Recent posts by Rick Pantaleo:
Quantum Mechanics Will Be Used to Determine Weight and Measurement Standards
What makes a kilogram a kilogram? Since the late 19th century the standard, which a kilogram has been measured, has been based on a chunk of platinum-alloy, called Le Grand K, that’s held at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures laboratory in Sèvres, France. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, a kilogram was originally intended […]
NASA’s Dawn Spacecraft Ends 11-Year Mission
NASA has concluded that the 11-year mission of the Dawn Spacecraft and its exploration of Vesta and Ceres, two of the largest objects in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, has come to an end. According to the space agency, the spacecraft missed scheduled communications sessions with NASA’s Deep Space Network not only on […]
Earth’s Largest Organism is Deteriorating
Researchers in Utah say what many consider to be the world’s largest living organism is dying but could be saved with what they call a ‘mega-conservation’ effort. The Pando aspen clone looks like a forest of trees, but since each of the trees is linked by common genetic markers and possibly one giant root system, […]
Bees Take a Break During Total Solar Eclipse
On August 21st, 2017 a total solar eclipse traveled a north-west to south-east path across the United States. Some even called the event the “Great American Eclipse”. A number of researchers from various scientific disciplines used the occasion to conduct experiments. Researchers at the University of Missouri, led by Candace Galen, Ph.D., a professor of […]
Study: Pluto Should Be a Planet!
In 2006, members of the International Astronomical Union or the IAU, an organization recognized as the authority for naming celestial bodies, voted on a set of characteristics that define what makes a planet a planet. One of those traits required a planet had to “clear” its orbit; meaning it had to provide the greatest gravitational force in […]
New Blood Test Tells Your Body’s Time
Each of Earth’s life forms, from animals (including humans), plants, fungi, and even cyanobacteria, has a built-in biological clock that functions over a 24-hour cycle. This so-called circadian clock is a well-structured biological process, which helps keep our bodies healthy and working by regulating tasks such as sleeping, waking, hormone release, body temperature, and other […]
Did a Volcanic Eruption Lead to Napoleon’s Defeat at Waterloo?
A British scientist thinks a volcanic eruption may have led to Napoleon Bonaparte’s crushing defeat at Waterloo, in what is now Belgium, on June 18, 1815. Historians say heavy rains fell on Napoleon’s troops the night before the big battle, causing the ground to become very muddy and soggy. With these miserable conditions, Napoleon’s artillery […]
Iron and Titanium Found in Atmosphere of Ultra-hot Exoplanet
The chemical makeup of Earth’s atmosphere is said to contain about 78% Nitrogen and 21% oxygen, with argon, carbon dioxide, and other gases making up the remaining 1%. But an international team of scientists says they have detected vapors of iron and titanium in the atmosphere of what is considered to be the hottest “ultra-hot” […]
Astronomers Find and Confirm 44 New Extrasolar Planets
An international team of astronomers has confirmed the existence of 44 new extrasolar planets. The planets were first spotted by the astronomers through data gathered from Campaign #10 of NASA’s Kepler K2 mission. According to NASA’s Kepler and K2 webpage, campaign #10 ran from July 6, 2016, to September 20, 2016. To verify their findings, […]