After shrinking to a shocking record low at end of winter, Arctic sea ice staged a modest comeback this summer

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

But despite claims to the contrary, one warmish summer in the Arctic does not repeal the long-term trend of human-caused warming This visualization shows how the extent of Arctic sea ice has evolved through time. The animation begins when the ice reached its wintertime maximum extent on March 7, 2017, and it ends on September 13, 2017, when the ice shrank to its minimum extent for the year. (Source: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio/Helen-Nicole Kostis) Arctic sea ice has sta ...read more

Having your dog in the bed is bad for your sleep.

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Photo: flickr/dixie wells Dog owners, we have some “ruff” news for you: according to this study, it might not be the best idea to let Fido sleep in your bed. These researchers tracked the sleep of 40 humans and their dogs by having them both wear movement tracking devices to bed for a week. They found that the humans slept worse when the dog slept in the bed with them, as opposed to on the floor in the same room, likely due to the dog’s movement during sleep. Doggie cosl ...read more

Introducing SciStarter 2.0; built with you in mind.

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

You spoke, SciStarter listened. Check out the new SciStarter, your source for real science you can do, featuring more than 1600 current opportunities for you (yup, you!) to advance scientific research, locally or globally. Most of the awesome citizen science projects you learn about here (on this Citizen Science Salon blog and throughout the awesome DiscoverMagazine.com website), are sourced from SciStarter, through a long-standing partnership and commitment to bring you opportuni ...read more

Another Big Earthquake Hits Mexico, This Time Near Mexico City

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Shake map of the September 19, 2017 earthquake in Mexico. USGS. For the second time this month, a large earthquake has struck Mexico. Unlike the M8.1 earthquake that occurred off the Pacific coast and far from Mexico City, this one was located under central Mexico and only ~150 kilometers from the massive Mexican capitol. This new earthquake was a M7.1 that located ~51 kilometers beneath the surface. That will hopefully help dampen some of the potential damage as over 8.5 million people live wit ...read more

Octopuses Are Building Underwater 'Cities'

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

A gloomy octopus (Credit: Sylke Rohrlach/Wikimedia Commons) Underneath the waves lies a lost city, home to untold riches and guarded jealously by the strange creatures who make their homes within its confines. Well, the riches are all shellfish, but “Octlantis,” a newly discovered settlement inhabited by around a dozen common Sydney octopuses, does have some strange residents. Tale of Two Cities Octopuses were once considered solitary creatures, thought to roam the depths alon ...read more