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