Reimagination in art and science: Seeing the familiar in a new light and creating new things that didn’t exist before - PNAS

On a clear evening, the wonders of the night sky shine and sparkle across the state of Arizona, offering views of endless stars, constellations, planets, the Milky Way, and even the glow of the Andromeda galaxy. For years, Canadian travel advisors have highlighted all of Arizona’s quintessential draws – its scenic hiking trails, abundant wellness offerings, world-class golf courses, and the famed Grand Canyon – but astrotourism offers another appeal for clients seeking truly memorable experiences once the sun sets. PAX was invited on an astronomy-themed FAM trip that took us from the desert and cacti of Scottsdale up the famous Route 66 highway to Winslow, then to the red rocks of Sedona and to Flagstaff, where Pluto was first discovered. A Dark Sky leaderAstrotourism may have become more popular in recent years, but it’s nothing new in Arizona, says Laura McMurchie, Vice President of Communications at Experience Scottsdale. In Arizona, 23 communities have earned Dark Sky status from DarkSky International. This means special efforts are taken to preserve the night sky and protect it from artificial light pollution, resulting in optimal stargazing.

The spacecraft delivered materials and equipment for new research studies to the station.

Mud from a fjord shows an Atlantic air pattern brought wetter, colder spells to southern Greenland, a clue to how its ice may fare. Greenland’s ice is shrinking as the planet warms. But in the island’s southwest, rainfall and snowfall have been influenced by the same North Atlantic air-pressure pattern for at least 5,000 years. When that pattern tipped one way, the region turned wetter and colder. The record comes from mud on the floor of a Greenland fjord, and it suggests snowfall, not only temperature, shaped how the area’s ice grew and shrank. It doesn’t yet show how glaciers there will respond to the warming ahead. Johan Faust, a researcher at MARUM, the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen in Germany, led the work with colleagues in Germany, Norway, Denmark and Canada. A seesaw in the airThe pattern is called the North Atlantic Oscillation. It’s the difference in air pressure between a low that sits near Iceland and a high near the Azores, and it’s strongest in winter. When that difference is large, the pattern is in its positive phase. Northwestern Europe and southwestern Greenland both get more rain and snow.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researcher Isaiah Santistevan led the development of three-dimensional simulations exploring how a nuclear device could deflect or disrupt an asteroid threatening Earth. Credit: Blaise Douros/LLNL Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers are developing three-dimensional simulations to examine how a nuclear device could be used to deflect or potentially disrupt an asteroid threatening Earth.

The Futura Team represents the pulse of Futura’s editorial department, bringing together a collective expertise dedicated to the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Rather than the work of a single author, every article published under this signature is the result of a rigorous collaborative process involving journalists, editors, and fact-checkers. Specializing in news analysis via desk research and international wire services, the team focuses on transforming raw information into accessible, verified content. This curation and synthesis process ensures constant monitoring of technological innovations and major scientific breakthroughs. By cross-referencing sources and conducting multiple rounds of peer review, the Futura Team guarantees scientific accuracy and pedagogical clarity. This collective signature serves as a hallmark of trust, providing reactive, cross-disciplinary information at the forefront of current events Normally, when an asteroid swings by Earth, the burning question is simple: “Are we at risk?” Should we prepare for a massive space rock to pancake our planet? Not this time.