Clues to Life on Mars Found on Earth
Scientists think they’ve uncovered clues to what life might exist on Mars – from a discovery made right here on Earth. The team from Oregon State University collected microbes from ice within a lava tube found in the Cascade Mountains in America’s Northwest. They found the little life forms not only live, but can actually […]
Science Scanner: ‘Star Wars’ Capturing Beam Could Be Real
Fans of “Star Trek” or “Star Wars” are familiar with tractor beams; Darth Vader used the powerful beam to capture a spacecraft carrying Luke and Han Solo in Star Wars Episode IV, “A New Hope.” (corrected) Aside from capturing the enemy and preventing their escape , the tractor beams could also retrieve or tow various […]
Predicting When the ‘Big One’ Will Hit
California scientists are developing a cutting-edge, deep-ocean seismic system which will give them more information about earthquakes and tsunamis across the globe. The team from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography will develop a potentially transformative system for deploying seafloor seismometers, which will gather vital data – in real-time – for applications ranging from earthquake monitoring, […]
Science Scanner: What Triggers Devastating Supervolcanoes
A volcanic super eruption, which occurs about every 100,000 years, is a cataclysmic natural event, blowing out an incredible amount of debris and ash, devastating the environment and disrupting the world’s climate for years, possibly causing mass extinctions. While scientists continuously monitor several super volcanoes around the world, they don’t know what actually triggers these […]
Science Scanner: Chemistry Nobel Prize Winner Announced
The winner of the Nobel Prize in chemistry was announced this morning in Stockholm. Daniel Shechtman of Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology, in Haifa, Israel, won for his 1982 discovery of quasicrystals. Quasicrystals are unusual materials which have some of the properties of a regular crystal, but have a more elaborate and complex structure […]
Science Scanner: Impact of Russian Spacecraft Crash on the ISS
Last week’s failure of the Russian spacecraft Progress sparked questions about how the International Space Station will be affected. Although Progress was carrying supplies to the ISS, NASA officials say the space station is well stocked and can continue operating at a higher orbit (which consumes less fuel) for several more months without a visit […]
North America and Antarctica Were Attached to Each Other
Scientists have found the strongest evidence yet that North America and Antarctica were once connected. The international team discovered that rocks collected from the Franklin Mountains in West Texas have the same chemical and geological properties – as well as the exact same composition of lead isotopes – as rocks collected from Coats Land, an […]
Science Scanner: Catching a Comet’s Kamikaze Move
For the first time ever, NASA has captured images of a comet flying into the sun. The occurrence is not that unusual. It even has a name; sungrazer. What makes this sighting unique is that, up to this point, no one has actually seen the end of a comet’s journey. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) […]
Does It Rain or Snow More Around Airports?
Do you live near an airport? Does it seem like you get more rain and snow than folks who live further away? There just might be a scientific reason for that. A new study finds that areas around airports are more likely to experience increased rain or snow when aircraft are landing or taking off. […]
Science Scanner: Hundreds of Newly Discovered Species at Risk
There’s been a lot of buzz lately about the discovery of more than 300 new species in the Philippines. Two of them appear to be garnering the most attention: the Inflatable Shark and the Laughing Cicada. The find was the result of a survey – by researchers from the California Academy of Sciences – to […]