'Great power competition' approaches with China, Russia

The Polaris Dawn mission to Earth’s orbit will test SpaceX’s capabilities for a commercial space program

Wendy Whitman Cobb, Air University

The Polaris Dawn mission will test communications, perform research and conduct a spacewalk with SpaceX extravehicular spacesuits.

A third of the world’s population lacks internet connectivity − airborne communications stations could change that

Mohamed-Slim Alouini, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology; Mariette DiChristina, Boston University

Network equipment riding on balloons, airships, gliders and planes could boost internet access, including in disaster zones, and improve scientific monitoring.

What is mental imagery? Brain researchers explain the pictures in your mind and why they’re useful

Lynne Gauthier, UMass Lowell; Jiabin Shen, UMass Lowell

Here’s how your brain visualizes scenarios that you’re not actually looking at with your eyes.

From Kursk to Kursk: Putin’s attempt to project an image as Russia’s ‘protector’ has been punctured throughout his 25 years in power

Lena Surzhko Harned, Penn State

From terrorist attacks to submarine disasters, Russia’s longtime leader has shown to be vulnerable in the face of crises.

All politicians change their minds – and have been flip-flopping on positions for hundreds of years

Shannon Bow O'Brien, The University of Texas at Austin

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are far from the first politicians to change their mind about topics, from the innocuous to important policy shifts.

In domestic violence cases, police are more likely to make arrests when pets are abused, too

Lynn Addington, American University

Victims of intimate partner violence regularly cite fear for the safety of their pet as a primary reason they do not leave an abusive situation.

Urban wildfires disrupt streams and their tiny inhabitants − losing these insects is a warning of bigger water problems

Lauren Magliozzi, University of Colorado Boulder

After wildfires in California and Colorado cities, levels of harmful metals in the water jumped. Nature sent up a red flag.

People with physical and mobility disabilities need to work out, but there are a lot of obstacles in their way

Alexandra Jamieson, University of Texas at Arlington

Whether ‘adaptive’ equipment is expensive or affordable, expert guidance is essential for many people with disabilities.

No, the world isn’t heading toward a new Cold War – it’s closer to the grinding world order collapse of the 1930s

AI supercharges data center energy use – straining the grid and slowing sustainability efforts

Most young voters support Kamala Harris − but that doesn’t guarantee they will show up at the polls