This Week’s NOVA Next Feature
Astrophysicists are pushing cosmological theories to their limits to shed light on the universe’s mysterious dark age. NOVA Next contributor Marcus Woo reports the story.
In other news:
- Folklore suggests there may have been several Viking settlements in North America . Now, science might just prove it.
- Vitamin D may help hearts grow stronger.
- A string of supernovae may have caused Earth’s recent ice ages .
- “Reverse photosynthesis” could radically accelerate biofuel production .
What We’re Reading
- This disease robs you of language but keeps your mind intact. [The Atlantic]
- Here’s how Google plans to solve artificial intelligence . [MIT Tech Review]
- Mathematicians have been studying sphere packings since at least 1611. Now, they’ve uncovered proof of a special sphere-packing feature in the 8th dimension. [Wired]
- The future of technology might be hiding on the ocean floor. [Gizmodo]
- Minimum wage hikes could lead to a huge boost in automation . [Vox]
- Scientists have discovered a supermassive black hole that may be the biggest ever spotted. [NPR]
Did you miss "Vikings Unearthed" this week? Watch it streaming online here.
