The Earth has always been in the path of rocks from space. When the solar system was forming, the early Earth was pelted with rocks so frequently that it left the surface molten. In fact, the creation of the Moon was caused by a massive impact of a "rock", albeit a Mars-sized rock. These days, there are many fewer impacts (thankfully) but the threat still remains that an asteroid we might not even know about yet could strike the planet. This week, as part of the 2019 Planetary Defense Confer ...read more
We've reached another "will they or won't they?" cliffhanger in the long-running soap opera, When Will Humans Return to the Moon? Last May, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine promised that a crew would be landing there by 2028. "To many, this may sound similar to our previous attempts to get to the Moon," he admitted. "However, times have changed. This will not be Lucy and the football again." A month ago, Vice President Pence added a big plot twist, now declaring that "it is the stated pol ...read more
As the animation of satellite images above shows, this past winter has brought desperately needed snowfall to a large portion of the American West.
It consists of images captured by NASA's Terra satellite, centered on the Colorado Rockies — one on April 18 of last year, and the other this past April 19th. All that extra white stuff tells the tale better than any statistics.
And looks aren't deceiving. For Colorado as a whole, snowpack looks to be about the third highest on record.
I ...read more
Kurlansky, Mark and Stockton, Frank (Illustrator). World Without Fish. Workman Publishing Company, 2014. 208 pages. Paperback $US10.46
Day-to-day encounters of fish—at the grocery store, through an aquarium—passively reinforce a notion of triviality about aquatic life until we are prompted to take a pause and spare a thought for a breathtaking world beyond the shore. This month’s selection in our ongoing book review series, World Without Fish, prompts such reflecti ...read more
In the hot and sticky suffocation of summer, air conditioners are a breezy balm. And as climate change heats Earth, the need for them is only rising. Yet the cold air blowers consume a ton of energy. But now researchers say they have a solution for these energy hogs that actually helps the climate.
In a new analysis, scientists argue for using air conditioning units to capture carbon dioxide straight from the atmosphere and transform it into fuel. The idea is that these renewable-ener ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine