NYT : Dark, Perhaps Forever

I have been meaning to post this a few weeks but I didn't get a chance to do that until now.

The article has outlined some ideas about the expansion of our universe and how it has grappled with the gravitational force. The universe may have expanded rapidly after the big bang then slowed down due to dark matter and atoms filled up part of the universe. A period later, the dark energy could have influenced the universe's new rapid expansion. The article is worth reading. below, you will find the link that could get you fascinated!

Dark, Perhaps Forever

Yahoo : Fossil of most primitive 4-legged creature found

Here's triumph news. A skull of most primitive four-legged creature was unearthed. This fossil is about 365-million-year-old and this appears to be related to tetrapod family. It's known as Ventastega. This species may have vanished while other tetrapods went to take over the land. With this discovery, it pushes evolutionary biologists closer to understand how fish evolved to tetrapods. For further reading, click on the link below.

Fossil of most primitive 4-legged creature found

NYT : NASA Spacecraft Appears to Have Landed on Mars

I was delighted to learn that the NASA spacecraft may have landed on Mars safely. We will find out later to see if the probe is in good shape and it may take some time to unfold things before the robotic arm starts to drill in the ice surface and collect some data.

It could help to shed some light about life and the red planet itself. I look forward to receiving some news on some analysis.

For further reading, click on the link below.

NASA Spacecraft Appears to Have Landed on Mars

NYT : Older Brain Really May Be a Wiser Brain

Even though older adults could no longer remember names and telephone numbers, it doesn't necessarily mean that their brainpower is declining. According to findings, the brain takes time to store the data and search for the information. As matter of fact, the aging brain is more wiser. Sure, young people can readily access the information from brain relatively quickly but they are still in the learning process.

You can read an interesting article. Just click on the link below.

Older Brain Really May Be a Wiser Brain

NYT : Supernova Remnant Is Young and Quick

The explosion of star occurred about 26,000 years ago and the light traveled to here about 150 years ago. The star resides about 26,000 light-year away from here in our own Milky Way galaxy. The supernova is so young and crispy as it's continuing the formation. The 3-D image above is spectacular!

If you wish to read the New York Times article, just click on the link below.


Supernova Remnant Is Young and Quick

NYT : Polar Bear Is Made a Protected Species

I'm pleased to learn that the polar bear will be placed under the protection of the Endangered Species Act. The blame goes to global warming and heavy hunting.

I wonder why it took them a long time to put the polar bear in this category? It's important for the world try to preserve endangered species and increase the regulation on hunting.

Even though this is a small step, the world need to act more to slow down the rise of global warming.

For more information, click on the link below.

Polar Bear Is Made a Protected Species

Yahoo : Earth Extinctions Blamed on Cosmic Speed Bump

Have you ever figured out what has caused the mass extinction that wiped out species like dinosaurs? A research suggested that cosmic impacts may be one of handful reasons.

As our galaxy passed through the galactic zone every 35 million to 40 million yeras, increasing the chances of comets showering at planets.

It's an interesting hypothesis. There is a reason for me to be skeptical. There has been no mass extinction for 65 million years and I want to see some more findings. I like some other theories.

For further reading, click on the link.

Earth Extinctions Blamed on Cosmic Speed Bump

Nikola Tesla

A couple days, I finished reading a fascinating biography of Nikola Tesla by Margaret Cheney. The title is Tesla: Man Out of Time. Prior to reading this book, I had no idea that I would be reading a biography of someone who was a real genius. I was astonished to learn more about Tesla's most important inventions such as radio, X-ray, fluorescent light, etc. Actually, he was a pioneer of fluorescent light and it didn't become standard until a few decades later. Other inventors have claimed that they, not Tesla, invented radio and X-ray. A couple years after Tesla's death, the Supreme Court ruled that radio was invented by Tesla. Too bad, Tesla was so indifferent on patenting some of his inventions. I believe that some of Edison's patented inventions don't belong to him.

I would highly recommend you to read this book if you are interested in learning about Tesla, his inventions, and his life. The book may be a little technical but it's very enjoyable.

NYT: H.P. Reports Big Advance in Memory Chip Design

Hewlett-Packard scientists have successfully created a simple circuit element that can build tiny powerful computers to do performs taks such as biological functions. Today, they could create the circuit based on memristors are that small as as 15 nanometers. The smallest compound in today's semiconductors are 45 nanometers.

Very impressive! For further reading, click on the link below.

H.P. Reports Big Advance in Memory Chip Design

NYT : Memory Training Shown to Turn Up Brainpower

If it's true, memory training helps to improve people's intelligence. More researches will be needed before we know the answers. For further reading, click on the link below.

Memory Training Shown to Turn Up Brainpower

SciAm.com : The Color of Plants on Other Worlds

Scientific American has an excellent article about the color of plants in other worlds orbiting stars light years away from our solar system.

Have you ever imagined that the color of plants to be blue, red, orange, purple, black, and so on? I think that it's possible. It depends on the algae and the formation of plants under the ocean and what type of photons they need to absorb in order to spread.

The article is very long but worth reading. For further reading, click on the link below.

The Color of Plants on Other Worlds

NYT : Physicists Renew Claim, in New Experiment, of Detecting Dark Matter Particles

Do you support the claims by a team of Italian and Chinese physicists that they have detected the mysterious dark matter particles?

I am not so sure. It requires credibility and I want to see them come up with a sold report outlining their discovery.

For further reading, click on the link below.

Physicists Renew Claim, in New Experiment, of Detecting Dark Matter Particles

NYT : Gauging a Collider’s Odds of Creating a Black Hole

Dennis Overbye posted a nice essay about a collider's odds of creating a Black Hole. I think that it's an interesting essay. I have to agree that it's extremely unlikely to create the Black Hole out of a collider. I am not going to lose any sleep over this. For further reading, click on the link below.

Gauging a Collider’s Odds of Creating a Black Hole

NYT : Tunnel Milestone, and More to Come

This is more of engineering stuff but I still wanted to share with you. This article provide details on how to build tunnels using today's technology, especially with the aid of satellite. Take a look at the multimedia section. I think that the article is incredible.

For further reading, click on the link below.

Tunnel Milestone, and More to Come

NYT: The Ancient Mechanics and How They Thought

Can you imagine how ancient Greek think about mechanics? "Mechanical Problems" did exist as far as third century B.C. As you know, simple mechanics such as the wheel, the lever, and axle, the balance, the pulley, the wedge and the screw. Don't be surprised that old textures were found containing the notes of theories and principles of mechanics even though they were not so sophisticated as ours. It's terrific to learn how they actually visualized and how they have attempted to come up with ideas. They have developed algebra and geometry over different periods of time.

For further reading, click on the link below.

The Ancient Mechanics and How They Thought

NYT: Science in Pictures, April 4

Check out the New York Times' slideshow. It contains six spectacular pictures. I personally like number 2, 3, and 6. Take your pick!


Science in Pictures, April 4

NYT : Edison ...Wasn’t He the Guy Who Invented Everything?

An article from the New York Times revealed the truth about innovators and patents. For instance, the human recording voice was actually invented two decades before Thomas Edison's famous invention, phonograph. It was invented by the Frenchman in who ran out of money for patent. This has occured numerous of time.

For further reading, click on the link below.

Edison ...Wasn’t He the Guy Who Invented Everything?

NYT : Asking a Judge to Save the World, and Maybe a Whole Lot More

I found a story interesting. The is a laboratory that builds the Large Hardon Collider, in which the colliding protons will recreate energies and conditions last seen a trillionth of a second after the Big Dang.

Two guys are suiting because they claimed that it can create the black hole that can swallow the Earth.

That's ludicrous! I don't think that this type of collider is capable of doing something to create something that could become the black hole.

For further reading, click on the link below.

Asking a Judge to Save the World, and Maybe a Whole Lot More

NYT : On Saturn Moon, Life’s Basics

Scientists have been speculating about the life on Saturn's small moon Enceladus. The reason that the speculation of life is due to geysers at the south pole some 500 miles off the icy surface into space.

Since this moon does have some water, it is capable of supporting life. I would assume that relatively simple life can be formed, especially with microbes. I think that this moon is unlikely to form a complex organics.

Let's send a robot to that moon and have it search for something and relay back the information to us. It could happen in 20 years from now.

For further reading, click on the link below.

On Saturn Moon, Life’s Basics

Yahoo : Gas-belching volcanoes may have killed dinosaurs

Even though the article was published late last week, I want to comment on this. There are several different theories about how dinosaurs went extinct. Gas-belching volcanos may have wiped out dinosaurs. The volcanos would have released a vast amount of sulfur and chlorine, releasing too much toxic.

Both dinosaurs and sea reptiles vanished But, why didn't other reptiles such as snakes, lizards, alligators, etc., go extinct too? The size of dinosaurs may be the factor. Mammals, birds, and other animals were small when king lizards were wiped out 65 million years ago.

I like the asteroid impacts theory more but I shall not close the door on the gas-belching volcanos theory. I think that it's important to look at all different theories. For further reading, click on the link below.

Gas-belching volcanoes may have killed dinosaurs

NYT : A Boy’s Life, Guided by the Voice of Cosmic Wonder

I just read a lovely essay about Arthure C. Clarke. Dennis Overbye was describing his own passion in reading books by Arthur while growing up. Read on.

A Boy’s Life, Guided by the Voice of Cosmic Wonder

DISCOVER : Did Life Evolve in Ice?

There is a fascinating article about life evolving in ice. Did it really occur that gave the rise to life today? Stanley Miller had filled the vial in 1972 with a mixture of ammonia and cyanide, the chemicals that may be the key ingredient that originated the life. He had kept them at -108 –108 degrees Fahrenheit for a quarter of century. The ice was very dry. After he and his former student brushed off the frost from the vial, they have discovered that the mixture of ammonia and cyanide went from colorless to color.

For further reading, click on the link below.

Did Life Evolve in Ice?

NYT : Stuff of Life (but Not Life Itself) Is Detected on a Distant Planet

This is the beginning! The Hubble Space Telescope has finally detected an exoplanet with relatively simple life -- molecules. I agree that the planet requires to have water and some sort of gases in order to originate life. The exoplanet itself is too hot. The temperature goes as high as 1,700 Fahrenheit. It orbits around the sun that is smaller than our own sun. The distance between that exoplanet and small sun is about 3 million miles apart and the exoplanet mass is similar to Jupiter.

I am still skeptical on other planets supporting intellectual life like ours. But, I am more optimistic on finding out about simple life on other planet. If the simple life could evolve into more complex living things, I would be totally impressed.

For further reading, click on the link below.

Stuff of Life (but Not Life Itself) Is Detected on a Distant Planet

NYT : Arthur C. Clarke, Premier Science Fiction Writer, Dies at 90

Arthur Clarke's death has gotten my attention. I have read two books written by him. Even though I preferred Isaac Asimov books, I have been impressed with Arthur Clarke's accomplishments. The New York Times published an interesting obituary about this author. Below, you will find the link to this article.

NYT : Arthur C. Clarke, Premier Science Fiction Writer, Dies at 90

NYT : Stop the Mutants!

Just read Olivia Judson's essay about evolutionary biology in the New York Times. I thought that it's a very good essay. I have included the link in this post. Enjoy!

Stop the Mutants!

NYT : Kissing the Earth Goodbye in About 7.59 Billion Years

What do you think will happen to the Earth in a couple billion years from now? As our sun's core starts to burn out, the size of sun will get larger and larger and it will become the red giant like all other dying stars.

What exactly will happen to the Earth? Will it be swallowed into sun? Will it go into a violent tug war with their own star? Will it break up into pieces? Will it escape sun's mighty gravitational force?

Will it actually occur in about 7.59 billion years from now? The calculation may be accurate.

Below is a link to an interesting New York Times article.

Kissing the Earth Goodbye in About 7.59 Billion Years

NYT : Gauging Age of Universe Becomes More Precise

We are getting closer to reality. Before that, we got some different figures on age of universe. It was 10-20 billion years old. Now, the figure is 13.73 billion years old with 120 million years old more or less. Will future instruments be able to give us the exact age? It will probably become reality during our lifetime.

The new data suggested that the earliest stars switched on 400 million years after the Big Bang. Also, it took half a billion years to break apart all of the atoms.

Separately, In the past, I have pondered about the Big Bang theory and how this was created. What has happened before the Bang Big? Did the time start prior to the Big Bang or it actually started when the Big Bang occurred? WE will probably never know.

For further reading, click on the link below.

Gauging Age of Universe Becomes More Precise

NYT : Sociable, and Smart

In fact, the enormous size of the human brain is mysterious. The article has suggested that the social networking could be the factor. They had to study other animals rather than primates in order to help to shed the light. The researchers have discovered that the primates with a big frontal cortex tend to live in large groups. The predators and other factors could have helped primates to move ahead. I think that hypothesis is interesting.

For further reading, click on the link below.

Sociable, and Smart

NYT : Scientists Would Turn Greenhouse Gas Into Gasoline

What do you think of this idea? Handful of scientists are claiming that they can convert greenhouse gas into gasoline. It seems possible but they have yet built the factory that allows this to occur. The debate could go on but they will need to build the costly factory and prove that this project can be successful. I would love to see this project to get a green light as soon as possible and we could see if it does actually work. However, I think that it would be difficult. At one point, it can't hurt to try.

For further reading, click on the link below.

Scientists Would Turn Greenhouse Gas Into Gasoline

NYT : Paleontologists Reconstruct a Monster Frog

It has never cross my mind that a giant frog, let's say, a devil frog making a giant leap. It is possible that they ate some baby dinosaurs out of eggs. Does it sound terrifying?

I have been pondering. It makes sense. The evolutionary process does allow species to grow large at one point for a very good reason. Insects and lizards have done that. Why not frogs?

I am quite excited with the new discovery.

For further reading, click on the link below.

Paleontologists Reconstruct a Monster Frog

NYT: Smaller Version of the Solar System Is Discovered

At last, they have found a miniature solar system that looks similar to our system. The giant planet has about 2/3 mass of Jupiter. That miniature solar system is 5,000 light-year away from our system. The scientists and astronomers are confident that they will discover more planetary systems that resemble our system. This discovery is a huge leap. However, it doesn't necessarily mean that there is any life form. There is no way we can find out right now. For further reading, click on the link below.


Smaller Version of the Solar System Is Discovered

Yahoo : Tooth scan reveals Neanderthal mobility

Paleontologists have suggested that Neanderthals are more mobile than previously thought. Analysis of a 40,000-year-old tooth found in southern Greece has supported the hypothesis.

I am inclined to support this idea. Neanderthals could have traveled farther than 12.5 miles. It sounds very logical. However, there is no way to prove because they have gone extinct more than 20,000 years ago.

My question is did Neanderthals ever travel to Asia? Or, they just remained in Europe, Middle East, and part of Asia?

Time will tell after we make more discoveries later on.

Tooth scan reveals Neanderthal mobility

NYT : Satellite Spotters Glimpse Secrets, and Tell Them

I was impressed when I read the New York Times article about the handful hobbyists spend hours detecting satellites and they re able to identify many satellites. They even calculate the speed of each satellite orbiting around Earth.

The article mentioned that 328 satellites have come down in the past five years. I wonder if the figure is accurate because that's awful a lot of satellites orbiting around Earth.

For further reading, click on the link below.


Satellite Spotters Glimpse Secrets, and Tell Them

NYT : Lasers Make Other Metals Look Like Gold

This must be good news for jewelers. The laser could make other metals look like gold. It could be aluminum, tuungsten, or other metals. Dr. Guo and another researcher has been experimenting with ultrashort laser bursts on some metals. How does the metal absorbs and reflects the light? The answer to be determined. The aluminum does a terrific job by changing to gold and you may not be able to tell if whether it's real or not. For further reading, click on the link below.

Lasers Make Other Metals Look Like Gold

Yahoo : Asteroid will swing by, but won't stop

The asteroid will drift by Earth this Tuesday, not too close to hit here. It will fly by about 334,000 miles away from here. The asteroid is at least 500-feet long.

The next asteroid visit will be in 2027 and it is not expected to land here either.

If they take a good picture of asteroid this Tuesday, I'll love to check it out!

For further reading, click on the link below.

Asteroid will swing by, but won't stop

NYT : Entrepreneur Unveils New Tourist Spacecraft

How about going into space as a tourist? Virgin Galactic has been working diligently to develop the space ship that can travel into space for a short time then return to Earth. The ship would contain the aerodynamic drag that allows the craft for a glider landing back on Earth. They have been experimenting with X-1 through X-15 for decades and they have improved that there is an alternate way to travel into space and return to Earth. The craft will become public in 2009 or 2010. For further reading, click on the link below.

Entrepreneur Unveils New Tourist Spacecraft

NYT : Diabetes Study Favors Surgery to Treat Obese

Even though the surgery is not new, the study has suggested that surgery is the best option to help the obese patients with Type-2 diabetes. The surgery costs between $17,000 & $25,000. This is extravagant! For further reading, click on the link below.

Diabetes Study Favors Surgery to Treat Obese

NYT : The Claim: Too Much Cola Can Cause Kidney Problems

The researchers have been coming up with some evidence that too much cola can cause cause some problems other than obesity and diabetes. It can cause the kidney problems. It's actually better to drink noncola or even just water and natural preserved juice. For further reading, click on the link below.


The Claim: Too Much Cola Can Cause Kidney Problems

NYT : New Zealand Builds a Nest Big Enough to Save Kiwis

i just read an article from The New York Times about New Zealand trying to save kiwis that are in danger of becoming extinct. Kiwi is a small flightless bird that is considered as the national bird. Kiwi's population in about 1820s was as many as five million. Today's population is about 75,000. The Europeans have introduced predators such as ferrets, weasels, stoats, dogs, and cats.

I am praising the program's effort to save kiwis and other endangered animals from becoming extinct.

For further reading, click on the link below.

New Zealand Builds a Nest Big Enough to Save Kiwis

I'm back!!

I have been neglecting my blogger for weeks due to my two-week vacation in Buenos Aires & Chile, holidays, and other stuff. I have been toying with my new Mac and surfing net.

I hope to start posting science news again soon. At one point, I'd like to be more creative with my posts.

I just finished reading Nemesis by Asimov. I know that it's just a science fiction. Do you think that it's possible to travel at high speed in space? Will there be any device that allows the vessel travel as fast as light speed? In my own opinion, I don't think that it is possible even though the device is built with the vaccuum technology. No one would be able to invent this kind of device. I am almost certain that it's impossible to build the vessel to travel at high speed. If this device exists at other worlds where the aliens are more advanced, why haven't they come to visit here? To me, this is a science fiction!