Thursday, February 28, 2013

Van Allen Probes Discover a New Radiation Belt around Earth


Source - NASA Science News for Feb. 28, 2013

NASA's twin Van Allen Probes, launched just last August, have revealed a previously unknown third radiation belt around Earth.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/28feb_thirdbelt/

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

What Exploded over Russia?


Source - NASA Science News for Feb. 26, 2013

Nearly two weeks after an asteroid exploded over Russia's Ural mountains, scientists are making progress understanding the origin and make-up of the unexpected space rock. Today's story from Science@NASA presents their latest results.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/26feb_russianmeteor/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qZ6oiaSm00




License: Standard YouTube License

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Big Picture Science for 02/25/13 - Skeptic Check: About Face

Image for Big Picture Science weekly radio show
Big Picture Science - Skeptic Check: About Face

Face it – humans are pattern-seeking animals. We identify eyes, nose and mouth where there are none. Martian rock takes on a visage and the silhouette of Elvis appears in our burrito. Discover the roots of our face-tracking tendency – pareidolia – and why it sometimes leads us astray.

Plus, why some brains can’t recognize faces at all … how computer programs exhibit their own pareidolia … and why it’s so difficult to replicate human vision in a machine

Guests:
  • Phil Plait – Astronomer, Skeptic, and author of Slate Magazine’s blog Bad Astronomy
  • Josef Parvisi – Associate professor, Stanford University, and clinical neurologist and epilepsy specialist at Stanford Medical Center
  • Nancy Kanwisher – Cognitive neuroscientist, at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT
  • Greg Borenstein – Artist, creative technologist who teaches at New York University
  • Pietro Perona – Professor of electrical engineering, computation and neural systems, California Institute of Technology

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Skeptic_Check_About_Face

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Kepler Discovers a Tiny Planet System


Source - NASA Science News for Feb. 20, 2013

NASA's Kepler mission scientists have discovered a new planetary system that is home to the smallest planet yet found around a star similar to our sun.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/20feb_tinyplanets/

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Big Picture Science for 02/18/13 - Whodunit, Who'll Do It?

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Big Picture Science - Whodunit, Who'll Do It?

ENCORE: The tools of forensics have moved way beyond fingerprint kits. These days, a prosecutor is as likely to wave a fMRI brain scan as a smoking gun as “Exhibit A.” Discover what happens when neuroscience has its day in court.

Meanwhile, research into the gold standard of identification, DNA, marches on. One day we may determine a suspect’s eye color from a drop of blood.

Plus, why much of forensic science – from fingerprinting to the polygraph – is more like reading tea leaves than science. And will future crime victims be robots?

Guests:
  • Owen Jones – Professor of law, Professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tennessee
  • Manfred Kayser – Forensic molecular biologist, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  • Marc Goodman – Founder, The Future Crimes Institute
  • David Faigman – Law professor, University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco

This encore podcast was first released September 19, 2011

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Whodunit_Who_ll_Do_It_

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Meteor Explodes in Daytime Skies over Russia


Source - Space Weather News for Feb. 15, 2013: http://spaceweather.com

RUSSIAN METEOR EXPLOSION: Today, Feb. 15th, a meteor exploded in the daytime skies of Chelyabinsk, Russian.  Shock waves from the blast shattered windows in many buildings and sent onlookers to the hospital with wounds from flying glass.  The meteoroid entered the atmosphere just as asteroid 2012 DA14 was approaching Earth for a record-setting close approach later in the day.  However, NASA says there is no connection between the two: the Russian meteor and 2012 DA14 have different trajectories. A cosmic coincidence?  Visit http://spaceweather.com more information and updates.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Possible Seismic Activity on Asteroid 2012 DA14


Source - NASA Science News for Feb. 14, 2013

Some researchers believe that near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14 might experience seismic activity when it flies through our planet's gravitational field on Feb. 15th. Observatories around the world will be on the lookout for signs of an 'asteroid-quake' during the space rock's close approach.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/14feb_asteroidquakes/

NASA to Broadcast Asteroid Flyby of Earth


Source - NASA Science News for Feb. 13, 2013

On Friday, Feb. 15, NASA TV will provide commentary and images of near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14 as it flies past Earth closer than many artificial satellites.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/13feb_asteroidcoverage/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwidzVHvbGI




Standard YouTube License

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The UN Braces for Stormy Space Weather


Source - NASA Science News for Feb. 13, 2013

Forecasters say solar maximum is due in 2013. To prepare, the United Nations is taking steps to organize an international response to stormy space weather.

From the article: "Space weather might play a role in Earth’s climate, too.  For example, the Maunder minimum, a 70-year period almost devoid of sunspots in the late 17th to early 18th century, coincided with prolonged, very cold winters in the northern hemisphere.  Researchers are increasingly convinced that variations in solar activity have regional effects on climate and weather that pay no attention to national boundaries, and thus can only be studied in meaningful detail by international consortia."

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/13feb_copuos/

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Big Picture Science for 02/11/13 - Say La Vie

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Big Picture Science - Say La Vie

Researchers have discovered life in a buried Antarctic lake. But we’re not surprised. Life is amazingly adaptive. Expose it to any environment – heat, ice, acid or even jet fuel – and thrives. But this discovery of life under the ice may have exciting implications for finding biology beyond Earth.

Scientists share their discovery, and how they drilled down through a half-mile of ice.

Also, plunge into another watery alien world with director James Cameron, and the first solo dive to the deepest, darkest part of the ocean.

Plus, a Nobel Prize-winning chemist tries to create life in his lab to learn more about biology’s origins, and Martian fossils abound in Robert J. Sawyer’s latest sci-fi novel.

Guests:

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Say_La_Vie

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.

Saturday, February 09, 2013

Curiosity Drills into Mars


Source - NASA Science News for Feb. 9, 2013

In a milestone accomplishment, NASA's Curiosity rover has drilled into a rock on Mars and gathered material from its interior. This is the first time any robot has drilled into a rock to collect a sample on Mars.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/09feb_borehole/

Friday, February 08, 2013

See Mercury at Sunset


Source - NASA Science News for Feb. 8, 2013

The planet Mercury is about to make its best apparition of the year for backyard sky watchers. Look west at sunset for a piercing pink planet surrounded by twilight blue.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/08feb_pinkplanet/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=117lEleTeiY




License: Standard YouTube License

Wednesday, February 06, 2013

A Possible Naked-eye Comet in March


Source - NASA Science News for Feb. 6, 2013

A comet falling in from the distant reaches of the solar system could become a naked-eye object in early March. This is Comet Pan-STARRS's first visit to the inner solar system, so surprises are possible as its virgin ices are exposed to intense solar heating for the first time.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/06feb_panstarrs/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZlenAvqLCI




License: Standard YouTube License

Sunday, February 03, 2013

Big Picture Science for 02/04/13 - That's Containment!

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Big Picture Science - That's Containment!

We all crave power: to run laptops, charge cell phones, and play Angry Birds. But if generating energy is easy, storing it is not. Remember when your computer conked out during that cross-country flight? Why can’t someone build a better battery?

Discover why battery design is stuck in the 1800s, and why updating it is key to future green transportation (not to mention more juice for your smartphone). Also, how to build a new type of solar cell that can turn sunlight directly into fuel at the pump.

Plus, force fields, fat cells and other storage systems. And: Shock lobster! Energy from crustaceans?

Guests:
  • Dan Lankford – Former CEO of three battery technology companies, and a managing director at Wavepoint Ventures
  • Jackie Stephens – Biochemist at Louisiana State University
  • Kevin MacVittie – Graduate student of chemistry, Clarkson University, New York
  • Nate Lewis – Chemist, California Institute of Technology
  • Alex Filippenko – Astronomer, University of California, Berkeley

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/That_s_Containment_

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.

Strong Solar Radio Burst

Source - Space Weather News for Feb. 3, 2003: http://spaceweather.com

SOLAR RADIO BURST: Solar activity has been low for weeks.  However, there was a break in the quiet this weekend when new sunspot AR1667 unleashed a strong burst of shortwave radio static.  The emissions were so loud, they overwhelmed the sounds of terrestrial voice transmissions in the loudspeakers of some shortwave radios on Earth.  A recording of the outburst is featured on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com

SOLAR FLARE ALERTS: Would you like a call when solar flares are underway? X-flare alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).