Mount Spurr is only about 75 miles from Anchorage in Alaska. More than half the population of the northernmost state live in the Anchorage area. On top of that, a surprisingly large amount of air cargo traffic passes through its international airport not to mention the military aircraft from Ellsworth Air Force Base. So, any time a volcano close to such a vital hub begins to get restless, it is time to pay attention.Spurr Gets RestlessEarlier this month, the Alaska Volcano Observatory raised th ...read more
When it comes to life and its history on Earth, meteorite impacts have been one of the ever-present threats to total extinction. It's even possible that life may have had multiple beginnings — with early iterations being utterly destroyed by the impact of a massive body early in Earth's history.We know, though, that life has managed to expand and diversify into almost every available ecological niche on the planet and that all life on Earth can be traced back to a last universal common ancesto ...read more
Many factors influence our languages and accents — where we live, where we grew up, what our parents sounded like. But in recent years, researchers have been investigating another possible influence — climate. The idea that climate affects language is not new, but only recently have researchers had the tools to properly investigate the hypothesis. Now, large databases of languages from around the world, coupled with the computing power to look for patterns in those languages and match those ...read more
Thanks to a massive flare and explosion on the Sun that spewed material toward Earth, millions of people were treated recently to displays of red, green and pink lights in the sky. Dazzling aurora borealis displays like this usually are visible only in far northern and southern parts of the globe. But overnight on Oct. 10 and 11, they lit up the skies as far south as Texas. It was all the result of a severe geomagnetic storm triggered by a coronal mass ejection that had occurred together with an ...read more
Coughing, wheezing, and struggling to catch your breath — bronchitis can turn a simple cold into something much more uncomfortable. But beyond the symptoms, one question often comes to mind: Is bronchitis contagious? With respiratory illnesses often spreading in workplaces, schools, and homes, it’s important to know how bronchitis works so you can protect yourself. So, let’s explore what bronchitis is, how long it lasts, how to prevent it, and whether you should worry about catching it fro ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine