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Extremophiles
New Scientist has an interesting overview of life forms that exist in the most extreme environments on Earth (the article title says “in the universe,” but they apparently mean only the little corner of it we know about so far). I have a little trouble with the idea that the existence of an extremophile on…
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Creationism Rebuttals
In a similar vein to the Global Warming rebuttals we blogged about previously, Scientific American has put together a smackdown of Creationist claims. They aren’t pulling any punches with the title, 15 Answers to Creationist Nonsense. The article looks at the top 15 assertions that Creationism levels against the theory of evolution, and presents straightforward,…
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The Missing Ink
Carl Zimmer is a science writer who lists his interests as “Tapeworms, tattoos, and the meaning of life.” He’s devoted an entire blog to at least one of these things, inviting anyone with a science-related tattoo to send him a photo and short explanation for addition to Carl Zimmer’s Science Tattoo Emporium. There are a…
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Most Powerful Blast in the Universe Observed
The most powerful blast ever observed in the universe detonated on Wednesday. That day, a record four gamma-ray bursts were detected by NASA’s Swift telescope. Link (Thanks, CJ!)
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Mars on Earth
In an effort to identify potential problems with a Martian settlement, the Mars Society has four planned “Mars Analog Research Stations” which will act as a sort of dress rehearsal. The FMARS 11 unit in the Antarctic has recently finished its run, but the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah is currently operating. When researchers…
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How Alien Should Aliens Be?
The Biology in Science Fiction blog has a nice discussion about the innate “humanness” of most aliens in science fiction. But at least a touch of humanness is necessary, I think, if you want your human characters to have meaningful interactions with the alien characters. Even Lem’s alien ocean had to know that humans are…
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This is Completely Awesome
This short video shows some really amazing behaviors of cephalopods and other sea life. It’s shocking how much we don’t know about our own back yard. (Hat tip to Professor Fate)
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We Have the Tools…We Have the Technology…
…what we don’t have is the money. Wired has an article entitled, straightforwardly, “10 Sci-Fi Techs We Could Build If They Weren’t So Damn Expensive.” Android Armies Cost: $1bn a battallion Seen Asimo? If you want your own, expect to pay Honda about a million dollars. Cheapskates can lease one for $166,000 a year. And…
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RIBBET
Scientists have discovered the fossil remains of a frog that lived about 70 million years ago and, according to the rather breathless news article, “was so nasty it may have eaten newborn dinosaurs.” Either this report was released by the Institute for Well, Duh or the journalist was having a little trouble trying to make…
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Viva La Evolution
Today is Darwin Day! Darwin Day is an international celebration of science and humanity held on or around February 12, the day that Charles Darwin was born on in 1809. Specifically, it celebrates the discoveries and life of Charles Darwin — the man who first described biological evolution via natural selection with scientific rigor. More…