|
|
| |
|
| Cyborgs Needed for Escape from Earth |
| Topic: Robotics & A.I. |
09/16/10 |
| As the growing global population continues to increase the burden on the Earth´s natural resources, some historians and scientists think humans should prepare to colonize space. The problem is, we may have to alter human biology significantly to achieve that goal. |
|
|
|
| How Microbes Could Help Colonize Mars |
| Topic: Moon to Mars |
09/09/10 |
| Tiny rock-eating microbes could mine precious extraterrestrial resources from Mars and pave the way for the first human colonists, but would take much longer to help transform the red planet via terraforming. |
|
|
|
| Tracking Viruses Back in Time |
| Topic: Extreme Life |
09/06/10 |
| How long have viruses been around? No one knows. Scientists at Portland State University have begun taking the first steps toward answering this question. |
|
|
|
| Setting Sail in the Sun |
| Topic: Missions |
09/02/10 |
| Propelled by sunlight pressure, large lightweight sails made of ultrathin aluminum-coated plastic could one day take probes to the edge of our solar system and other stars. |
|
|
|
| Mud Volcanoes on Mars |
| Topic: Mars |
08/19/10 |
| Spewing out material from deep underground, geological structures on Mars thought to be mud volcanoes could give scientists the clues they need to determine if life exists, or ever existed, on the Red Planet. |
|
|
|
| Where in the World is Europa? |
| Topic: Europa |
08/16/10 |
| Before they can be sent out to explore planets or moons, rovers first need to be tested in the field. While there is no perfect analog for Jupiter´s icy moon Europa, there are various spots on Earth and elsewhere that are similar enough to conduct trial runs. |
|
|
|
| Supernova´s Spin on Life |
| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
08/12/10 |
| A bias in the way amino acids twist could be due to supernovae, researchers now suggest. If correct, this could be more evidence that the molecules of life came from elsewhere in the cosmos. |
|
|
|
| The Impact that Shattered Santa Fe |
| Topic: Meteorites, Comets and Asteroids |
08/09/10 |
| A large meteorite impact can have a profound effect on life. The explosive force is often compared to a nuclear detonation, and the debris tossed high into the atmosphere can alter our planet´s climate. In the mountains of New Mexico, scientists have found evidence for an ancient meteorite strike -- even though the impact crater is long gone. |
|
|
|
| Diving Robot Discovers Life in the Slow Lane |
| Topic: Extreme Life |
08/05/10 |
| Scientists have found amazingly diverse microbial life in the world's deepest water-filled sinkhole, even down where sunlight can't reach. The discovery adds new insight into life´s ability to thrive in Earth´s most extreme environments. This research also could aid the search for life elsewhere in our solar system, such as on Jupiter´s moon Europa. |
|
|
|
| Life after Catastrophe |
| Topic: Extreme Life |
08/02/10 |
| Scientists studying deep-sea hydrothermal vents have found that larvae travel hundreds of miles to re-colonize these harsh locations after a volcanic eruption. The new study could challenge existing beliefs about how life adapts to extreme environments. |
|
|
|
|
|
