sciencetrack blog

Learning Topology Best Book

2010-12-19T09:20:00.000-08:00

If you want to learn about the amazing subject of math, topology and its real-life applications; I would suggest Introduction to Topology book. The book achieves to provide all essential theories like knots, dynamical systems, chaotic systems, spaces, compact and connected spaces, topological transformations. Besides, the reader can learn where the topology theories are applied. It includes explaining cosmology with topological models, computerized graphics, DNA structure and more.

More detailed review on Topology Book here.

Sizing Up the Universe

2010-11-30T09:43:00.000-08:00

This is a breathtaking publication on sizes in the Universe. This effectively illustrated book, Sizing up the universe, distinctively represents the vastness and charms of the cosmos.

What I identified most successful was the conversation of the apparent measurements physical objects, like the comparing of our Moon with the Andromeda Galaxy, the distances inside our very own solar system and Milky Way galaxy, and the universe beautifully illustrated with a fold out Gott-Juric Map representing the comparable distance of the major objects and constructions of the identified universe.

The photographs are awe-inspiring and offer a recognition of the vastness of objects and distances in the cosmos.

This book is a pleasant acquisition to my hobbyist astronomy selection. Even though I have several books and magazines on the subject of the universe, our galaxy, the solar system and all related structures and objects, this book stands apart because of its power to evidently connect complicated aspects using words, breath-taking images, and drawings.

More on Sizing up the universe book

p.s : Neutrino book and Cycle of time book are worth checking as well.

Nuclear Fusion Fuel Age is coming

2010-01-31T03:06:00.000-08:00

According to an article at The Independent Science, scientists are planning to see the first results of nuclear fusion used as a real fuel in this October, at the new National Ignition Facility (NIF in California. The dreams of ultimate clean green energy can really become a reality in near future according to the scientists with this crucial step. There are over 190 laser beams at the facility, which are ready to start self-sufficing fusion reaction on a very small target.

As you know, hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and the natural fuel of our Sun and the other stars in the universe using the nuclear fusion. As atomic nuclei collide so fast & hard to each other, they release an incredible amount of energy. Remember the bad guy, hydrogen bomb. Think nuclear fusion fuel as a controlled hydrogen bomb which up to now, it couldn't be achieved.

Self-sustaining fusion reaction even needs more extreme conditions than the center of the Sun. Imagine an increadible temperature of 100 million centigrade. We will surely hear more successful results from NIF, hopefully in this year.

via Independent Science

128 Great Places Where Most Important Scientific Events Occured

2009-07-28T05:10:00.000-07:00

I am not talking about traditional science museums but unique places where every science and technology enthusiast try to visit at least once in life. In his 500 pages book, John Graham Cumming takes us into a breath-taking journey. Starting in Kiev Chernobyl museum where one of the biggest nuclear disasters of world happened in 1986, he continues the journey to Deutsches Museum in Munich where more than 20,000 science related objects are in exhibitions. Surely, one day will not be enough to visit every section. Geek Atlas, most wished-for science journey atlas with illustrations is a perfect choice for geeks, science geeks and non-geeks as well.

Amazing Fractal Plants - Romanesco Broccoli

2009-06-22T00:39:00.000-07:00

I hate broccoli but not this one. Because it is mathematically so beautiful !

The flower has one of the most simplistic and beautiful natural 3D fractal forms. Mathematicians especially adore this plant because somehow it makes identical smaller spiral shaped copies of itself and it goes eternally towards center logarithmically. One of the wonders of world like fibonacci numbers and Golden Ratio.

I should also add that it tastes delicious and widely cooked in Italy like other normal broccoli. If you want to plant yours, Amazon sells Romanesco Broccoli seeds very cheap, just $2 for 50 seeds.

Did you see incredible Twining Motion of Morning Glory Vines?

Smithsonian : Magazine For The Curious

2009-05-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a great magazine covering the topics like the arts, environment, science and popular culture, Smithsonian is one of the most quality magazines. It is very creative and educational and I can clearly say that it is for new knowledge and information hunters.

Amazon made a great discount that now we can have all the 12 issues for a year at just $12. It's actual price were $58.88 before the discount. Don't miss this deal!

A Meteorite or Not A Meteorite?

2009-05-16T07:01:00.000-07:00

Did you know that every day lots of enthusiastic people from all over the world claim that they have found a meteorite? These photos with explanations will give you some valuable information about the meteorites. Maybe one day you will meet a real one :)

What to do if you find a meteorite? Read more

Orion StarBlast 4.5 Astro Reflector Best Mid-Range Telescope

2009-04-04T00:30:00.000-07:00

Are you interested in astronomy and want to able to find, identify planets, moon craters, saturn's rings, stars, galaxies, nebulas and view them like they are near you?

If so, never buy a telescope which looks like a junk toy, because you or your child will be bored soon and you would spend money for extras like lenses in any case. It is better to buy a serious intermediate class telescope like Orion StarBlast 4.5 Astro Reflector Telescope which has 18"-long tube and 4.5" mirror which is quite effective with eyepieces of 26x and 72x magnification. Plus you get one of the most appreciated astronomy software for free, Starry Night.

If you prefer you can read Amazon exclusive review and other recommendations of the Amazon customers here before buying. Orion StarBlast 4.5 Astro Reflector Telescope

Best Astronomy Books for Amazon Kindle 2

2009-03-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Amazon's top selling book reader Kindle 2 becomes more and more popular each day. Being a Kindle 2 owner and a popular science blog, I would like to introduce you some of the

Top rated Amazon Astronomy and Space science books for Kindle 2.

These include Elegant Universe (Powerful book about Superstring theory), Pluto Files (Everything about our tiny old-planet friend), The Secret History of Nasa, Death by Black Hole ( Entertaining and informative mind expansion book ), The Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinov (True Popular Science Book for science-fiction lovers) and other popular, highly recommended astronomy books for Kindle 2.

Robot Building? Which set is the best?

2009-02-24T01:34:00.000-08:00

LEGO Mindstorms NXT is the correct choice if you are new to robot building and want to create amazing robots very fast which do almost everything possible including walking, running, seeing (yes, thanks to ultrasonic sensor) giving feedback to sounds, voices, touch, light and more.

There is a common scenario for many hobby starters. They are afraid to try such hi-tech hobbies because of the prejudice that it is so hard to build robots and program them.

First of all, LEGO Mindstorms NXT doesn't require any prior programming language and doesn't enforce you to learn. All you need to do is drag&drop. In later stages, you can surely continue with the programming tools which is provided in the system. You can transfer your program to robot's brain (NXT Intelligent Brick) through USB or Bluetooth wirelessly. So, you can control your robot in any bluetooth powered device including PDAs, laptops or even mobile phones.

What you get :

• 3 interactive servo motors feature inbuilt rotation sensors to align speed for precise control
• New ultrasonic sensor makes robots "“see" by responding to movement
• New sound sensor enables robots to react to sound commands, including sound pattern and tone recognition
• Improved light sensor detects different colors and light intensity
• Improved touch sensor reacts to touch or release and allows robots to feel
• 519 hand-selected, stylized elements from the Lego Technic building system ensure robot creations will be sturdy and durable while also looking authentic
• Opportunities for physical programming of robots and interaction with robots during programming
• 18 building challenges with clear, step-by-step instructions help acclimate users to the new system to create robots ranging from humanoids and machinery to animals and vehicles
• Digital wire interface allows for third-party developments

LEGO Mindstorms NXT is available on Amazon store with special promotions and free discounts.

Creativity is the key to happiness in this life!

Related article : Ready for the challange? Roboreptile or Lego Mindstorms NXT

The Nightmare of Stephen Hawking !

2009-02-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

Scientific Cat-fight ! These were the first words when I have seen the cover of this cool science book on the first sight, The Black Hole War: My Battle with Stephen Hawking to Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics which is authored by Leonard Susskind, Felix Bloch Professor in theoretical physics at Stanford University.

What happens when something is sucked into a black hole? Does it disappear? Three decades ago, a young physicist named Stephen Hawking claimed it did-and in doing so put at risk everything we know about physics and the fundamental laws of the universe. Most scientists didn't recognize the import of Hawking's claims, but Leonard Susskind and Gerard t'Hooft realized the threat, and responded with a counterattack that changed the course of physics. THE BLACK HOLE WAR is the thrilling story of their united effort to reconcile Hawking's revolutionary theories of black holes with their own sense of reality-effort that would eventually result in Hawking admitting he was wrong, paying up, and Susskind and t'Hooft realizing that our world is a hologram projected from the outer boundaries of space.

It is one the most entertaining popular science books which is also brilliant and mind opening on the subjects like quantum mechanics, black holes, string theory, general relativity. Recommended for brain fun !

Trillions of Planets with Alien Life

2009-02-17T05:32:00.000-08:00

Well, actually it is a long debate that there could be many earth-like planets where other alien life forms can exist. Actually Drake Equation was trying to formulate this mind blasting question for around 50 years. Now, a leading Cambridge Institution astronomer Alan Boss states that the number of earth-like planets could be at least 100 hundred billion trillion which results in an unavoidable fact for extraterrestrial life according to him. He also added that if there is an habitable planet, it would certainly appear some kind of life form there by time, in a few billion years. He believes that we will find such planets with the proven fact of simple life forms. How about the intelligent life besides bacteria? Well, according to him, it would be a big coincidence to find such creatures at the same time of ours because we will survive further 100,000 years further, very unlikely !

Time Lapse Video of Mushroom and Mold Growth

2009-01-02T09:46:00.000-08:00

This cool video is from BBC Planet Earth series. You should check as well extreme nutational movements of morning glory vines Quite interesting.

Most spectacular images from the Hubble Space Telescope

2008-11-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

One of the most impressive books of 2008 in the science field is Hubble: Imaging Space and Time. This book shows the reader more than 200 of the most spectacular images in full color format from the Hubble Space Telescope taken during its lifetime. A breathtaking journey to the solar system’s workings: the expansion of the universe, the birth and death of stars, the formation of planetary nebulae, the dynamics of galaxies, and the mysterious force known as "dark energy."

A look to stunning Carina Nebula, being an eyewitness to star birth in many photos, a jet from a black hole in one galaxy striking a neighboring galaxy; a jewel-like collection of galaxies from the early years of the universe taken from the farthermost; and a giant galaxy cruelly swallowing a smaller galaxy.

One of the best space photo books of Amazon in 2008.

Hubble: Imaging Space and Time

Strange Fact Video - Worm Charming

2008-10-15T00:11:00.000-07:00

I noticed this interesting experiment video while stumbling upon youtube and was shocked to see such a clever method. First of all, what are exactly these mysterious words? Worm Charming: Worm charming, worm grunting, and worm fiddling are methods of attracting earthworms from the ground. In 2008 researchers from Vanderbilt university proved that the worms surface because the noise is similar to a hungry mole.

This video shows how worm charming works replicating the mole sound. I learned that there is also a "World Worm Charming Championship" started in 1980 and is now an annual event in a sport form. The current world record, as listed by Guinness World Records, was established at that first event with teenager Tom Shufflebotham collecting 511 worms in 30 minutes.

Life is really strange.

Amazing! How to synchronize 5 metronomes?

2008-08-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

Synchronisation of 5 coupled metronomes done in Lancaster University, Physics Dep, Nonlinear dynamics and medical physics group. Watch the video carefully and try to understand the science behind it.

And the explanation. Here you go: metronomes (or "pendula") when on table, oscillate with random phases, since that is how they started and they are "uncoupled" (no energy/information flows from one to other so they do not "know" each other.) When they are all together on the cans, notice that the cans themselves oscillate little, providing coupling/information crossover. which forces "synchronization" in periodic systems (discovered by Huygens in 17th century).

You can watch other cool science videos here.

Nano-Technology For Gadget Protection

2008-08-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

Latest developments in nano-technology introduces us with new amazing products. One of the most popular of such products for this year is ZAGG's invisibleSHIELD. It is an ultra-tough, transparent patented film which is designed to precisely match the contours of every device, providing unbeatable scratch protection.

Actually, its story extends to military purposes. The military grade invisibleSHIELD film was originally developed for the U.S. Military to protect helicopter blades from dust, dirt and debris.

This is exceptionally clear and virtually indestructible product, you can show off your gadget and use it without fear of scratching.

Obviously, the best part is that the ultra-thin film is only 0.2 mm thick and will not add bulk to your device.

Protect your Digital Life from Scratches. Buy the invisibleSHIELD. Free Shipping. Lifetime Guarantee.

12 Principle Brain Rules for the Optimum Benefits

2008-07-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

This is among the most engaging books on the topic of brain science and learning.

In Brain Rules, molecular biologist Dr. John Medina shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. In each chapter, he describes a brain rule--what scientists know for sure about how our brains work--and then offers transformation ideas for our daily lives.

Medina's fascinating stories and sense of humor breathe life into brain science. You'll learn why Michael Jordan was no good at baseball. You'll peer over a surgeon's shoulder as he finds, to his surprise, that we have a Jennifer Aniston neuron. You'll meet a boy who has an amazing memory for music but can't tie his own shoes.

The Coldest Place in the Universe !

2008-07-19T05:06:00.000-07:00

The LHC (Large Hadron Collider) is entering the final stages of being lowered to a temperature of 1.9 Kelvin (-271C; -456F) - colder than deep space.

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is a particle accelerator complex intended to collide opposing beams of 7 TeV protons built by CERN. Its main purpose is to explore the validity and limitations of the standard model, the current theoretical picture for particle physics. This model is known to break down at a certain high energy level.

The LHC has thousands of magnets which will be maintained in this frigid condition using liquid helium. The magnets are arranged in a ring that runs for 27km through the giant tunnel.

Once the LHC is operational, two particle beams - usually consisting of protons accelerated to high energies - will be fired down pipes running through the magnets.

These beams will then travel in opposite directions around the main ring at close to the speed of light.

At allotted points along the tunnel, the beams will cross paths, smashing into one another with cataclysmic force. Scientists hope to see new particles in the debris of these collisions, revealing fundamental new insights into the nature of the cosmos and how it came into being.

The most powerful physics experiment ever built, the LHC will re-create the conditions just after the Big Bang.

Concerns have been raised regarding the safety of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) on the grounds that high-energy particle collisions performed in the LHC might produce dangerous phenomena, including micro black holes, strangelets, vacuum bubbles and magnetic monopoles.

In response to these concerns, the LHC Safety Study Group, a group of independent scientists, performed a safety analysis of the LHC and concluded in a report published in 2003 that there is "no basis for any conceivable threat".

In 2008, drawing from new experimental data and theoretical understanding, the LHC Safety Assessment Group (LSAG) published a report updating the 2003 safety review, in which they reaffirmed and extended its conclusions that LHC particle collisions present no danger.

Going crazy about DNA

2008-07-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

Genetic instructions that makes us unique or from another approach, cruelly just a clone from similar patterns. I have compiled the most interesting news and articles about DNA for this year. Let's start to discover!

5 Things You Didn't Know about DNA :

1- The human genome was almost commercialized
2- DNA testing is used to authenticate foods like caviar
3- Full genome DNA testing can be had for as little as $1,000
4- The first-ever DNA evidence cleared a murder suspect almost 20 years ago
5- DNA says Genghis Khan was a prolific lover

First DNA Molecule Made Almost Entirely Of Artificial Parts
A team in Japan has created the world's first DNA strand made from artificial bases. The discovery could be used in the fields of gene therapy and other futuristic high-tech advances, such as nano-sized computers

Genetic structure of the cacao tree
The chocolate company Mars has announced that it is to decode the genetic structure of the cacao tree.

Oldest human DNA recovered: Dating to 14,300 years ago
DNA from dried human excrement recovered from Oregon's Paisley Caves is the oldest found yet in the New World -- dating to 14,300 years ago, some 1,200 years before Clovis culture -- and provides apparent genetic ties to Siberia or Asia, according to an international team of 13 scientists.

DNA leads police to salami-loving thief
German authorities were able to pin a burglary committed in April on a suspected serial thief after he left a half-eaten slice of salami carrying a sliver of his DNA at a crime scene

Experts Fear New DNA Tests May Become Fuel for Racists
Nonscientists are already beginning to stitch together highly speculative conclusions about the historically charged subject of race and intelligence from the new biological data.

I hope you enjoyed my quick the most interesting DNA news compilation.

And a perfect documentary DVD about the secrets of DNA as a bonus to the topic.

Ghost in Your Genes

Identical twins share the same genes and are often startlingly alike. Why, then, should they often meet such different fates one twin developing a serious disease like cancer while the other remains unscathed? In a compelling scientific detective story, The Ghost in Your Genes explores the provocative idea that there may be more to inheritance than genes alone. New clues reveal that a second epigenetic chemical code sits on top of our regular DNA and controls how our genes are expressed, turning them on or off with dramatic consequences for our health.

This revolutionary finding has vital implications not only for treating disease but for how we take care of ourselves. While we inherit the epigenome much as we do DNA, it appears to respond far more to our environment and lifestyles. So our stress levels and what we eat, drink, and breathe may leave an enduring imprint, not just on our own bodies but on the generations to come. In a tour-de-force of scientific sleuthing, NOVA reveals the discoveries that have overturned the old story of inheritance and have profound relevance for how we choose to lead our lives.

Excellent Albert Einstein Videos

2008-07-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

The father of theory of relativity and specifically mass-energy equivalence, E = mc2. Einstein received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect." Here, you will find very interesting and educative Albert Einstein videos.

The voice of Albert Einstein. He explains the equivalence of energy and matter in this video.

The life of Albert Einstein - part 1

The life of Albert Einstein - part 2

The life of Albert Einstein - part 3

The life of Albert Einstein - part 4

The life of Albert Einstein - part 5

Mind Opening Carl Sagan Science Videos

2008-06-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

"For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring. " - Carl Sagan

Although his Cosmos series is nearly 20 years old, it remains as relevant today as it did in the early 1980s. Here are some excellent video excerpts from the series.

One Thousand Years of Darkness : Sagan discusses the destruction of the Library of Alexandria and why the momentous discoveries of the ancient world were unable to prevent the dark ages from virtually banishing scientific thought for a millennium. A sobering statement on what ignorance, apathy and fanaticism can do if left unchallenged.

4th Dimension Explanation : from world famous astronomer and astrophysicist legendary Carl Sagan

Drake Equation :

Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence :

A New Vision : Two-Timing Universe

2008-05-31T10:05:00.000-07:00

For nearly a century, physicists have tried to reconcile Einstein’s vision of the universe (including three dimensions of space and one of time) with the bizarre realm of quantum physics, rife with such oddities as instant communication at a distance and being in two places at once. The effort to unify the views has resulted in a stream of elaborate hypotheses positing worlds with multiple dimensions of space, most notably string theory and its successor, M-theory.

Itzhak Bars, a theoretical physicist at the University of Southern California, thinks these hypotheses are missing a crucial ingredient: an extra dimension of time. By adding a second dimension of time and a fourth dimension of space to Einstein’s standard space-time, Bars has come up with a new model providing “additional information that remained hidden in previous formulations” of physics, including current versions of M-theory. Such a model could better explain “how nature works,” he says.

Physicists had never added a second dimension of time to their models because it opens the possibility of traveling back in time and introduces negative probabilities and other scenarios that seem nonsensical. In his equations Bars has solved these problems with a new symmetry that treats an object’s position and its momentum as interchangeable at any given instant.

Does this mean we could actually experience a second dimension of time? “Yes,” Bars says, “but only indirectly,” by thinking of the world around us as many shadows that look different depending on the perspective of the light source. “The predicted relations among the different shadows contain most of the information about the extra dimensions,” he explains. Next, Bars and his team are developing tests for two-time physics and investigating how to apply the theory to all the natural forces, including gravity. Adding two-time physics to M-theory, he says, should help us close in on “the fundamental theory that so far has eluded all of us.”

Source : Discovery Magazine

Absolute Hot versus Absolute Cold

2008-05-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

As you know, physics is consists of constants which amazes us. Surely, you have heard about the Absolute Zero where you can't go more colder than -273,15C or -459F or 0 Kelvin. Scientists achieved to reach the coldest temperature in lab environment which is -273,149999999. So it seems that there is no way under. But what about the Absolute Hot, maximum possible temperature? The answer is both yes, no or maybe? Standard theory accepts the Planck Temperature (100 million million million million million degrees, or 10³² Kelvin) which occurred 10^-43 seconds after the Big Bang got under way. At that instant, known as one Planck time, the entire universe is thought to have been the Planck length, or 10^-35 meters. You can read more about this very important subject here. There is also a very interesting animation which scales the known temperature ranges. Check it here too.

Imagine: Playing with Dimensions Video

2008-05-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

Width, Length and Height. Do you think that it is what all we have in a 3D world. How about further dimensions? How to visualize them up to tenth dimension!? An interesting science video which can hint you another undiscovered area of thinking. Here is the video

World's Largest Squid (to be cut for scientific research)

2008-04-29T03:41:00.000-07:00

Almost one year ago, fishermen off the coast of Antarctica accidentally caught the squid in a net while catching a Patagonian toothfish, The squid was busy at eating a hooked toothfish when it was hauled from the deep.

Here is the photo of this 1,089-pound giant colossal squid, known as the world's largest. It is currently in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa and you can watch the dissection of this long Colossal Squid live between 28 – 30 April.

It will be released also the footage of thaw process by Discovery Channel in late 2008.

Mother's eating habits can influence the sex of her baby

2008-04-23T00:23:00.000-07:00

In England, a group of scientists from Oxford and Exeter universities made a survey on 740 women, who had become pregnant for the first time, learning their eating habits in the year before they conceived. The results are really impressive and evident. The style of diet, namely high-calorie or restricted directly affects the gender of baby. They found that 56% of women in the high calorie group gave birth to boys, compared with 45% in the lower calorie group. None of the women was obese or aware of the gender of her baby throughout her pregnancy.

Fiona Mathews, the specialist in mammalian biology at Exeter University who manages the research said : "We were able to confirm the old legend that eating bananas and so having a high potassium intake was associated with having a boy, as was a high sodium intake. But the old tale about drinking a lot of milk to have a girl doesn't seem to be true. In fact, more calcium meant they were again more likely to have a boy.

Professor Stuart West, of Edinburgh University, said women should be extremely cautious about using diet to influence the sex of their offspring because it can result in several health implications.

Via : Guardian

Book Gifts for Science and Technology Fans

2008-04-16T00:02:00.001-07:00

If you are looking for a science and technology related nice gift for your friends, loved ones, I suggest the following books. Actually they are the most gifted sci-tech books of Amazon

Amazon.com Widgets

Garmin nüvi 660 : Best Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

2008-04-02T23:20:00.000-07:00

It is no wonder that Garmin nüvi 660 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator is the best seller electronics item in Amazon website. The NUVI 660 has it all! The price that Amazon offers is incredible for such a full featured GPS unit. Turn by Turn, says street names to make navigating easier, different voices and customizable vehicle icons make it fun too. I love the MP3 player and the ability to play it on my radio system. I use the bluetooth phone everyday, works great. The only issue I can find is the mounting kit is only OK. We can't mount it on windows in CA and the adhesive wasn't strong enough to hold it. Other than that, great system, well worth the extra money for the MP3 and Bluetooth if you are wondering. .. You simply can't go wrong with this product. Outstanding system at excellent price in Amazon.

Teach Science to Your Children with Fun

2008-03-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

I will introduce you a great Science Experiments Book for kids which will give both children and parents busy but also very funny moments. In this book, it is illustrated how to use regular household items to do entertaining science experiments.

Some questions answered are :

Is it possible to blow up a balloon without actually blowing into it?
What is inside coins?
Can a magnet ever be "turned off"?
Do toilets always flush in the same direction?
Can a swimming pool be cleaned with just the breath of one person?

Well, I admit that being a 34 years old science fan, even I don't know the most answers.

The World's Most Poisonous Deadly Animals

2008-03-05T05:04:00.000-08:00

The above image shows the most venomous and poisonous animals in the world. Some of them can look innocent but has the power of instant death for people and other animals. I have compiled some information for each deadly monster.

Box Jellyfish

It lives in the oceans of Asia and Australia. Swimmers must definitely avoid the Box jellyfish. The stingers and tentacles on this animal are extremely powerful. Along with causing excruciating pain for weeks, the animal's venom is capable of stopping the heart or paralyzing the lungs. To top it off, the venom will slowly eat away at the skin.

Marbled Cone Snail

The venom of this tiny snail leads to paralysis almost immediately. Humans that have experienced a bite are succumbed by weakness, numbness, nausea and death, when the lungs ultimately stop working.

Blue Ringed Octopus
The painless bite from a Blue Ringed Octopus may seem innocuous, however the deadly neurotoxins in the animals saliva immediately begin working. Within a few minutes, a human will experience muscular weakness, numbness, followed by a cessation and breathing and ultimately death

Death Stalker Scorpion
The venom of the scorpion causes an intense and unbearable pain, then fever, followed by coma, convulsions, paralysis and death. Living area is North Africa and Middle East.

Stonefish

Highly camouflaged fish living in the waters of the Pacific throughout the Australia coast.
If contact comes with humans, the venom will cause intense pain, swelling of tissue, shock followed by death.

Sydney Funnel Web Spider
One of the most venomous creatures in the Australia outback, the Sydney Funnel Web Spider packs a powerful punch. This spider is large and very aggressive, consistently creating the most powerful venom of any spider. Protecting its burrow, the spider places a web across its entrance that passers by should not enter. From its fangs, the spider delivers a powerful neurotoxin that cause extreme pain and are capable of killing a person within 15 minutes. It's venom does not affect most mammals but has a very powerful effect on humans.

Poison Dart Frog

While running through the rain forests of Central or South America, do not pick up the Poison dart frog. The frog's skin contains a toxic chemical that sickens or kills any animal that touches or eats it. Two micrograms of this deadly toxin (enough to fit on the head of a pin) will easily kill a human being or other large mammal.

I hoped you liked this venomous animals compilation.

If you stop smoking Right Now?

2008-03-05T01:35:00.000-08:00

In 20 minutes your blood pressure will drop back down to normal.

In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) levels in your blood stream will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.
In 48 hours your chance of having a heart attack will have decreased. All nicotine will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.
In 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax, and your energy levels will increase.
In 2 weeks your circulation will increase, and it will continue to improve for the next 10 weeks.
In three to nine months coughs, wheezing and breathing problems will dissipate as your lung capacity improves by 10%.
In 1 year your risk of having a heart attack will have dropped by half.
In 5 years your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.
In 10 years your risk of lung cancer will have returned to that of a non-smoker.
In 15 years your risk of heart attack will have returned to that of a non-smoker.

Give your body the attention and health it deserves now!

Related Article : Shocking Smoking Experiment

Sunrise : Nature's Alarm Clock

2008-02-28T21:39:00.000-08:00

Discovery Channel store continues to bring us the beauty of our planet which we have never seen before.

Their latest series called as Sunrise Earth HD DVD Set is now for $35 off at $24.95 plus FREE shipping !

12 complete episodes totalling at 11 hours and 55 minutes on 4 discs.

That's a great way to start a day with relaxation and admiration to the beautiful earth. Bravo Discovery Channel!

Say Welcome to 'No Tears' Onions

2008-02-28T07:29:00.000-08:00

Scientists in New Zealand and Japan have created a "No more tears" onion using biotechnology to cut the gene from action behind the enzyme that makes us cry. The discovery could signal an end to one of cooking's eternal puzzles: why does cutting up a simple onion sting the eyes and trigger teardrops? Soon, it is possible that we will see the first no tears onion prototypes in markets.

Read More Here

Best Science Books and DVDs at Amazon

2008-02-19T09:19:00.000-08:00

Here are my selected all time favorite science books and dvds. I hope you will like too. Enjoy !

Planet Earth : The Greatest Nature Wildlife Series

2008-02-13T01:02:00.000-08:00

This incredible 11-part Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series features the most astonishing sights and sounds you'll ever experience from the comforts of your home. All episodes are 50 minutes and you will want to finish all without any break. This is undoubtedly one of the best documentary films about the nature and wildlife habitat (mountains, caves, deserts, shallow seas, seasonal forests, etc.) until the entire planet has been magnificently represented. A favorite item for both children and the parents.

You can buy at Amazon at the lowest prices. The series are sold in 3 formats, 5 DVD Discs Set, Blu-ray and HD DVD for the maximum pleasure.

Discovery Channel Store also sells the legendary Planet Earth BBC Series with discount.

The Strange Dotted Dunes of Mars

2008-02-06T04:52:00.000-08:00

What causes the black dots on dunes on Mars? Here is the explanation of this great Mars photo. As spring dawned on the Northern Hemisphere of Mars in 2004, dunes of sand near the poles begin to defrost. Thinner regions of ice thaw first revealing sand whose darkness soaks in sunlight and accelerates the thaw. The thaw process may involve sandy jets exploding through the thinning ice. By summer, the spots expanded to encompass the entire dunes that were then completely thawed and dark. The carbon dioxide and water ice actually sublime in the thin atmosphere directly to gas. Taken in July, the above image shows a field of spotted polar dunes spanning about 3 kilometers near the Martian North Pole.

Interesting Phenomenon: Sine-Wave Speech

2008-01-31T10:38:00.000-08:00

This is a interesting perceptual phenomenon which will mess with your head a little bit.

Sine wave speech is artificially degraded speech that sounds like just beeps and whistles until you have been primed to hear it as speech.

Try it here, you will be amazed!

Twining motion of vines

2008-01-22T10:20:00.000-08:00

This movie shows the extreme nutational movements of morning glory vines. Climbing vines need to find a suitable support on which to grow. Shortly after germinating, the young plant begins what appears to be a hunting motion in which the shoot tip rotates in a nutational movement. This swinging around of the tip is thought to help the plant bump into a support. If the shoot rubs against a support with the right shape, the rubbing induces a thigmotropic response (tropism induced by touch) and the shoot begins to curl around the support. This movie shows three morning glory plants at the stage where they have just begun "looking" for a support to climb. Vines typically show the most extreme nutational movements. The images were captured at 10 min intervals.

Deadly infections increasingly able to win against antibiotics

2008-01-21T09:43:00.000-08:00

These organisms are very small, but they are still smarter than we are.

Since commercial production of penicillin began in the 1940s, antibiotics have been the miracle drugs of modern medicine, suppressing infectious diseases that have afflicted human beings for thousands of years. But today, as a generation of Baby Boomers begins to enter a phase of life marked by the ailments of aging, we are running out of miracles against bacteria.

"Within just a few years, we could be seeing that most of our microorganisms are resistant to most of our antibiotics," said Dr. Jack Edwards, chief of infectious diseases at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Terry Hazen, senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and director of its ecology program, is not at all surprised by the tenacity of our bacterial foes. "We are talking about 3.5 billion years of evolution," he said. "They are the dominant life on Earth."

Bacteria have invaded virtually every ecological niche on the planet. Human explorers of extreme environments such as deep wells and mines are still finding new bacterial species. "As you go deeper into the subsurface, thousands and thousands of feet, you find bacteria that have been isolated for millions of years - and you find multiple antibiotic resistance," Hazen said.

In his view, when bacteria develop resistance to modern antibiotics, they are merely rolling out old tricks they mastered eons ago in their struggle to live in harsh environments in competition with similarly resilient species.

Via SFGate.com

Nanotubes for treating brain tumors

2008-01-17T22:56:00.000-08:00

Dance of SuperNova Explosions

2008-01-17T08:33:00.000-08:00

Newly released optical images of DEM L316 made with GMOS on Gemini South. These images were obtained as part of the Gemini Legacy Imaging Survey which is led by: P. Michaud, S. Fisher, and R. Carrasco from Gemini and T. Rector from the Univ. of Alaska at Anchorage

Stunning Views of Multiple Universes

2008-01-17T08:13:00.000-08:00

For those who didn't see yet, I suggest visiting an incredible page which gives a stunning visual effect of universes one within the other beginning with the quarks to a view of Milky Way at 10 million light years from the Earth. After viewing Milky Way at the end, maybe you will think that all this universe we have known is just an atom in another one. Why not?

Alert For Everest : Crowded, littered and dangerous

2008-01-15T09:55:00.000-08:00

The call of Everest is an irresistible pull for hundreds of climbers every year despite the odds - one in 10 never comes back.

Named by the British after Sir George Everest, the former British surveyor general, the 29,029ft mountain is the highest on Earth, and a major tourist attraction in Nepal.

Climbers aged between 15 and 71 have scaled its summit in the years since Edmund Hillary's 1953 triumph.

But it is not quite the virgin territory it was then. Recent visitors have described the mountain as a polluted rubbish dump.

According to the Kathmandu Post: "The trail leading to the summit remains littered with more than 200 tonnes of garbage."

Saturn's moon Epimetheus : Close Image by Cassini

2008-01-13T08:43:00.000-08:00

The Cassini spacecraft's very close flyby of Epimetheus in December 2007 returned great images of the moon's south polar region.

The view shows what might be the remains of a large impact crater covering most of this face, and which could be responsible for the somewhat flattened shape of the southern part of Epimetheus (116 kilometers, or 72 miles across) seen previously at much lower resolution.

The image also shows two terrain types: darker, smoother areas, and brighter, slightly more yellowish, fractured terrain. One interpretation of this image is that the darker material evidently moves down slopes, and probably has a lower ice content than the brighter material, which appears more like "bedrock." Nonetheless, materials in both terrains are likely to be rich in water ice.

One More Step to The Final Solution of Cancer Spreads

2008-01-11T06:57:00.000-08:00

British scientists have solved one of the secrets behind how cancer invades the body.

The breakthrough, carried out at Manchester University, could help pave the way for a generation of drugs that would halt up to 90 per cent of cancers in their tracks.

Such drugs could be particularly effective against breast and lung tumors - two of the biggest killers.

More than 150,000 Britons a year are killed by cancer, and breast and lung tumors account for almost a third of those deaths.

NASA Mars Images Have a Strange "Doorway" Structure

2008-01-07T04:15:00.000-08:00

There is a strange door-like structure at the base of the mountain formation from a NASA image of Mars that is causing a stir. The first person to notice it wasn’t a NASA scientist, however, but rather a Russian reader of the portal R&D.Cnews, Alexander Novgorodov. Taking a closer look at an image taken by the spacecraft Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, he noticed an unusual morphology, which looks strikingly like a manmade doorway.

Read and see more images here

Stunning Nanotechnology Images

2008-01-04T01:14:00.000-08:00

The 2007 Materials Research Society (MRS) Fall Meeting concluded in Boston on November 30. The images was taken from Science as Art competition that was held at MRS.

Nano-Explosions Color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph of an overflowed electrodeposited magnetic nanowire array (CoFeB), where the template has been subsequently completely etched. It’s a reminder that nanoscale research can have unpredicted consequences at a high level.

Dirty Dice Self-assembled 200 micron size nickel dice, imaged using scanning electron microscopy in the lower secondary electron (LEI) mode. The dice were colorized using Adobe Photoshop.

Bamboos for Vibration Control Ni-Mn-Ga melt-extracted fibers with an approximate diameter of 100 µm showing a bamboo-type structure

Beauty of Nature SEM image of CuInSe₂ film with Cu₂Se (plates) and InSe (needles) crystals on the surface.

Layered steps in Lanthanum Cobaltite The picture shows a colored image of the layered steps formed inside closed pores of La_0.8Ca_0.2CoO₃, which were revealed due to fracture of the material.

Do we dream to train ourselves?

2008-01-04T00:24:00.000-08:00

I would like to share with you a great article about dreams.

An interesting Theory discussing the possibility that we dream to train ourselves, a Theatre of Threats.

Interesting ideas represented.

Check it out at Psychology Today!

Smart Butterflies trick ants into raising their offspring

2008-01-04T00:16:00.000-08:00

Nature is just amazing!

The Alcon blue butterfly deposits its larvae on marsh gentian plants where exploring ants find them, identify the chemical coating, and take the butterfly larvae back to the ant colony and feed them until they grow up and leave.

Read the whole article here

A Great Discovery to Understand Planet Formations

2008-01-04T00:07:00.000-08:00

Scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg have recently discovered the youngest known extrasolar planet. Its host star is still surrounded by the disk of gas and dust from which it was only recently born. This discovery is an important milestone allowing scientists to draw important conclusions about the timing of planet formation. Some of the questions need answers are the following. How do planetary systems form? How common are they? What is planetary system architecture? And the most important one. How many habitable earth-like planets exist in the Milky Way? Read More

Pangea Ultima : Earth in 250 million years in the Future

2007-12-27T06:19:00.000-08:00

This is how our world looked like 18000 years ago. The next photos show the present day and 250 million years from now step by step.

Genetics Wonders : New Organisms of 2007

2007-12-26T08:52:00.000-08:00

Maybe you wonder instantly what "new organisms" mean.

It means that totally new creatures that didn't exist before 01.01.2007. Yes, you have heard correctly.

If you want to know in detail about Hypoallergenic lifestyle cats, Butanol producing E.coli, glow in the dark cats and more read this excellent article on Wired

A Deeper Look To Our Sun

2007-12-24T11:57:00.000-08:00

This is a very nice educative video about Sun. I suggest you to watch to learn more about our energy source.

New Study Shows Beetles Amazing Success Story

2007-12-21T06:47:00.000-08:00

A new evolutionary study has shown. that beetles are much stronger than we thought and first appeared on Earth at the same time as the earliest dinosaurs and survived until our time

Today, there are an estimated 350,000 known species of beetle on Earth, and probably several million more yet to be discovered, say scientists. The insects account for about a quarter of all life forms on the planet.

The new research shows that modern beetle lineages go back further than anyone suspected, even pre-dating the emergence of flowering plants. Previously it had been assumed that the beetles' success story was partly due to flowers which started to bloom in the Cretaceous period, from around 140 million years ago.

Flowering plants were thought to have provided beetles with new sources of food and habitats.

But according to the latest findings many of today's beetle families originated during the earlier Jurassic period, which also saw the appearance of the first major groups of dinosaurs.

Beetles first entered the fossil record in the Lower Permian period, nearly 300 million years ago.

Study leader Professor Alfried Vogler, from Imperial College London and the Natural History Museum, said: "The large number of beetle species existing today could very well be a direct result of this early evolution and the fact that there has been a very high rate of survival and continuous diversification of many lineages since then."

Prof Vogler's team used DNA sequencing and fossil records to compile a comprehensive evolutionary "family tree" for beetles.

By comparing the DNA of 1,880 different beetle species, the scientists were able to identify those which descended from a common ancestor. Fossils of known ages were used to date key moments of evolution and diversification on the ancestral tree.

While the dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago, beetles have continued to flourish, evolving into a plethora of different shapes and sizes.

Asteroid can hit Mars in late January, 1/75 Chances

2007-12-21T06:37:00.000-08:00

A newly discovered space rock has a 1 in 75 chance of slamming into the Red Planet on Jan. 30, scientists said Thursday.

"These odds are extremely unusual. We frequently work with really long odds when we track ... threatening asteroids," said Steve Chesley, an astronomer with the Near Earth Object Program at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The asteroid, known as 2007 WD5, was discovered in late November and is similar in size to the Tunguska object that hit remote central Siberia in 1908, unleashing energy equivalent to a 15-megaton nuclear bomb that wiped out 60 million trees.

Scientists tracking the asteroid, which is halfway to Mars, initially put the odds of impact at 1 in 350 and increased the chances this week after analyzing the data. Scientists expect the odds to diminish again early next month after getting new observations of the asteroid's orbit, Chesley said.

"We know that it's going to fly by Mars and most likely going to miss, but there's a possibility of an impact," he said.

If the asteroid does smash into Mars, it'll likely aim near the equator close to where the rover Opportunity has been exploring the Martian plains since 2004. The robot is not in danger because it lies outside the impact zone. Speeding at 8 miles a second, a collision would carve a hole the size of the famed Meteor Crater in Arizona.

In 2004, fragments of the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 smacked into Jupiter, creating a series of overlapping fireballs in space. Astronomers have yet to witness an asteroid impact with another planet.

"Unlike an Earth impact, we're not afraid, but we're excited," Chesley said.

Source : AOL News

Global Warming - Polar Bear

2007-12-09T03:39:00.000-08:00

Don't you feel bad now?!

Excellent Space Walk Images

2007-12-08T01:36:00.000-08:00

Click to enlarge photos.

Interesting Natural Phenomenon -- The red tide

2007-12-07T01:55:00.000-08:00

"Red tide is an estuarine or marine algal bloom [a relatively rapid increase in the population of (usually) phytoplankton algae in an aquatic system] and is caused by a species of dinoflagellates, often present in sufficient numbers (thousands or millions of cells per milliliter) to turn the water red or brown. Coastal water pollution produced by humans and systematic increase in sea water temperature appear to be causal factors in red tides. On the Pacific Coast of the U.S. there have been apparent increases in the occurrence of red tides since about 1991. These increases are correlated with a marine temperature rise of about one degree Celsius, and also with increased nutrient loading into ocean waters. Additionally, red tide can assume its dormant form if the water cools to a sufficient degree. When it does this it forms cysts which drop to the ocean floor and rebloom if the right conditions occur."(Read more)

things -- the phytoplankton algae.

frameworks -- the thousands or millions of phytoplankton cells that come together.c

lockworks -- water pollution and a decrease water temperature cause this event to happen. it can come and go whenever these situations are present.

Spiral Galaxy M81 - Sharpest Image Ever Taken

2007-12-03T07:30:00.001-08:00

The galaxy is located 11.6 million light-years away !

Have you ever seen such cloud formations ?!

2007-12-02T04:21:00.000-08:00

A very interesting photo taken December 11, 2003 in Alabama.

It is a natural event called as "Hole Punch" Clouds.

Learn more here how it happened.

Incredible Optical Illusion : Motion Induced Blindness

2007-11-29T21:23:00.000-08:00

Michael Bach has presented on his site a very interesting illusion. You fixate your eyes in the center of some rotating square and 3 yellow dots inside begin to disappear.

It is very easy to do. You will be amazed how our eyes can be confused easily.

Go to try yourself

A Shocking Experiment Video for Heavy Smokers

2007-11-22T02:42:00.000-08:00

This video clip shows what you will get after smoking 400 cigarettes on your lungs.

Seeing is believing! 7200 mgr of black toxic chemical called tar. It contains many deadly elements assuring to make you lung cancer in the long run.

Forward this article to the people you love and care !

New Discovery : 4,000 years old temple in Peru

2007-11-12T01:50:00.000-08:00

4,000-year-old temple filled with murals on the northern coast of Peru was discovered. It became one of the oldest finds in the Americas.

The temple, inside a larger ruin, includes a staircase that leads up to an altar used for fire worship at a site scientists have called Ventarron, said Peruvian archaeologist Walter Alva, who led the dig.

It sits in the Lambayeque valley, near the ancient Sipan complex that Alva unearthed in the 1980s. Ventarron was built long before Sipan, about 2,000 years before Christ, he said.

"It's a temple that is about 4,000 years old," Alva, director of the Museum Tumbas Reales (Royal Tombs) of Sipan, told Reuters by telephone after announcing the results of carbon dating at a ceremony north of Lima sponsored by Peru's government.

"What's surprising are the construction methods, the architectural design and most of all the existence of murals that could be the oldest in the Americas," he said.

Lambayeque is 472 miles from Lima, Peru's capital.

Discoveries at Sipan, an administrative and religious center of the Moche culture, have included a gold-filled tomb built 1,700 years ago for a pre-Incan king.

Peru is rich in archaeological treasures, including the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in the Andes.

How to Make Your Own Wi-Fi Antenna

2007-11-01T02:40:00.000-07:00

It is not a complicated process at all. You can change your regular antenna into a high gain antenna just like the $30 range extender antennas very cheaply.

Here is a nice how-to video

Blind to 'see' and 'touch' the images soon

2007-11-01T01:20:00.000-07:00

A recently completed licensing agreement for two new technologies may help bring affordable graphic reading systems for the blind and visually impaired to market. The two systems bring electronic images to life in the same way that Braille makes words readable.

The Braille system, based on a method of communication originally developed by Charles Barbier for Napoleon's soldiers, was devised by Frenchman Louis Braille in 1821. Braille allows vision impaired people to read and write using characters made up of raised dots. The system has been used for almost two centuries but these new developments in technology could mark a significant change in the way the blind are able to “see” in that they incorporate images, rather than words and numbers.

The two new systems, a tactile graphic display device and fingertip graphic reader, were developed by researchers at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) in the US. The tactile graphic display for localized sensory stimulation, was created using an array of about 100 small, very closely spaced (1/10 of a millimeter apart) actuator points set against a user’s fingertip. To “see” a computer graphic with this technology, a blind or visually impaired person moves the device-tipped finger across a surface like a computer mouse to scan an image in computer memory. The computer sends a signal to the display device and moves the actuators against the skin to “translate” the pattern, replicating the sensation of the finger moving over the pattern being displayed. With further development, the technology could possibly be used to make fingertip tactile graphics practical for virtual reality systems or give a detailed sense of touch to robotic control (teleoperation) and space suit gloves.

The second technology, introduced as a prototype in 2002, conveys scanned illustrations, map outlines or other graphical images to the fingertips, and can translate images displayed on Internet Web pages or in electronic books. It uses refreshable tactile graphic display technology, allowing a person to feel a succession of images on a reusable surface. The machine uses about 3,600 small pins that can be raised in any pattern, and then locked into place to hold the pattern for reading. The actuator points then can be withdrawn and reset in a new pattern, allowing the tactile reading to continue through a variety of images.

If you think the devices look familiar it’s because inspiration came from a “bed of nails” toy found in a novelty store. The toy allows the user to press their hand or face or an object onto the back of the nails and they raise up to create a picture of that object. Watching the pins in the toy depress under fingers and then return to their original state started the researchers thinking about how the principle could be applied to electronic signals. NIST recently signed a non-exclusive license for commercialization of its two tactile graphic display technologies with ELIA Life Technology which may soon see the two products become commercially available.

Source : Gizmag

Go Science Crazy ! Build your own Sputnik

2007-10-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

BBC News has a great article about home made construction of a satellite..

Here is the excerpt :

It seems incredible that the technology that went into building the first successful satellite 50 years ago can now be found lying around the average house. You could even build one yourself, as Paul Rubens explains below.

In 1957 the Sputnik 1 satellite was seen as a technological marvel, the result of many years work by some of the Soviet Union's most talented engineers and scientists. But by today's standards, was it really such a big deal? In 2007, how hard would it be to build a fully working Sputnik in the comfort of your own living room?

In simple terms, the Sputnik satellite was a metal sphere almost 2ft (61cm) in diameter, containing a radio transmitter.

Galaxy Zoo : Amateur stargazers map a 'lopsided' universe

2007-10-15T06:26:00.000-07:00

A legion of amateur stargazers has posed a profound challenge to cosmological theories: our universe appears to be lopsided.

Professional astronomers had asked the public for assistance in mapping the night sky, and were stunned when they received millions of hits on their website within a few days, enabling them to classify galaxies in the universe at rocket speed.

The response has been so great that within a couple of months the Galaxy Zoo project has completed a preliminary analysis of the heavens which would normally take years.

The survey has revealed that the collections of millions of stars, dust, gas and planets in galaxies prefer to rotate anticlockwise from the viewpoint of an observer on Earth.

Traditionally astronomers have believed that galaxies would spin either clockwise or anti-clockwise in equal proportion. But these observations would seem to suggest that either a mysterious force is acting on them or that the universe is in some way lopsided.

More than 100,000 people from around the world have logged on to the Galaxy Zoo website to take part in the project run from Oxford University's physics department to study images of galaxies taken for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, a robot telescope based in New Mexico that is producing a digital map of the universe.

The amateurs are the first humans to study the brightest million galaxies and have been asked to classify them into two types, spirals, which are circular pinwheels, like our own galaxy the Milky Way, and rugby ball shaped galaxies which are known as elliptical galaxies.

Because of their complex shape, the human eye is much better than computers at sorting the galaxies, said Dr Chris Lintott, a member of the Oxford team.

As a double check, the same image was shown to several users and the scientists have been struck by how good the amateurs are at classifying 30 million images.

"We've proved that random people are as good as professional astronomers," Dr Lintott said.

More remarkable, the find suggests that one small click for an amateur stargazer could be one giant leap for physics. "Preliminary results suggest that spiral galaxies seem to point clockwise," he said, adding that that meant they rotate anticlockwise from our perspective. If this new finding turns out to hold true, "you will have to throw away the standard model of cosmology."

Sir Patrick Moore, an enthusiastic supporter, said: "Non-professionals have always been deeply involved in studying the sky and they now have yet another opportunity to make themselves really useful. Moreover, their help is now of immense value so do join up."

The Galaxy Zoo team involves the University of Oxford, the University of Portsmouth and Johns Hopkins University, and Fingerprint Digital Media of Belfast.

"It will be great to have all the galaxies classified; it's as fundamental as knowing if a human is male or female," said Prof Bob Nichol, of the University of Portsmouth.

Source : Telegraph UK

Nobel Prize for Physics 2007 : Albert Fert, Peter Grunberg

2007-10-10T01:18:00.000-07:00

Now you know whom to thank for that iPhone .

This year’s Nobel Prize for Physics went to Albert Fert (France) and Peter Grünberg (Germany), who share the prize fifty:fifty for their discovery of giant magnetoresistance in which a very weak magnetic change gived rise to a major difference in electrical resistance of a system.

Read the rest of this entry

You can also read more details on the Nobel site here

Life in Microcosmic World

2007-10-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

Yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti
Colored scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a mosquito–the blood-
sucking insect that spreads yellow fever, dengue fever and filiariasis.
The parts ofthe mouth that the mosquito uses to pierce the skin of
its victims are shown at the left. Only female A. aegypti mosquitoes
carry the arbovirus which causes yellow fever in humans. Affected
patients develop a fever and the skin becomes yellow due to jaundice.
Yellow fever was once a fatal infection throughout the tropics but now
occurs only in parts of tropical Africa and South America.
Magnification: 50 X.

Itch mite (Sarcoptes spec.)
Colored scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of an itch mite on the surface
of the skin. In humans, this parasite causes scabies, an ailment typified
by severe itching (especially at night), red papules and often secondary
infection. The female mite tunnels in the skin to lay her eggs and the
newly-hatched mites are passed easily from person to person by physical
contact. The itching is caused by an allergic reaction to the mite's saliva
or feces. Commonly infected areas are the groin, penis, nipples and the
skin between the fingers. The condition is treated with hexachlorophene
or benzyl benzoate creams. Magnification: 300 X.

Bakteria: Helicobacter pylori
Colored scanning electron micrograph (SEM). This pathogen of chronically
active gastritis and intestinal ulcers was discovered in 1983. The bacteria
are wound in a spiral shape and possess up to 7 flagella. H. pylori populates
the mucosa of the human stomach exclusively. It is diagnosed by a stomach
biopsy or a Urea Breath Test. Treatment of the infection involves the
administration of anti-microbial substances combined with bismuth salt over
the course of 14 days. Transmission of the infection seems to take place by
mouth to mouth contact. Magnification 9.000 X

Contaminated apple
Colored scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of mould fungi (green)
and yeast (single-celled fungi, blue) in a crack on the surface of an
apple. Fungal spores that have landed on the exposed flesh have
germinated, thriving in the sugary environment. Yeast ferments sugars,
producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. Magnification 1.100 X

Microsurgical clamp
Colored Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM) of a clamp used in microsurgery
on the brain. Measuring only .63 millimeters in diameter, it is used for the
removal of small tumors. The clamp is made of a nickel-titanium alloy and its
sheath (yellow) is made of polytetrafluoro-ethene (PTFE) plastic. Springs keep
the jaws of the clamp open (as seen here) when it is not in use. The jaws are
closed by sliding the plastic sheath over the clamp. Magnification: 34 X.

Velcro
Colored Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM) of nylon hooks and loops
in Velcro material. Used as a common fastener on clothes and shoes,
Velcro is a nylon material formed into two different structures: one a nail-
head-like surface, and the other a smooth surface made up of a series
of loops. The loops are loosely woven strands among an otherwise
tight weave. When the two surfaces are brought together they form a
strong bond, but can still be pulled apart. Magnification: 50 X.

Using revolutionary cameras, the directors of this French film (with minimal English-language narration) have made an amazing chronicle of the insect world. There are at least a dozen fascinating, memorable images, and the carnage is held to a minimum. Some favorites include a caterpillar traffic jam, a frog's bout with a rain storm, and a bird that turns into Godzilla for a bunch of ants. Then there's the snail mating scene that must be seen to be believed. Great for families.

Everything readers ever wanted to know about deadly viruses, killer parasites, flesh-eating microbes, and other lifethreatening beasties but were afraid to ask

What disease, known as "the White Death" has killed 2 billion people, and counting?

What fatal disease lurks undetected in air conditioners and shower heads, waiting to become airborne?

How lethal is the Ebola virus, and will there ever be a cure for it?

How do you catch flesh-eating bacteria?

Source : Eye of Science

The Levitron - Amazing Scientific Toy

2007-10-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

Levitron is a registered trademark of Creative Gifts, Inc., used to advertise a range of toys and gifts in the science and educational markets. The Levitron stabilization, the Levitron induces levitation in its top through a series of interactive steps as described under top device is a commercial toy that displays the phenomenon known as spin stabilized magnetic levitation. Consisting essentially of a permanent magnetic top and base plate, ring or alternate geometric configuration, the toy's construction is relatively simple. The theory behind the Levitron, however, is considerable and remains incomplete, while functional parameters, such as the top rotation rate or top weighting, are considered somewhat stringent.

Here are some other videos of this amazing phenomenon : Levitron

endless Levitron

Levitron with Helmholtzspule flys 5 hours Johannes Gutenberg Universität - Germany...Levitron Kreisel Physik Mhystik

Levitron

Ana mastering the magnetic levitating device...magnetic levitation levitron

Levitron

. This is Omega Levitron that gives you an ability to make an object levitate.

Levitron floating now for 5 days, 12 hours and counting, at the time of this movie. Can't keep it floating for much longer.

Levitron: An amazing discovery from R.Harrigan. For over 150 years people thought that this would never fly.

Levitation experiment...levitron homemade magnetic levitation

Floating magnet without wires or power source...levitron magnet levitation floating

WidgetBucks - Trend Watch - WidgetBucks.com

Mystery of dark energy : Headache of Scientists

2007-10-07T06:52:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago, an unexpected astronomical discovery stunned the scientific world: Two rival teams of astrophysicists separately claimed that most of the universe is made of an invisible substance they called "dark energy." Only a tiny fraction, they said, consists of the ordinary atoms that make up stars, chairs, iPhones and people.

Dark energy has shaken the fields of physics and astronomy, much as Copernicus did five centuries ago when he declared that the Earth revolved around the sun.

Ten years later, the astronomers who made that claim say their findings have been confirmed repeatedly and made more precise. But they confess that no one -- including them -- understands what this mysterious dark energy is.

"We don't know any more today than we did 10 years ago," Saul Perlmutter, the leader of one of the discovery teams, said last month at a conference sponsored by NASA.

Mario Livio, a theorist at the Space Telescope Science Institute, a NASA affiliate in Baltimore, said it was shocking to realize that "we don't have an explanation for 74% of everything there is."

""It's as if we had no idea what water is," Livio said, "even though water covers three-quarters of the Earth."

High-priority mission

The National Academies, the nation's premier scientific organization, says that solving this mystery should be astronomers' highest priority. Earlier this month, the Academies' National Research Council urged NASA and the Department of Energy to seek funds for what it calls a Joint Dark Energy Mission in 2009.

The evidence for dark energy came from observations that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, not slowing down as the law of gravity would seem to dictate.

In fact, astronomers say, gravity had been slowing the expansion of the universe for more than half its life, since its birth in the theoretical big bang 13.7 billion years ago.

But in the last 5 billion years, dark energy -- a sort of negative gravity or repulsive force -- has overcome gravity and is driving galaxies apart at an ever-increasing rate.

"The universe was slowing down; now it's speeding up," said Perlmutter, an astrophysicist at the University of California in Berkeley.

A cosmic contest

Adam Riess, the leader of the rival discovery team at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, called the contest between gravity and dark energy a "cosmic tug of war."

"Today, dark energy is winning that battle," Riess said. He likened gravity to a brake on the expanding universe, and dark energy to an accelerator.

Perlmutter and Riess made their discovery by using the Hubble Space Telescope to measure the distance to brilliant exploding stars called supernovae.

Since then, Hubble and other telescopes have tracked 25 more supernovae in galaxies at various distances from Earth. By observing how fast the galaxies are moving, scientists can determine the expansion rate of the universe.

The measurements showed that the universe "is now expanding about 20% faster than 5 billion years ago," Riess said.

New ground and space telescopes are coming on line that could shed light on the nature of dark energy and perhaps help solve another mystery, so-called dark matter. Dark matter, which makes up about a quarter of the stuff in the universe, is thought to consist of tiny, unseen particles that haven't been identified.

Scientists say about 74% of the universe is made of dark energy, 22% of dark matter and 4% of ordinary matter: the stuff of stars and people and iPods.

Source: Freep

Creation of the first new artificial life form on Earth

2007-10-06T04:18:00.000-07:00

Craig Venter, the controversial DNA researcher involved in the race to decipher the human genetic code, has built a synthetic chromosome out of laboratory chemicals and is poised to announce the creation of the first new artificial life form on Earth.

The announcement, which is expected within weeks and could come as early as Monday at the annual meeting of his scientific institute in San Diego, California, will herald a giant leap forward in the development of designer genomes. It is certain to provoke heated debate about the ethics of creating new species and could unlock the door to new energy sources and techniques to combat global warming.

Mr Venter told the Guardian he thought this landmark would be "a very important philosophical step in the history of our species. We are going from reading our genetic code to the ability to write it. That gives us the hypothetical ability to do things never contemplated before".

The Guardian can reveal that a team of 20 top scientists assembled by Mr Venter, led by the Nobel laureate Hamilton Smith, has already constructed a synthetic chromosome, a feat of virtuoso bio-engineering never previously achieved. Using lab-made chemicals, they have painstakingly stitched together a chromosome that is 381 genes long and contains 580,000 base pairs of genetic code.

The DNA sequence is based on the bacterium Mycoplasma genitalium which the team pared down to the bare essentials needed to support life, removing a fifth of its genetic make-up. The wholly synthetically reconstructed chromosome, which the team have christened Mycoplasma laboratorium, has been watermarked with inks for easy recognition.

It is then transplanted into a living bacterial cell and in the final stage of the process it is expected to take control of the cell and in effect become a new life form. The team of scientists has already successfully transplanted the genome of one type of bacterium into the cell of another, effectively changing the cell's species. Mr Venter said he was "100% confident" the same technique would work for the artificially created chromosome.

The new life form will depend for its ability to replicate itself and metabolise on the molecular machinery of the cell into which it has been injected, and in that sense it will not be a wholly synthetic life form. However, its DNA will be artificial, and it is the DNA that controls the cell and is credited with being the building block of life.

Mr Venter said he had carried out an ethical review before completing the experiment. "We feel that this is good science," he said. He has further heightened the controversy surrounding his potential breakthrough by applying for a patent for the synthetic bacterium.

Pat Mooney, director of a Canadian bioethics organisation, ETC group, said the move was an enormous challenge to society to debate the risks involved. "Governments, and society in general, is way behind the ball. This is a wake-up call, what does it mean to create new life forms in a test-tube?"

He said Mr Venter was creating a "chassis on which you could build almost anything. It could be a contribution to humanity such as new drugs or a huge threat to humanity such as bio-weapons".

Mr Venter believes designer genomes have enormous positive potential if properly regulated. In the long-term, he hopes they could lead to alternative energy sources previously unthinkable. Bacteria could be created, he speculates, that could help mop up excessive carbon dioxide, thus contributing to the solution to global warming, or produce fuels such as butane or propane made entirely from sugar.

"We are not afraid to take on things that are important just because they stimulate thinking," he said. "We are dealing in big ideas. We are trying to create a new value system for life. When dealing at this scale, you can't expect everybody to be happy."

(This article appeared in The Guardian newspaper Saturday October 6 2007).

Oxygen on Earth : A long history

2007-09-27T22:55:00.000-07:00

Oxygen, key to life on Earth today, began to appear on the planet millions of years earlier than scientists had thought, new research indicates.

An analysis of a deep rock core from Australia indicates the presence of at least some oxygen 50 million to 100 million years before the great change when the life-giving element began rising to today's levels, according to two papers appearing in today's edition of the journal Science.

Previously, the earliest indications of oxygen had been from between 2.3 billion and 2.4 billion years ago when the "Great Oxidation Event" occurred.

The cause of the event is still not known, but before that the atmosphere was dominated by methane and ammonia. Today oxygen makes up about 21 percent of the atmosphere.

The discovery of traces of early oxygen was made in a study of a 3,000-foot-long rock core extracted in western Australia.

"We seem to have captured a piece of time before the Great Oxidation Event during which the amount of oxygen was actually changing -- caught in the act, as it were," Ariel Anbar, an associate professor in Arizona State University's school of earth and space exploration, said in a statement.

The two research teams were led by Alan Jay Kaufman, associate professor of geochemistry at the University of Maryland and Anbar.

Carl Pilcher of the NASA Astrobiology Institute said: "Studying the dynamics that gave rise to the presence of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere deepens our appreciation of the complex interaction between biology and geochemistry. Their results support the idea that our planet and the life on it evolved together."

Source : Daily Herald

Bad sleeping raises risk of heart diseases and sudden attacks.

2007-09-24T23:36:00.000-07:00

Researchers say both too much and too little sleep is linked to a doubled risk of fatal cardiovascular disease. Teams from the University of Warwick and University College London examined sleep patterns and death rates among 10,308 civil servants.

They found a doubled risk among those who cut their sleeping from seven to five hours a night compared to those who stuck to seven hours a night.

But the risk was similar for those who increased to at least eight hours.

The research, to be presented to the British Sleep Society, was based on data taken in 1985-88 and on follow up information collected in 1992-93.

The researchers took into account other possible factors such age, sex, marital status, employment grade, smoking status and physical activity.

Once they had adjusted for those factors they were able to isolate the effect that changes in sleep patterns over five years had on mortality rates 11-17 years later.

Those who cut their sleeping from seven to five hours a night had twice the risk of a fatal cardiovascular problem of those who stuck to the recommended seven hours a night - and a 1.7 increased risk of death from all causes.

--Disturbed sleep common

Researcher Professor Francesco Cappuccio said: ""Fewer hours sleep and greater levels of sleep disturbance have become widespread in industrialized societies.

""This change, largely the result of sleep curtailment to create more time for leisure and shift-work, has meant that reports of fatigue, tiredness and excessive daytime sleepiness are more common than a few decades ago.

""Sleep represents the daily process of physiological restitution and recovery, and lack of sleep has far-reaching effects.""

Curiously, the researchers also found that those individuals who increased their sleep to eight hours or more a night were more than twice as likely to die as those who had not changed their habit.

Professor Cappuccio said lack of sleep had been linked to an increased risk of weight gain, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

However, he said the link between too much sleep and poor health was less clear, although he suggested that staying in bed for prolonged periods could be a sign of depression, or, in some cases, cancer-related fatigue.

""Our findings indicate that consistently sleeping around seven hours per night is optimal for health and a sustained reduction may predispose to ill-health.""

--Individual need

Dr. Neil Stanley, a sleep expert from Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital, said while public health messages focused on diet and exercise, people were given very little information about the need to get proper amounts of sleep.

""This study is yet more evidence of the importance of getting sleep, and the right amount of sleep for you,"" he said.

""Sleep need is like height or shoe size: we all have an individual one, and we sleep less or more then there are consequences to pay.""

(Source: BBC)

Scientists to barcode world's species

2007-09-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

A group of Canadian scientists is working on an ambitious project to create a global database of up to half a million of the world's species using DNA barcoding technology.

The scientists are hoping to raise $150 million to fund an initial five-year stage of what they describe as the biodiversity equivalent of launching a rocket to the moon.

DNA barcoding, a technique for characterising a species using only a short DNA sequence, has wide-ranging implications for health and environment.

It could help remove illegal fish and timber supplies from global markets, get rid of pests such as mosquitoes and even reduce the numbers of collisions between birds and planes.

Paul Hebert, head of the Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding, is spearheading the plan. “We're now trying to launch in Canada the International Barcode of Life Project, which has a five-year life span,” Hebert said at a three-day seminar on DNA in Taipei.

“We hope to put $150 million into this through a 25 Nation Alliance.”

“The idea is collectively we would gather five million specimens and 5,00,000 species within that five-year period,” Hebert added, saying the entire project could take 15 years.

The seminar in Taipei has brought together 350 scientists from 45 countries to debate the “barcoding of life” concept.

Scientists estimate that while nearly 1.8 million species have already been identified, there may be another 10 million that are not known.

But DNA barcoding technology has progressed so rapidly that scientists predict science fiction-style powers to recognise previously unfamiliar creatures could become reality in a decade.

“Like in the film of Star Trek, anything scanned by such devices could display its image, name and function,” said Allen Chen from Taiwan's Academia Sinica.

“This could be done 10 years from now after a global barcoding data bank is set up,” said Chen, an expert in corals.

Scientists are already working on hand-held barcoders that would enable users to access a barcode data bank using a global positioning system, said Taiwan's Shao Kwang tsao, one of the conference chairs.

Hebert said the alliance would invest heavily in the development of such technology.

This week's conference is being held by the Washington based Consortium for the Barcode of Life, which was set up in 2003 in response to Hebert's initiative and now includes some 160 organisations.

Among them is Taiwan's top academic body, Academia Sinica, one of three chief organisers of the conference.

At its first conference in London in 2005, the consortium's data banks collected some 33,000 DNA references belonging to some 12,700 species.

Today it counts more than 2,90,000 DNA samples from some 31,000 species, including about 20 per cent of the world's estimated 10,000 bird species and 10 per cent of the 35,000 estimated marine and freshwater fish species.

The “barcoding of life” projects have drawn increasing attention, particularly from the US, Canada and Europe, as scientists explore the technique's applications, which range from food safety and consumer protection to the identification of herbal plants.

One British scientist is working on a project to barcode 2,800 species of mosquito or 80 per cent of those known to the world, within two years.

The project is aimed at reducing the scourge of malaria, which infects some 500 million people a year and is spread by some mosquitoes.

Best Hubble Space Telescope Images

2007-09-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

NASA : Apply Online to be an Astronaut

2007-09-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

NASA is now taking applications from people who want to be astronauts.

The space agency says those with a B.A. in engineering, science or math and three years of relevant professional experience are required.

The application period is open through July 1, 2008.

The interview process is expected to last for six months before NASA announces its 2009 Astronaut Candidate Class.

Click here to apply online.

Additional information about the Astronaut Candidate Program is available by calling the Astronaut Selection Office at 281-483-5907.

Bizarre Object Found Circling Neutron Star

2007-09-19T05:12:00.000-07:00

An object recently detected orbiting a neutron star is among the strangest planet-mass bodies ever found, astronomers say.

Instead of circling around a normal star, the low-mass object—likely the "skeleton" of a smaller star—orbits a rapidly spinning pulsar, or neutron star.

The neutron star spins hundreds of times a second—faster than a kitchen blender.

The odd mass, which was spotted on June 7 by NASA's Swift and Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) satellites, orbits the bigger star in a little under once an hour.

The body is located about 230,000 miles (370,149 kilometers) away from the star—slightly less than the distance from Earth to the moon.

Neutron stars usually slow with age, but the gas spiraling from the bizarre object has likely maintained, or even increased, the star's speed.

The star siphons off gas from the orbiting body, as seen in the above artist's illustration. The gas flow occasionally becomes unstable and causes the bright outbursts that can be seen from Earth.

Astronomers suspect the system was once two stars, which formed billions of years ago. Eventually the larger star went supernova, leaving behind the neutron star, while the smaller star expanded into a red giant.

It's unknown whether the smaller star will survive much longer, however.

"It's been taking a beating," Hans Krimm of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center said in a statement. The neutron star, after all, has been siphoning away its mass for billions of years.

Source : National Geographic

Indian University Course in Rocket Science

2007-09-18T02:32:00.000-07:00

India's secretive defence research agency has helped launch a university course in missile sciences and opened its labs to students, hoping to infuse young talent into a stagnating technology program.

India's missile program has built short and long-range missiles, including one that can hit targets deep inside China.

But its projects have been hit by time and cost overruns and the program has also struggled to attract young engineers and scientists in the face of stiff competition from the more lucrative IT sector, experts say.

A first-of-its-kind masters course in applied physics and ballistics, launched this month at Fakir Mohan University in the eastern state of Orissa, hoped to change that, officials said.

"Students have high levels of creativity and we hope their association will help our research activities," said W Selvamurthy, a top Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) official.

"We expect the students from this course to join DRDO after completion of their studies," Selvamurthy, who is DRDO's chief controller of research and development, said by telephone from New Delhi.

Eighteen students selected after a tough screening program for the two-year course would not only study missile engineering and new technologies, but also get to use DRDO labs in the area where the agency has missile testing facilities, officials said.

"We are trying to open our labs to more and more universities," Selvamurthy said.

Formed in 1958 with a network of 10 laboratories, DRDO has 51 labs where 5,000 scientists and 25,000 other employees work, according to the agency's website.

In April, DRDO successfully tested its most ambitious and longest-range ballistic missile, the Agni III, which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead more than 3,000 km.

Source : Sydney Morning Herald

Top 10 Scientific Discoveries

2007-09-17T00:36:00.000-07:00

1. The Pythagorean Theorem. It's a staple of high school geometry: in every right triangle, a² + b² = c², where a and b stand for the two short sides and c for the long. The first to prove this was (probably) the Greek philosopher Pythagoras in the 6th century bc. But it's not the theorem per se that matters; it's the bigger idea it reflected. Pythagoras taught that numbers were the real reality, that the core of the physical world was mathematical. That's why he went around telling everyone, 'Here's a pure idea that is true of every actual object of a certain shape.' Coupling physics to mathematics proved to be one of the most fruitful marriages of all time. Even now we regard a scientific theory as really reliable if it can be proven mathematically.

2. The existence of microorganisms. In the late 1600s, when microscopes were new, Dutch lens maker Antoni van Leeuwenhoek scraped some plaque off his own teeth and looked at it through a microscope. Gasp! It was crawling with "animalcules." In fact, tiny creatures invisible to the naked eye abounded everywhere, he found. Less than two centuries later, knowledge of this invisible universe enabled Louis Pasteur to construct his "germ theory of disease,"which in turn enabled doctors to conquer a whole host of diseases: typhoid, typhus, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, smallpox tuberculosis, anthrax--the list goes on. The leading cause of death changed after that from infectious disease to heart disease, cancer, and "old age." See Bacteria.

3. The three laws of motion. Pythagoras would have been so proud of Isaac Newton! More than any scientist in history, this 18th-century Englishman succeeded in reducing physics to mathematics. Newton came up with three laws to explain the motion of all objects in the universe, from runaway trains to orbiting planets. (He also invented differential calculus, explained gravity, and discovered the spectrum*--not bad for one lifetime.)

4. The structure of matter. In 1789, five years before he was beheaded by a guillotine, French chemist Antoine Lavoisier published a list of "elements"--substances that he said could not be broken down further by any chemical process. His list was incomplete and contained mistakes, but he was onto something. Building on his work, chemists developed our modern view that all matter can be broken down into just 109 elements, that all elements are made of atoms, and that all atoms are made of just three types of particles--protons, neutrons, and electrons.

5. The circulation of blood. Each person has a fixed amount of blood circulating throughout his or her system in one fixed direction. This fact, first discovered in the 12th century by an Arab doctor named Ibn al-Nafīs*, was rediscovered--for good, this time--by the 17th-century English doctor William Harvey. Harvey's work opened the floodgates to research a full understanding of the physiology of living bodies, human and animal. See Circulatory System.

6. Electrical currents. Ancient people knew about static electricity--rub something and it gives off a spark. They knew about lightning bolts--get struck by one and you're dead meat. But not till 19th-century scientists (such as Alessandro Volta*) got electricity to flow did people become aware of this as a distinct force. Today, electricity powers everything from light bulbs to computers, of course. But the discovery of electricity is bigger than its practical applications. Once scientists knew about this force, they couldn't stop wondering what it was. That's when they discovered that electricity, magnetism, radio waves, and light are all different versions of one underlying force, a glue that holds the universe together.

7. The Evolution of Species. People used to think that every life form now on Earth was here from the start--that no new species had been born and none had ever changed. Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, developed in the 19th century, revealed the dynamic nature of life on Earth. The word "theory" leads some to think that evolution itself remains controversial among scientists, but actually, no mainstream scientist doubts that old species die out and new ones come into being. It's only the exact mechanism of evolution that remains in play, and modified versions of Darwin's idea of evolution by random natural selection still dominate biological thought.

8. Genes. Gregor Mendel never described a gene, saw one, or used the word, yet this shy Austrian monk uncovered the principals of heredity simply by breeding snow peas, charting his results, and drawing brilliant conclusions. Mendel found that parents pass distinct traits to their offspring in combinations governed by predictable laws. Scientists soon decided some actual thing must carry these traits and coined the word "gene." Only in 1953, did Francis Crick and James Watson really figure out what genes are. That year, they discovered the structure of DNA, a molecule shaped like a twisted ladder and contained in every cell. Genes, it turns out, are the combinations of chemicals that form the "rungs" of this ladder. See Genetics.

9. The four laws of thermodynamics. In the 18th century, a series of scientists from Nicolas Carnot* to Baron Kelvin, Rudolf Clausius*, and others found four laws, just four, that governed the transformation of energy into work in any system--a locomotive, a body, a bonfire, a solar system, the universe--you name it. Engineering and inventions, especially of heat-engines, could not have moved forward without knowledge of these laws, for anything that runs on fuel is bound by them. But the laws of thermodynamics* have vast implications for the universe has a whole, not the least of which is this: The total amount of disorder is always increasing.

10. The dual nature of light. Newton learned that light behaves like a wave. Later, other scientists learned that light behaves like a stream of particles. So which is it--wave or particle? It can't be both--or can it? Early in the 20th century, Neils Bohr, Max Planck, Albert Einstein, and others discovered that yes, light is both wave and particle.This paradox gave rise to quantum mechanics, the dominant achievement of 20th-century physics and our deepest current description of "what the universe is really made of." But the quantum picture of reality can't be "pictured." It goes against intuition and laughs at all our senses. The only way to understand the sub-subatomic world of quantum mechanics is mathematically--which brings us right back to Pythagoras.

Source : Encarta

Science Education Links : Space and Astronomy

2007-09-16T23:33:00.000-07:00

General Astronomy Information

GRADE LEVEL: Middle School-High School; Secular

Comments: This site is provided by the Royal Greenwich Observatory in the United Kingdom. At this page you will find links to many different LEAFLETS the Observatory has created on many subjects such as: What are stars? Why do we use the phrase, "once in a blue moon"? What are the brightest and nearest stars? Where do stars get their names? What are planets?, etc. A wealth of information is available right here.

The MAD Science Library: Astronomy

GRADE LEVEL: Middle School-High School; Secular

Comments: This site is provided by the MAD Scientist Library. You will find links to "Ask an Astronomer", "Ask an Astronaut", or "Ask the Shuttle crew" which in itself is a valuable resource! There are also links here for your child to discover how astronaunts live while on the Shuttle and what they wear during a space walk. Need information on the nine planets or the sun? That is here too and more.

The Observatory: A Guide to Astronomy Resources on the Exploratorium Website

GRADE LEVEL: Middle School-High School; Secular

Comments: This site is provided by Exploratorium. It is really fun to calculate your weight on other worlds! Follow that link on this page and be astounded! Also there are directions on how to build an accurate model of a solar system using a piece of paper rolled around a toilet paper roll center. There are also links to SOLAR ECLIPSES, SUNSPOTS and AURORAS.

The Family of the Sun