Science Quick Picks » Science

2012 Google Science Fair

Jorge Goncalves — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:38:01 +0000

Google is looking for the brightest young scientists from around the world to submit interesting, creative projects that are relevant to the world today.

The Google Science Fair challenges students aged 13-18 to carry out a scientific investigation into a real-world problem or issue that interests them. The competition asks them to carry the investigation forward through rigorous experimentation, recording and conclusions.

Students compete with peers in their age group from all over the world to win scholarships, internships and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. There will also be a special Science in Action prize, sponsored by Scientific American. This will reward the project with the highest capacity to make a practical difference to the lives of people in a group or community.

What A New Space Race Would Accomplish

Guest Blogger — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:43:05 +0000

With NASA struggling to stay alive and the world mired in economic trouble, interest in astronomy, cosmology and other space-related sciences seems to have waned in the public eye. Yet, the knowledge we glean from space research can help us with practical applications here on Earth, as Huntingdon Life Sciences shows us. Perhaps what we need is a new space race. What would this accomplish? Well, it would:

Expand the search for Earth-like planets outside our solar system
One of the hottest fields in astronomy right now is exoplanet detection, which has benefited greatly from new technologies. Exoplanet detection, which is the discovery of planets outside our star system, used to be only possible by deducing a celestial body in the shadow of a star. Newer, more sophisticated techniques have made it more likely we will discovery planets hospitable for life.

Expand the development of a fusion-powered rocket
Fusion power in a rocket would not only reduce the incredible cost of putting men and women in space, it would exponentially increase the distances we could traverse. As it stands now, space travel is slow and costly.
Increase the chance of a trip to Mars. The Red Planet has beckoned us for years but the sheer cost of making the trip and ambiguity over what this journey would accomplish has hindered progress. A new space race to Mars would probably parallel the Cold War in terms of creating nationalistic pride.

Add to our understanding of climate change
The more science progresses the more we learn about how our planet operates and how it traps and is affected by the sun’s rays and greenhouse gases.

Make us safer from asteroids
In 1883, hundreds of comet fragments narrowly missed the Earth. We didn’t even know about this until recently, after turning up evidence from a 19th century astronomer. A new space race would force us to draw up contingency plans.
Increase the chance of a colony on the moon. Because of cosmic threats like asteroids, as well as more domestic threats like war, disease, and pollution, it’s probably a good idea for humans to not have all our eggs in one basket, so to speak. Establishing a lunar colony would aid in scientific research, as well as provide some DNA safeguards in the event of a planetary calamity.

Learn more about the origins of the universe
The further out we go, the further back we go in time. New telescopes are peering deeper into the history of universe than ever before. Someday it may be possible for us to actually observe the direct aftermath of the Big Bang.

This is what would likely be accomplished with a new space race. While the cost would be high, so too would be the gains in knowledge, technological advancement, and global safety.

What A New Space Race Would Accomplish is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

Earth and Beyond: A Pictorial Journey

Guest Blogger — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:02:18 +0000

Space, the final frontier, with this pictorial journey we will boldly go where only lucky astronauts and the immense reach of a camera lens have gone before. We will gaze in wonder at some stellar sights, feeling very small in comparison to the vast expanse of space and very proud to be part of a race that has reached out from their humble position to the outer limits of the galaxy.

(1) Lift off

A magisterial space rocket lifts off from planet Earth on its mission to outer space.

(2) Another powerful launch

The Columbia Space Shuttle heads for space with all its cylinders blazing.

(3) Home

A beautiful shot of our planet Earth in all her glory.

(4) Antarctic Peninsula

A vertiginous view of the Antarctic Peninsula seen from outer space.

(5) A Long Fall from Space

Autumnal colours surround Lake Superior snapped from space.

(6) Up and Over Down Under

Fires photographed from way above North-Eastern Australia.

(7) High Shot of Low Pressure

Low pressure builds and swirls over the Great Lakes of America.

(8) A Cloud Street Map

Cloud streets and a hurricane billow and blow off the West Coast of America

(9) Nature’s Magic Captured from on High

The wondrous green and red aurora caused by charged particles from a solar wind clashing with oxygen.

(10) A Glorious Sight To Behold

A time-lapse shot of the aurora from the giddy heights of the International Space Station

(11) A Turbulent Typhoon Approaches

A super shot of Typhoon Roke heading for Japan taken from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre.

(12) The Forecast: Clouds, Clouds and Clouds

Cloud vortices curl and curve above Heard Island in the Indian Ocean.

(13) UARS Prior to Re-entry

NASA’s Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) orbits the Earth before it plummeted down into the Pacific Ocean on 24 September 2011.

(14) A Full Moon

A lovely lunar video capturing the pockmarked surface of our shadowy satellite.

(15) A Closer Look at the Lunar Surface

A wonderful video of a lunar landscape flyover.

(16) Solar Power

An immense solar flare roars from the surface of the sun in this stunning image of the centre of our solar system.

(17) Blaze and Flare

The temperature of the Sun’s surface is around 6000 Celsius. In this photo, a fiery flare from it leaps into space.

(18) The Shine of a Sun Spot

The awesome might of the solar surface and a stunning sun spot.

(19) A Solar Eclipse from Space

A chiaroscuro eclipse is even more stunning when seen from space.

(20) Look upon Mercury

A beautiful shot of Mercury’s moon-like surface, craggy and scorched by the Sun.

(21) Beautiful Venus

The rocky surface of the red-hot planet Venus

(22) Mighty Mars

Favourite of science fiction writers, Mars is just as incredible in reality.

(23) Ringed Saturn

A mesmerising sight, Saturn and its majestic rings.

(24) The Giant Jupiter

The biggest of the gas giants and largest planet in our solar system.

(25) A Look at Europa

One of Jupiter’s moons, Europa has ice and water on its surface, which has led to speculation about whether it can or does sustain life.

(26) Distant Uranus

Another gas giant, Uranus was the first planet found by telescope.

(27) Far Off Neptune

Initially Neptune’s existence was predicted by mathematics, before telescopes became powerful enough to view him.

(28) Pluto Out In the Cold

Images of the icy dwarf planet from the Hubble Space Telescope.

(29) An Image of Andromeda

A stunningly detailed photograph of the Andromeda Galaxy, approximately 2.5 light years away.

(30) A spiralling Galaxy of Stars

A magnificent spiralling disc of stars in the far off galaxy NGC 2841, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.

(31) Jets from a Black Hole

Incredible imagery of a black hole as it spews jets into the cosmos.

(32) Turbulent Centre of a Black Hole

The mysterious centre of a black hole as it emits bright light. The route to another dimension?

This list of galactic images was compiled and written by PrinterInks – suppliers of top brand printer cartridges, including Dell, Samsung, HP, Canon and Epson ink cartridges.

Each of the images and videos used in this post are, at the time of posting, held under the Creative Commons licensing.

Earth and Beyond: A Pictorial Journey is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

Scientific Ideas That Seemed Crazy at the Time

Guest Blogger — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:55:54 +0000

By its very nature, science seeks to challenge. It asks brave questions, and comes up with answers that may seem ridiculous. Sometimes, those answers are not ridiculous, but become part of common knowledge, accepted by all. Here are just some of those ideas:

1) The Earth being round
The ancient Greeks were the first to realise that the earth is not flat, but round. Evidence included observations of the horizon, and early astronomy (it is a misconception that people believed in a flat earth into the Middle Ages: by then, most people knew it was round). At the time of discovery, the idea of a flat earth would have seemed counter-intuitive to many.

2) The Earth orbiting the sun
It was also the ancient Greeks who established at the earth orbited the sun, and not the other way around. The earth, they realised, was not the centre of the universe, but merely a part of it. This theory – heliocentrism – was espoused by Galileo in the seventeenth century, who challenged the Catholic church’s view that it was against the scripture, who accepted the idea relatively quickly.

3) Evolution
Darwin’s theory of evolution ran contrary to the creationist views which were mainstream in his time. However, overwhelming evidence led to its acceptance even by many religious people, although many still hold counter-evolutionary views, especially in the US.

4) Mendhelian inheritance
This is the theory, developed by Gregor Mendel in the 1860s, is the theory of how characteristics are passed down from one generation to another, through genes. His ideas were initially ignored: it was only in the twentieth century that they were taken up by other scientists, and went on to form the basis of modern genetics.

5) Global warming
The first theory that man’s activity could affect the world’s climate emerged in the late nineteenth century, but were disbelieved by most. It was not until the 1930s that scientists began to realise that they were likely true, and extensive research has taken place since. Nevertheless, the idea remains a controversial one, and is still refuted by some.

Other scientific theories are emerging all the time, and many seem utterly implausible. There is still so much that we do not know about our planet, and beyond it. Quantum physicists deal in ‘dark matter’ – so-called because they have limited understanding of what it is, though it is thought to be the basis of ‘black holes’. Other theories which seem impossible, but may yet be proven, are constantly studied. For example, it is thought that teleportation will be possible, perhaps within decades, and embryonic teleportation involving single atoms has already taken place: called ‘quantum entanglement’.

Another unlikely sounding theory is the ‘Copenhagen entanglement’. This holds that it is possible for something to be in two places at once: demonstrated by the ability of a particle to pass through two slits at the same time. There are many possible bizarre manifestations of these theories, and others. Who knows, they may yet come to shape our world.

Rachel is a freelance blogger with a background working on science parks and an interest in making science more accessible.

Scientific Ideas That Seemed Crazy at the Time is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

Learn How Gravity Works — Again, as an Adult

Guest Blogger — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:55:57 +0000

I went to a science center exhibit a few weeks ago that had you step on a scale and it showed you how much you weighed on planet Earth (wake-up call that I need to return to the gym), followed by what you’d weigh on each of the other planets. The interactive exhibit explained that the variation is due to gravity. Gravity, which I found to be a complicated theory to grasp as a child, can be easily explained at 800loadcel.com. But, essentially, it is what keeps you standing upright and not smushed to the Earth right now.

Thank you, gravity!

Gravity is not the only scientific theory that is hard to sum up in a few words. As a former science major, I struggled to see things as only black or white. I found the topics interesting, but it was difficult to see why water boiled at a specific temperature and not one degree sooner, how load cell calibration worked or where exactly kinetics came into play. This may be why I ended up changing my major.

Science for dummies

The average person doesn’t need to know every single who, what, when, where, and why of biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, and meteorology. But a running knowledge of how the world works comes in handy for helping your kids on homework, water cooler conversations, and if you’re ever picked to go on Jeopardy.

I find that watching shows on the Discovery Channel rekindles my childhood love of learning. Shows like “Myth Busters,” which uses science to explain why or why not old wives’ tales are true (for example, talking on your cell phone while pumping gas will make you blow up), is a fun way to engage the audience while exposing them to more complicated theories and processes.

More fun when you can play along

I am also a huge fan of attending museums and exhibits geared toward kids. My boyfriend and I recently went to the Maryland Science Center and Baltimore Aquarium. The day trip proved to be a fun one that included learning (and relearning!) about marine wildlife, germs, DNA, and the human body.

I especially love interactive exhibits. From mazes that teach about the human digestive system to a display on Antarctica that has real parkas worn on the tundra available for visitors to try on, it’s just more fun to lean while doing.

Many websites offer at-home ideas to help your kids get the extra attention needed to learn about a specific lesson in science class. Use baking soda and vinegar to teach about chemical interactions via a volcano for chemistry. Take them outside for some hands-on ecology while helping out in the garden. And maybe you’ll also rekindle your love of science in the process.

Now that you know more about how to enjoy the science all around us, dig deeper into a topic of your choice, such as why with load cell calibration is important (800loadcel.com can help!).

Post written by guest blogger James Tennant.

Learn How Gravity Works — Again, as an Adult is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

10 Cool Facts About Space Research

Guest Blogger — Fri, 13 May 2011 14:27:22 +0000

This post is a guest contribution by Rachel.

1) International space stations, sent up into space to carry out research, orbit the earth at around 350km high. Passenger aeroplanes only reach around 9km high.

2) We have achieved much in space research: putting a man on the Moon, and exploring Mars. However, there is still a very long way to go, and more to explore than we could ever imagine. We’ve yet to reach any of the stars: the nearest, Proxima Centurai, would take tens of thousands of years to reach with current technology.

3) Space satellites and research missions help us understand the earth and its climate, as well as the world beyond it. It gives us the ability to observe our climate and weather, and see how we are being affected by global warming.

4) Space research has many spin-offs that are useful down here on Earth. These have included barcodes, smoke detectors and heart pacemakers. Space research pushes the boundaries of what can be done so frequently, that it is always likely to lead to innovation in many fields.

5) Space may be vast and largely unexplored, but spacecraft have explored huge areas of our solar system, and travelled further and faster than we could ever have believed possible a few decades ago. Much of this exploration has been done by robots: they are the most useful tool space researchers have, as sending humans long distances is not often possible. They have been to most of the planets and moons in our solar system, and some are making their way out of it to explore the universe beyond.

6) Space-based imaging technology uses x-rays and electromagnetics that can only work outside the Earth’s atmosphere in order to create images of space. The images they create open the door on a magical, mysterious work of incredible energy. We can now see colliding galaxies and exploding stars in all their amazing glory.

7) Space research has found that all particles have a negative version of themselves: like a parallel universe. This is what is known as anti-matter. When matter and anti-matter collide, they explode, destroying each other.

Space is thought to be full of radiation that was created by the Big Bang, 13.7 billion years ago. This is known as cosmic microwave background, and is one of the most compelling pieces of evidence we have for the Big Bang theory.

9) Space researchers think that the universe might be made up mainly of a mysterious substance called ‘dark matter’. Dark matter cannot be seen, and cannot be detected with any of the scientific research instruments we have available, and its nature remains uncertain. It could make up invisible black holes.

10) While NASA may dominate space research, they’re not the only players: here in the UK we have a new space innovation centre at Harwell Oxford. It’s the first of its kind in Europe.

Rachel is a keen blogger with a particular interest in space exploration and the science of the universe. Personal heroes include Sir Patrick Moore and Professor Stephen Hawking.

10 Cool Facts About Space Research is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

Ig Nobel Prizes 2010: Oil and Water Mixing, Preventing Winter Falls, Fellatio in Fruit Bats, Rollercoaster Asthma, Whale Snot and Swearing as a Response to Pain, Among Others, Awarded

Jorge Goncalves — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 20:00:58 +0000

Chemistry: Eric Adams of MIT, Scott Socolofsky of Texas A&M University, Stephen Masutani of the University of Hawaii, and BP [British Petroleum], for disproving the old belief that oil and water don’t mix.
Review of Deep Oil Spill Modeling Activity Supported by the Deep Spill JIP and Offshore Operator’s Committee, Final Report, Eric Adams and Scott Socolofsky, 2005.

Physics: Lianne Parkin, Sheila Williams, and Patricia Priest of the University of Otago, New Zealand, for demonstrating that, on icy footpaths in wintertime, people slip and fall less often if they wear socks on the outside of their shoes.
Preventing Winter Falls: A Randomised Controlled Trial of a Novel Intervention, Lianne Parkin, Sheila Williams, and Patricia Priest, New Zealand Medical Journal, vol. 122, 2009, pp. 31-8.

Biology: Libiao Zhang, Min Tan, Guangjian Zhu, Jianping Ye, Tiyu Hong, Shanyi Zhou, and Shuyi Zhang of China, and Gareth Jones of the University of Bristol, UK, for scientifically documenting fellatio in fruit bats.
Fellatio by Fruit Bats Prolongs Copulation Time, Min Tan, Gareth Jones, Guangjian Zhu, Jianping Ye, Tiyu Hong, Shanyi Zhou, Shuyi Zhang and Libiao Zhang, PLoS ONE, vol. 4, no. 10, e7595.

Medicine: Simon Rietveld of the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Ilja van Beest of Tilburg University, The Netherlands, for discovering that symptoms of asthma can be treated with a roller-coaster ride.
Rollercoaster Asthma: When Positive Emotional Stress Interferes with Dyspnea Perception, Simon Rietveld and Ilja van Beest, Behaviour Research and Therapy, vol. 45, 2006, pp. 977–87.

Economics: The executives and directors of Goldman Sachs, AIG, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, and Magnetar for creating and promoting new ways to invest money — ways that maximize financial gain and minimize financial risk for the world economy, or for a portion thereof.

More details at the Ig Nobel Prize winners page of Improbable Research and at the Ceremony & Lectures page or you can also see:

Guardian Science: Ig Nobel awards go to slime mould and fruity bats.

NewScientist: Best of the Ig Nobel prizes 2010.

Nature News: Bat fellatio and slime molds take 2010 IgNobels.

National Geographic Daily News: Whale Snot, Cursing Away Pain Among 2010 Ig Nobels.

Ig Nobel Prizes 2010: Oil and Water Mixing, Preventing Winter Falls, Fellatio in Fruit Bats, Rollercoaster Asthma, Whale Snot and Swearing as a Response to Pain, Among Others, Awarded is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

Science Online London 2010: How is the Web Changing Science?

Jorge Goncalves — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 18:28:07 +0000

Nature, Mendeley, and the British Library present Science Online London 2010, September 3-4, 2010 — British Library. How is the web changing the way we conduct, communicate, share, and evaluate research? How can we employ these trends for the greater good? This September, a brilliant group of scientists, bloggers, web entrepreneurs, and publishers will be meeting for two days to address these very questions.

In addition to a number of keynotes and talks, Science Online London is about community, and is an experience that you can shape. Exchange ideas with others like you. Propose and take part in un-conference sessions, ignite talks, two tours through the Royal Society, a Fringe-Frivolous Rooftop Debate with free drinks and discussions (limited to 50 attendees), or a trip to the Diamond Light Source Synchrotron.

See also the Science Online London Blog for more information and use the Wiki to give your suggestions.

Science Online London 2010: How is the Web Changing Science? is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

Amazing Videos: The Symphony of Science

Jorge Goncalves — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 18:32:14 +0000

The Symphony of Science is a musical project headed by John Boswell. The goal of the project is to bring scientific knowledge and philosophy to the public, in a novel way, through the medium of music. Science and music are two passions of him that he aims to combine, in a way that is intended to bring a meaningful message to listeners, while simultaneously providing an enjoyable musical experience. Here you can watch music videos, download songs, read lyrics and find links relating to the messages conveyed by the music.

The project owes its existence in large measure to the wonderful work of Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan, and Steve Soter, of Druyan-Sagan Associates, and their production of the classic PBS Series Cosmos, as well as all the other featured figures and visuals.

My favorite video: We Are All Connected (ft. Sagan, Feynman, deGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye)

You can watch more videos here or at the Symphony of Science’s YouTube Channel.

Amazing Videos: The Symphony of Science is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

Highlighting Key Discoveries: Nature Milestones

Jorge Goncalves — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 23:16:29 +0000

Nature Milestones highlights key discoveries that have shaped different scientific fields and enables the wider recognition of these classic findings that are often recognized only by those in the field.

Highlighting Key Discoveries: Nature Milestones is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

Science Quick Picks » Science

2012 Google Science Fair

Related posts

What A New Space Race Would Accomplish

Related posts

Earth and Beyond: A Pictorial Journey

(1) Lift off

(2) Another powerful launch

(3) Home

(4) Antarctic Peninsula

(5) A Long Fall from Space

(6) Up and Over Down Under

(7) High Shot of Low Pressure

(8) A Cloud Street Map

(9) Nature’s Magic Captured from on High

(10) A Glorious Sight To Behold

(11) A Turbulent Typhoon Approaches

(12) The Forecast: Clouds, Clouds and Clouds

(13) UARS Prior to Re-entry

(14) A Full Moon

(15) A Closer Look at the Lunar Surface

(16) Solar Power

(17) Blaze and Flare

(18) The Shine of a Sun Spot

(19) A Solar Eclipse from Space

(20) Look upon Mercury

(21) Beautiful Venus

(22) Mighty Mars

(23) Ringed Saturn

(24) The Giant Jupiter

(25) A Look at Europa

(26) Distant Uranus

(27) Far Off Neptune

(28) Pluto Out In the Cold

(29) An Image of Andromeda

(30) A spiralling Galaxy of Stars

(31) Jets from a Black Hole

(32) Turbulent Centre of a Black Hole

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Scientific Ideas That Seemed Crazy at the Time

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Learn How Gravity Works — Again, as an Adult

Thank you, gravity!

Science for dummies

More fun when you can play along

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10 Cool Facts About Space Research

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Ig Nobel Prizes 2010: Oil and Water Mixing, Preventing Winter Falls, Fellatio in Fruit Bats, Rollercoaster Asthma, Whale Snot and Swearing as a Response to Pain, Among Others, Awarded

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Science Online London 2010: How is the Web Changing Science?

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Highlighting Key Discoveries: Nature Milestones

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