Mass movement strikes! Amazingly, no one was hurt.
Boulder smashes through Italian farm
Image: Associated Press
Category Archives: Earth/Physical Science
Six Decades of Global Warming from NASA Data
This visualization from NASA, shows yearly deviation in average temperature from a mid-twentieth century baseline. It shows 1950 to 2013.
Space News
Stephen Hawking says black holes don’t exist
Well, sort of, he says we got a few things wrong.
Mysterious rock found by Mars rover: ‘We were absolutely startled’
Hmmmm, jelly donuts on Mars, sign me up to go. Speaking of Mars, how did the rover that was to last only three months just keep going?
Why This Mars Rover Has Lasted 3,560 Days Longer Than Expected
Water Found on Dwarf Planet Ceres, May Erupt from Ice Volcanoes
Water, water everywhere. Or so it seems.
What Is Bombogenesis?
Our weather word of the day.
S-One, Google’s Entry into the DARPA Robotics Challange
Whoa! This is a very scary robot. It can even drive a car. I can see why it won.
Meet the Google robot that won DARPA’s techno challenge (video)
Mars’ Moon May Be a Captured Asteroid
This has long been suspected…
R.I.P. John Dobson
One of the oddest, most interesting characters in amateur science. He revolutionized home astronomy and taught thousands of people how to make powerful home telescopes, he died on January 15th at 98.
John Dobson dies at 98; former monk developed easy-to-make telescope
Image: Associated Press
Two Great Futurists on the Future
In 1964 two of the greatest science fiction writers of the twentieth century looked ahead 50 years and predicted what our modern world would be like. They got a lot of things right.
First Isaac Asimov. Asimov wrote over 200 books in his lifetime. Non-fiction books in every category of the Dewey Decimal system (the only writer to do so) and some important fiction as well.
Isaac Asimov Predicts in 1964 What the World Will Look Like Today — in 2014
Next, Arthur C. Clarke. Clarke is best known as the author of the book and film “2001: A Space Odyssey”, however he was the first to propose geosynchronous telecommunications satellites, pushed for manned space flight as an activist/scientist and helped create NASA, and was a trail blazing Ocean explorer.
Arthur C. Clarke Predicts the Future in 1964 … And Kind of Nails It
Astronomical Events of 2014
First, Space.com’s picks for the top 11 skywatching events of the upcoming year…
11 Must-See Skywatching Events in 2014
Second, universe Today’s exhaustive month-by-month guide to upcoming astronomical events…
101 Astronomical Events for 2014
Finally, a cool image to get you thinking from Phil Platt. What would a lunar eclipse look like from the moon?
What does a lunar eclipse look like from the Moon?
Thanks to Kai for the last one.
Winter in Antarctica
Well it looks like we’ll be seeing some truly cold weather as school starts back up. It’s summer in Antarctica right now, but it’s a good time to reflect on how cold it can get on our planet (remember, being in the Southern Hemisphere, their winter is during our summer). Few scientists can take wintering on the Antarctic continent. The population of the whole continent drops to only a few hundred over the winter and they must pass a rigorous screening process before they are allowed to do so. The video below shows what “Condition 1” weather is like. No travel outside quarters is permitted during these conditions.
Makes you feel warmer already, doesn’t it?
The Next Generation Planetary “Rover”
“The “Super Ball Bot”, under development at NASA Ames, is a robotic exoskeleton designed to land on the surface of Titan without a parachute or airbag.”
5 Most Amazing Spaceflight Feats of 2013
According to Space.com
E.P.S. Important Info!!!
Here are the details on upcoming assignments!
Coolest Wind Map Ever
Just mesmerizing.
China Lands Probe on the Moon, Iran sends Monkey into Space, maybe.
China has accomplished the first soft landing on the moon since 1976! They are only the third country to do so.
China successfully soft-lands probe on the moon
Update: The “Jade Rabbit” rover is sending back it’s first pictures…
China Moon Landing: ‘Jade Rabbit’ Rover Basks in Lunar Bay of Rainbows
Iran says they have launched a monkey into space, controversy ensues…
Mars was habitable less than 4 billion years ago
Getting closer and closer to finding remains of life of the Red Planet.
Mars Curiosity rover finds life-supporting chemicals
Image: NASA/JPL
Thanks Vrajesh!
Good News for Future Mars Missions
Well one hurdle won’t be quite as high as expected…
Radiation on Mars ‘Manageable’ for Manned Mission, Curiosity Rover Reveals
Bill Nye’s Open Letter to President Barack Obama
Comet Lovejoy
ISON is gone, but Comet Lovejoy can be seen, but not without binoculars or a small telescope and clear skies….
Adieu, Comet Ison; Hello Comet Lovejoy
Image:P-M Hedén
Some People are Still Thinking About the Future
Astronaut Chris Hadfield on the Importance of Space Exploration
Chris Hadfield is one cool guy. PBS News Hour’s Miles O’Brien interviewed Hadfield about his new book.
India On Track to be the First Asian Country to Reach Mars
India’s MOM (Mars Orbital Mission) probe is on it’s way to Mars after a bit of a rocky start, thus making India only the fourth space agency to have a probe make it to the red planet.
India Set To Be The First Asian Country To Reach Mars
India’s Mars Orbiter Overcomes Engine Glitch
note – Space.com is becoming too clogged with ads.
More on Moon Dust
NASA’s LADEE probe is on it’s way to the moon…
Dynamic tangible display renders 3D data in physical form
This is very cool. “inFORM is a Dynamic Shape Display that can render 3D content physically, so users can interact with digital information in a tangible way. inFORM can also interact with the physical world around it, for example moving objects on the table’s surface. ”
inFORM – Interacting With a Dynamic Shape Display from Tangible Media Group on Vimeo.
Video: Tangible Media Group
The Northern Lights
Also known as the aurora borealis. This is just beautiful.
Northern Lights Timelapse – Nov 9, 2013 from Richard Gottardo on Vimeo.
Video: Richard Gottardo