Planet Earth, features and articles | Educational Science

Feb 28, 2007

Scientists Make Ice Hotter Than Boiling Water

Scientists have turned water into ice in nanoseconds, which means really, really fast. That's not the most interesting part, though. The ice is hotter than boiling water. The experiment was done at the Sandia National Laboratories' huge Z machine, which generates temperatures hotter than the sun (setting a record here...

Feb 28, 2007

Sweet New Battery Runs on Sugar

In the near future, longer-lasting batteries could run on virtually anything sugary, including tree sap or flat soda pop. Scientists say these sweet new batteries could operate three to four times longer than the conventional lithium ion batteries commonly used in cell phones, laptops, MP3 players and many other portable...

Feb 28, 2007

Charge: Carbon Dioxide Hogs Global Warming Stage

Carbon dioxide hogs the spotlight on the stage of chemical culprits causing global warming, but other greenhouse gases deserve some blame, scientists say. “People need to be aware that it isn’t just CO2 that’s the problem,” said Keith Shine of the University of Reading in England, co-author of an article...

Jan 31, 2007

Image Gallery: Sunrise and Sunsets

Sunrise Over the Sea (Image credit: NOAA/John Bortniak)The Sun is the most prominent feature in our solar system. Even at 149,597,900 km. away from Earth, it is a spectacular view from sunrise to sunset. Red Sunset (Image credit: NOAA/John Bortniak)Stunning view of the Sun over the sea. Interesting Note: Generally...

Jan 31, 2007

Scientists Generate Electricity in Novel Way

Researchers say they have successfully generated electricity from heat by trapping organic molecules between metal nanoparticles, a finding that could yield cheap refrigerators, not to mention new, more efficient energy sources in general. Currently, about 90 percent of the world's electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels, which creates heat,...

Jan 31, 2007

Caution: Don't Eat Fish as Old as Your Grandmother

SAN FRANCISCO—Over-fishing facilitated by new technologies is threatening the long-term survival of deep-sea fish populations, a panel of experts said here today. Many of the fish living in the depths of the ocean take 30 or 40 years to reach maturity and breed, so when too many of them are...

Jan 31, 2007

Why Americans are Skeptical of Their Role in Global Warming

SAN FRANCISCO—While the evidence is clear that human-caused global warming is occurring and is a threat to many humans and other organisms on the planet, many Americans have been slow to buy the whole argument. Yesterday at its annual meeting here, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the...

Jan 31, 2007

First Humans: Time of Origin Pinned Down

The lineages of humans and chimpanzees, our closest relatives, diverged from one another about 4.1 million years ago, according to a new estimate that is said to be far more precise than previous ranges for this critical evolutionary moment. However, the claim is a bad match with previous estimates based...

Jan 31, 2007

Strange New Creatures Found in Antarctica

Several strange creatures including a psychedelic octopus have been found in frigid waters off Antarctica in one of the world’s most pristine marine environments. Others resembled corals and shrimps. At least 30 appear to be new to science, said Julian Gutt, chief scientist of an expedition that was part of...

Dec 31, 2006

Electric Earth: Stunning Images of Lightning

Lightning seen from space (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory)This image of lightning over Kuwait was taken by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station on Dec. 12, 2013. Bolivia lightning (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory)The glow of this lightning strike was captured by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station...

Dec 31, 2006

Warmer Seas Leave Fish Gasping

Warming oceans, one of the major consequences of global climate change, are making another marine species feel like a fish out of water, scientists report. Biologists have known for years that global warming is linked to declining fish stocks, but a new study of eelpouts--big-headed fish that resemble eels--is the...

Dec 31, 2006

Homicide Rates Higher in States with More Guns at Home

Guns are used to kill two out of every three homicide victims in the United States, and new research shows that easy-access guns in the home make a difference. Homicide rates are highest in states where more households have guns, the national survey concludes. The finding held even after taking...

Dec 31, 2006

Tsunamis: The Grave, Global and Unpredictable Threat

In an eerie repeat of an event two months ago, thousands of resident in Japan fled to higher ground this weekend after a faraway magnitude 8.2 earthquake triggered a tsunami warning. Only small and relatively harmless waves developed this time, as in November. The warnings came in part because of...

Dec 31, 2006

Strange Old Skull: Human or Not?

A strange ancient skull recently uncovered adds to mounting evidence that humans and Neanderthals interbred and suggests that humans evolved considerably after settling the European continent some 40,000 years ago. Modern humans emerged from Africa about 150,000 years ago, according to the leading theory (which has been challenged in recent...

Dec 31, 2006

Severe Weather Warnings to be More Precise

Anyone who lives in tornado country would agree a twister knows no politics. Like any storm, a tornado follows its own course rather than county lines or any other geopolitical boundaries. So beginning Oct. 1, the National Weather Service will recognize this whim of Nature and begin issuing severe-weather warnings...