Science and Exploration

Mateo Rojas

Contributing Editor, Deep Frontiers

As a Contributing Editor for Science and Exploration, Mateo Rojas covers the Deep Frontiers and Earth & Environment beats, focusing on oceanography, geology, and conservation science. His editorial approach centers on delivering rigorous, detailed coverage of extreme environment exploration, from deep-sea systems to active volcanic regions. Through in-depth journalism, he aims to translate complex earth sciences into compelling narratives for intellectually curious readers.

Expertise

OceanographyGeologyVolcanologyExtreme Environment ExplorationConservation Science

Coverage Areas

Deep Frontiers
Earth & Environment

Latest Articles

A vibrant and thriving coral reef ecosystem discovered by an underwater drone off the coast of Benin, West Africa, teeming with fish and marine life.
Deep Frontiers

Underwater drone discovers resilient coral reef off West Africa

More than 175 feet beneath the waves off the coast of Benin, West Africa, a coral reef once considered dead for six decades has been rediscovered, alive and thriving.

Jul 21, 2026 · 4 min read

Early humans skillfully controlling a fire at the Barnham site, demonstrating advanced ingenuity and communal gathering in prehistoric times.
Human Origins

What Was the Impact of Controlled Fire on Early Human Evolution?

At the Barnham site in Suffolk, UK, archaeologists have unearthed definitive evidence of early humans creating and controlling fire, pushing back the known date of this transformative technology by ap

Jul 14, 2026 · 8 min read

A futuristic cityscape from 'Logan's Run' with citizens in uniform, showcasing the film's dystopian theme and distinctive architecture.
Life Sciences

'Logan's Run': A Dystopian Sci-Fi Classic

Released in 1976, the $9 million sci-fi epic 'Logan's Run' launched with nearly $3 million in its opening week, while simultaneously saving an estimated $3 million by filming in Dallas's striking mode

Jun 28, 2026 · 3 min read

An artist's impression of a cone-shaped supernova remnant expanding near the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy.
Space & Astronomy

Astronomers Spot Possible Supernova Remnant Near Milky Way Black Hole

A three-light-year-long, cone-shaped cavity, expanding at 3.

Jun 28, 2026 · 4 min read

A visualization of a black hole's event horizon with a faint, detectable signal emerging from its boundary, representing a groundbreaking physics discovery.
Space & Astronomy

Physicists Detect First Signal From Black Hole Event Horizon

For centuries, the event horizon of a black hole was considered the ultimate cosmic barrier, a point of no return where even light could not escape.

Jun 28, 2026 · 4 min read

Satellite view of the Black Sea with striking milky blue phytoplankton blooms contrasted by visible river pollution entering the water.
Deep Frontiers

Black Sea Pollution Fuels Alarming Environmental Changes

In spring and summer 2026, the Black Sea and its surrounding waterways transformed into a milky blue spectacle, a vibrant hue visible even from space.

Jun 25, 2026 · 2 min read

Futuristic lunar base under construction on the Moon, with Earth visible in the background, symbolizing human expansion into space.
Space & Astronomy

NASA to detail Moon Base plans, discusses lunar challenges

Just 51 minutes into its flight, the Orion spacecraft, carrying four NASA astronauts on a journey around the Moon, experienced a communications issue.

Jun 25, 2026 · 2 min read

Futuristic lunar base under construction at the Moon's south pole, with astronauts, solar arrays, and a nuclear reactor, under an Earthrise.
Space & Astronomy

NASA Accelerates Lunar Base Program With New Artemis Mission Plans

NASA has moved its Artemis IV mission forward to 2028, aiming to establish a permanent lunar base by 2032.

Jun 25, 2026 · 2 min read

Doctor interacting with a holographic AI interface in a futuristic hospital room, showcasing advanced medical technology and patient data analysis.
Human Origins

What is AI in Healthcare and Why Does it Matter?

Hospitals using AI-powered predictive models have slashed sepsis mortality rates by 18%, a stark testament to algorithms directly saving lives today.

Jun 24, 2026 · 4 min read

The NASA Curiosity rover driving across a detailed Martian surface showing small-scale geological features like polygons and veins.
Earth & Environment

Curiosity Rover drives across varied terrain, revealing geological clues

After Curiosity's 35-meter trek to what orbital images suggested was a smooth landing zone, the rover instead unveiled a tapestry of polygons, veins, and laminations, mere centimeters across.

Jun 24, 2026 · 2 min read

A vibrant, healthy coral reef ecosystem thriving with diverse marine life, juxtaposed against the starkness of bleached coral in the background.
Deep Frontiers

Scientists Discover Super Reefs Thriving Amidst Global Coral Bleaching

More than 84% of the world’s reefs have been hit by temperatures hot enough to cause bleaching, according to Nature .

Jun 21, 2026 · 3 min read

Mars' moon Phobos, showing internal voids and a fractured surface, set against the backdrop of the red planet.
Deep Frontiers

New study reveals surprising Phobos moon characteristics and formation

Within 50 million years, Mars' larger moon, Phobos, will either crash into the red planet or be torn apart to form a temporary ring.

Jun 21, 2026 · 2 min read

Two identical NASA satellites in orbit above Earth, observing the interaction between atmospheric layers and incoming space weather phenomena.
Space & Astronomy

NASA mission uses twin satellites to probe space weather's atmospheric links

NASA has greenlit DAPHNE, a mission concept poised to deploy identical twin satellites.

Jun 19, 2026 · 3 min read

NASA's Curiosity Rover analyzing exposed bedrock on the challenging, rocky slopes of Mount Sharp on Mars.
Earth & Environment

Curiosity Rover analyzes Martian bands during Sols 4920-4926

During Sols 4920-4926, NASA's Curiosity Rover faced a brutal stretch of Mount Sharp.

Jun 19, 2026 · 2 min read

Darkened homes and businesses across multiple states due to the widespread power outages caused by Tropical Storm Arthur's remnants.
Space & Astronomy

Tropical Storm Arthur's remnants cause widespread damage

More than 130,000 homes and businesses across Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio fell into darkness Thursday morning.

Jun 19, 2026 · 3 min read

An abstract representation of non-human consciousness, showing a blend of organic slime mold patterns and digital AI constructs against a cosmic backdrop.
Earth & Environment

Forum Explores Consciousness in Non-Human Entities in 2026

At the upcoming 2026 International Forum on Consciousness, researchers will confront a profound truth: the very tools we use to investigate the mind are inherently biased.

Jun 15, 2026 · 2 min read

A cinematic depiction of exoplanets forming in the extreme environment near a supermassive black hole, showcasing 'lava balls' and 'dust giants'.
Space & Astronomy

Theory: Exoplanets Could Form Near Supermassive Black Holes

Millions of Jupiter-mass planets, dubbed 'dust giants' and 'lava balls,' could emerge tens of parsecs from supermassive black holes, according to Space .

Jun 14, 2026 · 2 min read

An exoplanet with a thick, dark, sooty atmosphere resembling diesel exhaust, observed by the James Webb Space Telescope.
Earth & Environment

Models predict JWST will detect exoplanets with diesel smog

Imagine a world half the mass of Jupiter, orbiting a dim K-dwarf star, its atmosphere thick with the same sooty hydrocarbons found in diesel exhaust on Earth.

Jun 14, 2026 · 2 min read

A miniature six-millimeter optical component, smaller than a pencil eraser, deployed on a solar telescope, capturing detailed images of the Sun's magnetic fields.
Earth & Environment

Six-Millimeter Component for Smallest Window on the Sun Observations

A six-millimeter optical component, smaller than a pencil eraser, has been deployed at a major solar telescope.

Jun 13, 2026 · 3 min read

The Black Eye Galaxy (Messier 64) with its prominent dark dust lane, illustrating counter-rotating gas in its core and outer regions.
Space & Astronomy

Black Eye Galaxy Messier 64 gas spins both ways

In the Black Eye Galaxy, Messier 64, gas in its outer reaches spins in the exact opposite direction to its inner core—a cosmic anomaly first observed in 2026.

Jun 13, 2026 · 3 min read