NASA announced Friday it has awarded Elon Musk's SpaceX a $2.89 billion contract to build a spacecraft that will carry astronauts to the Moon's surface.
Why it matters: NASA hopes to land astronauts on the Moon by 2024, which if successful, would be the first time since the last Apollo mission. SpaceX beat out Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics for the contract.
For the first time, scientists have estimated how many Tyrannosaurus rex, the so-called king of dinosaurs, once roamed the Earth.
Why it matters: The number is staggering: 2.5 billion Tyrannosaurus rex lived and died during the roughly 2.4 million years the species survived on the planet, according to a new study set to be published in the journal Science on Friday.
Thermo Fisher Scientific(NYSE: TMO) agreed to acquirePPD (Nasdaq: PPD), a Wilmington, N.C.-based contract research organization, for around $17.4 billion in cash.
Why it matters: This reflects the buoyed fortunes of CROs. Such groups got hurt early in the pandemic, when most clinical trials were paused, but now are humming gain — arguably busier than ever, as pharma seeks to preempt the next viral disaster.
If the U.S. does commit to slashing greenhouse gas emissions by about 50% below 2005 levels by 2030, the U.S. would compare favorably to other major economies, a report finds.
Why it matters: Consulting firm The Rhodium Group evaluated a 50% reduction target against the targets put forward so far by other nations, using different baselines as reference points. The results?
A new era in monitoring compliance of environmental regulations is quickly approaching, signaled in part by plans announced Thursday to deploy a network of satellites that can pinpoint sources of of methane and carbon dioxide emissions.
Why it matters: The new nonprofit, known as Carbon Mapper, aims to launch its first satellite in 2023 that can detect methane super-emitters and track carbon emissions. If successful, it could transform the way policymakers regulate greenhouse gas emissions and also generate a wealth of data for public use.
One of Sweden's most populous regions has asked residents to enter a "personal lockdown" in order to curb soaring COVID-19 cases, Euronews reported Wednesday.
Why it matters: Sweden's more relaxed approach to the pandemic prompted libertarians and conservatives, including Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), to argue the U.S. should've adopted a similar strategy. But the country this week reported the highest infection rate in the EU.
