Science on a Sphere

Nautilus has published a photographic retrospective of Sputnik 1, the Soviet satellite launched on October 4, 1957, roughly 69 years ago. The piece revisits the polished metal sphere whose beeping radio signals shocked the world and triggered the space race. The feature combines archival imagery with reflections on how a small satellite reshaped science, politics and technology.

Science on a Sphere, a spherical visualization system developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and featured by the Smithsonian, projects planetary data onto a giant suspended globe. It displays animations of ocean currents, weather patterns and climate data, and is used in museums and science centers worldwide to explain Earth systems to the public.

The National University of Singapore is moving longevity research out of the lab and into the corporate sphere, engaging business leaders and boardrooms on the science of ageing and healthy lifespan extension. The initiative signals a growing push to translate geroscience into commercial strategy, as companies increasingly look to longevity science for products, investment opportunities and workforce health planning.