Science and Education

NASA may support UK in ground-breaking MoonLITE mission

By Kyle Sherer

17:09 February 19, 2008 PST

February 20, 2008 A new report has outlined the possibility of US support for the planned UK-led MoonLITE mission, a project that aims to use a solar-powered spacecraft to fire four suitcase-sized “penetrators” at the surface of the moon at speeds of 300m/s. The penetrators would be deployed to the far side of the Moon, and one of the poles, where they would sink to depths of up to two metres beneath the moon’s surface, and analyse “Moonquakes”, study heat flows, and determine the chemical and physical structure of the Moon’s interior. Read More

Hubble detects galaxy from the infancy of the universe

By Kyle Sherer

15:09 February 17, 2008 PST

February 18, 2008 The Hubble telescope’s Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer has detected an infant galaxy from the “dark ages” of the universe. Named A1689-zD1, the galaxy originated just 700 million years after the Big Bang, and is believed to be one of the galaxies responsible for reheating the cold clouds of hydrogen that formed as a result of the rapid expansion of the universe. Read More

New digital microscopes from Celestron

By Jude Garvey

15:49 January 10, 2008 PST

January 11, 200 Celestron, the people who brought us the SkyScout Scope refractor telescope has released two new microscopes, a USB-powered handheld digital microscope (HDM) and a new LCD Digital Microscope (LDM) aimed at hobbyists. The HDM allows you to view and capture still or video images at 20 to 400 times magnification power and view on your computer screen via the USB cable while the LDM has a high-resolution 3.5” (88mm) LCD screen so users can view the images and video they have captured and saved. Read More

Antarctic record for scientific balloons

By Emily Clark

16:17 January 6, 2008 PST

January 7, 2007 A record three long-duration, sub-orbital flights were launched and operated in Antarctica during this current Southern-Hemisphere summer, marking a new milestone for the almost 20-years of scientific ballooning in the region. The achievement was the result of a partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with NSF providing infrastructure and logistics and NASA providing the satellite communications link. Read More

Researchers reveal the biggest digital survey of the Milky Way to date

By Noel McKeegan

20:14 December 30, 2007 PST

December 31, 2007 More than 50 astronomers from the UK, Europe, USA and Australia have joined forces to produce the first comprehensive optical digital survey of the plane of the Galaxy. The Initial Data Release (IDR) from the INT Photometric H-Alpha Survey (IPHAS) includes around 200 million unique objects available via an online database, forming a huge resource designed to boost our understanding of stellar evolution and further the study of stellar demographics of the Milky Way and of its three-dimensional structure. Read More

Education news goes paperless in Houston

By Emily Clark

18:24 December 19, 2007 PST

December 20, 2007 Texas students have access to a customized education portal from the Houston Chronicle that includes an online daily newspaper and numerous education-specific programs. By making the news paperless the Chronicle estimates in the first year of the program it will eliminate nearly one million hard copies delivered to schools. Read More

New research sheds light on Solar Wind

By Noel McKeegan

19:03 December 10, 2007 PST

December 11, 2007 New images and data from the Hinode space mission have provided a better understanding of the sun’s magnetic field and the origin of solar winds that blast through the solar system. Eruptions of magnetic energy from solar winds threaten satellites, telecommunications and electric power grids on Earth and a better understanding of the solar winds, which are propelled from the sun at speeds of almost one million miles per hour, could aid in the early prediction of damaging radiation waves before they reach satellites. Read More

Spitzer Space Telescope locates youngest solar systems

By Kyle Sherer

18:18 December 2, 2007 PST

December 3, 2007 Infrared imaging technology on

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has been used to locate some of the youngest solar systems yet detected. Astronomers at the University of Michigan made the discovery when using the telescope to more closely observe gaps in protoplanetary disks of gas and dust surrounding the young stars UX Tau A and LkCa 15 in the Taurus star formation region. Read More

ORION helium ion microscope

By Kyle Sherer

16:23 October 30, 2007 PDT

October 31, 2007 A revolutionary type of microscope that uses a beam of helium ions to provide significantly higher resolution images than commonly used electron microscopes promises a new era in sub-nanometer, ultra-high resolution scanning microscopy. Read More

Chang'e-1 launch to expand lunar exploration

By Emily Clark

23:18 October 28, 2007 PDT

October 29, 2007 The Chang’e-1 spacecraft successfully blasted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre, Sichuan, atop a Long March 3A rocket last week bound for lunar orbit. The launch by the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA), is China’s first step in a program that aims to land robotic explorers on the Moon before 2020. Read More

SOLiD System - a next-gen DNA sequencing platform announced

By Darren Quick

19:16 October 26, 2007 PDT

October 27, 2007 At the 57th annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, Applied Biosystems announced the worldwide commercial availability of SOLiD, the company’s next-generation DNA sequencing platform. The SOLiD System is an end-to-end next-generation genetic analysis solution comprised of the sequencing unit, chemistry, a computing cluster and data storage which promises unparalleled throughput, scalability, accuracy, and application flexibility. Read More

UK's third National Identity Fraud Prevention Week

By Emily Clark

23:02 October 8, 2007 PDT

October 9, 2007 Identity fraud is an increasingly prevalent global problem and this week marks the third annual National Identity Fraud Prevention Week in the UK. The campaign, backed by both the public and private sectors, aims to educate consumers and businesses as to the dangers of identity fraud and the preventative steps that can be taken. Read More

50th anniversary of Sputnik satellite launch

By Shaun McKeegan

06:34 October 4, 2007 PDT

October 4, 2007 Today marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Sputnik satellite. Even half a century on, the impact of the October 4th 1957 launch that saw the Soviet Union’s satellite became the first to be put into orbit still resonates as a momentous achievement in the history of human endeavor. Considered the first real blow in the "Space race" between the USSR and the USA, the launch provided the springboard for an exciting period of space exploration carried out by the two countries. Read More

U.K. team researches thinner, cheaper solar cells

By Loz Blain

06:45 August 24, 2007 PDT

August 24, 2007 Enough solar energy falls on U.S. soil to provide 500 times the country's energy needs – but the cost of harvesting this free and sustainable resource is preventing people from using it to power their homes. That’s why scientists in the sunny U.K. are excited about the possibility of thin-layer photovoltaic cells that could bring the price of solar energy down and make solar cells a viable addition to the average home. Read More

Google Earth moves to become Google Universe

By Loz Blain

20:38 August 23, 2007 PDT

August 24, 2007 The world is not enough for Google Earth. The groundbreaking free application already provides satellite photos, maps, street-level photos and a vast range of data overlays for most of the planet, and its latest incarnation looks to the heavens as well. A fantastic resource for backyard astronomers, the new Sky module lets users explore the planets, stars, constellations and galaxies of the night sky, including high resolution highlights from the Hubble Space Telescope and useful information overlays. Read More

Elevator: 2010 - a space race for the whole family

By Kyle Sherer

17:13 August 4, 2007 PDT

August 5, 2007 Almost 40 years after it ended, the Spaceward Foundation is reigniting the space race with the third annual Elevator: 2010 competition. Part of the “Spaceward Games” taking place on October 19-21 near Salt Lake City, the competition is open to any family, school or adult and this year allows participants to compete in more events including the first inaugural Light Racer challenge. The tournament aims to bring attention to the viability of far-reaching space exploration concepts and requires competitors to build beam powered lunar buggies and beam powered cable “climbers”. But the machines aren’t the only thing ascending rapidly in the name of scientific advancement; the total prize money this year has skyrocketed to US$1 million. Read More

Smallest capacitance type pressure sensor used to detect absolute pressure

By Gizmag Team

18:52 August 1, 2007 PDT

August 2, 2007 Alps Electric has completed development of the industry’s smallest (4.8mm long x 4.8mm wide x 1.8 mm high) capacitance type pressure sensor to detect absolute pressure. The sensor can be used to detect pressure in a range of situations from air pressure in tyres to blood pressure. The capacitance-type pressure sensor is generally characterized by high sensitivity and low current consumption and this product also minimizes the influence of temperature changes on pressure detection. Due to the ability of the ceramic packaging to withstand a wide range of temperatures, it can even be used in the volatile automotive environment. Read More

Nanogenerator harvests energy from environmental sources

By Gizmag Team

July 26, 2007 The prototype nanogenerator provides continuous direct-current electricity by harvesting mechanical energy from such environmental sources as ultrasonic waves, mechanical vibration or blood flow. Providing power for nanometer-scale devices has long been a challenge. Batteries and other traditional sources are too large, and tend to negate the size advantages of nanodevices. And since batteries contain toxic materials such as lithium and cadmium, they cannot be implanted into the body as part of biomedical applications. Because the nanogenerator is non-toxic and compatible with the body, the new nanogenerators could be integrated into implantable biomedical devices to wirelessly measure blood flow and blood pressure within the body. This device could be in your shoes for example and when you walk you could generate your own small current to power small electronics. Anything that makes the nanowires move within the generator can be used for generating power. Read More

Archaeologists reconstruct life in the Bronze Age at a site of Southern Spain

By Mike Hanlon

June 6, 2007 Researchers from the Group of Recent Prehistory Studies (GEPRAN) at the Universidad de Granada have been working since 1974 on reconstructing what daily life was like on the Iberian Peninsula in the Bronze Age. Archaeologists have been working on the site of the Motilla del Azuer, in the Southern province of Ciudad Real, in search of the necessary information to reconstruct daily life in this little-known historical period. Read More

Digital Micro Pipette with one-touch operation

By Mike Hanlon

May 11, 2007 Being a klutz in the lab is becoming more managable these days with the advance of technology and massandmeasurement’s new Nichipet EX Autoclavable Digital Micro Pipette is a must-have for those of us with less-than-steady hands. The US$225 general purpose digital micro pipette is designed for fatigue-free operation and features an enlarged finger rest, easy to use digital counter for setting the sample volume, and a push-button extractor. Suitable for liquid handling on a clean bench, this pipette is UV-resistant and is offered in eight sizes for sampling volumes from 0.1 ul to 10.0 ml each. Read More

IBN Nano-Bio Kits demonstrate bioengineering and nanotechnology through interactive experiments

By Mike Hanlon

March 12, 2007 One of the problems with new technologies advancing so quickly is that the classroom can be left a long way behind. Recognising this, Singapore’s Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) is arming teachers with new tools to revitalize their teaching of science in the classrooms. IBN has launched a series of educational Kits to help secondary school and junior college teachers inject cutting-edge concepts in their laboratory lessons. Aimed at students between the ages of 15 and 19, the IBN Nano-Bio Kits feature interactive experiments and lessons on practical applications in nanobiotechnology, drug delivery and medical devices. The first three Kits in the range include the Biological Fuel Cell Kit, the Thermo-responsive Hydrogel Kit, and the Dielectrophoresis Chip Kit, and they come equipped with lesson plans, background readings, experimental components and instructions, as well as worksheets and quizzes. Teachers are also provided with worksheet answers, experimental instructional videos, and slides to help them plan lesson modules based on the scientific topics relevant to each Kit. Video on the kits here. Read More

The Cafe Scientifique Network

By Mike Hanlon

March 10, 2007 Cafe Scientifique is a place where, for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, anyone can go to explore the latest ideas in science and technology. Cafe Scientifique meetings always take place outside a traditional academic context, usually in cafes, bars, restaurants and even theatres, with the audience generally consisting of people who are interested in science but rarely have the opportunity to discuss their views with, and ask questions of, someone ‘in the know’. No scientific knowledge is assumed by the speakers, so anyone can participate. The first Cafes Scientifiques were held in the UK in 1998. From there, cafes sprang up in Newcastle, Nottingham and Oxford and then gradually spread throughout the UK and hence overseas. Currently, over 30 cafes meet regularly to hear scientists or writers on science talk about their work and discuss it with diverse audiences. Anyone interested in bringing Café Scientifique to their home town? Apply here. Read More

Sci-fi and fantasy dominate successful film adaptation list

By Mike Hanlon

December 14, 2006 Forbes has compiled a list of the most successful film adaptations of books and not surprisingly, the chart is dominated by science fiction and fantasy titles, like Harry Potter and Jurassic Park. Relative newcomer J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series already tops the list and will surely set a record that won’t be beaten for a while. With four of the six books in the series already on celluloid (2001-2005) and film adaptations of the fifth and sixth books due in 2007 and 2008, respectively,the boy wizard tops the US-based list easily, having amassed $3.5 billion worldwide in box-office receipts. The Forbes list which also includes the Lord of the Rings Trilogy (U.S. Box-Office Gross US$1.06 billion), Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park Series (US$767 million), Forrest Gump (US$330 m), The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (US$330 m), Jaws (US$260 m), Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (US$260 m), H.G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds” (US$234 m) and The Exorcist (US$233 m). JK Rowling’s success continues to grow. This week her Harry Potter books once again made the most banned books. Her response to the listing is classic: “as this puts me in the company of Harper Lee, Mark Twain, J.D.Salinger, William Golding, John Steinbeck and other writers I revere, I have always taken my annual inclusion on the list as a great honour.” She concludes by quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson – “every burned book enlightens the world.” Read More

Piracy, technology and global illicit trade

By Mike Hanlon

October 26, 2006 Prostitution is claimed to be the world’s oldest profession but in our book piracy would be a legitimate contender for the oldest profession and statistics show it is still a highly profitable and viable profession. One of our favourite blogs, slashdot, contained the following post today - "The music, movie, and software cartels claim 'piracy' is a Number One problem not only for themselves, but for the world as a whole and so successful are their continuing dis- and misinformation propaganda campaigns that they've been able to dragoon entire governments and police forces into acting as industry enforcers. But, says p2pnet, far from being at the top of the pile, movie and music piracy rank 16th and 20th, respectively, on a global index of illicit markets. (Software piracy ranks 7th.) And even those positions are subject to considerable doubt." The statistics make fascinating reading with Marijuana claiming the gold for the world’s largest illicit trade ahead of Counterfeit Technology Products, Cocaine and Opium/heroin, but it was the list of countries that are the worst offenders that knocked our socks off – looking uncannily like the gold medal count at an Olympic games, the USA wins hands down from China, Germany, UK and Russia. The top 20 markets and countries can be found here. Read More

The Whaling debate intensifies

By Mike Hanlon

October 18, 2006 Man has hunted whales using boats and spears since at least 6000BCE and big business in Northern Europe for 500 years. Some countries such as Iceland and Japan have a long tradition of continuous whaling for more than a thousand years, and at points in history would not have survived without whaling. It is no coincidence that the Icelandic word "hvalreki" means both "beached whale" and "jackpot". Harpooning of whales by hand began in Japan in the 12th century, but it was not until the 1670s, when a much less dangerous and far more effective method of catching whales using nets was developed. This catalysed a whaling boom and whale meat became a primary source of food and protein for the population. In the post WW11 famine, the population became dependent on whaling again. So there’s a very staunch pro-whaling group, and there’s an equally staunch anti-whaling lobby.There are many arguments against whaling with the most emotionally compelling being that it’s unethical to kill an intelligent animal. There is also widespread agreement that it is morally wrong to exterminate a species of animal and agreements were made at the 1986 International Whaling Commission (IWC) global moratorium that are about to be broken because Iceland is preparing to resume commercial whale hunting for the first time in 20 years. The decision, which makes Iceland the second country along with Norway to hunt commercially, has drawn sharp criticism from both the UK government and animal conservationist groups like IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare). Officials from the Icelandic Fisheries Ministry say Icelandic fishermen will hunt nine fin whales (an endangered species) and 30 mink whales by August 2007. Read More