Saturn’s moon Titan has all the right ingredients for life. NASA’s newly announced mission, Titan in front of Saturn as seen by Cassini. (Image credit: NASA)Titan’s surface is hidden from view by its hazy atmosphere, which is four times denser than Earth’s. Combined with the low gravity – just one-seventh as strong as what we’re used to – the thick atmosphere makes Titan an ideal target for an airborne explorer.The idea of building an aircraft to fly in Titan’s thick atmosphere isn’t new, but it wasn’t until drone technology became more advanced that the Dragonfly team realized they could make their dream of flying on Titan a reality.Leapfrogging across TitanWith its two sets of four propellers stacked on top of one another, Dragonfly looks a little bit like a drone, but it’s much bigger than something you would fly around in your backyard – around 3 meters long and more …

Atlanta’s city council has approved a far-reaching ban on smoking and vaping in restaurants and bars – and inside one of the world’s busiest airports.   The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that city council members approved the ban on Monday. It covers cigarettes, cigars and electronic cigarettes. If signed by the mayor, it would take effect on Jan. 2, 2020.   Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is one of the few major U.S. hubs where people can still smoke inside designated rooms.   The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a 2017 report that most busy U.S. airports ban smoking in all indoor areas. Denver International Airport last year closed the last of its indoor smoking lounges and is now smoke-free indoors. …

Rising heat from climate change could lead to the loss of 80 million jobs by 2030, with poor countries hardest hit, the United Nations said Monday, as Europe sweltered in record temperatures.A temperature rise of 1.5C by the end of century could lead to a 2.2% drop in working hours, equal to 80 million full-time jobs, costing the global economy $2.4 trillion, according to projections by the U.N. International Labor Organization (ILO).The ILO said people would be unable to work because of the health risks posed by higher temperatures.A worker splashes water to cool himself off on a hot summer afternoon in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India, June 13, 2019.Impact on labor”The impact of heat stress on labor productivity is a serious consequence of climate change, which adds to other adverse impacts, such as changing rain patterns, raising sea levels and loss of biodiversity,” said ILO’s Catherine Saget.The World Health Organization …

After investigating the nature of a mysterious and apparently cigar-shaped object called ‘Oumuamua spotted in 2017 speeding through our solar system, astronomers remain uncertain over how to classify it, but are confident it is not an alien spaceship.Its odd shape and motion had prompted some scientists to wonder whether ‘Oumuamua, the first object from another star system found passing through our solar system, was some sort of alien technology perhaps exploring the cosmos. But after poring over the data, an international team of researchers wrote that “we find no compelling evidence to favor an alien explanation.”Scientists tracked the reddish-colored ‘Oumuamua from Oct. 14, 2017, until Jan. 2, 2018, after which it became too faint to detect even using the most powerful telescopes. It is estimated to be a half-mile (800 meters) long, tumbling through space.Consistent with natural origin “Our key finding is that ‘Oumuamua’s properties are consistent with a natural origin …

The world can’t afford to build any more fossil fuel burning plants if it hopes to avoid catastrophic climate change, according to a new study in the journal Nature.Carbon dioxide emissions from the power plants, factories, furnaces and vehicles the world has already built will warm the planet into dangerous territory, past the target set in the Paris climate agreement, the researchers find.Any new plants — and some older ones — will either have to close early, before they are paid off, or install costly carbon-capture gear, the researchers say.Greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels have already warmed the planet about 1 degree Celsius on average. Heat waves, droughts, wildfires and rainstorms have grown more intense, and sea levels are rising. Impacts will get worse as the planet warms, scientists say.In Paris, negotiators agreed to keep global warming “well below” 2 degrees, and to aim for 1.5 degrees.To meet …

A tough new ban on single use plastic bags has come into force in New Zealand.   Retailers caught still handing them out to customers could be fined up to $67,000 (US dollars).  But critics say the legislation introduced July 1 does not go far enough.It is a small country but about 750 million plastic bags are used in New Zealand each year.  Surveys show most people support the ban on lightweight single-use bags that the government says are an environmental menace.  Retailers who flout the law could face heavy fines and shoppers are encouraged to report offenders, while random checks by officials are also planned.  But authorities say their initial approach will be to educate companies about their responsibilities before fines are imposed.   Eugenie Sage, the associate minister for the environment, says the ban is part of a broader assault on New Zealand’s “throwaway culture.”“It is progressively making that …