PEEK INTO THE PAST
ATACAMA LARGE MILLIMETER/ SUBMILLIMETER ARRAY (ALMA)
Chajnantor plateau, Atacama Desert, Chile
The Atacama Desert in Chile is an astronomer’s paradise. Thanks to its high altitude, cold nights, scant precipitation and lack of pollution, it boasts some of the clearest night skies on the planet. That’s why the European Southern Observatory (ESO) – an astronomical research organisation of 16 countries – worked with Chile to set up powerful ground-based telescopes in the desert, including the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Beginning observations in 2011, the high-tech telescope consists of 66 precise antennas that can be arranged in different ways to give a variable zoom, capturing sharper detail than the Hubble Space Telescope. ALMA studies light with wavelengths of around a millimetre, originating from the universe’s coldest objects that exist at temperatures at just above absolute zero. These objects include the molecular gas and dust clouds that are the building blocks of galaxies, stars and planets. By studying these regions of the universe, scientists will be able to decipher the mysteries of planetary formations, as well as our cosmic origins.
The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) is the world’s largest single-dish radio telescope.
DECIPHER THE UNIVERSE
VERY LARGE TELESCOPE (VLT)
Cerro Paranal, Atacama Desert, Chile
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EYES ON THE SKY
Earth-bound telescopes are transforming our understanding of the universe. But we think they look pretty out-of-this-world too…
A learning curve
There’s nothing like a nationwide school closure to help you recognise the valuable work that teachers do, every single day
An Ocean Of Mysteries
Earth’s biggest habitat is also the one that we know the least about. Now, a new wave of innovators are engineering the technology that will help us find out more. Here’s what they are discovering…
Covid-19 Could Cause Delirium, Brain Inflammation And Stroke
A study carried out on a small number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients at England’s National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery has linked the coronavirus to a number of neurological conditions
Could Antibodies Found In Llamas Help US To Defeat Covid-19?
Researchers at the McLellan Lab in Austin, Texas, are using llama antibodies to attack ‘spike proteins’ found on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus
Know Your Mind
Our brain uses shortcuts to think quickly but, sometimes, these mental timesavers let us down. Dr Pragya Agarwal discusses the science of cognitive biases, and why it’s more important than ever to understand how they hold sway over our views
Of Pandemics, Paradoxes And Cognitive Dissonance: Covid-19
Living through this difficult time raises demanding questions about what – or who – the real problems are
To The Ends Of The Earth
Scientists are going to extreme lengths to find out how climate change is affecting our planet
Be Mindful Of What's Good For You
Try out some tools for a more relaxed headspace
How To Get A Good Night's Sleep
Do you often find yourself lying awake in bed, unable to drop off? Help is at hand from sleep scientist Dr Alice Gregory
THE MOST Surreal RIFE OF OUR LIVES
National Route 40 is not only the longest road in Argentina, but also the world. Parallel to the Andes, it crosses 11 provinces, connecting some of the most prominent places of natural beauty and cultural interest in the country. We’d planned to take our time and enjoy the seemingly endless points of interest in the southern part of RN40, but just before reaching the province of Mendoza, we realized that our visas would soon need renewing. The least complicated way to extend them was a “border run,” which meant a ride out of and back into the country from the nearest border crossing to obtain the passport stamps.
Red or Green?
We return to New Mexico’s Chile Challenge
Open For Business
The resilient city of Santiago entices MICE planners and travelers.
Populism Comes To Chile
When The Chilean government announced on October 4 that it was hiking subway fares by roughly 4 cents in the capital city of Santiago, high school students started jumping turnstiles en masse.
The Bombmaking Vintner of Colchagua
Carlos Cardoen sold weapons to Saddam Hussein, then became a renowned winemaker in Chile. The U.S. wants him extradited.
Renovación a la chilena
El corazón del país andino y su territorio marítimo más remoto derivan en un viaje de transformación personal.
El gigante de Santiago
La ingeniería chilena ha logrado erigir el rascacielos más alto de latinoamérica en esta zona sísmica activa.
Nueva sección: Extra Hot!
Estas deliciosas botanas tienen todo el chilito necesario para gacerte agua la boca.
Superfoods Mexicanos
Te dejamos algunas ideas para integrarlos en tu dieta diaria.
Los pumas de Patagonia
Proteger estos felinos de Chile ha tenido graves consecuencias para los ganaderos. ¿El turismo es la solución?