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Big Picture Science for 01/30/12 - Material Whirl

2012-01-30T13:37:00.000-08:00

Big Picture Science - Material Whirl

What’s the world made of? Here’s a concrete answer: a lot of it is built from a dense, knee-scraping substance that is the most common man-made material. But while concrete may be here to stay,
plenty of new materials will come our way in the 21^st century.

Discover the better, faster, stronger (okay, not faster) materials of the future, and Thomas Edison’s ill-conceived plan to turn concrete into furniture.

Plus, printing objects in 3D… the development of artificial skin… and unearthing the scientific contributions of African-American women chemists.

Guests:

Darren Lipomi – Chemical Engineering post-doc, Stanford University’s “Skin Lab”
Linda Schadler – Professor of materials science and engineering, and associate dean for academic affairs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York
Nicolas Weidinger – Research assistant at the Institute for the Future, Palo Alto, California
Jeannette Elizabeth Brown – Retired research chemist; author of African American Women Chemists
Robert Courland – Author of Concrete Planet: The Strange and Fascinating Story of the World’s Most Common Man-made Material

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Material_Whirl

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

Solar Eclipse in the USA

2012-01-27T19:53:00.000-08:00

Souce - NASA Science News for Jan. 27, 2012

A "ring of fire" solar eclipse is coming to the USA this spring. It's the first annular eclipse visible from the contiguous United States in almost 18 years.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/27jan_annulareclipse/

A video version of this story is included below, and is also available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YX2blo1eRk

X-class Solar Flare on Jan. 27th

2012-01-27T16:52:00.000-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Jan. 27, 2012: http://spaceweather.com

X-FLARE: Earth-orbiting satellites detected a powerful X2-class solar flare today, Jan. 27th, at 1837 UT (1:37 pm EST). The source was departing sunspot 1402. The blast produced a spectacular CME (not Earth directed) and accelerated energetic protons toward Earth. A low-level radiation storm is now in progress around our planet. Visit http://spaceweather.com for images and updates.

SOLAR FLARE ALERTS: Would you like a call when sunspots erupt? Solar flare alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

CME Impact on Jan. 24

2012-01-24T18:35:00.000-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Jan. 24, 2012: http://spaceweather.com

CME IMPACT: As predicted by analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab, a CME hit Earth's magnetic field on Jan. 24 at ~1500 UT (10 am EST). A geomagnetic storm is brewing in the aftermath of the impact, but as this alert is being written it is too soon to say how weak or strong the storm might be. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras after local nightfall; the hours around local midnight are often best for seeing the Northern Lights. Chances for a good display favor observers in northern Europe, Greenland, Iceland, Canada, Alaska, and possibly northern tier US states such as Maine, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Check http://spaceweather.com for updates.

SPACE WEATHER ALERTS: Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms are in progress? Storm alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

Incoming CME - Jan. 23, 2012

2012-01-23T10:18:00.001-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Jan. 23, 2012: http://spaceweather.com

INCOMING CME: Big sunspot 1402 erupted on Jan. 23rd, producing a strong M9-class solar flare and a fast-moving coronal mass ejection (CME). Analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab say the CME should reach Earth on Jan. 24th at 14:18 UT (+/- 7 hr) and Mars a little more than a day later. Strong geomagnetic storms are possible when the cloud reaches Earth. Our magnetic field is still reverberating from a CME impact on Jan. 22nd, so another blow could spark impressive auroras at high latitudes. Sky watchers in northern Europe, Canada, Alaska, and northern-tier US states such as the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin should be alert for Northern Lights.

DON'T MISS THE STORM: Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms are in progress? Storm alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

Big Picture Science for 01/23/12 - Skeptic Check: Energy Vortex

2012-01-22T21:17:00.001-08:00

Big Picture Science - Skeptic Check: Energy Vortex

“I feel your vibe!” Well, that describes a number of fabled locales that claim to pulse with mysterious energy – perhaps prompting books to fly across the room or airplanes to vanish into thin air. But what’s the science behind it?

We examine spots marked with an X, for “extraordinary” – from a haunted house to the Bermuda Triangle – to sort out natural from supernatural phenomena.

Plus, what causes the aurora borealis… a haywire Russian space probe… and just what the heck is an “energy vortex,” anyway?

Guests:

Phil Plait – Skeptic and keeper of Discover Magazine’s blog: badastronomy
Jim Underdown – Executive Director, Center for Inquiry, Los Angeles
Peter Williams – Hydrodynamicist at Agilent Technologies
Guy P. Harrison – Writer and business owner in Southern California, author of 50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True
Rob Lillis – Space and Planetary Physicist, Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Skeptic_Check_Energy_Vortex

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

CME Impact on Jan. 22nd

2012-01-22T21:07:00.000-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Jan. 22, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY: Earth's magnetic field is reverberating from a CME impact during the early hours of Jan. 22nd. The hit compressed Earth's magnetic field, briefly exposing some geosynchronous satellites to solar wind plasma, and disturbed the ionization structure of Earth's upper atmosphere. As night falls on Jan. 22nd, Arctic sky watchers are reporting bright auroras in response to a polar geomagnetic storm (Kp=5). Please check http://spaceweather.com for images and updates.

STORM ALERTS: Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms are in progress? Storm alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

Comet Corpses in the Solar Wind

2012-01-20T22:37:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Jan. 20, 2012

A paper published in today's issue of Science raises an intriguing new possibility--the presence of abundant comet corpses in the solar wind. The new research is based on dramatic images of a comet disintegrating in the sun's atmosphere last July.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/20jan_cometcorpse/

Earth-Directed Solar Flare Could Bring Geomagnetic Storms This Weekend

2012-01-19T20:25:00.000-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Jan. 19, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

EARTH-DIRECTED FLARE: Active sunspot 1401 erupted today, Jan. 19th, for more than an hour around 16:00 UT. The long-duration blast produced an M3-class solar flare and a CME that appears to be heading toward Earth. Forecasters say strong geomagnetic storms are possible when the cloud arrives during the late hours of Jan. 21st. High-latitude (and possibly middle-latitude) sky watchers should be alert for auroras this weekend. Check http://spaceweather.com for movies and updates.

DON'T MISS THE STORM: Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms are in progress? Storm alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

What Happened to all the Snow?

2012-01-19T20:11:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Jan. 19, 2012

Winter seems to have been on hold this year in some parts of the United States. Snowfall has been scarce in places that were overwhelmed with the white stuff at the same time last year. In today's story from Science@NASA, JPL climatologist Bill Patzert explains what's going on.

FULL STORY: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/17jan_missingsnow/

Related SCIENCECAST video is posted below and can also be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdUa820fT1g

Personal note: As a Seattleite I found this recent a little ironic given our current weather :-)

Big Picture Science for 01/16/12 - Wired for Thought

2012-01-16T14:25:00.001-08:00

Big Picture Science - Wired for Thought

A cup of coffee can leave you wired for the day. But a chip in your brain could wire you to a machine forever. Imagine manipulating a mouse without moving a muscle, and doing a Google search with your mind. Welcome to the future of the brain-machine interface.

Don your EEG thinking-cap, and discover a high-tech thought game that may be the harbinger of machine relationships to come.

Plus, the ultimate mapping project: the Human Connectdome Project aims to identify all the neural pathways in the human brain. It may help us understand what makes us human, but could it also point the way to making us smarter?

And, what all this brain research reveals about the mind and free will – who, or what, is really in charge?

Guests:

Jan Rabaey – Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS), University of California, Berkeley
Arthur Toga – Neurologist at the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA School of Medicine, and researcher on the Human Connectome Project
Michael Gazzaniga – Neuroscientist, director of the University of California Santa Barbara’s SAGE Center for the Study of the Mind, and author of Who’s in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain
Bradley Voytek – Neuroscientist, University of California, San Francisco

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Wired_for_Thought

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

Re-thinking an Alien World

2012-01-13T21:22:00.000-08:00

- NASA Science News for Jan. 13, 2012

A distant super-Earth named "55 Cancri e" is wetter and weirder than astronomers thought possible. The discovery has researchers re-thinking the nature of alien worlds.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/13jan_rethink/

A video version of this story is below and is also available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_CZCmJ2om0

Some Comets Like it Hot

2012-01-13T10:13:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Jan. 12, 2012

Astronomers are still scratching their heads over Comet Lovejoy, which plunged through the atmosphere of the sun in December and, against all odds, survived. The comet is now receding into the outer solar system leaving many mysteries behind.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/12jan_cometlovejoy/

A video version of this story is posted below and is also available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w75lBn1QIaI

Kepler Discovers a Tiny Solar System

2012-01-11T22:21:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Jan. 11, 2012

NASA's Kepler spacecraft has discovered the tiniest solar system so far: a red dwarf star with three rocky planets smaller than Earth.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/11jan_smallestexoplanets/

Big Picture Science for 01/09/12 - Cosmos: It's Big, It's Weird

2012-01-09T23:38:00.000-08:00

Big Picture Science - Cosmos: It's Big, It's Weird

It’s all about you. And you, and you, and you and you… that is, if we live in parallel universes. Imagine you doing exactly what you’re doing now, but in an infinite number of universes.

Discover the multiverse theory and why repeats aren’t limited to summer television.

Plus, the physics of riding on a light beam, and the creative analogies a New York Times science writer uses to avoid using the word “weird” to describe dark energy and other weird physics.

Also, people who concoct their own theories (some would say fringe) of the universe: is all matter made up of tiny coiled springs?

Guests:

Brian Greene – Physicist and mathematician, Columbia University, and author of The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos

Dennis Overbye – Reporter, New York Times
Simon Steel – Science educator at University College London
Margaret Wertheim – Science writer, author of Physics on the Fringe: Smoke Rings, Circlons, and Alternative Theories of Everything

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Cosmos_It_s_Big_It_s_Weird

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

Doomed Mars Probe Photographed

2012-01-05T22:38:00.000-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Jan. 5, 2012: http://spaceweather.com

MARS PROBE PHOTOGRAPHED: Phobos-Grunt, a Russian Mars probe stuck in Earth orbit since November, is sinking back into the atmosphere. Best estimates suggest re-entry will occur on Jan. 15th or 16th. Meanwhile, citizen scientists can see the probe moving through the night sky sometimes shining as brightly as a first-magnitude star. French astrophotographer Thierry Legault recently photographed Phobos-Grunt through a 14-inch telescope, revealing its outlines and perhaps a clue as to why the probe has had difficulty communicating with Earth. His images and video are highlighted on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com .

Local flyby times for Phobos-Grunt may be found using SpaceWeather's online satellite tracker (http://spaceweather.com/flybys) or on your smartphone: http://simpleflybys.com

Meteors from a Shattered Comet

2012-01-03T22:41:00.000-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Jan. 3, 2012: http://spaceweather.com

FIRST METEOR SHOWER OF 2012: The annual Quadrantid meteor shower peaks on Wednesday morning, Jan. 4th, when Earth passes through a narrow stream of debris from a comet thought to have broken apart some 500 years ago. The shower is expected to be strong (as many as 100 meteors per hour), but elusive, with a peak that lasts no longer than a couple of hours. The shower's radiant near Polaris favors observers in the northern hemisphere. Images, live audio from a meteor radar, and more information are available on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.

Don't just watch meteors, wear them! Authentic meteorite jewelry is available in the Space Weather Store: http://www.shopspaceweather.com/ownameteorite.aspx

Big Picture Science for 01/02/12 - Light, the Universe, and Everything

2012-01-01T20:26:00.000-08:00

Big Picture Science - Light, the Universe, and Everything

ENCORE What’s it all about? And we mean ALL. What makes up this vast sprawling cosmos? Why does it exist? Why do we exist? Why is there something rather than nothing? Ow, my head hurts!

For possible answers, we travel to the moment after the Big Bang and discover all that came into being in those few minutes after the great flash: time, space, matter, and light. Plus, the bizarre stuff that makes up the bulk of the universe: dark energy and dark matter.

Also, what we set in motion with the invention of the light blub. How artificial light lit up our homes, our cities and – inadvertently – our skies.

Guests:

Sean Carroll – Theoretical physicist at California Institute of Technology
Leonard Susskind – Theoretical physicist, Stanford University
Jane Brox – Author of Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light
Peter Fisher – Physicist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Light_the_Universe_and_Everything

First aired September 6, 2010

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

Space Mountain Produces Terrestrial Meteorites

2011-12-30T16:13:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Dec. 30, 2011

The discovery of a towering mountain on Vesta could solve a longstanding mystery: How did so many pieces of the giant asteroid end up right here on our own planet?

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/30dec_spacemountain/

Twin Spacecraft Set to Enter Lunar Orbit

2011-12-30T14:01:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Dec. 30, 2011

NASA's twin GRAIL spacecraft, on a mission to map the Moon's gravitational field, are nearing their New Year's Eve and New Year's Day main-engine burns to place the duo in lunar orbit.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/30dec_grail/

Big Picture Science for 12/26/11 - Skeptic Check: Superstition

2011-12-26T15:53:00.000-08:00

Big Picture Science - Skeptic Check: Superstition

ENCORE Wait! Before you step outside… is it Friday the 13th? Any black cats prowling around? Broken a mirror lately? Homo sapiens are a superstitious lot. Find out why our brains are wired for irrational belief. Plus, from the 2012-end-of-the-world prophesy to colliding planets – why some people believe the universe is out to get ‘em.

Also, Brains on Vacation takes on a challenge to relativity and our Hollywood skeptic has doubts about exorcism. It’s enough to make your head spin on Skeptic Check… but don’t take our word for it!

Guests:

Bruce Hood – Cognitive scientist at the University of Bristol in the U.K. and author of The Science of Superstition: How the Developing Brain Creates Supernatural Beliefs
David Morrison – Director of the Carl Sagan Center for The Study of Life in The Universe at the SETI Institute and keeper of the NASA website Ask an Astrobiologist
Martin Snow – Research Scientist, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado at Boulder
Jim Underdown – Executive Director, Center for Inquiry, West – Los Angeles
Phil Plait – Astronomer, keeper of badastronomy.com, and author of Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End . . .

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Skeptic_Check_Superstition

This podcast First aired August 16, 2010

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

Space Station Commander Captures Unprecedented View of Comet

2011-12-23T16:20:00.000-08:00

Source - ReelNASA on Dec 22, 2011:

International Space Station Commander Dan Burbank captured spectacular imagery of Comet Lovejoy as seen from about 240 miles above the Earth's horizon on Wednesday, Dec. 21.

Sungrazing Comet Lovejoy Photographed from Earth Orbit

2011-12-23T16:12:00.000-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Dec. 23, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

Astronauts onboard the International Space Station have seen sungrazing Comet Lovejoy from Earth orbit. ISS commander Dan Burbank describes the comet's green-glowing tail as "the most amazing thing I have ever seen in space." Video from the ISS and updated images from Earth are highlighted on today's edition of Spaceweather.com.

The Night After Christmas Sky Show

2011-12-23T08:26:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Dec. 23, 2011

On Dec. 26th, Venus and the crescent Moon will gather together for a beautiful night-after-Christmas sky show.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/23dec_nightafter/

Kepler Discovers Earth-Sized Exoplanets

2011-12-20T22:42:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Dec. 20, 2011

NASA's Kepler spacecraft has found two Earth-sized planets orbiting a distant sun-like star. These alien worlds are intermingled in their star system with other much larger planets, an arrangement which challenges orthodox ideas of how planets are formed.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/20dec_earthsized/

Comet Lovejoy at Sunrise

2011-12-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Dec. 20, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

SUNRISE COMET: Comet Lovejoy is receding from the sun, remarkably still intact after its Dec. 16th plunge through the solar atmosphere. Multiple observers in the southern hemisphere are now reporting that they can see and photograph the comet's tail shining through the twilight of sunrise. Pictures of this rare apparition are highlighted on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.

LAST MINUTE ASTRONOMY GIFT: Running out of time? In only a few minutes, you can give the gift of Northern Lights, space station flybys, and other heavenly sights to friends and loved ones. Follow the links below for holiday subscriptions to Spaceweather.com's astronomy alert service:

text: https://spaceweatherphone.com/SMSSignup/phone_sign_up.php?Signup_Type=BuySpaceWeatherGift

voice: http://www.spaceweatherphone.com/signup/phone_sign_up.php?Signup_Type=BuySpaceWeatherGift

Big Picture Science for 12/19/11 - Sensor Sensibility

2011-12-19T23:44:00.000-08:00

Big Picture Science - Sensor Sensibility

Have you lost your senses? You’ll find them everywhere you look. Sensors respond to external stimuli – light, sound, temperature and much else – to help us make sense (ha!) of our universe. And more are on their way. “Ubiquitous sensing” is the term that describes a world blanketed by tiny sensors: on bridges, in paint and medicine bottles, and even in our brains!

Discover where you’ll find sensors next. And, has the world’s largest detection device found the elusive particle that will help explain the universe? Where are you, Higgsy-wiggsy?

Also, out-of-this world sensors have detected a possibly Earth-like planet. What’s next for the Kepler planet-hunters?

Plus, DIY sensor kits, and, if computers can do all that, why can’t we send the odor of, say, freshly-baked bread over the Internet? The case for a smell-o-meter.

Guests:

Frank Close – Physicist at Oxford University, author of The Infinity Puzzle: Quantum Field Theory and the Hunt for an Orderly Universe
Jan Rabaey – Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS), University of California, Berkeley
Barry Shell – Writer in Vancouver, Canada
Andy Huntington – Interaction designer, based in London
Sara Seager – Professor of planetary science and physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Planet hunters – Daryll LaCourse and Tom Jacobs,

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Sensor_Sensibility

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

Comet Lovejoy Plunges into the Sun ... and Survives

2011-12-16T23:31:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Dec. 16, 2011

Sungrazing Comet Lovejoy has shocked astronomers by surviving its "death plunge" into the sun. Must-see movies of the comet's passage through the sun's atmosphere are featured in today's story from Science@NASA.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/16dec_cometlovejoy/

Comet Lovejoy Survives Death-Plunge into the Sun

2011-12-16T23:27:00.000-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Dec. 16, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

SUNGRAZING COMET SURVIVES: Sungrazing Comet Lovejoy has confounded the experts and survived its close encounter with the sun. Last night, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded amazing movies of the comet entering and exiting the sun's atmosphere. Comet Lovejoy's scorched remnant is now receding from the sun in full view of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. Visit http://spaceweather.com for the latest movies and discussion.

Spectacular Sundiving Comet

2011-12-14T23:36:00.000-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Dec. 15, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

SUNDIVING COMET: Comet Lovejoy is plunging toward the sun, and its ~200-meter wide core is vaporizing furiously as it approaches the hot star. So far the comet's brightness seems to be exceeding expectations. Indeed, there is a slim chance that the sundiver will brighten enough to be seen with the naked eye in broad daylight on Dec. 15th. Check http://spaceweather.com for further discussion and the latest movies from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory.

Curiosity and the Solar Storm

2011-12-14T23:34:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Dec. 14, 2011

Last month, a massive solar storm launched itself toward Mars just as NASA's new rover, Curiosity, was blasting off from Cape Canaveral in the same direction. The coincidence heralds a new job for the multi-talented rover: For the next 9 months, Curiosity will monitor solar storms en route to the Red Planet.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/14dec_mslrad/

New iPhone App Helps NASA Keep Track of Meteoroids

2011-12-13T23:18:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Dec. 13, 2011

A new app for iPhones and iPads harnesses the power of citizen scientists to help NASA track meteoroids hitting Earth.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/13dec_meteorcounter/

Below is a video version of this story which is also available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etEIBjh2dKg

Significant Sungrazing Comet + Geminid Meteor Shower

2011-12-13T07:34:00.000-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Dec. 13, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

GEMINID METEOR SHOWER: Earth is passing through a stream of debris from near-Earth asteroid 3200 Phaethon, source of the annual Geminid meteor shower. Forecasters expect meteor rates to reach 20-to-40 per hour when the shower peaks in bright moonlight on the night of Dec.13/14. The best time to look, no matter where you live, is between 10 pm local time on Tuesday, Dec. 13, and sunrise on Wednesday, Dec. 14th. Check http://spaceweather.com for more information and live audio from a meteor radar.

BIG SUNDIVING COMET: A comet nearly as wide as two football fields (200m) is plunging toward the sun where it will most likely be destroyed in a spectacular light show on Dec. 15/16. Solar glare will hide the event from human eyes, but NASA and ESA spacecraft should have a grand view. Check http://spaceweather.com for full coverage.

METALLIC PHOTOS OF THE SUN: Would you like to have an explosion a billion times more powerful than an atomic bomb hanging on your wall? Unique metallic photos of solar flares and prominences are now available in the Space Weather Store: http://www.shopspaceweather.com/metallicpicturesofthesun.aspx

The 2011 Geminid Meteor Shower

2011-12-13T07:31:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Dec. 13, 2011

The Geminid meteor shower peaks on Dec. 13th and 14th. Bright moonlight will interfere with the display, but not obliterate it. Forecasters expect observers with clear skies to see as many as 40 meteors per hour.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/13dec_geminids/

Big Picture Science for 12/12/11 - Going Viral

2011-12-12T23:45:00.000-08:00

Big Picture Science - Going Viral

The term “bird flu” is a misnomer, scientists say, because almost all human influenza originates in our feathered friends. How it lands in you and spreads is another matter …

Hear what it takes for a virus to go global, from a virus hunter who plans to stop epidemics in their tiny DNA tracks with an innovative global surveillance system.

Also, why your genome is littered with fossil viruses of the past … the two largest viruses discovered so far, Mimi and Mega, square off … and, what it takes for ideas to “go viral.”

Guests:

Nathan Wolfe – Viral Ecologist, Director of the Global Viral Forecasting Initiative
Robert Gifford – Evolutionary virologist, Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at Rockefeller University
Vincent Racaniello – Virologist at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, host of the podcast, “This Week in Microbiology,” and author of the “Virology Blog”
Bill Wasik – Senior Editor at Wired, author of And Then There’s This: How Stories Live and Die in Viral Culture

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Going_Viral

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

Is Vesta the "Smallest Terrestrial Planet?"

2011-12-09T14:59:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Dec. 9, 2011

NASA's Dawn probe, now orbiting Vesta in the asteroid belt, has found some surprising things on the giant asteroid--things that have prompted one researcher to declare Vesta "the smallest terrestrial planet."

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/09dec_vestaplanet/

Below is a video version of this story which is also available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JBNkts5YXA

Total Eclipse of the Moon

2011-12-09T14:57:00.000-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Dec. 9, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

LUNAR ECLIPSE: Sky watchers on the Pacific side of Earth should be alert for a total lunar eclipse on Saturday, Dec. 10th. The disk of the full Moon will turn a beautiful shade of copper-red as it passes through Earth's shadow between 4:45 am and 8:18 am Pacific Standard Time (12:45 to 16:18 UT). For observers in western parts of the USA and Canada, the event will be magnified by the Moon illusion as the morning Moon sets behind trees, buildings, and other foreground objects along the western horizon. Please check http://spaceweather.com for more information and full coverage of the eclipse as it happens.

If you appreciate these free alerts, please consider supporting SpaceWeather.com by making a purchase from the Space Weather Store. For instance, there's probably someone on your Christmas list who would like to receive a piece of authentic meteorite jewelry: http://www.shopspaceweather.com/Meteorite-Jewelry.aspx

"Slam Dunk" Sign of Past Water on Mars

2011-12-09T00:37:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Dec. 8, 2011

As NASA's newest Mars rover Curiosity heads for the Red Planet, veteran rover Opportunity continues to make discoveries. Opportunity's latest find, an apparent vein of the mineral gypsum, is a "slam dunk" sign of past water on Mars, say researchers.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/08dec_slamdunk/

Kepler Confirms First Planet in Habitable Zone of Sun-like Star

2011-12-05T22:40:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Dec. 5, 2011

In a significant milestone on the road to finding Earth's "twin" elsewhere in the galaxy, NASA's Kepler mission has confirmed its first planet in the habitable zone of a distant sun-like star.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/05dec_firstplanet/

Kepler-22b -- Comfortably Circling within the Habitable Zone

"This diagram compares our own solar system to Kepler-22, a star system containing the first "habitable zone" planet discovered by NASA's Kepler mission. The habitable zone is the sweet spot around a star where temperatures are right for water to exist in its liquid form. Liquid water is essential for life on Earth.

Kepler-22's star is a bit smaller than our sun, so its habitable zone is slightly closer in. The diagram shows an artist's rendering of the planet comfortably orbiting within the habitable zone, similar to where Earth circles the sun. Kepler-22b has a yearly orbit of 289 days. The planet is the smallest known to orbit in the middle of the habitable zone of a sun-like star. It's about 2.4 times the size of Earth."

Image credit: NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech
Diagram and descriptive text source: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/multimedia/images/kepler-22b-diagram.html

Big Picture Science for 12/05/11 - Science's Alliances

2011-12-05T09:20:00.000-08:00

Big Picture Science - Science's Alliances

Mom and apple pie. Computers and silicon. Martians and death rays. Some things just go together naturally. But how about science and politics? Science and religion? Science and fiction? These pairings are often unnatural and contentious … but they don’t have to be.

Discover how science can team up with other endeavors in productive, if surprising, symbiosis.

Meet a particle physicist, turned U.S. Congressman, who calls for more scientists on Capitol Hill. Also, a tour of the Golden Age of Islamic Science.

Plus, scientists named Elmo and Super Grover 2.0 teach small children to conduct experiments with the help of chickens and dancing penguins.

And, it’s not quite science but it’s not entirely ficition either: how sci-fi helps shape our cultural debates about the future.

Guests:

Bill Foster – Physicist and former U.S. representative from Illinois
Carol-Lynn Parente – Executive Producer, Sesame Street
Ranjana Mehra – Docent at The Tech Museum, San Jose, California
Brooks Peck – Curator, EMP Museum, Seattle, Washington

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Science_s_Alliances

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

New Horizons Becomes Closest Spacecraft to Approach Pluto

2011-12-03T22:05:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Dec. 3, 2011

NASA's New Horizons mission has reached a special milestone on its way to reconnoiter the Pluto system, coming closer to the dwarf planet than any other spacecraft.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/03dec_newhorizons/

See also the related video, Dwarf Planet Mysteries Beckon to New Horizons: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtcIbJKZZQQ

"Dwarf planet Pluto is a world of mystery waiting to be visited for the first time. NASA's New Horizons probe is racing across the solar system for a ground breaking close encounter that could dramatically alter what researchers "know" about Pluto and other small worlds."

Super-sized Lunar Eclipse

2011-12-02T14:24:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Nov. 26, 2011

On Saturday morning, Dec. 10th, sky watchers in the western United States and Canada will witness a total lunar eclipse swollen to super-sized proportions by the Moon illusion.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/02dec_lunareclipse/

A video version of this story is is posted below and can also be found at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKtNgD45OB4

CME Impact on Nov. 28

2011-11-28T23:15:00.000-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Nov. 28-29, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

CME IMPACT: Auroras are dancing around the Arctic Circle following a CME impact during the late hours of Nov. 28th. High-latitude sky watchers, especially in Scandinavia, Canada, and Alaska, should be alert for Northern Lights. Check http://spaceweather.com for more information and images.

Big Picture Science for 11/28/11 - Skeptic Check: Dubiology

2011-11-27T20:28:00.001-08:00

Big Picture Science - Skeptic Check: Dubiology

There’s no harm talking to your houseplant, but will your chatter really help it grow? We look at various biological claims, from whether plants feel pain to the ability of cats to predict earthquakes. Feline forecasters, anyone?

Also, when does understanding biology have important implications for health and policy? The arguments for and against genetically modified foods, and the danger of “pox parties” as a replacement for childhood vaccination.

Plus, the history and current state of scientific literacy in the United States. When did we stop trusting science?

Guests:

Andy Michael – Seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, California
Ron Lindsay – President of the Center for Inquiry, headquartered in Amherst, NY
Steven Novella – Clinical neurologist and Director of General Neurology at Yale University School of Medicine; host of the Skeptics Guide to the Universe podcast
Shawn Lawrence Otto – Author of Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America
Chelsea Specht – Professor, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Skeptic_Check_Dubiology

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

Mars Rover Curiosity Takes Off

2011-11-26T20:09:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Nov. 26, 2011

NASA's biggest and most capable Mars rover ever left Earth this morning in a picture perfect launch from Cape Canaveral. The new rover, named "Curiosity", is due to reach the Red Planet in August 2012.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/26nov_msllaunch/

To learn more about Curiosity's landing site on Mars, check out the video "The Strange Attraction of Gale Crater": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNqeftciRFA

Radiation Storm and CME Alert

2011-11-26T16:03:00.000-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Nov. 26, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

CME AND RADIATION STORM: A solar radiation storm is in progress around Earth. At the moment (the late hours of Nov. 26th), the storm is classified as minor, which means it has little effect on our planet other than to disturb HF radio transmissions at high latitudes. Bigger effects, however, could be in the offing. The same blast that caused the radiation storm also hurled a CME into space, and this CME appears set to deliver a blow to Earth's magnetic field on Nov. 28th. Geomagnetic storms and auroras are possible when the cloud arrives. Visit http://spaceweather.com for more information and updates.

WOULD YOU LIKE A CALL when geomagnetic storms are in progress? Storm alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

Black Friday Solar Eclipse

2011-11-25T08:47:00.000-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Nov. 25, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

SOLAR ECLIPSE: This morning, the new Moon passed in front of the sun producing a partial solar eclipse over Earth's southern hemisphere. Sky watchers in Antarctica and parts of New Zealand and South Africa witnessed the solar disk turning into a crescent as slender as 9%. Images and more information are highlighted on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.

BLACK FRIDAY: Authentic rocks from space, solar telescopes, stellar wall hangings: You can't get any of this stuff at your local mall. For truly out-of-this-world holiday gifts, visit the Space Weather Store: http://shopspaceweather.com

Big Picture Science for 11/21/11 - We've Got You Made

2011-11-20T21:23:00.000-08:00

Big Picture Science - We've Got You Made

ENCORE Wish you could ditch computers? There’s no escape button for that. Computers are not only a part of your daily grind, they may soon be a part of you. We’ll hear from the world’s first cyborg about why we should make nice in our arms race with machines.

Also, the secret behind the extraordinary breakthroughs that DARPA scientists are making – from building autonomous cars to wiring robotic surgeons.

Plus, making space for humans… and their bodily functions: the engineering tricks of toiletry. And, a carbon-based astronaut on the view of Earth from orbit.

Guests:

Kevin Warwick – Professor of Cybernetics at University of Reading in the U.K.
Santiago Bilinkis – Student at the Singularity University
Mary Roach – Writer and author of Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
Tom Jones – United States astronaut, space consultant, and veteran of four Space Shuttle flights
Michael Belfiore – Space and Technology writer, and author of The Department of Mad Scientists: How DARPA Is Remaking Our World, from the Internet to Artificial Limbs

First aired August 23, 2010.

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/We_ve_Got_You_Made

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

New Evidence for Liquid Water on Europa

2011-11-17T00:08:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Nov. 16, 2011:

Scientists studying data from NASA's Galileo probe have found evidence for a body of liquid water the volume of the North American Great Lakes locked inside the icy shell of Jupiter’s moon Europa. The finding could have significant implications for the search for life beyond Earth.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/16nov_europa/

Mystery of the Lunar Ionosphere

2011-11-14T23:07:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Nov. 14, 2011

How can a world without air have an ionosphere? Somehow the Moon has done it. Lunar researchers have been struggling with the mystery for years, and they may have finally found a solution.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/14nov_lunarionosphere/

The video below is also available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zSrP4MacFE

Big Picture Science for 11/14/11 - Blame it on Bacterio

2011-11-13T22:35:00.000-08:00

Big Picture Science - Blame it on Bacterio

Think small! Microbes are tinier than the dot at the end of this sentence, yet they can make humans sicker than dogs, dogs sicker than humans, jump from animal to human and keep scientists guessing when and where the next disease will appear.

Discover how doctors diagnosed one man’s mysterious infection, the role that animals play as hosts for disease, and why the rate of emerging diseases is increasing worldwide.

Also, why your kitchen is a biosafety hazard, and how the Human Microbiome Project will tally all the microbes on – and in – you.

Plus, the extreme places on Earth where microbes thrive and what it suggests for the existence of alien life. And, how one strain of bacteria helped a farmer grow a pumpkin the weight of a small car!

Guests:

Peter Hudson – Biologist, Director of Life Sciences at Penn State University
Peter Krause – Senior research scientist at the Yale School of Public Health
Durland Fish – Epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health. Information on his Lyme disease app
David Relman – Stanford University microbiologist and infectious disease clinician
Erich Fleming – Biologist, SETI Institute
O. Peter Snyder – Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management
John Raeside – Oakland, California
Frances Raeside – Oakland, California
Jennifer Kate Arnold – Infectious Disease Clinic, Kaiser Permanente Medical Group
Dave Stelts – Farmer, head of the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth
Neil Anderson – Owner, president of Reforestation Technologies International. Find retail products.

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Blame_it_on_Bacterio

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

A Remarkable Display of Solar Activity

2011-11-13T15:18:00.000-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Nov. 13, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

SOLAR ACTIVITY: The sun is putting on one of its best displays of the new solar cycle--not with sunspots and flares, but rather with towering walls of plasma and filaments of magnetism. One dark filament is stretching more than a million kilometers across the face of the sun, about three times the distance between Earth and the Moon. Visit http://spaceweather.com for pictures and more information about these remarkable structures.

DON'T MISS THE NEXT FLARE: Would you like a call when strong flares are in progress? Realtime solar activity alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

Stellar Extremophiles

2011-11-07T22:55:00.000-08:00

Source - NASA Science News for Nov. 7, 2011

A NASA space telescope named "GALEX" has found stars forming in extreme galactic environments, places where researchers thought stars should not be. The finding could affect astronomy much as the discovery of microbial extremophiles affected biology in the 1970s.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/07nov_stellarextremophiles/

The companion video below can also be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k-XgLi1KgA

Big Picture Science for 11/07/11 - NASA or What?

2011-11-07T22:54:00.000-08:00

Big Picture Science - NASA or What?

“Making space for everyone” could be NASA’s motto. But as commercial spaceships get ready to blast off, that populist idea is being tested. Space cowboys in the private sector say they’re the ones who can provide unfettered access to space, for tourists and scientists alike.

Meet a scientist who already has a ticket to ride on SpaceShip Two and discover what he hopes to learn about asteroids during his five minutes of weightlessness.

Plus, NASA in motion: it’s back to the moon as the GRAIL mission probes the interior of our lovely lunar satellite. Also, can you dig it? The rover Curiosity can. It’s headed to Mars to hunt for clues to alien life … with a jackhammer.

Also, as the Hubble Space Telescope shuts down, the James Webb Space Telescope revs up. Or does it? The telescope is designed to study the birth of galaxies and hunt for evidence of water on far away worlds. But will Congress pull the plug?

Guests:

James Oberg – former Space Shuttle Mission Control engineer, and space expert
Maria Zuber – Planetary scientist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Principal Investigator of NASA’s GRAIL mission
Joy Crisp – Geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Principal Investigator on the Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity
Massimo Stiavelli – Astronomer at the Space Science Telescope Institute, and Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope
Dan Durda – Planetary scientist, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado

More about the Next Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/NASA_or_What_

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

Significant Asteroid Flyby on Nov. 8

2011-11-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

Source - Space Weather News for Nov. 7, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

ASTEROID FLYBY: NASA radars are monitoring 2005 YU55, an asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier, as it heads for a Nov. 8th flyby of the Earth-Moon system. There is no danger to our planet. At closest approach on Tuesday at 3:28 pm PST (23:28 UT), the space rock will be 324,600 kilometers away. Nevertheless, professional astronomers are eagerly anticipating the flyby as the asteroid presents an exceptionally strong radar target. Even amateur astronomers might be able to photograph it during the hours around closest approach. Check http://spaceweather.com for observing tips and more information.

OWN YOUR OWN SPACE ROCK: They came from outer space--and you can have one. Genuine meteorites are now on sale in the Space Weather Store: http://www.shopspaceweather.com/ownameteorite.aspx

Huge Sunspot

2011-11-03T23:19:00.000-07:00

Source - Space Weather News for Nov. 3, 201: http://spaceweather.com

HUGE SUNSPOT: One of the biggest sunspot groups in many years has just emerged over the sun's eastern limb. The sunspot's magnetic canopy is crackling with M-class (medium-sized) solar flares and seems poised to launch even stronger X-class eruptions. The sunspot, named AR1339, is not yet directly facing Earth but it will be turning toward our planet in the days ahead. Check http://spaceweather.com for images of the behemoth and updates.

SUNSPOT TELESCOPE: Sunspot AR1339 looks magnificent when viewed through Explore Scientific's White Light Solar Observing System. This safely-filtered telescope is designed for high-quality imaging of sunspots and it is now available in the Space Weather Store: http://www.shopspaceweather.com/

A Star with Spiral Arms

2011-10-31T22:29:00.000-07:00

Source - NASA Science News for Oct. 31, 2011

Using a Japanese telescope, NASA-supported researchers have found the first clear case of a star with spiral arms.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/31oct_spiralarms/

A video version of this story is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=083fSbguKh8

Big Picture Science for 10/31/11 - Bug Off!

2011-10-30T23:16:00.001-07:00

Big Picture Science - Bug Off!

ENCORE: What you can’t see … can make you sick. Humans have been battling viruses and bacteria since the beginning of time. The malaria parasite has been keeping deadly company with us for 500,000 years. King Tut had it and so did Julius Caesar. What’s keeping this bug going today?

Also, how disease almost halted the most ambitious engineering project in the world … how elite disease detectives puzzle out perplexing epidemics … And – could tiny bugs from spaaace, ace, ace be our ancestors?

Guests:

Sonia Shah – Author of The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years
Michael Conniff – Historian, director of Global Studies at San Jose State University, and author of Black Labor on a White Canal: Panama, 1904-1981 (Pitt Latin American Series)
Mark Pendergrast – Author of Inside the Outbreaks: The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service
Robert Zubrin – President of the Mars Society

First aired August 2, 2010

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Bug_Off_

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

CME Impact on Oct. 24

2011-10-24T22:21:00.001-07:00

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 24, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

CME IMPACT: A coronal mass ejection (CME) hit Earth's magnetic field on Oct. 24th around 1800 UT (2 pm EDT). The impact strongly compressed our planet's magnetosphere and may have exposed geosynchronous satellites to solar wind plasma. Mild to moderate geomagnetic storms are possible in the hours ahead as Earth's magnetic field continues to reverberate from the hit. Sky watchers in Scandinavia, Canada, and northern-tier US States should be alert for auroras, especially during the hours around local midnight. Check http://spaceweather.com for updates.

WOULD YOU LIKE A CALL when geomagnetic storms are in progress? Storm alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

The Sleepy Hollows of Mercury

2011-10-24T22:16:00.000-07:00

Source - NASA Science News for Oct. 24, 2011

NASA's MESSENGER probe has discovered a surprise on Mercury: Something is digging "hollows" in the surface of the innermost planet.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/24oct_sleepyhollows/

A video version of this story is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqg8PR2mVvc

Big Picture Science for 10/24/11 - Anthropocene and Heard

2011-10-24T00:08:00.001-07:00

Big Picture Science - Anthropocene and Heard

What’s in a name? “Holocene” defines the geologic epoch we’re in. Or were in? Goodbye to “Holocene” and hello “Anthropocene!” Yes, scientists may actually re-name our geologic era as the “Age of Man” due to the profound impact we’ve had on the planet.

We’ll examine why we’ve earned this new monikor and who votes on such a thing. Plus, discover the strongest evidence for human-caused climate change.

Also, why cities should be celebrated, not reviled… a musing over the possible fate of alien civilizations … and waste not: what an unearthed latrine – and its contents – reveal about ancient Roman habit and diet.

Guests:

William Steffen – Climate scientist and the Executive Director of the Climate Change Institute at the Australian National University, Canberra
Simon Donner – Geographer at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver
Edward Glaeser – Economist, Harvard University, author of Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier
Douglas Vakoch – Director of Interstellar Message Composition at the SETI Institute
Mark Robinson – Director of Environmental Archaeology at the University of Oxford
Erica Rowan – Doctoral student, University of Oxford

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Anthropocene_and_Heard

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

Orionid Meteor Shower - 2011

2011-10-21T16:23:00.000-07:00

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 21, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

WEEKEND METEOR SHOWER: Today Earth is entering a stream of debris from Halley's comet, source of the annual Orionid meteor shower. Forecasters expect the shower to peak on Saturday morning, Oct. 22nd, with more than 15 meteors per hour. Check http://spaceweather.com for links to a live meteor radar, sky maps and observing tips.

MASSIVE SATELLITE NEARS RE-ENTRY: The massive ROSAT X-ray space telescope is making its final spiralling orbits around Earth. Most experts agree that re-entry will occur during the early hours of Oct. 23rd over a still-unknown region of our planet. Sky watchers report that the descending satellite can be as bright as a first magnitude star and it occasionally "flares" to even greater intensity. For last-chance sightings of ROSAT in your area, please check SpaceWeather's online satellite tracker (http://spaceweather.com/flybys) or turn your smartphone into a ROSAT tracker: http://simpleflybys.com .

Weekend Meteor Shower: October 22, 2011

2011-10-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

Source - NASA Science News for Oct. 20, 2011

Earth is about to pass through a stream of debris from Halley's comet, source of the annual Orionid meteor shower. Forecasters expect the shower to peak on Saturday morning, Oct. 22nd, with more than 15 meteors per hour. Earth isn't the only world in the debris stream; NASA researchers will also be watching for meteoroid strikes on the Moon.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/20oct_orionids/

Comet Storm in a Nearby Star System

2011-10-20T00:35:00.000-07:00

Source - NASA Science News for Oct. 19, 2011

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has detected signs of icy bodies raining down in an alien solar system. The downpour resembles our own solar system several billion years ago during a period known as the "Late Heavy Bombardment."

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/19oct_cometstorm/

600 Mysteries in the Night Sky

2011-10-18T00:31:00.000-07:00

Source - NASA Science News for Oct. 18, 2011

The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope recently produced a map of the night sky. Out of 1873 new sources, nearly 600 were complete mysteries. In today's story from Science@NASA, researchers speculate on the nature of the mystery objects--including the possibility that they are made of dark matter.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/18oct_600mysteries/

A video version of this story is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQHuF3BGZzw

Big Picture Science for 10/17/11 - Happy Daze

2011-10-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

Big Picture Science - Happy Daze

Calling all pessimists! Your brain is wired for optimism! Yes, deep down, we’re all Pollyannas. So wipe that scowl off your face and discover the evolutionary advantage of thinking positive. Also, enjoy other smile-inducing research suggesting that if you crave happiness, you should do the opposite of what your brain tells you to do.

Plus, why a “well-being index” may replace Dow Jones as a metric for success … a Twitter study that predicts your next good mood … and whether our furry and finned animal friends can experience joy.

Guests:

Tali Sharot – Cognitive neuroscientist at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at the University College London and the author of The Optimism Bias: A Tour of the Irrationally Positive Brain
Michael Macy – Sociologist at Cornell University

His team’s Twitter study: http://timeu.se/
Carol Graham – Economist at the Brookings Institution and author of The Pursuit of Happiness: An Economy of Well-Being
David DiSalvo – Science and technology writer, author of What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite
Robin Ince – U.K.-based comedian
Jonathan Balcome – Animal behavior scientist and author of The Exultant Ark: A Pictorial Tour of Animal Pleasure

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Happy_Daze

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

Massive X-ray Satellite Set to De-orbit

2011-10-14T22:31:00.000-07:00

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 14, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

ROSAT RE-ENTRY: The ROSAT X-ray observatory, launched in 1990 by NASA and managed for years by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), will return to Earth within the next two weeks. Current best estimates place the re-entry between Oct. 22nd and 24th over an unknown part of Earth. ROSAT will produce a spectacular fireball when it re-enters, but not all of the satellite will disintegrate. According to the DLR, heat-resistant fragments as massive as 1.7 tons could reach Earth's surface. Check http://spaceweather.com for more information.

LAST-CHANCE SIGHTINGS: As ROSAT slowly descends it is growing brighter. During favorable passes, the satellite can now be seen shining as brightly as a first magnitude star in the night sky. Local flyby times may be found using SpaceWeather's Satellite Tracker: http://spaceweather.com/flybys . Or turn your smartphone into a ROSAT tracker using our Simple Flybys app: http://simpleflybys.com .

Big Picture Science for 10/10/11 - What's Your Poison?

2011-10-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

Big Picture Science - What's Your Poison?

ENCORE “Aspirin and Old Lace?” Okay, it would take a bottle full of pills in a glass of elderberry wine to really harm you, but aspirin can be deadly. So can too much of anything, including water. Dose is key in toxicology, after all, but there are some poisons that can do deadly work in tiny amounts.

Hear about the chemistry of poisons … why Botox may freeze your emotions as well as your face… which animal is most lethal to humans… and how 19th-century poisoners got away with murder – until the birth of forensic science.

Guests:

Deborah Blum – Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer, author of The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

Martyn Smith – Toxicologist, University of California, Berkeley
Joshua Ian Davis – Psychologist, Barnard College, New York
Jamie Seymour – Venom biologist, director of The Tropical Australian Stinger Research Unit, School of Marine Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/What_s_Your_Poison_

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

Draconid Meteor Shower

2011-10-07T22:11:00.000-07:00

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 7, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

DRACONID METEOR SHOWER: On Saturday, October 8th, Earth will pass through a network of dusty filaments shed by Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. Forecasters expect the encounter to produce anywhere from a few dozen to a thousand meteors per hour visible mainly over Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East. The meteors will stream from the northern constellation Draco--hence their name, the "Draconids." Check http://spaceweather.com for full coverage of the event including observing times and a live audio stream from a meteor radar.

Draconid Meteor Outburst

2011-10-04T22:56:00.000-07:00

Source - NASA Science News for Oct. 4, 2011

Forecasters say Earth is heading for a stream of dust from Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. A close encounter with the comet's fragile debris could spark a meteor outburst over parts of our planet on October 8th.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/04oct_draconids/

Big Picture Science for 10/03/11 - Skeptic Check, Beast Of

2011-10-03T23:37:00.000-07:00

Big Picture Science - Skeptic Check, Beast Of

Zombies, aliens, Bigfoot, oh my!! We’ve covered – or rather uncovered – them all and more on Skeptic Check, our monthly look of critical thinking. And now we’ve collected enough strange encounters to assemble a sordid retrospective of sorts.

Sharpen your brain, it’s Skeptic Check, Beast Of. But don’t take our word for it!

Guests:

Phil Plait – Skeptic and keeper of Discover Magazine’s blog, badastronomy.com
Bruce Hood – Cognitive scientist at the University of Bristol in the U.K. and author of The Science of Superstition: How the Developing Brain Creates Supernatural Beliefs
Susan Jacoby – Author of The Age of American Unreason
Steve Silberman – Contributing editor, Wired Magazine, author of “The Placebo Problem” in the September 2009 issue
Mary Pope-Handy – Estate Agent, Silicon Valley and keeper of the website hauntedrealestate.com
Jim Underdown – Executive Director, Center for Inquiry, West – Los Angeles
Paul Offit – Pediatrician, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and author of Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure
Stephen Schneider – Climate scientist, Stanford University
Brendan Riley – Assistant professor of English, Columbia College, Chicago

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Skeptic_Check_Beast_Of

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

The Strange Attraction of Gale Crater

2011-09-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

Source - NASA Science News for Sept. 29, 2011:

NASA's newest rover "Curiosity" is getting ready to leave Earth. Its destination: Gale Crater on Mars. Today's story from Science@NASA explains the attraction of this Martian crater with a strangely-sculpted mountain the middle.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/29sep_galecrater/

Here is the video version of this story:

Source - ScienceAtNASA on Sep 29, 2011. This video can also be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNqeftciRFA

Visit http://science.nasa.gov/ for more.

Strong Geomagnetic Storm on Sept. 26

2011-09-26T23:03:00.000-07:00

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 26, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

GEOMAGNETIC STORM: A strong geomagnetic storm is in progress following the impact of a coronal mass ejection (CME) today, Sept. 26th, at approximately 12:15 UT. Analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab report a "strong compression of Earth's magnetosphere" and the possibility that satellites in geosynchronous orbit have been exposed to solar wind plasma and magnetic fields. Mid- to high-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras after nightfall. Observing tip: The hours around local midnight are usually best for spotting Northern and Southern Lights. Check http://spaceweather.com for images and updates.

DON'T MISS THE STORM: Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms are in progress? Storm alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

Big Picture Science for 09/26/11 - Rend Me Your Ears

2011-09-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

Big Picture Science - Rend Me Your Ears

ENCORE Shh – can you keep it down? Nope. Not unless you want to do away with civilization. Our buzzing, humming, whirling, machine-driven world is a poster child for technological progress, right?

As is hearing loss. It’s driven one man to search the world for silence. We’ll hear what he didn’t hear, and what Einstein predicted we should hear in deep space, where gravitational waves may reveal the hidden sounds of the universe, including the birth of black holes.

Guests:

George Foy – Author of Zero Decibels: The Quest for Absolute Silence
Garret Keizer – Author of The Unwanted Sound of Everything We Want
Craig Hogan – Director for Particle Astrophysics at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Rend_Me_Your_Ears

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

ScienceCast: Did Earth Have Two Moons?

2011-09-25T20:13:00.000-07:00

Source - NASAtelevision on Sep 22, 2011:

Did our planet once have two moons? Some researchers say so. Moreover, the missing satellite might still be up there--splattered across the far side of the Moon. NASA's GRAIL mission could help confirm or refute the "two moon" hypothesis:

Companion article: GRAIL and the Mystery of the Missing Moon

Visit http://science.nasa.gov/ for more.

ScienceCasts: Secret Lives of Solar Flares

2011-09-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

Source - ScienceAtNASA on Sep 15, 2011:

Researchers have just discovered that solar flares have been keeping a secret--and it's a big one:

Companion article: The Secret Lives of Solar Flares

Visit http://science.nasa.gov/ for more.

Strong Solar Activity Continues

2011-09-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 24, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

STRONG SOLAR ACTIVITY: New sunspot 1302 is crackling with strong solar flares. This morning it unleashed an X2-class flare--its second X-flare in two days--quickly followed by an M7-class eruption. So far the blasts have not been Earth-directed, but this could change in the days ahead as the sunspot turns toward our planet. The sunspot is growing and there is no sign that it will quiet down soon. Visit http://spaceweather.com for movies and updates.

DON'T MISS THE NEXT FLARE: Would you like a call when X-flares are in progress? Realtime solar activity alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

Amazing Movie of Auroras from the ISS

2011-09-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 22, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

SPACE STATION AURORA MOVIE: Astronauts onboard the International Space Station have recorded their best views yet of auroras dancing in the high atmosphere of Earth during a geomagnetic storm on Sept. 17th. Their must-see movie, just released by NASA, is highlighted on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.

UARS RE-ENTRY UPDATE: NASA's massive UARS satellite remains on track to re-enter Earth's atmosphere during the late hours of Sept. 23rd. The fireball will probably miss North America, according to latest estimates of UARS orbital elements, but almost every other continent falls under a possible re-entry ground track. Better estimates are expected in the next 24 hours. As it makes its last orbits, the tumbling satellite is flashing brightly in the night sky, attracting the attention of stargazers and photographers. Check SpaceWeather's satellite tracker for last-chance sightings over your location: http://spaceweather.com/flybys .

TURN YOUR CELL PHONE INTO A UARS TRACKER: For more information visit http://simpleflybys.com

Bus-sized satellite to re-enter Earth's atmosphere this week

2011-09-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 20, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

UARS, a NASA satellite the size of a small bus, will re-enter Earth's atmosphere later this week producing a brilliant fireball somewhere over our planet. Best estimates place the re-entry time during the late hours of Sept. 23rd over a still-unknown region of Earth. Observers of the rapidly-decaying satellite say it is tumbling and flashing, sometimes almost as brightly as Venus. Video images featured on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com show how the doomed satellite looks through a backyard telescope.

Readers who would like to catch a last glimpse of UARS streaking across the night sky should check SpaceWeather's Satellite Tracker for flyby times: http://spaceweather.com/flybys . You can also turn your smartphone into a UARS tracker by downloading our Simple Flybys app: http://simpleflybys.com

Solar Flares Have Been Keeping a Secret

2011-09-19T23:55:00.000-07:00

Source - NASA Science News for Sept. 19, 2011

NASA-supported researchers say that solar flares have been keeping a secret. The new finding, reported in the Astrophysical Journal, suggests that explosions on the sun could affect Earth even more than previously thought.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/19sep_secretlives/

Big Picture Science for 09/19/11 - Whodunit, Who'll Do It?

2011-09-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

Big Picture Science - Whodunit, Who'll Do It?

The tools of forensics have moved way beyond fingerprint kits. These days, a prosecutor is as likely to wave a fMRI brain scan as a smoking gun as “Exhibit A.” Discover what happens when neuroscience has its day in court.

Meanwhile, research into the gold standard of identification, DNA, marches on. One day we may determine a suspect’s eye color from a drop of blood.

Plus, why much of forensic science – from fingerprinting to the polygraph – is more like reading tea leaves than science. And will future crime victims be robots?

Guests:

Owen Jones – Professor of law, Professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tennessee
Manfred Kayser – Forensic molecular biologist, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Marc Goodman – Founder, The Future Crimes Institute
David Faigman – Law professor, University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Whodunit_Who_ll_Do_It_

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

Cool Video: Giant Asteroid Fly-around

2011-09-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

Source - NASA Science News for Sept. 16, 2011

A just-released video from NASA's Dawn spacecraft takes viewers on a beautiful flyover of the giant asteroid Vesta.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/16sep_vestaflyaround/

Kepler Discovers a Planet with Two Suns

2011-09-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

Source - NASA Science News for Sept. 15, 2011

The existence of a world with a double sunset, as portrayed in the film Star Wars more than 30 years ago, is now scientific fact. NASA's Kepler mission has made the first unambiguous detection of a "circumbinary planet"--a planet orbiting two stars--200 light-years from Earth.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/15sep_doublesuns/

(Image copyright NASA)

Sundiving Comet

2011-09-13T23:07:00.000-07:00

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 13, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

SUNDIVING COMET: A comet is diving into the sun today. Just discovered by comet hunters Michal Kusiak of Poland and Sergei Schmalz of Germany in data from SOHO, the icy visitor from the outer solar system is expected to brighten to first magnitude before it disintegrates on Sept. 14th. Visit http://spaceweather.com today and tomorrow to follow the comet's death plunge.

Big Picture Science for 09/12/11 - Whither the Weather?

2011-09-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

Big Picture Science - Whither the Weather?

We all talk about the weather. And now scientists are doing something about it: providing more accurate warnings before big storms hit. Discover how smart technology – with an eye on the sky – is taking monster weather events by storm.

Plus, why severe weather events caused by a warming planet may trigger social and economic chaos.

Also, meet the storm chaser who runs toward tornadoes as everyone else flees… and why your cell phone goes haywire when the sun kicks up a storm of its own.

Guests:

Michael Smith – Meteorologist, founder of WeatherData and author of Warnings: The True Story of How Science Tamed the Weather
George Kourounis – Explorer and storm chaser
Jeffrey Scargle – Research astrophyscisit in the Astrobiology and Space Science Division at NASA Ames Research Center
Ken Caldeira – Climate scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science’s Deparment of Global Ecology
Christian Pareti – Contributing editor of The Nation, visiting scholar at the City Univeristy of New York, and author of Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Whither_the_Weather_

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

Geomagnetic storm in progress on Sept. 9th

2011-09-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 9. 2011: http://spaceweather.com

GEOMAGNETIC STORM: A strong geomagnetic storm (Kp=7) is in progress following the impact of a CME during the middle hours of the day on Sept. 9th. This could be the first of several hits from a series of CMEs expected to reach Earth during the weekend. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras after nightfall. (Observing tip: The hours around midnight are often best for aurora sightings.) Check http://spaceweather.com for more information and updates.

SPACE WEATHER ALERTS: Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms are in progress? Storm alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

GRAIL and the Mystery of the Missing Moon

2011-09-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

Source - NASA Science News for Sept. 7, 2011

Did our planet once have two moons? Some researchers say so. Moreover, the missing satellite might still be up there--splattered against the far side of the Moon. NASA's GRAIL mission, due to launch on Sept. 8th, could help confirm or refute the "two moon" hypothesis.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/07sep_twomoons/

Strong Solar Activity Could Spark Auroras

2011-09-07T16:11:00.000-07:00

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 7, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

STRONG SOLAR ACTIVITY: On Sept. 6th, active sunspot 1283 produced two major eruptions including an impulsive X2-class solar flare. The blasts hurled a pair of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) toward Earth, which could spark geomagnetic activity when they arrive on Sept. 8-10.

High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras in the nights ahead. Check http://spaceweather.com for images and updates.

DON'T MISS THE STORM: Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms are in progress? Storm alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

Big Picture Science for 09/05/11 - Seth's Tool Shed

2011-09-05T12:26:00.000-07:00

Big Picture Science - Seth's Tool Shed

Anyone who does gardening knows that life is tough. It’s also ancient – the first living things appeared on this planet nearly as soon as our world was habitable. We consider life on real worlds – like Earth and Mars – as well as fictional ones, such as the desert planet from the movie “Dune”. We’ll hear about a new scheme to find Martians, and practical approaches to coping with climate change.

And is Pluto seeking revenge? The unmasking of a fourth moon around this former planet!

We’re making some lively discoveries in Seth’s Tool Shed on Big Picture Science.

Guests:

Philip Duffy – Physicist and senior scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Kevin Zahnle – Planetary scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center
David Summers – Astrobiologist at the SETI Institute
Christopher Carr – Researcher in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mark Showalter – Research scientist at the SETI Institute

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Seth_s_Tool_Shed

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

Dwarf Planet Mysteries Beckon to New Horizons

2011-09-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

Source - NASA Science News for Sept. 2, 2011

Dwarf planet Pluto is a world of mystery waiting to be visited for the first time. NASA's New Horizons probe is racing across the solar system for a close encounter that could dramatically alter what researchers "know" about Pluto and other small worlds.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/02sep_newhorizons/

Companion video source - ScienceAtNASA on Sep 2, 2011

ScienceCasts: Breath of Fresh Air

2011-08-28T22:10:00.000-07:00

Source - ScienceAtNASA on Aug 25, 2011

The same kind of oxygen humans breath on Earth has been found in deep space. It's a breath of fresh air for astronomers who have been searching for cosmic "O2" until now without success.

Visit http://science.nasa.gov/ for more.

Big Picture Science for 08/29/11 - Into the Unknown

2011-08-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

Big Picture Science - Into the Unknown

During the great age of exploration men risked their lives to set foot upon unknown lands, whether in the humid jungles of Peru or on the barren ice cap of the South Pole. We’ll hear those dramatic tales…

… but also where modern exploration is taking us. Could it be to the deepest, darkest part of the sea?

Or to space? Discover how to build a space suit that will let you move like an athlete on Mars. Also, why some say that the ultimate frontier requires no packing and no travel: voyages into the human brain.

Guests:

Dava Newman – Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering Systems, MIT
David Eagleman – Neuroscientist, Baylor College of Medicine and author of Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain
Mark Adams – Author of An Empire of Ice: Scott, Shackleton and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science
Edward Larson – Author of An Empire of Ice: Scott, Shackleton and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science
Liz Taylor – President, Deep Ocean Exploration and Research, Alameda, CA

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Into_the_Unknown

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

Sunspot Breakthrough

2011-08-25T22:51:00.000-07:00

Source - NASA Science News for August 25, 2011

A new breakthrough in sunspot detection could provide days of extra early warning for strong solar storms.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/25aug_sunspotbreakthrough/

Discovered: Stars as Cool as the Human Body

2011-08-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

Source - NASA Science News for August 24, 2011

Stars as cool as the human body? Believe it. A NASA spacecraft has discovered a half-dozen "Y dwarfs" with atmospheric temperatures as low as 80 F.

FULL STORY at: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/23aug_coldeststars/

Below is an image and text from the article:

(Image copyright NASA)

"WISE 1828+2650, the coldest brown dwarf known so far, is denoted by a green dot in very center of this infrared image. The chilly star-like body isn't even as warm as a human body, at less than about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. [more]"

For more information about WISE, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/wise

Big Picture Science for 08/22/11 - Swarm in Here... or Is It Just Me?

2011-08-21T22:04:00.001-07:00

Big Picture Science - Swarm in Here... or Is It Just Me?

ENCORE: An ant … can’t … move a rubber tree plant… but the colony can. As a group, ants are an efficient, organized, can-do bunch. And a model for humans trying to manage complex systems.

Find out about the eerie collective intelligence of animals, and how an MIT researcher is hoping to put humans to work collaboratively to solve problems like climate change.

Also … hear how research into flocking behavior helps Hollywood film a herd of stampeding dinosaurs.

Guests:

Steve Strogatz – Applied mathematician at Cornell University and author of Sync: How Order Emerges From Chaos In the Universe, Nature, and Daily Life

Craig Reynolds – Senior researcher for Sony Computer Entertainment
Thomas Malone – Director of the Center for Collective Intelligence at MIT
Iain Couzin – Biologist at Princeton University

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Swarm_in_Here_or_Is_It_Just_Me_

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

ScienceCasts: Space Station Meteor

2011-08-18T23:28:00.000-07:00

Source - ScienceAtNASA on Aug 18, 2011:

On August 13th, space station astronaut Ron Garan photographed a centimeter-sized chunk of comet debris disintegrating in Earth's atmosphere. His rare photo of a meteor from Earth orbit is a must-see.

Visit http://science.nasa.gov/ for more.

Spacecraft Sees Solar Storm Engulf Earth

2011-08-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

Source - NASA Science News for August 18, 2011

For the first time, a spacecraft far from Earth has turned and watched a solar storm engulf our planet. The movie, released today during a NASA press conference, has galvanized solar physicists, who say it could lead to important advances in space weather forecasting.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/18aug_cmemovie/

Below is a companion video to the article - Source NASAexplorer on Aug 18, 2011

NASA | Spacecraft Track Solar Storms From Sun To Earth

(Text below is from the original post on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kSx7AOwEco)

NASA's STEREO spacecraft and new data processing techniques have succeeded in tracking space weather events from their origin in the Sun's ultrahot corona to impact with the Earth 96 million miles away, resolving a 40-year mystery about the structure of the structures that cause space weather: how the structures that impact the Earth relate to the corresponding structures in the solar corona.
Despite many instruments that monitor the Sun and a fleet of near-earth probes, the connection between near-Earth disturbances and their counterparts on the Sun has been obscure, because CMEs and the solar wind evolve and change during the 96,000,000 mile journey from the Sun to the Earth.

STEREO includes "heliospheric imager" cameras that monitor the sky at large angles from the Sun, but the starfield and galaxy are 1,000 times brighter than the faint rays of sunlight reflected by free-floating electron clouds inside CMEs and the solar wind; this has made direct imaging of these important structures difficult or impossible, and limited understanding of the connection between space storms and the coronal structures that cause them.

Newly released imagery reveals absolute brightness of detailed features in a large geoeffective CME in late 2008, connecting the original magnetized structure in the Sun's corona to the intricate anatomy of an interplanetary storm as it impacted the Earth three days later. At the time the data were collected, in late 2008, STEREO-A was nearly 45 degrees ahead of the Earth in its orbit, affording a very clear view of the Earth-Sun line.

This video is public domain and can be downloaded at: : http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/goto?10809

Like our videos? Subscribe to NASA's Goddard Shorts HD podcast: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/iTunes/f0004_index.html

Or find NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NASA.GSFC

Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NASAGoddard

ScienceCast: Dawn's Smooth Move

2011-08-16T23:03:00.000-07:00

Source: NASAtelevision on Aug 12, 2011 (This is an update to a previous entry posted on August 01, 2011)

"NASA's Dawn spacecraft doesn't do things like other missions. In July it slipped into orbit around asteroid Vesta using a smooth move that made mission planners want to get up and dance."

Visit http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/01aug_smoothmove/ for the full story.

And be sure to check out the ScienceAtNASA page on YouTube.

NASA Plans to Visit a Near-Earth Asteroid

2011-08-16T22:51:00.000-07:00

Source - NASA Science News for August 16, 2011

NASA is planning a daring new mission to visit a near-Earth asteroid. The spacecraft, named OSIRIS-REx, will orbit 1999 RQ36 for a year before gathering samples for return to Earth.

FULL STORY at:

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/16aug_osirisrex/

Companion video for the article: NASA | NASA selects OSIRIS-REx as New Frontiers Mission

Source NASAexplorer on May 25, 2011

"OSIRIS-Rex will visit asteroid 1999 RQ36 and return with samples that may hold clues to the origin of the solar system and life on Earth. For the mission, NASA has selected the team led by Principal Investigator Dr. Michael Drake from the University of Arizona. NASA GSFC will manage the mission. Lockheed Martin will build the spacecraft."

This video is public domain and can be downloaded at: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov

Original YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6XbYLGWmOs

Big Picture Science for 08/15/11 - Skeptic Check: Plotting Along

2011-08-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

Big Picture Science - Skeptic Check: Plotting Along

It’s been ten years since the fall of the Twin Towers, but some still believe that the attack was an inside job. They’re not the only ones to buy into a conspiratorial view of world events. Others deny

President Obama’s American birth… link autism with vaccines… and even claim that the fluo
ride in our drinking water is there to control our minds. Is it the truth – or the fringe groups – that are “out there?”

Find out why some tinfoil hat ideas never go away. Also, the roots of rational argument: did our brains evolve to seek the truth… or just win arguments?

It’s Skeptic Check… but don’t take our word for it!

Guests:

Jonathan Kay – Managing editor of National Post in Canada and author of Among the Truthers: A Journey Through America’s Growing Conspiracist Underground
Michael Shermer – Founding Publisher of Skeptic Magazine and author of The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies – How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them As Truths
Phil Plait – Skeptic and keeper of Discover Magazine’s blog, badastronomy.com
Hugo Mercier – Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania
Darcia Narvaez – Psychologist at the University of Notre Dame
Ben Recht – Computer Scientist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and author of the paper “On the Effectiveness of Tinfoil Hats”

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Skeptic_Check_Plotting_Along

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.