Apr 06 Heavy Rockets, Higgs and TV Science Company Planning Biggest Rocket Since Man on Moon Space X's Falcon Heavy rocket will be the most powerful heavy rocket ever built, primed to carry twice as much weight into orbit as a NASA space shuttle, according to… Continue reading
Mar 28 Ancient Stone Scraps, Stardust and Rock People Stone Tools Cut Swathe Through Clovis History Thousands of stone scrappings and chips, believed to be discarded during an ancient toolmaking process, were unearthed by archaeologists in a Texas creek bed. Dating shows the chips to be as… Continue reading
Mar 11 What We’re Reading: Economic Impact of the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan By Elizabeth Shell EDITOR'S NOTE: Paul Solman is traveling today but we here at Making Sen$e wanted to share a list of reports we've been following on the financial impact of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Though it's too soon to say… Continue reading
Mar 07 Stellar Wormholes, Space Data and Supercooling Sodawater One Scientist's Dramatic Exodus from Libya The skull of a valuable ancient elephant-like animal is housed in the Sarayy al-Hamra fort in Tripoli, the former site of the Libyan Museum of Natural History. This piece includes the tale… Continue reading
Mar 01 Superfluids, Dolphin Deaths and Dinosaur Thighs Dinosaur-Hunting Hobbyist Makes Fresh Tracks for Paleontology Read about a 42-year-old British computer programmer-turned-paleontologist and his latest discovery: "a new dinosaur called Brontomerus mcintoshi, a sauropod with uncommonly large, powerful thighs." (Sindya Bhanoo, New York Times) Video:… Continue reading
Feb 21 Faith in Science, Threatened Particle Colliders and PCB-Resistant Fish Packing Away the Poison An article in Science News says fish in New York's Hudson River have developed a resistance to toxic PCBs and other pollutants. The story focuses on the Atlantic tomcod, but also the fish that eat… Continue reading
Feb 14 What We’re Reading: Foot Bones, Color Decay and the Science of Obesity X-rays Show Why Van Gogh's Yellows Have Darkened A particle accelerator helps to explain why the bright yellows in Van Gogh paintings fade to brown over time. This piece uses an animated video to explain the chemical reaction… Continue reading
Feb 07 Maptivism, Pond Fleas and One Polar Bear’s Long Journey Maps, Activism and Technology: Check-Ins with a Purpose Introducing Sukey, the "maptivism" app. Detailed in this column is a sort of Four Square for nonviolent organizing: location-based mobile social networking that allows people to check in during demonstrations,… Continue reading
Jan 31 Mars Rover Overbudget, Long-Lasting Dispersants and Dancing Brittle-Stars By Jenny Marder The Brittle-Stars Danced. The Stingray Smoked a Pipe. Sea creatures with bodies like snakes and heads like sea urchins. Monkeys with Lollipop Paws. Dancing brittle-stars. A wonderful, whimsical article on the connection between nonsense verse and biology and… Continue reading
Jan 24 What We’re Reading: Giant Crayfish, Wacky Weather and Geomagic Squares Giant Crayfish Found in Tennessee is new Species A new species of crayfish was spotted climbing out from under a rock in Tennessee, according this Reuters story. It is five inches long -- that's twice the size of… Continue reading