Archive for the ‘space’ category: Page 977
Dec 18, 2015
Nearby star hosts closest alien planet in the ‘habitable zone’
Posted by Sean Brazell in category: space
Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
A type 3 civilization.
A type 3 what?!
Since when have animals in this zoo been allowed to speak?
Continue reading “Nearby star hosts closest alien planet in the ‘habitable zone’” »
Dec 17, 2015
You Too Can Explore Mars (In VR) Just Like Mark Watney
Posted by Klaus Baldauf in categories: habitats, space, virtual reality
Dec 17, 2015
NASA’s Tech Was Repurposed in Some Strange Ways This Year
Posted by Jeremy Lichtman in category: space
NASA has a long history of seeing its technology turned around after spaceflight for some more earthbound purposes. (Enjoy that scratch-resistant coating on your glasses? Well, it began life as an ‘80s-era spacecraft water filtration system.) What some people miss is that it’s still happening today.
Every year, NASA puts out what it calls a “spinoff report.” No, this is not a list of ideas for a series of zany, roommate comedies set aboard the ISS. (Although this is an excellent idea. Call me, NASA TV!) The spinoff report is actually a list of all the ways NASA’s tech has been repurposed into new products, ranging from the inevitable to the surprising to the bizarre.
Here are a few of highlights from this year’s version:
Dec 16, 2015
Enormous Christmas Eve Asteroid Sparks Fears: ‘Potentially Hazardous’ Space Rock Could Cause Earthquakes, Wake Dormant Volcanoes
Posted by Sean Brazell in category: space
Merry Christmas, my friends. wink
A massive asteroid flying by Earth on 2015 Christmas Eve has scientists on edge. While NASA is downplaying the threat to human life and property, conspiracy theorists and several experts say space rock 2003 SD220 is larger than believed and has the potential to cause deadly earthquakes and eruptions from dormant volcanoes.
According to a Sun report, the Christmas Eve asteroid is one of at least 10 rocky bodies in space that are considered “potentially hazardous” to Earth. According to an internal report, NASA officials say it measures about 1.5 miles wide and is moving at 5 miles per second.
Dec 15, 2015
Year in review: Pluto unveiled as a world like no other — By Christopher Crockett | ScienceNews
Posted by Odette Bohr Dienel in categories: space, space travel, water
“The alien landscapes of Pluto and its moons dazzled scientists and nonscientists alike this year. More than eight decades after its discovery, Pluto became much more than a nondescript point of light. It’s a dynamic, complex world unlike any other orbiting the sun.”
Tag: Pluto
Dec 15, 2015
What Was Your 1st Computer? — Computerphile
Posted by Shailesh Prasad in categories: computing, mobile phones, neuroscience, robotics/AI, singularity, space
Before each Computerphile interview we asked guests and regular contributors about their first computer.
Professor Uwe Aickelin: Missing Data: https://youtu.be/oCQbC818KKU
Professor Ross Anderson: Chip & PIN Fraud: https://youtu.be/Ks0SOn8hjG8
Continue reading “What Was Your 1st Computer? — Computerphile” »
Dec 12, 2015
The Biggest Meteor Shower of the Year Is This Weekend and Here’s How to Watch
Posted by Sean Brazell in category: space
This weekend’s Geminids are going to be the biggest meteor shower of this year, and you absolutely should not miss it. Here’s when, where, and how to watch the Geminid meteor shower—and what you should be looking for when you do.
The Geminids are a mid-December (this year peaking on Sunday, December 13th) meteor shower formed by the debris of comet 3200 Phaeton burning up in our atmosphere. Phaeton is unusual in that it was only recently recognized as a comet at all. For many years, astronomers believed that Phaethon was really a large asteroid, due to its total lack of ice. Eventually, researchers figured out that Phaethon’s lack of ice was simply due to how close its path was to the sun, and they reclassified it as an extinct comet or a “rock comet.” That extinct comet is responsible for the Geminids you’ll see this weekend.
Dec 11, 2015
Reality Check: The Universe Is (Probably) Not a Hologram
Posted by Andreas Matt in category: space
An experiment at Fermilab to determine if everything in the universe is just a hologram reassures us it probably isn’t.