Exoplanets
Revolving around the sun, in an orbit similar to our own, is NASA’s Kepler Spacecraft. Launched in 2009 and named after the Renaissance computer science homework help astronomer Johannes Kepler, Kepler’s mission, like that of many ground-based telescopes, is to survey a portion of the Milky Way and discover exoplanets – planets outside of our solar system. Ultimately we hope to find a habitable world. … Continue reading Exoplanets
The Voyager Probes: A 35 Year Galactic Road Trip
As our closest astronomical neighbors, the planets have been subjects of keen observation by astronomers for over three millennia. The twin Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft, built and launched in the 1970s, flew by Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, and provided a wealth of data and photographs in the 1980s. But far beyond even the most distant planet lies an invisible boundary at the edge … Continue reading The Voyager Probes: A 35 Year Galactic Road Trip
Reconstructing the History of the Milky Way
The Universe contains trillions of galaxies, and each galaxy is home to as many as a few hundred billion stars. To understand the Universe, it is necessary to study its building blocks, in the same way one studies atoms to understand the properties of a material. In the case of the Universe, it is crucial to understand the formation and evolution of galaxies. The study … Continue reading Reconstructing the History of the Milky Way
Near-Earth Objects: Is the sky really falling?
From the meteor that exploded over eastern Russia in February to the asteroid 1998 QE2 that squeaked by the Earth at the end of May 2013, meteoroids and other near-Earth objects (NEOs) have garnered increasing attention recently. NEOs, which include comets and asteroids, are objects whose closest approach to the Sun is less than 1.3 times the mean distance of Earth’s orbit around the Sun … Continue reading Near-Earth Objects: Is the sky really falling?
Making Old Hearts New
Although the heart is commonly thought of as something that causes us emotional joy and pain, while also providing us with the urge to make reckless decisions, we have to give it more credit. In actuality, this incredible organ will beat more than 2.5 billion times in an average adult lifetime, pumping 5-6 quarts of blood throughout the body every minute [2]. This vital function … Continue reading Making Old Hearts New
Forging the Correct Link: A Step Toward Understanding the Origins of Life on Earth
Two decades ago, on the recommendation of acclaimed astrophysicist Carl Sagan, NASA adopted a definition of life simply stating, “Life is a self-sustained chemical system capable of undergoing Darwinian evolution.” [1] While this definition is certainly consistent with life as we know it, its simplicity emphasizes how little we actually know about how life on Earth first arose. With the U.N.’s proclamation of 2011 as … Continue reading Forging the Correct Link: A Step Toward Understanding the Origins of Life on Earth
Thinking DNA damage into existence
Our brain contains billions of cells called neurons, each connected to one another in a complex network, permitting us to think, move, and assimilate information about our environment. While many cells in our body can talk to one another, neurons are unique in that their communication relies on electrical activity. Much like how the flow of charged particles along electric cables facilitates information transfer, the … Continue reading Thinking DNA damage into existence
Living Factories: Engineering Cells to Manufacture Molecules
Presented by Kevin Bonham Single-celled microorganisms are everywhere, and are intimately linked to many aspects of our life. Some can cause disease, others decompose our waste, and many even help us digest our food – there are 10 times more bacteria cells in your body than human cells! But in the last few decades, scientists have been learning how to tinker with these tiny life … Continue reading Living Factories: Engineering Cells to Manufacture Molecules
The Alien Worlds of Hydrothermal Vents
Photosynthesis vs. Chemosynthesis All living things need an energy source to power the chemical reactions that sustain life. Without such an energy source there could be no life. Most organisms on this planet get their energy, directly or indirectly, from the sun. Plants, algae, and some marine bacteria carry out photosynthesis, using the sun’s energy to produce sugars necessary for their survival. These organisms are … Continue reading The Alien Worlds of Hydrothermal Vents
The Bittersweet Truth of Sweet and Bitter Taste Receptors
In Disney’s Pixar acclaimed success Ratatouille, Chef Gusteau states: “Good food is like music you can taste, color you can smell, there is excellence all around you; You only need be aware to stop and savour it!” Chef Gusteau’s extended metaphor clearly refers to the infinite combinations of flavors that delight our palate and make food intake a pleasurable experience. Flavor per se is the … Continue reading The Bittersweet Truth of Sweet and Bitter Taste Receptors