9 things you don't know about sand dollars
We’ve all seen sand dollars wash up on the beach, a pretty white shell with a stunning star shape stamped on one side. But what’s up with those five oval holes? And what are they like in their ocean homes,…
Could future moon homes be made of fungi?
For future homes on the moon, Mars, and other worlds, NASA is exploring technologies that would use mushrooms to grow self-repairing, self-replicating habitats.
Ancient stardust in meteorite is older than Earth
Grains of stardust – particles left behind by star explosions – in an Australian meteorite are now the oldest known material on Earth. A new study suggests this stardust came to be long before our sun ever existed.
New research provides evidence of strong early magnetic field around Earth
(University of Rochester) New research from the University of Rochester provides evidence that the magnetic field that first formed around Earth was even stronger than scientists previously believed. The research will help scientists draw conclusions about the sustainability of Earth’s magnetic shield and whether or not there are other planets in the solar system with the conditions necessary to harbor life.
Heads up! Lunar occultation of Mars February 18
Thinking of beefing up your stargazing optics? Now would be a good time. Given clear skies, all of the U.S. (except Alaska and Hawaii) can watch the red planet Mars disappear behind the moon – or reappear, or both – one month from today, on the morning of February 18, 2020.
Not all of nature’s layered structures are tough as animal shells and antlers
Engineers looking to nature for inspiration have long assumed that layered structures like those found in mollusk shells enhance a material’s toughness, but a study shows that’s not always the case. The findings may help engineers avoid ‘naive biomimicry, the researchers say.
Not all of nature’s layered structures are tough as animal shells and antlers
Engineers looking to nature for inspiration have long assumed that layered structures like those found in mollusk shells enhance a material’s toughness, but a study shows that’s not always the case. The findings may help engineers avoid ‘naive biomimicry, the researchers say.
Green in tooth and claw
(Washington University in St. Louis) Hard plant foods may have made up a larger part of early human ancestors’ diet than currently presumed, according to a new experimental study of modern tooth enamel from Washington University in St. Louis. The results have implications for reconstructing diet, and for our interpretation of the fossil record of human evolution, researchers said.
How far is Betelgeuse?
Recent speculation that Betelgeuse might be on the verge of going supernova prompted many to ask: how far away is it? But getting a distance measurement for this star has been no easy task.
Debunking The Latest Ocean Warming Scare
Willis Eschenbach over at WUWT has a good summary of the latest scare story about ocean warming: How much is a “Whole Little”? Well, it’s like a whole lot, only much, much smaller. There’s a new paper out. As usual,…
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