New research is refuting the theory that the star known as KIC 8462852 is being stripped of its resources by an advanced extraterrestrial civilization, as had previously been suggested. The star rose to prominence last year after a series of irregular, seemingly artificial fluctuations were detected in its light signature in observations made by the Kepler space telescope.

It was asserted that these occultations were theoretically in line with the pattern of dimming that could be expected from a Dyson sphere. A Dyson sphere is in effect a colossal artificial construct that would encircle or even entirely encompass a star.

The claims garnered so much media attention that the SETI Institute trained its powerful Allen Telescope Array on KIC 8462852 in an attempt to listen in for any potentially alien signals. Unfortunately, and much to the disappointment of those looking for signs we aren’t alone in the universe, the search came up empty. Read more

Generally, water repellent objects and those that attract or absorb water have very different microscopic-level attributes that endow them with their behavior. For example, the myriad tiny hairs on a gecko’s body help it to efficiently repel water, whilst specially treated cotton designed for harvesting water from the air contains millions of tiny pores that draw in liquid. Now researchers have discovered a way to use a single type of material to perform both functions, switching between liquid attraction and liquid repulsion, simply through the application of an electric voltage.

Developed by a team of scientists from TU Wien, the University of Zurich, and KU Levin, the new material alters its water-handling behavior by changing its surface structure at the nanoscale to effect a change at the macroscale. Specifically, the behavior of liquid on the new material is as a result of altering the “stiction” (static friction) of the molecular surface. One with a high-level of stiction keeps moisture clinging to it, whilst one with a low-level allows the liquid to run right off. Read more

Saturn’s biggest moon, Titan, is one of the most interesting bodies in the Solar System. It’s the only other place we know of, besides Earth, that very likely holds liquid water, in the form of a vast underground ocean, and its surface is somewhat Earth-like, splotched with lakes, rivers and seas, albeit of liquid methane and ethane. Scientists at Cornell University have analyzed data of Titan’s chemical composition and found that conditions could be right for non-water-based life to evolve, challenging our Earth-focused ideals of habitability.

life is focused on searching within the Goldilocks Zone, the band around a star that’s not too hot and not too cold, but just right for liquid water where life can take hold. It’s a model based on the conditions that make Earth habitable, so finding Earth-like planets is a logical place to start. Read more

Tortoise Gear has turned to Kickstarter to get the Sol Water bags to market

If you’re an outdoorsy type then you probably already know how handy a water disinfectant system can be in the right circumstances – because who wants to lug large quantities of water around if they don’t need to? Tortoise Gear has designed a prototype drink reservoir named Sol Water that’s claimed to remove the vast majority of bacteria and viruses using the power of the sun. Read more

For several years now, we’ve known that the Moon is not as dry as was assumed for decades, in fact our satellite is harboring a good amount of water. Now a team based at the Open University in the UK is painting a more detailed picture of exactly how that water was transported to the Moon and trapped on what seems like an outwardly arid rock.

The primordial Moon hosted magma oceans

Initial hypotheses assumed that comets were the most likely delivery source for the water found in the interior of the Moon and even near the surface of its soils, but scientists using data from recent unmanned lunar missions like the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Deep Impact more recently established that water-rich asteroids may have been responsible for most of the water in the Moon. Read more