Science seems like a straightforward endeavor. You come up with a hypothesis, collect data to prove or disprove it, and analyze that data to see whether the hypothesis is right. But anyone who actually does science will tell you that it is often not that straightforward. One of the most common complexities is data analysis.

A new paper in Nature suggests that one such complexity, known as regression to the mean, might be causing us to massively underestimate how severe solar storms can be.

The interaction between the solar wind and Earth’s magnetosphere can be thought ...

Japan has one of the world’s fastest-aging populations, but maintaining independence into very old age remains a growing public health challenge...

Astronomers have discovered a chemically rich collection of sulfur-bearing molecules surrounding the rare massive star HD 87643. The observations include the first detection of sulfur monoxide and sulfur dioxide around a B[e] supergiant. The paper was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on July 1.

Rare and old
B[e] supergiants, or sgB[e], are rare, evolved massive stars that have moved past their main hydrogen-burning phase. They are notable for distinctive emission lines—hence the “[e]” in their name—including rare “forbidden” lines produced by the surrounding gas and dust, along with an infrared glow far more intense than that of ordinary B-type stars.

As these stars approach the final stages of their lives, they shed enormous amounts of material, building up mes...