technical updates

Conspiracy theories, print media, and James (sorry, Jimmy) Bond collide in an all-too-brief extension of Mulder and Scully's world. from Latest from Space.com https://ift.tt/g4Qqnbh

NASA's X-59 jet is on the verge of finally breaking the sound barrier as the agency looks forward to the aircraft's first supersonic flight this month. from Latest from Space.com https://ift.tt/1gNxnDj

A world-famous conservation program that helped save Sweden’s endangered wolverines is now struggling as funding stagnates and local trust erodes. Researchers say the decline offers a cautionary lesson: protecting wildlife requires long-term commitment, not just early success. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/5OsPMFA

The explosion of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is a big setback for the spaceflight company and will have implications for NASA's plans to return astronauts to the surface of the moon. from Latest from Space.com https://ift.tt/71oclft

A remarkable crystal called molybdenum oxychloride could help make futuristic technologies like smart contact lenses and ultrathin AR glasses a reality. Scientists have created the first detailed experimental map of its optical properties, revealing the strongest light-bending effect ever measured in a natural material. The crystal can act either like a reflective metal or transparent glass, allowing it to manipulate light with extraordinary efficiency while being thousands of times thinner than a human hair. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3NBWQnE

"I think these are not far-out type of ideas; they are not really futuristic ideas that we are talking about." from Latest from Space.com https://ift.tt/7K2UqDv