Humans have not been able to make themselves seem invisible yet, but our species just got closer — at least in a petri dish.

“Like most parts of Iran, Khuzestan still doesn’t have a fully functioning wastewater collection and treatment facility. This means that a significant amount of waste, including human waste, ends up in our rivers and groundwater resources untreated,” said Amir Aghakouchak, a professor of civil engineering, environmental engineering, and earth system science at University of California, Irvine. Read More

SpinLaunch may face a major obstacle up in the air because it does the opposite of a standard rocket, says Julián Rimoli, a professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of California, Irvine …. “I would expect this to get really hot,” Rimoli says, similar to how space capsules create mini-fireballs upon reentering the Earth’s atmosphere. That heat could prove disastrous for SpinLaunch’s precious cargo. … One of the biggest current unknowns: how SpinLaunch payloads will fare at much higher speeds, Rimoli says.