Real Genius

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Old Einstein and young Einstein both get their close-ups in Genius. (Credit: National Geographic/Dusan Martincek) If you are going to create a television show called Genius, you had better grapple with the nature of genius. If you are going to do that kind of grappling, you might as well focus on the very first face that comes to mind when people say “genius.” And if you are going to do a show about Albert Einstein–which is exactly where the creators of the new series Genius ...read more

Cassini’s Grand Finale begins

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

As shown in this illustration, during its Grand Finale mission stage Cassini will fly through the 1200-mile gap between Saturn’s cloud tops and rings 22 times. (Illustration credit: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory) Every scientist and engineer who has been part of the Cassini mission team will probably be a bit anxious during tomorrow’s early morning hours. The craft will fly through a 1200-mile-wide gap between Saturn’s cloud tops and its inner ring, giving humankind new views ...read more

Meet Uber's Partners Creating Flying Taxis for 2020

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

A conceptual illustration of the view from a flying car taxi service. Credit: Bell Helicopter Uber sees no need for startups to bet on a risky “if you build it, they will come” strategy for flying taxis. Instead, the tech giant believes the demand for a faster aerial commuting option already exists among its 60 million monthly users–especially if the flying taxi service can cost about the same as hailing an UberX car. As a result, Uber has partnered with s ...read more

Uncovering the Secrets of Blood Falls

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Blood Falls in Antarctica. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons) In the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, pristine glaciers are marred in one spot by a striking feature: a crimson stain on the white cliffs, looking not unlike a gaping wound in the ice. The five-story gash goes by the unnerving name of Blood Falls, although the color is not at all organic in nature. The salty water that seeps from the glacier is actually stained red by its rich iron content, and harbors a community of extremophile ...read more

The Savory Science of Instant Noodles

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Photo credit: Huffington Post Guest post by Panisa Sundravorakul Instant noodles are delicious, cheap, and easy prepare. This combination of traits make instant noodles a seemingly perfect solution for college students’ hectic schedules and depleted bank accounts. Let us take a moment to appreciate what made instant noodles possible – let us savor the science behind this culinary delicacy. Instant noodles are truly a technological marvel – they can last for up to 12 months on ...read more