hurricane Season Collides With Coronavirus, as Communities Plan For Dual Emergencies
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- Why Ayesha Curry Regrets Letting Her and Steph's Daughter Riley Be in the Public Eye
- Taking the Climate Fight to the Streets
- America’s First Offshore Wind Energy Makes Landfall in Rhode Island
- Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
- Video: Dreamer who Conceived of the Largest Arctic Science Expedition in History Now Racing to Save it
Ranking
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Energizing People Who Play Outside to Exercise Their Civic Muscles at the Ballot Box
- This Amazon Maxi Dress Has 2,300+ Five-Star Ratings— & Reviewers Say It Fits Beautifully
- Climate Action, Clean Energy Key to U.S. Prosperity, Business Leaders Urge Trump
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- You'll Spend 10,000 Hours Obsessing Over Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber's Beach Getaway
- Ukraine gets the attention. This country's crisis is the world's 'most neglected'
- Cheer's Morgan Simianer Marries Stone Burleson
Recommendation
B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
Human remains found in California mountain area where actor Julian Sands went missing
Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $360 Reversible Tote Bag for Just $89
In Michigan, Dams Plus Climate Change Equals a Disastrous Mix
Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS Only Has Sales Twice a Year: Don't Miss These Memorial Day Deals
Jana Kramer Recalls Releasing Years of Shame After Mike Caussin Divorce
U.S. Wind Energy Installations Surge: A New Turbine Rises Every 2.4 Hours