Can You Fathom the Trash? New Study Reveals Eight Million Tons of Plastic Trash Reach the Oceans Each Year

Medicine & Technology Feb 13, 2015

If you were to guess the amount of tonnage of trash in the sea, we bet that you’d be off by a couple of millions. That’s right, millions with an “M”. You may think that you can estimate the trash based on what you see at the beach, but researchers say that the calculation is a bit more complex than what the average guesser might think.

A Race Against the Clock—Volunteers in New Zealand Try to Save Stranded Pilot Whale Pod

Feb 13, 2015

In a race against the clock, volunteers in New Zealand’s famous Golden Bay are attempting to save the near 200 pilot whales that beached themselves early Friday morning, Feb. 13. In what researchers say is the largest beaching event in over a decade, the pod of pilot whales became trapped on a sandbar known as the “Farewell Spit”, which is a common trap for migrating whales.

Seeing In Shades of Red—Revealing the Rings of Saturn

Feb 11, 2015

Unfortunately, when it comes to vision, humans aren’t the most adapted to see the world as it really is. Only capable of seeing a relatively small portion of the electromagnetic waves possible in the spectrum, our view is narrowed to that within the visible spectrum. But thanks to our mental aptitudes, researchers are able to solve this problem by developing imaging techniques that view our world, and the universe, in a different way.

Fluid Mechanics Finally Reveal ‘How Many Licks to Get to the Center of a Tootsie Pop’

Feb 11, 2015

Ever wonder, like so many other children, exactly how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? Well, while many others couldn’t resist the temptation of biting their way to center of the sugary treat, researchers at New York University have officially calculated exactly how much work is needed to get to the center of the beloved lollipop. And it turns out that it is hundreds more than the talking owl once told us.

Stellar Duo Fated to Meet a Supernova End—Twin Stars Discovered in Henize 2-428

Feb 10, 2015

Doomed for an end 700 million years in the making, a pair of white dwarf stars will inevitably merge and meet their doom and researchers are saying that the violent fate is unlike any that they’ve seen before.

Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 Artifacts Stowed Away For More Than 40 Years

Feb 10, 2015

As NASA researchers from the Goddard Space Flight Center revealed this week what lies on the dark side of the moon, the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC reveals that space artifacts from that region of the moon may have been hiding here on Earth since the return of Apollo 11. In what appears to be yet another giant leap in the Apollo 11 mission, it turns out that the first man to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong, also brought home with him a bag full of keepsakes from his adventure. And they were hidden in his cupboard for more than 40 years.

What Lies On the 'Dark Side' of the Moon?

Feb 10, 2015

The recent full moon isn’t the only lunar news to come out of the woodworks this week. It appears that its hidden face is also making headlines here on Earth too. Though historically shrouded in mystery, even with NASA astronauts and other space agencies touching down on the surface of the moon, it appears that researchers are now able to reveal what lies on the “dark side” of the moon thanks to five years of mapping data collected courtesy of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Thanks To Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter NASA Reveals What Lies on the Dark Side of the Moon

Feb 09, 2015

Ever wonder what lies on the dark side of the moon? It’s a perspective unlike any that humans have ever seen, and it has been a question that researchers and civilizations have asked for thousands of years. But now, thanks to data collected by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, NASA is showing us exactly what lies on the dark side of the moon, and the view of our solar system whirling around it.

NASA & NOAA Satellites Reveal Stunning View of Record-Breaking New England Winter Storm

Feb 09, 2015

As temperatures on the west coast of the United States start to inch closer to that of summer weather, the east coast continues to face winter storms for the record books. In a new image published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) GOES-East satellite just this morning, NOAA and NASA researchers who collaborate on the project reveal another large snowstorm, bringing several feet of snow to the New England territory.

Seventeen Years of Waiting Meets More Delays—Weather Pushes SpaceX Dscovr Launch to Tuesday

Feb 09, 2015

After 17 years of waiting for his late night dream to come to fruition, former Vice President of the United States Al Gore is going to have to wait a little longer to see his satellite launched into space. A US Air Force ground radar malfunction delayed SpaceX’s launch of the 1,250-pound satellite nicknamed “GoreSat” this weekend, however, in spite of planning a relaunch this morning, the rocket company decided to delay another 24 hours due to weather concerns at its Florida launch site.

SpaceX Rocket to Launch Dscovr Satellite Tonight

Feb 07, 2015

Seventeen years after the thought came to his mind, former Vice President of the United States Al Gore is finally getting his wish. This evening, Saturday Feb. 7 at 6:10pm, a 1,250-pound satellite nicknamed “GoreSat” is going off into space at last.

Will Dawn Find Life on Ceres? What NASA Has to Say About Possible Life on the Dwarf Planet

Feb 07, 2015

Releasing the sharpest set of images from within the asteroid belt to date, this week NASA researchers have filled the internet with their hopes for what may lie on the dwarf planet Ceres. Only a month before NASA’s Dawn spacecraft will enter orbit around the 590-mile-wide dwarf, found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, the space agency is hopeful that their mission will reveal a lot more about the small planet and the secrets its surface may hold.

NASA’s Dawn Captures Unseen Image of Dwarf Planet Ceres in Asteroid Belt

Feb 06, 2015

Only a month before starting its orbit around the dwarf planet Ceres in our solar system's main asteroid belt, NASA's Dawn spacecraft has revealed the sharpest images of the mysterious dwarf planet to date.

Fire Starter—ESA’s Planck Satellite Reveals Later Star Formations

Feb 05, 2015

Looking to gather a clearer view of the history of our Universe, researchers with the ESA’s Planck satellite constructed a new image of the entire sky, utilizing Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) fossil light originating only 380,000 years after the creation of the Universe. The new sky map uncovers the polarized light from the Universe’s early formation, and reveals that the first stars may have originated far later than researchers once thought.

Head Lice Home Remedy Leads To the Death of Massachusetts Toddler

Feb 05, 2015

After a head lice home remedy went awry last Saturday, Jan. 31, one Springfield, Mass. toddler died. While typical treatments include simple insecticide shampoos, the toddler’s parents decided to opt for an alternative treatment using household items, which resulted in the suffocation of the 18-month-old.