Doris Elin Urrutia

Oct 25, 2024 | inverse.com | Doris Elin Urrutia

When dinosaurs thundered across the land, a giant, cicada-like bug called Palaeontinidae flew in the sky and fed on tree sap. But something disturbed its peaceful existence — and triggered the evolution of wings that could dart it away quickly, according to a new paper out this week. These giant bugs were big, fat, and slightly hairy, living an idyllic life munching on the sticky substance inside woody trees, plants that had only just arrived on the global scene.

Oct 25, 2024 | inverse.com | Doris Elin Urrutia

Several asteroids flew near Earth safely on Thursday — and one tiny space rock came in for a close shave. The Solar System is dirty, filled with asteroids that litter the space between planets. Often, asteroids large and small swing near Earth and we are none the wiser. Scientists at NASA keep close tabs on the more than million known asteroids flying in our cosmic neighborhood, and keep instruments peeled to the sky to discover ones that have evaded our detection thus far.

Oct 23, 2024 | inverse.com | Doris Elin Urrutia

Astrophysicists have discovered a “black hole triple,” where some delicate physics is keeping two stars located 8,000 light-years away finely tethered to a black hole. Black holes are scary. The idea of anything being so powerful that not even light can escape its pull is enough to set the mood for Halloween. But not all black holes have the same origin stories. To explain the triple system’s existence, astrophysicists propose that this black hole formed gently.

Oct 22, 2024 | inverse.com | Doris Elin Urrutia

Earth got gobsmacked with a space rock more than three billion years ago, when bacteria reigned supreme. This space rock was 50 to 200 times larger than the infamous one that killed the dinosaur eons later, and yet, it seems the hefty collision wound up giving early life a boost. The finding, which is detailed in a study published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, attempts to shed light on a mysterious chapter in our planet’s history.

Oct 21, 2024 | inverse.com | Doris Elin Urrutia

The idea of staying fit may seem like the last thing to worry about while floating more than 1.2 million feet above Earth, but it's exactly the opposite. Exercising is vital for astronauts who spend long periods of time in space. And for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, whose eight-day Starliner Crew Flight Test mission ballooned into a nine-month stay at humanity’s farthest outpost, their fitness regime has taken a drastic turn.