We owe a lot to the sun. Without it, we’d have no heat or light, of course. We’d also have no photosynthesis, and thus no oxygen, without which, neither we nor Earth’s ozone layer would exist. And yet, as a giant nuclear reactor, the sun insists on bombarding us with energy that, left unchecked, could burn all of us to a crisp. And the ozone layer has never been a foolproof filter when it comes to screening out harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Even in ancient times, before humans could gener ...read more
A parallel universe is a fun topic in physics, but it’s difficult to understand the concept. That’s why Paul Sutter, a theoretical cosmologist, award-winning science communicator, NASA advisor, U.S. Cultural Ambassador, and a globally recognized leader in the intersection of art and science, dives into this topic and helps us understand if parallel universes could help us search for extraterrestrial life. Hear from Sutter himself as we ask him this question: Are parallel universes possible a ...read more
April is Citizen Science Month which this year features the One Million Acts of Science Challenge, where participants from all over the world will try to make one million contributions to research projects that need their help. With thousands of citizen science projects that are active and available, things can get overwhelming. So SciStarter has taken the liberty of creating a Citizen Science Month interactive calendar with some great selections to get you started. Jump in, find a project and r ...read more
Astronomy is often called the world’s oldest science, and it’s likely humans have used their knowledge of the night sky to get from point A to point B since prehistoric times. But this ancient art predates us by far longer than that.Animals, too, follow the stars, and probably have as long as they've existed. In recent decades, researchers have discovered impressive navigation skills in various birds, in seals, even in a few insects — the latter of which have low-resolution compound eyes. ...read more
As the threat of world war loomed in 1941, scientists considered how to best feed millions of American soldiers. What types of nutrients would they need? And how could foods be fortified with these nutrients and packaged into ready-to-eat meals?Before the decade was over, scientists had identified 13 vitamins essential to human nutrition. Food historian Mark Bittman writes in Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food from Sustainable to Suicidal how the 1940s ushered in “vitamania” and cons ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine