Apollo spacesuits head to the museum
The modern American space effort: Apollo spacesuits head to the museum.
The modern American space effort: Apollo spacesuits head to the museum.
Tag: science
Apollo spacesuits head to the museum
Scientists may have licked the allergy to cats
Scientists may have licked the allergy to cats.
Scientists may have licked the allergy to cats.
House Panel Slams Obama’s Decision to Shut Yucca Mountain
A House panel today slammed President Obama’s decision to shut the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage facility.
The House committee’s report challenges the basis for the Administration’s rejection of the site, which was submitted for licensing review in 2008. “Despite numerous suggestions by political officials—including President Obama—that Yucca Mountain is unsafe for storing nuclear waste, the Committee could not identify a single document to support such a claim,” it says. The report includes a number of documents to support its charge that career government officials and scientists opposed the decision to close Yucca Mountain but were not consulted. In recent testimony to the committee, a former acting director of the Yucca Mountain program, Christopher Kouts, said of Secretary of Energy Steven Chu’s decision to terminate the program, “Technical information was not part of the secretary’s decision making process.”
The report highlights a section of an unpublished safety evaluation report by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on the facility’s potential long-term effects. The evaluation, according to the committee, found that, in most details, the project proposed by the Department of Energy (DOE) met the government’s technical, safety, and environmental requirements—including the need to safeguard the site 200,000 years into the future.
A House panel today slammed President Obama’s decision to shut the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage facility.
The House committee’s report challenges the basis for the Administration’s rejection of the site, which was submitted for licensing review in 2008. “Despite numerous suggestions by political officials—including President Obama—that Yucca Mountain is unsafe for storing nuclear waste, the Committee could not identify a single document to support such a claim,” it says. The report includes a number of documents to support its charge that career government officials and scientists opposed the decision to close Yucca Mountain but were not consulted. In recent testimony to the committee, a former acting director of the Yucca Mountain program, Christopher Kouts, said of Secretary of Energy Steven Chu’s decision to terminate the program, “Technical information was not part of the secretary’s decision making process.”
The report highlights a section of an unpublished safety evaluation report by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on the facility’s potential long-term effects. The evaluation, according to the committee, found that, in most details, the project proposed by the Department of Energy (DOE) met the government’s technical, safety, and environmental requirements—including the need to safeguard the site 200,000 years into the future.
Looking for life with the god of death
Magnetic bubbles at the edge of the solar system
Magnetic bubbles at the edge of the solar system.
Magnetic bubbles at the edge of the solar system.
Space weather expert downplays threat to Earth from solar flare
Space weather expert downplays threat to Earth from solar flare.
My god, a reporter actually talked to a scientist on this subject, instead of the normal political hacks swilling for bigger budgets, and found out that we aren’t going to die!
Space weather expert downplays threat to Earth from solar flare.
My god, a reporter actually talked to a scientist on this subject, instead of the normal political hacks swilling for bigger budgets, and found out that we aren’t going to die!
Opportunity Heads Toward ‘Spirit Point’
Opportunity’s target on the rim of Endeavour crater has been dubbed “Spirit Point” by the science team in honor of the now defunct rover.
Opportunity’s target on the rim of Endeavour crater has been dubbed “Spirit Point” by the science team in honor of the now defunct rover.
Human bones taken to ISS for long space flight experiments.
Human bones were part of the cargo on board the Soyuz capsule launched to ISS today.
“The fragments of human bones will be used to study the causes and dynamics of decalcination of bone tissue in a long space flight,” the head of the experiment, Tatiana Krasheninnikova told Itar-Tass. The problem of decalcination is a headache for medics responsible for spacemen’s health. Researches in this area are conducted by scientists from many ISS member states. However it is impossible to take sample of spacemen’s bones, only their urine is being examined, and a complete picture of dynamics of changes in human bones is not clear, she noted.
Human bones were part of the cargo on board the Soyuz capsule launched to ISS today.
“The fragments of human bones will be used to study the causes and dynamics of decalcination of bone tissue in a long space flight,” the head of the experiment, Tatiana Krasheninnikova told Itar-Tass. The problem of decalcination is a headache for medics responsible for spacemen’s health. Researches in this area are conducted by scientists from many ISS member states. However it is impossible to take sample of spacemen’s bones, only their urine is being examined, and a complete picture of dynamics of changes in human bones is not clear, she noted.
The remnant of supernova 1987a Lights Up
The remnant of supernova 1987a lights up.
This supernova is the only naked eye supernova since the invention of the telescope, and has been tracked by Hubble for two decades.
The remnant of supernova 1987a lights up.
This supernova is the only naked eye supernova since the invention of the telescope, and has been tracked by Hubble for two decades.
NASA Inspector General notes continuing worries about the Mars Science Lab
A NASA Inspector General report issued today [pdf] notes continuing worries about the Mars Science Laboratory, scheduled for launch later this year.
Remaining Unresolved Technical Issues: Although Project managers have overcome the majority of technical issues that led to the [2009] launch delay, as of March 2011 three significant technical issues remain unresolved. . . . Because of technical issues related to these three and other items, Project managers must complete nearly three times the number of critical tasks than originally planned in the few months remaining until launch. [emphasis mine]
A NASA Inspector General report issued today [pdf] notes continuing worries about the Mars Science Laboratory, scheduled for launch later this year.
Remaining Unresolved Technical Issues: Although Project managers have overcome the majority of technical issues that led to the [2009] launch delay, as of March 2011 three significant technical issues remain unresolved. . . . Because of technical issues related to these three and other items, Project managers must complete nearly three times the number of critical tasks than originally planned in the few months remaining until launch. [emphasis mine]
Whistle-blower claims his accusations cost him his job
A whistle-blower from a Wisconsin research lab claims his accusations cost him his job.
After months of friction that culminated in his openly questioning the reproducibility of data published by his supervisor, a postdoc at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s zoology department was presented with three options. The department’s chairman said he could wait to be fired, resign voluntarily or accept a “gracious exit strategy” that would give him time to prepare a paper for publication, if he dropped his “scientific misconduct issues”.
When geneticist Aaron Taylor objected that the third option sounded like a “plea bargain” meant to discourage him from pressing his concerns about the lab’s data, the chairman, Jeffrey Hardin disagreed. But Hardin also said: “I think you’d have to decide which is more important to you.” He later added: “You have to decide whether you want to kind of engage in whistle-blowing.” [emphasis mine]
A whistle-blower from a Wisconsin research lab claims his accusations cost him his job.
After months of friction that culminated in his openly questioning the reproducibility of data published by his supervisor, a postdoc at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s zoology department was presented with three options. The department’s chairman said he could wait to be fired, resign voluntarily or accept a “gracious exit strategy” that would give him time to prepare a paper for publication, if he dropped his “scientific misconduct issues”.
When geneticist Aaron Taylor objected that the third option sounded like a “plea bargain” meant to discourage him from pressing his concerns about the lab’s data, the chairman, Jeffrey Hardin disagreed. But Hardin also said: “I think you’d have to decide which is more important to you.” He later added: “You have to decide whether you want to kind of engage in whistle-blowing.” [emphasis mine]
Arizona wildfire grows to cover 389,000 acres
Arizona wildfire grows to cover 389,000 acres.
Arizona wildfire grows to cover 389,000 acres.
The Most Extreme Migration on Earth
The Sun has a blast
Even in its relatively quiet state: The Sun has a blast.
Even in its relatively quiet state: The Sun has a blast.
Chile volcano ash cloud disrupts airline flights
The Chile volcano eruption and ash cloud is disrupting air traffic throughout South America.
The Chile volcano eruption and ash cloud is disrupting air traffic throughout South America.
After a burst the Sun quiets down again
Time again for the monthly updated graph of the Sun’s solar cycle sunspot activity. Posted today by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, you can see the May results in the graph below.
After a three month steady rise in sunspot activity in January, February, and March, the numbers plummeted during April and May. Though the Sun remains active, with only one blank day since January 16, the pattern of activity as it ramps up to solar maximum continues to suggest that we are looking for the weakest solar maximum in two hundred years, as now predicted by solar scientists at the Marshall Space Flight Center.
Whether this weak maximum foreshadows another Maunder-like minimum, with no sunspots occurring for decades, remains unknown. Only time will tell. However, if such a thing should happen, it will be a marvelous opportunity for scientists to finally pin down precisely the actual influence of the Sun on the Earth’s climate. Up until now they can only guess at how much the Sun varies in brightness. Another Maunder Minimum will tell them.
NASA Finally Releases Photos of Endeavour Docked at ISS
NASA has finally released the photos of Endeavour docked to ISS, taken from a departing Soyuz.
NASA has finally released the photos of Endeavour docked to ISS, taken from a departing Soyuz.
Students in space!
Scientists cheer election of socialist president in Peru
Scientists cheer the election of a socialist president in Peru. Meanwhile, investors flee the country.
Scientists cheer the election of a socialist president in Peru. Meanwhile, investors flee the country.
3 nuclear reactors melted down after quake, Japan confirms
And still no one has died from this particular failure: Japan confirms that all three nuclear reactors melted down after the quake and tsunami.
And still no one has died from this particular failure: Japan confirms that all three nuclear reactors melted down after the quake and tsunami.
Density of forests increasing
The benefits of CO2 increase: The density of the world’s forests has been increasing as they act as a carbon sink.
The authors say most regions and almost all temperate nations have stopped losing forest and the study’s findings constitute a new signal of what co-author Jesse Ausubel of Rockefeller calls “The Great Reversal” under way in global forests after centuries of loss and decline. “Opportunities to absorb carbon and restore the world’s forests can come through increasing density or area or both.”
The benefits of CO2 increase: The density of the world’s forests has been increasing as they act as a carbon sink.
The authors say most regions and almost all temperate nations have stopped losing forest and the study’s findings constitute a new signal of what co-author Jesse Ausubel of Rockefeller calls “The Great Reversal” under way in global forests after centuries of loss and decline. “Opportunities to absorb carbon and restore the world’s forests can come through increasing density or area or both.”
Spectacular images of Chilean volcano eruption
Check out the spectacular images of the eruption of this Chilean volcano, its first in 50 years.
Check out the spectacular images of the eruption of this Chilean volcano, its first in 50 years.
Physicists have captured atoms of antimatter now for more than 15 minutes
In new research at CERN physicists now have captured atoms of antimatter for more than 15 minutes.
In new research at CERN physicists now have captured atoms of antimatter for more than 15 minutes.
Webb telescope disaster destroys NASA astrophysics budget
The James Webb Space Telescope: The disaster that destroyed NASA’s astrophysics program.
The James Webb Space Telescope: The disaster that destroyed NASA’s astrophysics program.
The photography of the first clown in space
The photography of the first clown in space.
The photography of the first clown in space.
Melanoma Drug Combo Shows Promise in Early Trial
A melanoma cure in sight? Drug combination shows incredible promise in early trial.
A melanoma cure in sight? Drug combination shows incredible promise in early trial.
Social Sciences Face Uphill Battle Proving Their Worth to Congress
Some squealing from the journal Science: NSF faces uphill budget battle in Congress.
When he asked the witnesses for ideas on shrinking the government’s $1.6 trillion deficit, Mo Brooks (R-Alabama) [chairman of the research panel of the House of Representatives Science and Technology Committee] made it clear he was talking about possible cuts to NSF’s entire $7 billion budget, not simply its SBE directorate.
Note that in 2008 the NSF budget was a $6.1 billion. Cutting it back to that number would hardly destroy social science research in this country.
Some squealing from the journal Science: NSF faces uphill budget battle in Congress.
When he asked the witnesses for ideas on shrinking the government’s $1.6 trillion deficit, Mo Brooks (R-Alabama) [chairman of the research panel of the House of Representatives Science and Technology Committee] made it clear he was talking about possible cuts to NSF’s entire $7 billion budget, not simply its SBE directorate.
Note that in 2008 the NSF budget was a $6.1 billion. Cutting it back to that number would hardly destroy social science research in this country.
Mars 500 mission passes one year
The Russian/ESA Mars 500 mission has completed a year of its 520-day simulated flight to Mars.
The crew, who spent 250 days working on maintenance and scientific experiments before a 30-day stint performing tasks on a simulated Martian surface, are currently on their “return trip” to Earth.
This simulated all-male flight is going better than the last:
In 1999, an experiment in the same Moscow warehouse fell to pieces after a Russian team captain forced a kiss on a Canadian woman, and two Russian crewmembers had a bloody fistfight.
The Russian/ESA Mars 500 mission has completed a year of its 520-day simulated flight to Mars.
The crew, who spent 250 days working on maintenance and scientific experiments before a 30-day stint performing tasks on a simulated Martian surface, are currently on their “return trip” to Earth.
This simulated all-male flight is going better than the last:
In 1999, an experiment in the same Moscow warehouse fell to pieces after a Russian team captain forced a kiss on a Canadian woman, and two Russian crewmembers had a bloody fistfight.
Opportunity Passes Small Crater and Big Milestone
Opportunity’s travels on Mars have now exceeded 30 kilometers.
Opportunity’s travels on Mars have now exceeded 30 kilometers.
First sale for quantum computing
Lockheed Martin buys the first commercial quantum computer. More here on the science of quantum computing.
Quantum computers could revolutionize the way we tackle problems that stump even the best classical computers, which store and process their data as ‘bits’ — essentially a series of switches that can be either on or off. The power of quantum bits — or qubits — is that they can be on and off simultaneously. Connect enough qubits together using quantum entanglement and a computer should be able to zip through a multitude of calculations in parallel, at astonishing speed.
Lockheed Martin buys the first commercial quantum computer. More here on the science of quantum computing.
Quantum computers could revolutionize the way we tackle problems that stump even the best classical computers, which store and process their data as ‘bits’ — essentially a series of switches that can be either on or off. The power of quantum bits — or qubits — is that they can be on and off simultaneously. Connect enough qubits together using quantum entanglement and a computer should be able to zip through a multitude of calculations in parallel, at astonishing speed.