Home/Articles in: Science & Technology
Articles in: Science & Technology
Green living, Politics, Science & Technology, May 17th, 2013,
This week we saw a classic David vs. Goliath court case in the United States. An Indiana Farmer, who planted soybean seeds he got from a grain elevator, played the role of David. The role of Goliath was played by the seed-selling corporation Monsanto, that recently came in the news when The United States passed a bill that is now known as ‘the Monsanto Protection Act’. Monsanto didn’t like it one bit that the Indiana farmer used seeds that he didn’t buy from them. So they sued him. Unfortunately for ‘David’ this is the real world and so the small…
Science & Technology, Weird Stuff, May 12th, 2013,
The recent discovery of what might be a lost continent off the coast of Brazil has stoked imaginations and fascinated geologists. Granite formations some 1,500 km (950 miles) southeast of Rio de Janeiro may be remnants from a continent that sank when Africa and South America separated and the Atlantic Ocean was formed some 100 million years ago. From Euronews: According to geologists, as a result of tectonic movements, a land mass which was once above sea level could have sunk into the ocean during the separation of Pangaea, the name given to the giant landmass that existed at the…
Tags: Atlantis, Heracleion, lost cities, lost continents
Conservation, Natural disasters, Pollution, Science & Technology, May 4th, 2013,
Over the last several decades, there have been a number of headline making oil spills that have left the world with shocking images. We have seen the results of drilling in the ocean floors to find oil. We know that our dependency on fossil fuels drives an industry that requires destroying some of our most precious resources. Seeing pelicans covered in sludge and oil and other birds that can’t spread their wings, many people say that it is time we finally get off of depending on these tainted, dirty resources. These people champion electric vehicles as alternatives to regular oil…
Science & Technology, Weird Stuff, May 3rd, 2013,
I wouldn’t, but tens (hundreds?) of thousands of people would – and have. A Dutch company called Mars One is planning the first manned mission to Mars for 2018, when Earth and the red planet will be best aligned for a swift 521-day journey between them. One way, of course. The four-person crew will not be able to bathe for the entire duration and will have to drink what they excrete. After it’s been processed, I assume. The journey is to be financed by television rights to the story, basically reality TV in space. Sounds dreadful, right? I’ve said this…
Tags: manned mission to mars, mars one, NASA
Science & Technology, Weird Stuff, Apr 26th, 2013,
Not content to pollute the air, soil, lakes and oceans, humanity has now fouled up space to the point that it’s become a serious problem. Can you believe that? Apparently we’ve launched so much stuff into orbit that it’s making space travel dangerous. Yes, as weird, stupid and admittedly cool as that sounds, it’s true. But why is that it when the stuff of science fiction novels happens for real it’s always boring? I mean the reality of it is just so mundane. The problem is not that my rocket ship might smash into your flying saucer en route to…
Tags: space debris, space junk
Conservation, Green living, Science & Technology, ,
For many homeowners, solar power has long seemed like a great idea that’s just out of reach. Who wouldn’t want to watch their electric meter turn backwards and get checks rather than bills from the power company? Unfortunately for many people, it just didn’t seem financially possible. However, times have changed, and solar today is much more affordable than many people think. Located in Timonium, MD, Renewable Energy Corporation provides solar installation services throughout Maryland, Northern Virginia, Southern Pennsylvania and Washington DC. Under the direction of company president Ryan McNeill, they have become one of the Mid-Atlantic region’s largest residential…
Science & Technology, Videos & Documentaries, Weird Stuff, Apr 19th, 2013,
The Animal Planet series Finding Bigfoot has rekindled an interest in Sasquatch, also known as the Yeti and a host of other names. In the English-speaking world we generally prefer Bigfoot. It has a certain snap. A recent poll on “conspiracy theories” shows that 14% of Americans believe that Bigfoot is a real thing. That might sound crazy to some, but it should be noted that renowned British primatologist Jane Goodall has made statements to the effect that she is a “Bigfoot believer”. Some think that Bigfoot could be a remnant population of Gigantopithecus, a giant prehistoric ape that stood…
Tags: Bigfoot, Gigantopithecus, Homo floresiensis, indonesian hobbit, Jane Goodall
Green living, Pollution, Science & Technology, Apr 18th, 2013,
The debate between digital books and paper books has remained an issue since the introduction of the first e-readers in the mid 2000s. The e-book reader was invented as a way for people to store many books on one device and hopefully reduce many of the costs associated with traditional books. Since e-readers have existed for several years now, it is easier to project their impact on the world today than it was when the readers were first released. It turns out; the issue is not nearly as black and white as first thought. Currently, the use of e-readers and…
Green living, Science & Technology, Apr 9th, 2013,
Simply put, a windmill (not to be confused with a wind turbine, which will be discussed later) is basically a type of machine or structure that converts wind energy into rotational energy with the assistance of sails. There are different types of windmills, which are used for an array of purposes. Though the years, the importance of windmills has resulted in the manufacturing and use of wind turbines. The Beginning The earliest known windmill was created by a Greek engineer in AD, and was noted as being a wind-driven wheel that could power a machine. Two different types of windmills…
Climate Change, Science & Technology, Jul 31st, 2012,
A new study by scientists at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science at the University of Reading attributes the dramatic reduction in Arctic summer sea ice since the 1970s to human activity. The study found that the 40% loss since the 70s is at least 70% man made, with the rest down to natural variability in the Atlantic. And that is only a conservative estimate, with as much as 95% of ice loss estimated to be caused by humans. The study’s leader, Jonny Day, is quoted in the Guardian on one of the accelerating causes of Arctic ice melt, which…
Tags: arctic, greenland, ice melt, oil, Shell, study
Climate Change, Science & Technology, Jul 16th, 2012,
The global shipping industry produces 3 billion metric tons of carbon emissions every year. That’s as much CO2 as the combined output of Japan, Canada, Mexico and Germany. Greenhouse gas emissions from freight are a serious problem, but there are examples of alternative technology. One that is probably more familiar to most of us is the use of overhead electric cables, like the ones used to power tram lines or trolleybuses. Freight trucks could be powered in the same way. In Brandenburg, Germany a project that uses such a method is being field tested. From Deutsche Welle: Freight trucks with…
Tags: co2, freight, shipping, trolleybus
Natural disasters, Science & Technology, Jul 11th, 2012,
Humans have believed that animals can predict earthquakes for thousands of years. I mean the human belief that earthquakes can be predicted by animals has been held for thousands of years – just in case you thought I was saying that animals might be able to forecast seismic activity a thousand years into the future. I’m glad we got that straightened out. Anyway, despite observations of animals fleeing the scene prior to a destructive quake since the Ancient Greeks saw rats, snakes and weasels leave Helice before that place was flattened, no real evidence was found for this amazing animal…
Tags: 1989, California, earthquake, japan, prediction, Vladimir Keilis-Borok
Climate Change, Science & Technology, Videos & Documentaries, Jul 4th, 2012,
The recent heat waves and extreme storms in the eastern United States, the numerous wildfires in Colorado and other Western states, flooding elsewhere in the country… Since 1988 climate scientists have associated these kinds of extreme weather events, though not specific weather events, to climate change or global warming. What we’ve been seeing in different parts of the US this summer is what scientists say will occur more frequently as the planet heats up. According to Princeton University geosciences and international affairs professor Michael Oppenheimer, droughts, floods, wildfires, extreme storms and other environmental disasters are “what global warming really…
Tags: Climate change, extreme weather, floods, global warming, scientists, storms, wildfires
Climate Change, Science & Technology, Jul 3rd, 2012,
The share of power supplied by renewable energy in the UK has gone up by 30% from last year. The first quarter of 2012 showed that power generated by wind, sea, solar, other hydro electricity and bioenergy provided 11% of Britain’s energy, compared to the first quarter of 2011′s 7.7%. In 2009 it was just 3%. The UK has pledged that by 2020 it will produce 15% of its power from ‘clean’ energy sources. Other big changes in energy production were seen in the areas of gas, coal and nuclear – and it’s not all good news. From the…
Tags: gas, renewable energy, UK, wind
Health, Science & Technology, Wildlife & Flora, Jun 27th, 2012,
I’ve heard that bananas lighten your mood because they contain B6, which stimulates serotonin production. I’ve even read that coffee can fight depression. Now daffodils can join the list of potential resources for battling the blues. A certain species of South African daffodils (as well as a species of snowdrops) anyway. The daffodils and snowdrops (Crinum and Cyrtanthus) don’t actually treat the depression, but they do contain compounds which “trick the blood brain-barrier”, allowing drugs to be absorbed by the brain, according to scientists at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. The blood-brain barrier makes it very difficult for most…
Tags: blood-brain barrier, daffodils, depression, snowdrops, South Africa, university of copenhagen
Climate Change, Natural disasters, Science & Technology, Jun 25th, 2012,
The seminal California hardcore punk band Youth Brigade sang “I’ll sink with California when it falls into the sea” way back in the 1980s. And they weren’t singing about sea level rise or climate change, but seismic activity that will eventually cause a large portion of the Golden State to break off along fault lines like the famed San Andrea. What residents have long referred to as “the Big One”, meaning a massive earthquake, could result in parts of California “drifting” into the ocean and becoming submerged. Something like that, anyway. Read a better, more detailed explanation here. But sea…
Tags: California, san andreas, sea level, sinking
Green Cars, Green living, Science & Technology, Jun 4th, 2012,
Relying on the sun for energy is a bit more dependable than other energy sources. The sun will always be burning and using its energy can help to save the environment. Many people around the world have begun installing solar panels on their homes to harness this energy and help to provide a more environmentally friendly way of powering their homes. If you are considering solar panels, here are 8 things that you should carefully consider: Purchase – You will need to purchase solar panels to install. There are a number of places where you can find good, dependable solar…
Tags: buying solar power, enerfina, Green living, renewable energy, solar electricity, solar panels, solar power
Green living, Science & Technology, ,
Everyone these days is talking about renewable sources of energy and protecting the environment. If you are considering solar power as a means of helping to lower energy usage, there are a few things that you should consider. Solar power offers major advantages and understanding these advantages will help you to know just how much of an impact your contribution will make. The first advantage of solar power is that it costs nothing. Solar power is completely free. As long as the sun hangs around, there will always be solar power. Of course, putting up solar panels will come at…
Tags: eco-friendly living, Green living, solar electricity, solar energy, solar panels, solar power
Science & Technology, Weird Stuff, ,
Last month’s supermoon – or perigee moon – will be repeated, but this time with a partial lunar eclipse, causing the exceptionally large moon to have a bite-shaped shadow of the Earth. Today, Monday the 4th of June, the Earth, full moon and sun will be lined up to create a lunar eclipse, which will be viewable in most of North and South America before sunrise. Those in the Pacific region should be able to see it after sunset. This month’s perigee moon is not as extreme as last month’s (16% bigger and 30% brighter than normal), appearing only…
Tags: partial lunar eclipse, perigee moon, supermoon, transit of venus
Climate Change, Pollution, Science & Technology, May 30th, 2012,
Hydraulic fracturing, a controversial method of extracting natural gas deposits from under shale, has been heralded by the International Energy Agency as ushering in the Earth’s ‘golden age’ for gas. So perhaps oil is going to peak, but natural gas has yet to properly boom. Gas does produce less CO2 emissions than oil (but more methane) and is cleaner than coal, but it still emits and pollutes more than renewables. Hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’ as it is often called, has a host of other concerns including massive water use, contamination of ground water with chemicals as well as air pollution….
Tags: fracking, gas, golden age, hydraulic fracturing, IEA, shale
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