NASA and SpaceX have picked May 27 for resuming astronaut launches from the U.S. after nine years of complete Russian dependence. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced the launch date last Friday. Astronauts haven’t launched into orbit from the U.S. since NASA’s last space shuttle flight in 2011. SpaceX aims to end the drought by sending…

Researchers say hand-held ultraviolet light devices being sold online with claims they can disinfect groceries and clothing can be unreliable and dangerous if mishandled. The UV light sanitizers are being advertised as the panacea for the COVID-19 pandemic, able to disinfect everything from dinner vegetables to doorknobs. Many different models are being sold online, ranging…

Astronomers in Chile using one of the world’s largest telescopes have found a star “dancing” around a black hole in the Milky Way just as Albert Einstein might have predicted more than a century ago. Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, published in 1915, is a foundation of modern physics. It has long helped scientists understand…

A newly discovered cave in a remote valley in British Columbia might be the country’s largest. The feature, in the northeastern area of Wells Gray Provincial Park, was spotted by a helicopter crew from the province’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change in March while they were conducting a caribou census. Geologist Catherine Hickson, who first went to the cave in September, said…

Hello, people! This is our weekly newsletter on all things environmental, where we highlight trends and solutions that are moving us to a more sustainable world. (Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Thursday.) Note: Next Wednesday marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Check out Earth Day Canada’s website for tips on how to mark…

The Pentagon’s process for awarding a highly lucrative cloud computing contract to Microsoft instead of Amazon was in line with legal and government purchasing standards, a U.S. government watchdog agency said Wednesday. The Defence Department inspector general found no evidence of White House interference in the contract award process. But the report said investigators could…