Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have recently discovered a new reason for Earth’s warming. Apparently, aerosols are not only responsible for Earth’s cooling, but they make our planet warmer. Since human activity partially creates these particles, the new ...
Disciplined and observational study of the natural world including, but not limited to: Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Earth Science.
Star Birth in M83, the Southern Pinwheel
NASA has recently reported the birth of a new star, captured by the new camera installed on the Hubble Space Telescope. The image is the most detailed view of star birth ever made. This rare phenomenon occurred in the graceful, ...
The Gimbal Rig
The multiple-axis space test inertia facility, fondly called “the gimbal rig,” simulated tumble-type maneuvers that might be encountered in space flight. Three tubular aluminum cages could revolve separately or in combination to give roll, pitch and yaw motions at speeds ...
Dreamy, Young Stars
The Orion Nebula is a ‘happening’ place where stars are born and this colony of hot, young stars is stirring up the cosmic scene in this image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. The young stars dip and peak in brightness; ...
New Virus Defense Mechanism
Researchers at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut have discovered a new way that viruses reproduce and survive in hostile environments. Viruses use many different mechanisms to trick human cells into multiplying viruses and propagating them throughout biological systems. The ...
Water Formation on Habitable Planets
Scientists at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan are exploring the origins of water on habitable planets. According to their research, water vapor forms spontaneously in regions of solar systems capable of supporting life. This water forms a ...
Ultra High Resolution Video Used in Surgery
Dr. Steven Palter of New York recently reported the first laparoscopic surgery performed using a high-resolution video camera. Using equipment worth over a million dollars, he and his team were able to obtain one of the clearest views inside the ...
$30 Genome Possible
Researchers at Harvard University have developed a new method for sequencing the human genome leveraging the microdynamics of fluids – a method that could significantly decrease the cost of the procedure to as little as $30. By using small droplets ...
‘Ghost Particle’ Sized Up by Cosmologists
Cosmologists at University College London (UCL), England, have recently reported a new calculation that led them one step closer to determining the mass of the elusive neutrino particle. While most of the studies made until now used particle detectors, the ...
Explaining Hole-Punch Clouds
Researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado have discovered how airplanes create hole-punch clouds when flying under specific atmospheric conditions and how their creation can temporarily change local weather conditions. These clouds – so called ...