Micro-camera takes first images of sealed Mayan tomb
A micro-camera has taken the first images in 1,500 years of a sealed Mayan tomb.
A micro-camera has taken the first images in 1,500 years of a sealed Mayan tomb.
Tag: science
Micro-camera takes first images of sealed Mayan tomb
DNA from Madagascar coconuts has revealed two separate waves of settlement, several ancient trade routes, and the source of the coconuts in the New World.
DNA from Madagascar coconuts has revealed two separate waves of settlement, several ancient trade routes, and the source of the coconuts in the New World.
DNA from Madagascar coconuts has revealed two separate waves of settlement, several ancient trade routes, and the source of the coconuts in the New World.
Fermilab confirms Japanese particle physics results that could explain lack of antimatter in the universe
Fermilab has confirmed the Japanese particle physics experiment from two weeks ago suggesting that muon neutrinos can morph into electron neutrinos.
The results of these two experiments could have implications for our understanding of the role that neutrinos may have played in the evolution of the universe. If muon neutrinos transform into electron neutrinos, neutrinos could be the reason that the big bang produced more matter than antimatter, leading to the universe as it exists today
Fermilab has confirmed the Japanese particle physics experiment from two weeks ago suggesting that muon neutrinos can morph into electron neutrinos.
The results of these two experiments could have implications for our understanding of the role that neutrinos may have played in the evolution of the universe. If muon neutrinos transform into electron neutrinos, neutrinos could be the reason that the big bang produced more matter than antimatter, leading to the universe as it exists today
Supreme skeptics
The faces of Vesta
More money troubles in NASA’s climate and astronomy programs
Other science money troubles: NASA’s climate and astronomy programs face delays due to cost overruns and rocket failures.
Other science money troubles: NASA’s climate and astronomy programs face delays due to cost overruns and rocket failures.
Underground Physics Lab to Cost U.S. Energy Department at Least $1.2 Billion
A new report released today says a new underground physics lab will cost the Energy Department from $1.2 to $2.2 billion.
Though I know the science is worthwhile and we should be doing it, I also can’t help ask this question: Where the hell are we going to get the money?
A new report released today says a new underground physics lab will cost the Energy Department from $1.2 to $2.2 billion.
Though I know the science is worthwhile and we should be doing it, I also can’t help ask this question: Where the hell are we going to get the money?
Archaeologists begin unburying ancient Egyptian ritual ship
Archaeologists have begun uncovering an ancient Egyptian ritual ship at Giza, buried with the pharaoh Khufu as a ship to carry him to the afterlife.
Archaeologists have begun uncovering an ancient Egyptian ritual ship at Giza, buried with the pharaoh Khufu as a ship to carry him to the afterlife.
Want to send a probe to another planet? Cut costs!
Want to send a probe to another planet? Do it cheaply, as these scientists did.
Want to send a probe to another planet? Do it cheaply, as these scientists did.
Gale Crater now leads the list for Curiosity’s landing site on Mars
Gale Crater now heads the list for Curiosity’s landing site on Mars.
Gale Crater now heads the list for Curiosity’s landing site on Mars.
Cassini directly samples the plumes from Enceladus and finds an ocean-like Spray
Cassini has directly sampled the plumes from Enceladus and discovered a salty ocean-like spray.
The new paper analyzes three Enceladus flybys in 2008 and 2009 with the same instrument, focusing on the composition of freshly ejected plume grains. The icy particles hit the detector target at speeds between 15,000 and 39,000 mph (23,000 and 63,000 kilometers per hour), vaporizing instantly. Electrical fields inside the cosmic dust analyzer separated the various constituents of the impact cloud.
The data suggest a layer of water between the moon’s rocky core and its icy mantle, possibly as deep as about 50 miles (80 kilometers) beneath the surface. As this water washes against the rocks, it dissolves salt compounds and rises through fractures in the overlying ice to form reserves nearer the surface. If the outermost layer cracks open, the decrease in pressure from these reserves to space causes a plume to shoot out. Roughly 400 pounds (200 kilograms) of water vapor is lost every second in the plumes, with smaller amounts being lost as ice grains. The team calculates the water reserves must have large evaporating surfaces, or they would freeze easily and stop the plumes.
Cassini has directly sampled the plumes from Enceladus and discovered a salty ocean-like spray.
The new paper analyzes three Enceladus flybys in 2008 and 2009 with the same instrument, focusing on the composition of freshly ejected plume grains. The icy particles hit the detector target at speeds between 15,000 and 39,000 mph (23,000 and 63,000 kilometers per hour), vaporizing instantly. Electrical fields inside the cosmic dust analyzer separated the various constituents of the impact cloud.
The data suggest a layer of water between the moon’s rocky core and its icy mantle, possibly as deep as about 50 miles (80 kilometers) beneath the surface. As this water washes against the rocks, it dissolves salt compounds and rises through fractures in the overlying ice to form reserves nearer the surface. If the outermost layer cracks open, the decrease in pressure from these reserves to space causes a plume to shoot out. Roughly 400 pounds (200 kilograms) of water vapor is lost every second in the plumes, with smaller amounts being lost as ice grains. The team calculates the water reserves must have large evaporating surfaces, or they would freeze easily and stop the plumes.
Tear-drop shaped islands on Mars suggest ancient oceans
Tear-drop shaped mesas on Mars suggest ancient oceans to scientists.
Tear-drop shaped mesas on Mars suggest ancient oceans to scientists.
Shaved bat wings show sensory hairs help manage flight
Tiny little hairs on the wings of bats help control their flight.
Tiny little hairs on the wings of bats help control their flight.
Cryosat releases its first map of the thickness of the Arctic icecap
Cryosat releases its first map of the thickness of the Arctic icecap.
Cryosat releases its first map of the thickness of the Arctic icecap.
Mann and company write more science fiction
Junk science: Michael Mann and associates have just released a paper claiming “The rate of sea level rise along the U.S. Atlantic coast is greater now than at any time in the past 2,000 years–and has shown a consistent link between changes in global mean surface temperature and sea level.” You can read the paper itself here.
For many, many, many reasons, I agree here with scientist Richard Mueller, who believes in global warming but also believes in good science, “I now have a list of people whose papers I won’t read anymore.”
Nonetheless, I have looked at this new paper by Mann and crew, and find its evidence so weak it ain’t worth the paper it’s written on. To look at the record of a single fossil and claim it is a sufficient proxy for sea level rise is downright laughable.
Flying over Mars
The failed predictions of global warming activists
The failed predictions of global warming activists.
In 2005 “the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations University declared that 50 million people could become environmental refugees by 2010, fleeing the effects of climate change.” Three years later . . . Srgjan Kerim, president of the UN General Assembly, said it had been estimated that there would be between 50 million and 200 million environmental migrants by 2010. A UNEP web page showed a map of regions where people were likely to be displaced by the ravages of global warming. It has recently been taken offline but is still visible in a Google cache.
The failed predictions of global warming activists.
In 2005 “the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations University declared that 50 million people could become environmental refugees by 2010, fleeing the effects of climate change.” Three years later . . . Srgjan Kerim, president of the UN General Assembly, said it had been estimated that there would be between 50 million and 200 million environmental migrants by 2010. A UNEP web page showed a map of regions where people were likely to be displaced by the ravages of global warming. It has recently been taken offline but is still visible in a Google cache.
Hadrian built his country estate with the buildings aligned with the sun
The Roman emperor Hadrian built his country estate with the buildings aligned with the sun.
For centuries, scholars have thought that the more than 30 buildings at Hadrian’s palatial country estate were oriented more or less randomly. But De Franceschini says that during the summer solstice, blades of light pierce two of the villa’s buildings.
In one, the Roccabruna, light from the summer solstice enters through a wedge-shaped slot above the door and illuminates a niche on the opposite side of the interior (see image). And in a temple of the Accademia building, De Franceschini has found that sunlight passes through a series of doors during both the winter and summer solstices.
The Roman emperor Hadrian built his country estate with the buildings aligned with the sun.
For centuries, scholars have thought that the more than 30 buildings at Hadrian’s palatial country estate were oriented more or less randomly. But De Franceschini says that during the summer solstice, blades of light pierce two of the villa’s buildings.
In one, the Roccabruna, light from the summer solstice enters through a wedge-shaped slot above the door and illuminates a niche on the opposite side of the interior (see image). And in a temple of the Accademia building, De Franceschini has found that sunlight passes through a series of doors during both the winter and summer solstices.
Research Center Under Fire for ‘Adjusted’ Sea-Level Data
A university research center is under attack for arbitrarily adjusting its sea-level data upward.
A university research center is under attack for arbitrarily adjusting its sea-level data upward.
Some bats seem to be surviving white nose fungus
Good news: Some bats seem to be surviving despite being infected with white nose fungus [pdf].
Good news: Some bats seem to be surviving despite being infected with white nose fungus [pdf].
The debate over arsenic-based life continues
The debate over arsenic-based life continues.
The debate over arsenic-based life continues.
An update from Messenger
An update from Messenger.
An update from Messenger.
Milk changing color – cool science experiment
How pasta became the world’s favourite food
How pasta became the world’s favourite food.
How pasta became the world’s favourite food.
SDO – March 30, 2010 Solar Eruption
An evening pause: As it appears these events are likely going to become less and less likely, let’s enjoy them while we can.
Note that the height of this eruption was almost twenty times the diameter of the Earth.
An X-ray deep field over six weeks by Chandra finds massive black holes common in early universe
An X-ray deep field image taken over a six week period by Chandra had found that massive black holes are common in early universe.
These results imply that between 30% and 100% of the distant galaxies contain growing supermassive black holes. Extrapolating these results from the relatively small field of view that was observed to the full sky, there are at least 30 million supermassive black holes in the early Universe. This is a factor of 10,000 larger than the estimated number of quasars in the early Universe.
An X-ray deep field image taken over a six week period by Chandra had found that massive black holes are common in early universe.
These results imply that between 30% and 100% of the distant galaxies contain growing supermassive black holes. Extrapolating these results from the relatively small field of view that was observed to the full sky, there are at least 30 million supermassive black holes in the early Universe. This is a factor of 10,000 larger than the estimated number of quasars in the early Universe.
The progenitor of the May supernova in M51 identified
The progenitor star that produced the May supernovae in the Whirlpool Galaxy (also known as M51) has been identified, and it isn’t what scientists predicted.
In a preprint paper published today on the Los Alamos astro-ph website, astronomers describe the star that exploded as a yellow supergiant, not a red supergiant or Wolf-Rayet star, as predicted by the theory explaining this particular type of supernova. Moreover, though theory also favors the star being a member of a binary system, the progenitor of 2011dh appears to be a lone star, not even a member of a cluster.
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The world’s oldest functioning light bulb: 110 years old
The world’s oldest functioning light bulb: 110 years old.
The world’s oldest functioning light bulb: 110 years old.
Europe Downscales Monster Telescope to Save Money
Europe has decided to shrink the design of the gigantic Extremely Large Telescope (yes, that’s really its name) by 13% to save money.
Europe has decided to shrink the design of the gigantic Extremely Large Telescope (yes, that’s really its name) by 13% to save money.
Fire at Carlsbad Caverns National Park causes its closure
More southwest wildfires: A quickly growing fire at Carlsbad Caverns National Park has caused its closure.
More southwest wildfires: A quickly growing fire at Carlsbad Caverns National Park has caused its closure.