Kate Rauner's Blog, page 3

What If We Could Hear the Voice of a 15th Century King? #science #archeology #RichardIII

Suppose you had the skeleton of a famous, ancient king? We do! “Remains found under what’s now a parking lot in the English city of Leicester have been confirmed to be those of King Richard III.” NPR A known modern relative provided a DNA sample, and historians are confident they have the identification correct. Richard […]

Has Physics Cracked the Stability Barrier?

The matter you see and touch is composed of atoms documented on the Periodic Table of Elements. While radioactive versions of common materials, like carbon or potassium, are part of the story, as atoms get heavier and heavier, at some point, stable isotopes (atoms with different numbers of neutrons in their nucleus) become rare. The […]

Will Alien Life Look Like These Earthly Discoveries?

Two tectonic plates diverge at the East Pacific Rise, where the ocean crust is spreading at the fastest rate on the planet, creating massive sulfide ore deposits on the ocean floor. But that’s not what’s most surprising. There’s a whole living ecosystem down there in the dark, far below the depths that sunlight penetrates. A […]

Function Meets Fashion on the Moon

“A sleek-looking space suit is the product of a multi-year partnership between the Italian fashion brand Prada and American space infrastructure company Axiom.” Popular Science I realize NASA’s space suits have come a long way since Apollo. The classic lunar bunny-hop is about stiff suits as well as low gravity. If I were about to […]

That’s a Telescope?! #astronomy #SETI

If you’re expecting mirrors and lenses, or big dishes, this may confuse you.The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) in Western Australia is searching for signs of alien technology in galaxies beyond our own, focusing on low radio frequencies (100 MHz). Yes – galaxies beyond the Milky Way. This innovative study used the MWA’s large field of […]

Imaginative sci-fi story I

What Color is Your Hydrogen? #climatechange #alternativeenergy

Hydrogen is the most common element in the galaxy – our Sun is 92% hydrogen. But here on Earth? Hydrogen is so reactive, if the molecule does form, it won’t hang around for long. The only way to prepare hydrogen for use as a fuel is electrolysis of water in something as clean as lab […]

Deep ocean oxygen, not from plants! #ocean #science #lifesciences

Thousands of feet below the Pacific Ocean’s waves, scientists made a discovery so startling, they thought their equipment was broken. They detected the production of oxygen. Oxygen without any plants or any photosynthesis, because the ocean is so deep, sunlight never penetrates. The surprising biodiversity in this site was thought to survive on oxygenated water […]

What Do You See? #haiku #poetry #sciku

To stellar grandeur, Meteors show no respect – Dominate the sky.

Deadly Virus Killing Elephants, But Now There’s Hope #biology #vaccine #HoustonZoo

At the Houston Zoo, a devastating viral disease was killing young elephants. Keepers barely had time to react, because the animal could be dead a few days after showing symptoms. It started in 2008 for Houston, but: The disease, which can result in severe hemorrhaging and is fatal as often as 80 percent of the […]