Warfare, features and articles | Educational Science

Jul 31, 2014

US Army Gets Upgraded Chinook Helicopter Fleet

The U.S. Army received its first newly upgraded Chinook helicopter this week, according to aerospace giant Boeing. The new CH-47F Chinook helicopter was delivered to Army officials on Tuesday (July 29) in Ridley, Pennsylvania. The updated CH-47F features several improvements over earlier models of the heavy-lift transport helicopter. One of...

Feb 28, 2014

Cat Firebombs Featured in 500-Year-Old German War Manual

In the same century that Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel and Shakespeare wrote Richard III, German artillery experts were trying to master the art of strapping bombs to cats. A 16th-century treatise on warfare and weapons includes illustrations of cats and doves wearing what look like early jetpacks. The idea...

Aug 31, 2015

Fairy-Tale-Inspired 'Gremlin Drones' Could Spy in Swarms

When the U.S. military needs a new idea for drone technology, it turns to an unlikely source for inspiration: old fairy tales. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is responsible for developing new technologies for the military, recently announced its gremlin program, a drone design initiative. It aims...

Jul 31, 2017

Civil War Mystery Solved? Confederate Sub's Torpedo May Have Killed Its Crew

The crew of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley, the first combat submarine to sink an enemy ship, may have instantly killed themselves with their own weapon, according to a new study. This finding may have solved a mystery that has endured for more than 150 years about the fate of...

May 31, 2017

House Pushes for Creation of Military 'Space Corps'

Congress took formal steps on Thursday toward requiring the US military to establish a dedicated Space Corps, as concern mounts over the vulnerability of American space assets and their central role in modern war-fighting. The move came with a stinging rebuke to the US Department of Defense from key members...

Feb 28, 2018

Can Sound Be Used As a Weapon?

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Editor's note: Government and academic investigators continue to probe reports from Cuba that, starting in 2016 and continuing through 2017, U.S. and Canadian diplomats and tourists may have been...

Dec 31, 2017

How Do You Survive Nuclear War? The CDC Is About to Tell You

Jan. 16 update: The CDC's nuclear detonation webcast has been postponed. In its place, the CDC will discuss this season's severe flu. Live Science's original story about the webcast is below. Do you know what to do in the event of a nuclear detonation? If not, don't worry: The Centers...

Apr 30, 2019

Nazi Code-Making Enigma Machine Is Up for Auction

A rare Enigma machine — a German gadget that encoded secret messages during World War II — is up for auction. The device is unique, even among Enigma machines. That's because it has a German navy-designed, three-cipher rotor (M3), and it even has a proper name: the Funkschlüssel. The Nazis...

Apr 27, 2018

Why Is North Korea Shutting Down Its Nuclear Test Site?

Last week, North Korea announced that it will cease all nuclear testing and will shut down its main testing facility at Mount Mantap. Although some believe the decision came because of easing tensions between the country and the world, others think Mount Mantap may have come down with a bad...

May 24, 2018

Here's What We Know About Russia's Hypersonic Waverider Weapon

Warnings of a Russian hypersonic weapon that the U.S. can't defend against may have had you running for the bomb shelter last week. But what, exactly, is this weapon, and how does it work? Russian President Vladimir Putin first announced the hypersonic weapon, code-named Avangard, in a speech in March....

Jun 27, 2018

Stealthy, Sub-Launched Torpedo Will Be Deadlier Than Ever

The U.S. Navy's most commonly used torpedo — the Mark 48 — is getting a makeover that will make it stealthier, deadlier and more far-reaching than ever before, according to news sources. The upgrade will help the submarine-launched heavyweight torpedo — which is a self-propelled underwater missile — demolish enemy...

Jun 30, 2018

Boeing's Hypersonic Vision: A Sleek Passenger Plane That Can Hit Mach 5

Boeing has dreams of a hypersonic passenger plane, and it looks like something straight out of science fiction. The hypersonic aircraft could have military or commercial applications and is just one of several such vehicles Boeing engineers are studying to develop superfast transportation technology, the company said in a statement....

Jul 2, 2018

China's New Laser Gun Can Zap You with a Silent, Carbonizing Beam

The laser blasters in Star Wars are no longer a thing of science fiction. Chinese researchers have developed an actual laser gun that can ignite a target on fire from a half mile (800 meters) away, the South China Morning Post reported. But this new weapon, called a ZKZM-500, has...

Aug 8, 2018

China Just Tested a Hypersonic Weapon That Could Launch Nukes at 6 Times the Speed of Sound

China successfully tested a hypersonic aircraft on Friday (Aug. 3), one that could one day be capable of firing nuclear missiles around the planet at up to six times the speed of sound, according to China's state-run news site China Daily. The aircraft, known as Starry Sky-2, is reportedly capable...

Aug 8, 2018

The EPA Is Making It Easier to Use Asbestos Again. Why Is It Dangerous?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enacted a rule on June 1 making it easier for companies to use asbestos in products, Fast Company explained in a recent report. But what, exactly, is asbestos, and why is it dangerous? Asbestos is a naturally occurring material made up of thin crystal...