Shake Your Pixels
Scientific News for Non-Scientists
Safe, Clean Energy with lasers and fusion.
May 12th
HiPER is being designed to demonstrate the feasibility of laser driven fusion as a future energy source.
HiPER stands for High Power laser Energy Research facility.
Fusion occurs when Deuterium and Tritium (isotopes of Hydrogen) are forced to bond together to create Helium and a very energetic particle called a neutron. This neutron can be captured to heat water to drive a steam turbine. Sea water and the Earth’s crust are the source of the fuel.
You can click here : http://www.hiper-laser.org/index.asp to be taken to the HiPER web site.
Of an Asteroid and the Dinosaurs.
Mar 7th
There was a giant space rock about 9 miles wide. In an explosion one billion times more powerful than the atomic bomb blast at Hiroshima, the asteroid smashed into Mexico. In a matter of days, more than half of the species on earth were wiped out including the dinosaurs. This happened around 65 million years ago.
Read the original article here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100304142242.htm
Simulating the Big Bang.
Nov 23rd
The Large Hadron Collider located beneath the Franco-Swiss border is back in full swing. It is the worlds largest machine, and is expected to reveal great things in physics realm. On Friday the 20th the machine was re-started after more than a years worth of repairs. It’s first operation was on October 21st 2008.
The Large Hadron Collider will simulate close trailing Big Bang conditions.
If you find yourself venturing indoors at times…
Nov 5th
… try introducing indoor plants into your space. One study found various common plants can significantly improve air quality. You may think the air outside is more polluted, however, indoor air can be 12 times as foul. The air may help cause asthma, cancer and various nasty disorders.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104140816.htm
The Nereus research vehicle…
Nov 3rd
…dove 6.8 miles into the ocean on its first test run. This submersible uses LEDs to see where there is no light. The Nereus will allow scientists to locate new species and habitats.
~ Discover magazine, November 2009
Yes Timmy, Humans are causing global warming.
Oct 28th
Scientists studying sediment cores in a remote Arctic lake found predictable, natural causes of climate change over the past 200,000 years. Then something shocking happened. The core sediment, starting about 1950 has been rather unnatural. At this time the earth should be cooling a bit. Not warming. This is not an opinion. This is science.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019162929.htm
Stimulus Millions headed to fund bold science.
Oct 26th
The stimulus act is permitting $400 million to be spent over two years by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. The Federal Energy department is reading 37 grants Totaling $151 million. The projects are headed by small businesses, educational institutions and a few corporations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/science/earth/26energy.html?_r=1&ref=science
A New World of Sustainable Energy.
Oct 25th
The November 2009 Issue Of Scientific American details a plan to move 100% of the world’s energy consumption to renewable sources. This plan includes the creation of 3.8 million wind turbines, 90,000 solar plants, and many geothermal, tidal, and rooftop photo-voltaic installations. This plan would erase our need for oil and coal within 30 years.
Choosy Females
Oct 25th
According to scientists at Uppsala University, female animals do not select a sexual partner based on passing along good genes to her young. Instead the winning theory seems to be that the females benefit themselves. So what does benefit comes of this? Maybe the animal kingdom is deeper than previously thought. Not so much noble beasts as choosy females.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022141404.htm