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Science & Technology

A wild donkey family near Death Valley National Park in California.

Mountain lions turn wild donkeys into prey

A wild donkey family near Death Valley National Park in California.

October 11, 2022, 6:02am Life

An apex predator has been quietly hunting interlopers in Death Valley, and for the first time, the deadly encounter has been captured on camera. Read story

University of Michigan research scientist Andrew McKelvey inspects a prototype vacuum compatible mirror mount inside the ZEUS laser facility on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in Ann Arbor, Mich. The newly constructed facility will be home to the most powerful laser in the U.S.

U. of Michigan’s ZEUS will be most powerful laser in U.S.

University of Michigan research scientist Andrew McKelvey inspects a prototype vacuum compatible mirror mount inside the ZEUS laser facility on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in Ann Arbor, Mich. The newly constructed facility will be home to the most powerful laser in the U.S.

October 11, 2022, 6:02am Life

A newly constructed University of Michigan facility that will be home to the most powerful laser in the United States is hosting its first experiment this week as the nation seeks to become competitive again in the realm of high-power laser facilities. Read story

This photo provided by the Lasker Foundation in September 2022 shows Johns Hopkins University civil engineering professor Lauren Gardner in Baltimore. The 2022 Lasker public service award went to Gardner, an engineer who studies the spread of diseases. She worked with her lab team to develop the COVID-19 tracker as the coronavirus began spreading worldwide in January 2020.

Scientists honored for COVID-19 case tracker, prenatal test

This photo provided by the Lasker Foundation in September 2022 shows Johns Hopkins University civil engineering professor Lauren Gardner in Baltimore. The 2022 Lasker public service award went to Gardner, an engineer who studies the spread of diseases. She worked with her lab team to develop the COVID-19 tracker as the coronavirus began spreading worldwide in January 2020.

October 11, 2022, 6:00am Life

A Johns Hopkins University scientist who created a website to track COVID-19 cases worldwide is the recipient of this year’s Lasker award for public service. Read story

SpaceX Crew5 astronauts, from left, Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina, NASA astronaut Josh Cassada, NASA astronaut Nicole Mann and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata pose for a photo as they leave the Operations and Checkout building before heading to Launch Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for a mission to the International Space Station Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022.

Russian launches to space from U.S., 1st time in 20 years

SpaceX Crew5 astronauts, from left, Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina, NASA astronaut Josh Cassada, NASA astronaut Nicole Mann and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata pose for a photo as they leave the Operations and Checkout building before heading to Launch Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for a mission to the International Space Station Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022.

October 5, 2022, 9:36am Life

For the first time in 20 years, a Russian cosmonaut rocketed from the U.S. on Wednesday, launching to the International Space Station alongside NASA and Japanese astronauts despite tensions over the war in Ukraine. Read story

Secretary General of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Hans Ellegren, centre, Jonas Aqvist, Chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, left, and Olof Ramstrom, member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry announce the winners of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry during a press conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. The winners of the 2022 Nobel Prize in chemistry are Caroline R. Bertozzi of the United States, Morten Meldal of Denmark and K. Barry Sharpless of the United States.

Nobel Prize for 3 chemists who made molecules ‘click’

Secretary General of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Hans Ellegren, centre, Jonas Aqvist, Chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, left, and Olof Ramstrom, member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry announce the winners of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry during a press conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. The winners of the 2022 Nobel Prize in chemistry are Caroline R. Bertozzi of the United States, Morten Meldal of Denmark and K. Barry Sharpless of the United States.

October 5, 2022, 7:49am Nation & World

Three scientists were jointly awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for developing a way of “snapping molecules together” that can be used to design better medicines, including ones that target diseases such as cancer more precisely. Read story

This image made available by NOIRLab shows a plume of dust and debris blasted from the surface of the asteroid Dimorphos by NASA's DART spacecraft after it impacted on Sept. 26, 2022, captured by the U.S. National Science Foundation's NOIRLab's SOAR telescope in Chile. The expanding, comet-like tail is more than 6,000 miles (10,000 kilometers) long.

Smacked asteroid’s debris trail more than 6,000 miles long

This image made available by NOIRLab shows a plume of dust and debris blasted from the surface of the asteroid Dimorphos by NASA's DART spacecraft after it impacted on Sept. 26, 2022, captured by the U.S. National Science Foundation's NOIRLab's SOAR telescope in Chile. The expanding, comet-like tail is more than 6,000 miles (10,000 kilometers) long.

October 4, 2022, 2:31pm Life

The asteroid that got smacked by a NASA spacecraft is now being trailed by thousands of miles of debris from the impact. Read story

Spokane weather balloons collect data to track Ian

October 4, 2022, 10:42am Life

As forecasters frantically worked to pinpoint where Hurricane Ian may land, they got a little help in the Inland Northwest. Read story

Secretary General of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Hans Ellegren, centre, Eva Olsson, left and Thors Hans Hansson, members of the Nobel Committee for Physics announce the winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics, from left to right on the screen, Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser and Anton Zeilinger, during a press conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, in Stockholm, Sweden, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022.

3 physicists share Nobel Prize for work on quantum science

Secretary General of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Hans Ellegren, centre, Eva Olsson, left and Thors Hans Hansson, members of the Nobel Committee for Physics announce the winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics, from left to right on the screen, Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser and Anton Zeilinger, during a press conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, in Stockholm, Sweden, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022.

October 4, 2022, 8:16am Nation & World

Three scientists jointly won this year’s Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday for their work on quantum information science that has significant applications, for example in the field of encryption. Read story

Washington Ag Dept.: Uptick in bird flu likely

October 4, 2022, 6:05am Health

The Washington State Department of Agriculture is warning the state to prepare for an uptick in bird flu cases this fall. Read story

This illustration provided by Heming Zhang in September 2022 depicts some of the fossil fish, more than 400 million years old, which were found by researchers in southern China, announced in a series of studies published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. The fossils date back to the Silurian period when scientists believe our backboned ancestors, who were still swimming around on a watery planet, may have started evolving teeth and jaws around this time.

China fish fossil catch offers key clues

This illustration provided by Heming Zhang in September 2022 depicts some of the fossil fish, more than 400 million years old, which were found by researchers in southern China, announced in a series of studies published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. The fossils date back to the Silurian period when scientists believe our backboned ancestors, who were still swimming around on a watery planet, may have started evolving teeth and jaws around this time.

October 4, 2022, 6:05am Life

A big catch of fish fossils in southern China includes the oldest teeth ever found — and may help scientists learn how our aquatic ancestors got their bite. Read story