Posted Jul 03, 2008 at 12:50PM by Isaac C. Listed in: Science Tags: Milky Way, cosmic rays, galaxy
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Far out theory: Milky Way cycle responsible for mass extinctions - Image 1The fate of the world is in the stars. Literally. Scientists believe galactic motion of the Milky Way is the cause of the rise and fall of species in the Earth. Darwin needs to rework his theory. Details in the full article.

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Posted Apr 15, 2008 at 09:45PM by Sally B. Listed in: Science Tags: Mars, European Space Agency, ESA, cosmic rays, Hydrogen
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Outer Space - Image 1Humans are making large developments toward the realization of their outer space dreams. There is one thing that stands in the way, however: cosmic rays. Created from many elements including hydrogen and uranium, there's a possibility that cosmic rays may pose a great health risk to astronauts. More in the full article.

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Posted Apr 03, 2008 at 09:20PM by Ryan C. Listed in: Science Tags: Mars, NASA, cosmic rays, magnetic field
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NASA - Image 1If you were wondering just why we haven't yet stepped foot onto Mars, here's quite the revelation: it seems that a certain dangerous element that all astronauts are exposed to whenever they reach orbit is stopping NASA from getting there. And no, it's not space gremlins or anything like that. All the perplexing details in the full article.

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Posted Mar 30, 2008 at 09:03PM by Rio S. Listed in: Gadgets, PlayStation 3 Tags: Disney, Sony, Buena Vista, cosmic rays, 20th Century Fox, Echo Bridge Entertainment
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On Blu-ray This Week: Coyote Ugly, Hidalgo, and Unbreakable - Image 1Bonnie and Clyde tried to pull off a heist last week, but with only four other Blu-ray releases to back them up, they barely got to the getaway vehicle. This week, however, promises to give us more action with a dozen titles spearheaded by Coyote Ugly, Unbreakable, and Hidalgo. More on the full article.

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Posted Feb 26, 2008 at 03:19AM by Jay P. Listed in: Science Tags: Korea, International Space Station, South Korea, soyuz, cosmic rays
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Korea's Kimchi off to space this April South Korea's Ko San will be blasting off to the International Space Station bringing with him his country's national dish, kimchi.

Apparently, it took three government research institutes, millions of dollars and years in order to make this thing happen. Find out more after the jump!

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Posted Nov 11, 2007 at 01:14PM by Isaac C. Listed in: Science Tags: black hole, cosmic rays, Silver Surfer
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Black holes - Image 1 The Earth is constantly bombarded by cosmic rays from our galaxy. However, a type of cosmic ray with ultra-high energies was discovered 95 years ago. Scientists didn't know where these cosmic rays came from because particles outside the galaxy can't travel far enough to hit Earth. Now they believe that the cosmic rays come from energy that escaped from a black hole.

Read more in the full article and find out if the Silver Surfer has anything to do with it.

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Posted Jun 24, 2007 at 10:11PM by Glen D. Listed in: Science Tags: Canada, cosmic rays, carbon dioxide
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Climate change - Image 1While most of us are worried about the planet getting warmer and the polar caps melting, some are apparently looking at the bright side. Their battle cry? Climate change is natural and worse things have happened before.

According to an article published in Canada.com, the only thing constant with climate, as the case is with all things in the world, is change. The planet runs from hot to cold throughout the eons, and a lot of it depends on solar climate. The bottom line? Everything's fine and can't be helped, so just chill out.

The Canadian website reports that it was warmer by 3 degrees celsius 6,000 years ago and all ended up well leading to today. 10,000 years ago, the planet's temperature rose 100 times faster than it does today, and everything's all dandy when we came around.

It was also explained that even if resources are spent on reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the sun and cosmic rays ultimately determine how hot or cold it gets. The sun, according to the site, does not glow in constant fashion and there are such days when our home star is dimmer or brighter. When it's brighter, there is less rain, while when it dims down, cosmic rays penetrate the atmosphere and cause more cloud formation for more rain.

The article even suggested that as big of a concern as global warming is now, it might only be a matter of time before global cooling becomes an issue. That, of course, may be some millennia away as climate change takes its sweet time when it comes to showing us its different flavors. Will the woolly mammoths make a comeback? Who knows?

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Posted Apr 22, 2007 at 09:36PM by Glen D. Listed in: Science Tags: cosmic rays, New Mexico, galaxy, Puerto Rico, Los Alamos
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Black hole - Image 1Some 300 million light years away from the Earth lurks what scientists think is a group of dark monsters that may hold the keys to some questions that has boggled scientific minds for decades. If you want the less figurative version, researchers at the Los Alamos Laboratories in New Mexico are looking at distant supermassive black holes as the holders of the clues as to where cosmic rays originate and what the bizarre "noises" scientists hear are.

Supermassive black holes were only recently discovered and have been known to dwell at the center of some galaxies. These bodies are black as space and are nearly invisible if not for the gas, dust and light that they suck in never to be released again. As the gas and light spiral towards the abyss, they become superheated and begin to blaze bright, making it possible for them to be detected.

That's exactly what the Los Alamos team found. In fact, this one had a trail of superheated matter 6 million light years in diameter. To funnel in such mass requires a gravitational pull of godly proportions, leading the study team to theorize that there may be a cluster of black holes involved. What's even more amazing is the fact that this cluster doesn't have a galaxy surrounding it. Research head Philipp Kroonberg wonders:

What kind of mechanism could create a cloud of such enormous dimensions that does not coincide with any single galaxy or galaxy cluster? Is that same mechanism connected to the mysterious source of ultra high energy cosmic rays that come from beyond our galaxy?


Though much still remains unanswered, the researchers say that these black holes may in fact be a catalyst for transforming matter and light into cosmic rays. The noise that was earlier mentioned may in fact be a remnant of the big bang that gave birth to the universe. Whatever the case, the astronomers are digging deep into it using the Arecibo Space Telescope in Puerto Rico. We'll tell you as soon as they find anything new.

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Posted Mar 04, 2007 at 05:30AM by Rio S. Listed in: Science Tags: protons, aliens, cosmic rays, galaxy
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placebo pills - mind over matter? - Image 1There are lots of stuff science can't explain. Supernatural phenomena, the Bermuda Triangle, and aliens have ever since been among the favorite subjects of tinfoil conspiracy theorists everywhere. But what about the things that really turn scientists heads?

We're pretty sure you've heard of the placebo effect unless you've lived under a rock for the last couple of decades. It works like this: for example a person experiencing pain is given a blue painkiller for a few days then on the last day, you fill a blue pill with sugar and the pain still goes away. Does the mind override the body's biochemistry?

Next up is the cosmologists' double jeopardy question. Why is temperature uniform in the entire universe? You see the universe' edges are 28 billion light years apart, and it's approximated to be 14 billion years old. With that said, it's baffling to think that the temperature would equalize on both edges (and the stuff in between) when light - or heat radiation - from both edges haven't even met.

mortar and pestle - homeopathy tools - Image 1Comic book fans would know cosmic rays since they caused the Fantastic 4's superpowers. Cosmic rays do exist, but that isn't the question. Cosmic rays are superpowered protons (sometimes heavy atomic nuclei) that travel through space at almost the speed of light. According to Einstein, cosmic rays that reach the Earth should have slowed down and lost most of their energy so their maximum possible energy is just at 5 × 1019 electronvolts (Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin limit). Scientists have detected cosmic rays over that limit but couldn't find any sources within our galaxy.

Homeopathy is basically treating an illness with an ultra diluted solution of something that would produce the same symptoms as the illness itself. Practitioners of this sort of alternative medicine use natural stuff like charcoal, spider venom and the like to produce healing results. Scientists argue that the solutions have been diluted with water so much that there probably aren't any molecules of the original cure left. During a Belfast study, they had positive results but still couldn't explain how.

These are just four of the things that science couldn't (at least for now) explain. For the rest of the unexplainables like dark matter and tetraneutrons, click the Read link below.

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Posted Jul 18, 2006 at 09:47AM by KJM Listed in: Science Tags: Mars, cosmic rays, magnetic field, plasma bubble, John Slough, NIAC
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Mars


One of the challenges engineers face in designing a Mars Expedition craft is how to shield astronauts from radiation during the long voyage. The obvious solution - heavy metal protective panels - would add substantial mass to the spacecraft, requiring far more fuel and reducing the amount of resources that could be taken along.


Astronauts in the vacuum of outer space are constantly exposed to cosmic rays. Some of these come from the Sun; others from outside our solar system. In low orbit, the Earth's magnetic field provides protection, but on a journey to Mars, the astronauts would suffer full exposure. These cosmic rays could result in a number of illnesses, including cancer.


John Slough of the University of Washington in Seattle believes the answer lies in a few grams of hydrogen in the form of a plasma surrounding the spacecraft. NASA's Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) has awarded Slough's team $75,000 to explore the idea's feasibility. Basically, a high voltage device on the spacecraft's surface would tear the hydrogen into its constituent protons and electrons. The resulting plasma would then be ejected into space, creating a protective cloud around the spacecraft. A wire mesh outside the spacecraft would enclose the plasma cloud. Electricity supplied to the mesh would keep an electrical current running in the plasma cloud, confining it near the spacecraft.


According to Slough the plasma's magnetic field would deflect harmful cosmic rays, as effectively as several inches of aluminium shielding.


Researchers are currently trying to determine  the optimum size of the plasma bubble.  Slough believes the cloud should be about 100 metres across. At that size, the mesh would have to be stowed for launch and deployed once the craft reached in space. The wire mesh would made of superconducting material that could operate at  high temperatures, since it would be exposed to naked sunlight.


Future spacecraft may be powered by advanced engines that use plasma as a propellant. In that case, the discarded plasma could be recycled. According to Slough, "You're protected by your own exhaust."



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