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New Study Shows Accelerate...

An ice-free Arctic in the summer may just be a few years away, according to preliminary Canadian Research that began during the International Polar Year. And less sea ice this winter allowed the coast guard icebreaker Amundsen to spend the whole winter research season in the Arctic, studying the climate changes at are changing life in the high latitudes.

Science Remixed for the Ma...

Music is a powerful medium to convey big messages. But few have successfully spun science-themed songs into big hits. John Boswell has created a new art form, merging the spoken word from superstar scientists with his own original music. And his Symphony of Science has become a big hit on YouTube. We Are All Connected A Glorious Dawn Our Place in the Cosmos The Unbroken Thread pp_flashembed( 'powerpress_player_7226', {src:...

NASA and GM Team Up to Bui...

The Robonaut2 is being jointly developed by NASA and General Motors to help humans in space and on Earth. It’s the first step toward having supervised yet autonomous robots performing tasks in outer space and in automotive factories. The R2 can lift four times as much as other robots and with fully functioning hands and fingers it is more dexterous than other bots.

Science on Track for Big B...

The federal agencies submitted their budget requests to Congress this week, marking a big moment for all things science. According to preliminary reports about $148 billion of the Presidents full $3.8 trillion budget is heading for scientific research programs. Photo courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory pp_flashembed( 'powerpress_player_7227', {src: 'http://www.realscience.us/blog/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/FlowPlayerClassic.swf',...

Branson Explores Underwate...

The man who is planning to send tourists to space is diving into the world of ocean exploration. The first underwater plane is designed for use by Sir Richard Branson’s guests who visit his private Caribbean island. This fun toy could be the beginning of a new Virgin brand — this called one Virgin Oceanic. After taking possession of the new Necker Nymph later this month Branson will continue...

Astrotweets Signal Interne...

Astronauts can order books on Amazon or watch movies on Netflix, even while orbiting the Earth on the International Space Station. NASA just hooked up the Internet last week and already the astronauts have been tweeting up a storm. NASA also unveiled live streaming aboard the space station, starting today. pp_flashembed( 'powerpress_player_7229', {src: 'http://www.realscience.us/blog/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/FlowPlayerClassic.swf',...

Science State of the Union...

President Obama’s first State of the Union address was long as these speeches go but short on science. With only a few mentions of science, science education and innovation, the Monday morning science quarterbacks criticized the President for not including more science. But two teenage future scientists — Gabriela Farfan and Li Boynton — proudly sat near the First Lady during the...

Florida Freeze Kills Invas...

Millions of tilapia, an invasive fish species, have been wiped out. It has put a temporary dent in commercial fishing, but now biologists say other fish will have a chance to flourish. The tilapia has made its home in Florida lakes for decades since being first brought in to control out of control vegetation. But the recent cold blast in the Sunshine state wiped out most of the tilapia in Polk County...

Science Prepares for Alien...

A two-day conference at the Royal Society in London called The Detection of Extra-terrestrial Life and The Consequences for Science and Society gathered top astronomers to discuss the possibility that some life form on another planet will likely be discovered within our lifetime. The all-star lineup included Dr. Frank Drake, the NASA radio astronomer has been listening to the Universe for signs of...

Scientists Return to Haiti...

A group of geoscientists from leading research universities just received a grant to travel to Haiti to study the aftermath of the 7.0 Haiti earthquake that devastated the capital of Port-au-Prince on January 12. Led by Eric Calais from Purdue University, the team will take measurements of the changes along the fault line that ruptured during the quake and they will learn whether a bigger quake may...

The Sun’s Hot Solar ...

The sun is one-stop shopping when it comes to finding an unlimited supply of power. But harnessing light and turning it into electricity has proven to be a tricky and expensive proposition. But if we could squeeze our huge thirst for power from the sun, one way to go may be something called “solar chemical“. It uses a chemical process to break the bonds of molecules like water or carbon...

Help NASA Image Mars...

Here’s your chance to make scientific history. NASA is inviting the public to help choose sites on Mars to point a high-powered camera as part of a visual survey of the Red Planet. The HiRISE camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has shot over 13,000 images already. Now NASA is opening up the opportunity to the public. Use the new HiWish online tool to study the Mars map, decide what...

Make Room for the Mesopred...

The top predators in every animal niche are disappearing. Development and other forces are pushing these animals toward the brink of extinction. New research shows that conservation efforts and a plan to return apex predators to the wild may be more cost-effective than trying to control the predators in waiting — called mesopredators. pp_flashembed( 'powerpress_player_7234', {src: 'http://www.realscience.us/blog/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/FlowPlayerClassic.swf',...

Building a Potato Powered ...

Long a science fair project staple, this potato powered calculator is easy to recreate yourself. Batteries not necessary.

Small Asteroid Buzzes Eart...

The school bus sized chunk of space rock hurtled past Earth last week and a Utah astronomer caught the dot on video. It didn’t get dangerously close but did come within 80,000 miles.

Why Haiti is Prone to Eart...

Haiti sits on the edge of two tectonic plates — the North American and the Caribbean. These plates are constantly in motion in this very active part of the world. Haiti sits on the west end of the island of Hispanola with two big faults running right through the country. The southern fault, which triggered Tuesday’s 7.0 earthquake cuts right through the nation’s capital city, Port...

Cold Snap Masks Global War...

Much of the country and for that matter the Northern Hemisphere has been locked in an icy weather pattern that sent records tumbling and even forced Florida produce growers to seal oranges and strawberries in ice to protect them from frigid temperatures. Some scientists are saying this is yet another sign of the extreme temperature fluctuations that climate change is bringing. Others are quick to...

Fast Flight to Mars with a...

Mars is far away. For a manned spaceship to get there now under current rocket power, it would take about a year. But riding a plasma rocket will shorten the trip considerably — to just 39 days. While Hacketts Cove, Nova Scotia is not the hotbed of aerospace technology, a company there is building a radio frequency sensor unit that will heat argon gas enough to turn it to plasma. Nautel is building...

Russia Takes Aim at Big As...

The head of the Russian space agency surprised scientists recently when he announced that his country needs to start figuring out how to deflect a big asteroid that will pass very close to Earth in about 20 years. When Apophis was discovered in 2004 NASA thought there was a slight chance that the big rock could hit Earth when it passes by in 2029 and again in 2036. But studies since then have allowed...

The Growling Uncertainty o...

One thing is for sure. Science doesn’t do certainty. No matter how close a researcher gets to complete certainty there is always room to know more. Therefore uncertainty is a scientific fact. And we need to get comfortable with it. From taxonomic tussles over classifying the giant panda to more controversial science like climate change and genetics, uncertainty is a driving force pushing science...

A House of Cards in the Co...

Dedicated environmentalists, or eccentric architects? Nearly a decade ago, the Jimenez family moved from the Colombian city of Cali to a humble home in the jungle made entirely out of paper. They keep cool, cook, do laundry and demonstrate how to live off the grid by generating their own energy.

2 Cancer Codes Cracked...

The International Cancer Genome Project is the largest genetic undertaking since the Human Genome Project. It is trying to sequence the DNA of 50 types of cancer over the next few years. Researchers decoded the genome for lung and skin cancer in mid December. CBC reports. Fun fact: Scientists discovered one mutation per every 15 cigarettes smoked in lung cancer patients.

Fizzy Science of Champagne...

For centuries, champagne makers considered pent-up carbon dioxide a hazard that could make their bottles explode. But the bubbles are so pleasing to the palette, it’s no wonder 322 million bottles of champagne were sold world-wide last year. WSJ’s Robert Lee Hotz reports.

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