Brian Wu

Pushed to the Brink—Humans Put Earth in 'The Danger Zone'

With unprecedented levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, widespread species extinction, habit destruction, and increased levels of nitrogen and phosphorous in the oceans courtesy of polluting fertilizers, the Earth is being pushed to the brink and could one day make it unsafe for the continuation of life. The rate at which humans are destroying the environment is entirely unprecedented, and with such a devastating effect unseen in the last 11,700 years, life is facing an uncertain future ahead.

New Horizons Prepares for Pluto Flyby

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has began its long-awaited encounter with the tiny dwarf planet Pluto. Researchers have announced that the craft is entering the first of several approach phases that will culminate on July 14 with the first ever close-up flyby of the dwarf planet, located 4.67 billion miles from Earth.

Beagle 2 Discovered Intact on Mars Surface

NASA has found the doomed spacecraft Beagle 2 on the surface of Mars, and it appears to be intact. High-resolution images taken from orbit have identified its landing location, and with closer examination it seems the craft landed on Mars safely.

Human Activity May Lead to a Bleaker Life Under the Sea

A new study has found that human activity is having a drastic impact on the creatures under the sea, with many on the verge of extinction thanks to humans. However, swift intervention could still prevent a "disaster of the magnitude observed on land." The study published this week in the journal Science analyzes the impact humans are having on the oceans. According to the group of researchers who developed the study, several marine species could soon be gone forever if changes are not quickly made.

Has NASA Found The Missing Beagle on Mars?

On December 19, 2003, a tiny craft was launched from the Mars Express, a craft orbiting Mars. This craft was part of a British-led effort for the European Space Agency's Mars Express mission. On Christmas day, the lander entered the Martian atmosphere traveling more than 20,000 kph, and then it was never heard from again. Now NASA believes they have spotted the craft on the surface more than a decade after going dark.

ADHD Drug May Help You Drop the Fork

New research has discovered that the drug Vyvanse, meant to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might also be effective in helping treat various binge eating disorders.

Napping Babies Have Better Memory and Learn Faster

A daytime nap or two is an essential part of every baby's daily routine. These naps allow newborns and toddlers the needed downtime to help them cope with crucial physical and mental developments that happen at this stage in a child's development. But researchers now believe that a daily nap will do much more than just help infants cope with the stresses of development. New research reveals that a daytime nap is vital in helping boost a baby's memory, as well.

One Walk a Day May Keep Death Away

According to a new study, a brisk 20-minute walk each day could be enough to reduce an individual's risk of an early death. The study of European men and women found that twice as many deaths may be due to lack of physical activity, compared to the number of deaths due to obesity.

Giant Sea Animals Are Not So Giant After All

The oceans largest creatures aren't quite as large as we often image, according to a new study. According to a report published in the journal Peer J, humans are not very good at visualizing the size of creatures like the giant squid or whales, and media reports usually exaggerate their size too. The team of researchers from the U.S. and Canada compared popular reports and scientific reports for 25 different species of marine creatures, including whales, sharks, squids and other giant ocean dwellers, and found that most of the animals were actually smaller than what was reported.

Meteorites and the History of Our Solar System: Not Everything Is As It Seems

Scientists have long believed that meteors were fundamental to the origins of our planets. Meteors contain minuscule spherical grains known as chondrules, and many have believed these chondrules collided with particles of dust and gas coalescing into protoplanets. However, according to a new study published this week in the journal Nature, this hypothesis may not be true.

NASA Rockets Set to Explore the Aurora Borealis

The aurora borealis, better known as the northern lights, is one of nature's most spectacular displays that has captivated the imaginations of people for generations. And with their popular acclaim in mind, NASA plans to explore the aurora borealis in the coming weeks with several unmanned rocket probes in Alaska.

Study Reveals iPhone Separation Anxiety Is Real

A new report published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication reveals the impact of iPhone separation on users, taking simple word-search puzzles as an indicator, and finding that being separated from one's phone turns out to cause both psychological and physiological ramifications.

Mars One Headquarters Planned for Seattle

Rocket company SpaceX, under the leadership of Tesla founder Elon Musk, is looking hire up to 1,000 employees for its Seattle-based engineering office whose mission will be to build a commercial satellite business that will eventually pave the way for sending spacecrafts to Mars. And while many are happy about the boost in the local economy, some are left wondering whether a change in careers may bring them closer to a future on Mars?

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