Cosmic Log: Go on a space mission in 3-D
Science editor Alan Boyle’s Weblog: The shuttle Discovery may be stuck on the ground, but you can still take a virtual spaceflight and see NASA’s Robonaut in action in 3-D.
Leonid annual meteor shower due soon
In the coming days, skywatchers will likely be hearing much about the impending return of the famous Leonid meteor shower, which graces the night skies of November each year.
7th century B.C. royal garden was party spot
A newly discovered 7th century B.C. palace garden near Jerusalem could reveal details about how royals liked to let loose in ancient times.
Dead coral near BP spill called ’smoking gun’
Scientists returning from an expedition off the Gulf Coast said Friday they found dead and dying deepwater coral near the BP oil spill site that was covered in a brown substance.
Discovery Final Flight Scrubbed Until After November 30
NASA has announced that a hydrogen leak is delaying space shuttle Discovery’s final flight for the fifth time. Officials said the next launch attempt will not take place until after November 30. "NASA managers have decided to post…
Goose eggs a lifeline for polar bears?
The polar bear is the poster child for species threatened with extinction by climate change. But a new study finds that the Arctic animals may get a reprieve in the form of an abundant supply of eggs from snow geese.
Hydrogen leak cancels shuttle Discovery launch
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) – A hydrogen leak forced NASA on Friday to scrub the launch of space shuttle Discovery for a fourth time this week, pushing back the blastoff at least until November 30.
NSF Releases ‘Clouds: The Wild Card of Climate Change’
Reader-friendly multimedia package covers the crucial but enigmatic role of clouds on climate change, and how scientists are defining that roleAs discussions about climate change continue, one critical factor about this pheno…
Researchers To Study Effects Of Emissions At Dairy Farms
A team of researchers are planning to try and help dairy farmers cut greenhouse gas emissions like methane. Nitrogen and carbon based greenhouse gases are produced through a complicated system at dairy farms that is affected by everything fro…
Without trees, Haiti laid bare to hurricane’s impact
Hurricane Tomas intensified overnight on Thursday (Nov. 4), and the now Category 1 storm is bearing down on Haiti, an earthquake-ravaged country where more than 1 million people are still living in tents.
Gas leak forces long delay for shuttle launch
A fuel leak and crack on the space shuttle Discovery’s huge external tank has forced NASA to call off any attempts to launch before Nov. 30 — the latest in a series of delays for the spacecraft’s final voyage.
Corals Could Be Dying From BP Oil Spill
Federal scientists have found that the oil spill caused by BP in the Gulf of Mexico may have caused damage to deep sea corals and other marine life several miles away. Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA…
Conformity and confusion
Popular science tends to talk as if we have clear answers, but genuine studies constantly produce magnificently conflicting resultsPopular science is often triumphalist, presenting research as a set of completed answers, when in reality much of what gets published makes a glorious, necessary mess.Here is an example. Solomon Asch’s legendary studies from the 1950s on [...]
NASA Deep Impact spacecraft flies by small comet
A NASA spacecraft sped past a small comet Thursday, beaming pictures back to Earth that gave scientists a rare close-up view of its center.
Shuttle launch off until end of month for repairs
A leak cropped up during fueling for Friday’s planned liftoff of space shuttle Discovery. NASA initially delayed the launch until at least Monday. But by early afternoon, it was clear that more time was needed to fix the problem.