Data Shows Universe Could Collapse Any Minute
Our universe is at even greater risk of collapse than has been previously thought, according physicists in Denmark. Not only are the scientists predicting the end of the world… but the end of the universe! The prediction that the universe will collapse and compress into a small hard ball isn’t something new. Physicists have been […]
Volunteers, Home Computers Help Identify Gamma Ray Pulsars
A network of 40,000 volunteer researchers, along with 200,000 personal computers worldwide, has helped scientists from the Max Planck Institutes for Gravitational Physics and Radio Astronomy – the Albert Einstein Institute (AEI) discover four gamma-ray pulsars. Pulsars are compact and rapidly rotating neutron stars which are the remains of stars that have exploded. The discoveries […]
Study: Sudden Explosion of Cambrian Period Animal Life Caused by a ‘Cascade of Events’
Last week we told you about an Australian study that suggested that the evolution of life during the Cambrian Explosion took place at five times the rate it occurs today. Now, another group of scientists from Britain, in their newly published study, weigh in on the “Big Bang of Life.” They propose that the explosion […]
World’s Largest Single Volcano Found Off Japan Coast
Researchers have identified the largest volcano ever documented on the planet. It’s even bigger than Hawaii’s legendary Mauna Loa, which remains the biggest active volcano on our planet. Called Tamu Massif, this enormous dormant or inactive volcano is located within the huge underwater mountain range called Shatsky Rise formation about 1609 kilometers east of Japan. […]
Whales Get Sunburned Too
Anyone who has experienced the searing pain of sunburn knows that too much sun can wreak havoc on your skin. Turns out that our fellow mammal, the whale, can also tan and get sunburn. A study published in ‘Scientific Reports, from the publishers of the journal Nature, reveals the sun produces an increase in pigment […]
Scientists Discover How Marine Mammals Hold Their Breath for Long Periods
Special properties of an oxygen-binding protein in the muscles of marine mammals, such as seals, whales and dolphins, are the reason these animals can hold their breath underwater for long periods of time, according to a new study. Many of these mammalian divers can hold their breath underwater for over an hour, while land-based mammals, […]
Glitch Jeopardizes Planet Hunter’s Mission
A malfunction could force an abrupt end to the Kepler Space Telescope’s planet-hunting mission. NASA received the unwelcome news last Sunday after discovering Kepler had malfunctioned and is currently operating in a self-protective “safe-mode” as it also did earlier this month. The US space agency made the news public this past Wednesday. It appears at […]
Third Radiation Belt Discovered Around Earth
NASA scientists have discovered a third radiation belt briefly surrounded Earth for about a month before being blasted away by an interplanetary shock wave from the sun. Experts had long thought there were only two distinct regions of trapped radiation. But the third ring was spotted by twin Van Allen radiation probes NASA launched in 2012 […]
Flower Signals Electrify Nectar-Seeking Bees
Like a neon sign designed to attract customers, flowers emit electrical signals which help draw bees on the hunt for nectar. While factors such as bright colors, patterns and tempting fragrances play a role in helping bees with their nectar-gathering duties, a study in Science Express reveals electrical signals from the blooms also help bees […]
Earth Preps for Close Encounter with Asteroid
Earth is about to have a close encounter with an asteroid, the nearest an object of its size has ever come to our planet. The fly-by is expected to occur at around 1924 UTC on Feb. 15, according to scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The US space agency says there’s no chance the asteroid […]