Planet Earth, features and articles | Educational Science

Aug 31, 2005

New Computer Model Predicts Rita's Path and Intensity

As Hurricane Rita takes aim on Texas, a new computer model is being tested to see if it can more accurately forecast the storm's movement and intensity. Like the other half-dozen or so different computer models used by the National Hurricane Center, the new one relies on data from various...

Aug 31, 2005

Court Case Threatens to 'Drag Science into the Supernatural'

A court case that begins Monday in Pennsylvania will be the first to determine whether it is legal to teach a controversial idea called intelligent design in public schools. Intelligent design, often referred to as ID, has been touted in recent years by a small group of proponents as an...

Aug 31, 2005

Intelligent Design: 'The Death of Science'

In his highly influential book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, science philosopher Thomas Kuhn presented the idea that science is not a gradual progression toward truth, but a series of insurgencies, with scientific theories constantly usurping one another. That is sometimes true. And proponents of intelligent design love Kuhn's argument....

Aug 31, 2005

Opening Arguments Made in 'Intelligent Design' Court Case

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A school district went to court Monday to defend its policy of telling students that a higher power may have created life -- an alternative to the evolution theory they are already learning. Eight families are suing the Dover Area School District where the teen students...

Aug 31, 2005

Tropical Deforestation Would Alter Storm Paths, Reduce U.S. Rainfall

Rainfall in parts of the United States would be reduced significantly by total deforestation in other parts of the world as the paths of storms are altered, new research shows. The study, led by researchers at Duke University using a NASA computer model, is among the first to reveal potential...

Jul 31, 2005

Beach Pollution Worse During Full Moon

The Full Moon has been blamed for a lot of things, most often falsely or without solid evidence. But here's one to add to the column of truths: Full Moons mean more polluted beaches. So do New Moons, when the satellite is not visible. A new study of 60 beaches...

Jul 31, 2005

Inside an Earthquake: 2 Miles Down in Fault Zone

Scientists breached a major underground earthquake zone this week in Southern California by drilling a hole more than 2 miles down into the San Andreas Fault. The hole will be lined with steel and concrete, then instruments will be installed to monitor the many small and large temblors that occur...

Jul 31, 2005

Plane Crash Survival: Miracle, or Skill and Science?

Voice of Reason: Attributing the survival of the passengers to a miracle is an insult to the bravery, skill, and experience of the Flight 358 crew. On Aug. 2, 2005, amid heavy rain and lightning, Air France Flight 358 from Paris, France, to Toronto, Canada, crashed. The plane had attempted...

Jul 31, 2005

Major Earthquake Strikes Near Japan

Updated 6:30 a.m. ET, Aug. 16 A major earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.2 struck offshore, northeast of Tokyo, Japan. It occurred near the east coast of Honshu, 60 miles East of the town of Sendai. [Map] The quake struck at 11:46 a.m. local time (02:46 Universal Time) on...

Jul 31, 2005

Weather Service: 5-Day Forecasts More Accurate Now

A new instrument for measuring water vapor will improve the accuracy of the timing of medium-range weather forecasts by as much as six hours, scientists said today. Researchers used experimental data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite, which takes 3-dimensional pictures of atmospheric temperatures, water...

Jul 31, 2005

Earth's Core Rotates Faster than Surface, Study Confirms

The giant orb of iron and nickel that anchors Earth's center is spinning faster than the planet's surface, according to a new study that confirms scientists' expectations. The finding is based on analyses of earthquake pairs that occur at roughly the same spot on Earth but at different times. On...

Jul 31, 2005

Farmer's Almanac: Roller Coaster Temperatures Ahead

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) -- Get your sweaters, mittens and hats ready. The Farmers' Almanac warns that the coming winter will bring unusually sharp fluctuations in temperature, and says readers may be reminded of riding a roller, or in this case, 'polar' coaster. Mother Nature seems to be in the mood...

Jul 31, 2005

First-ever Chimp Fossils Found

The first ever chimpanzee fossils were recently discovered in an area previously thought to be unsuitable for chimps. Fossils from human ancestor were also found nearby. Although researchers have only found a few chimp teeth, the discovery could cause a shake-up in the theories of human evolution. “We know today...

Jun 30, 2005

Mount St. Helens' Lava Dome Partly Collapses

MOUNT ST. HELENS NATIONAL MONUMENT, Wash. (AP) _ A large part of the growing lava dome on Mount St. Helens fell Saturday, sending an ash plume above the crater rim, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. A rock fall had caused what scientists called a substantial seismic signal'' and knocked the...

Jun 30, 2005

Tornado Record Set: No Deaths Since March

A new record has been set for tornado deaths, and the news is all good. For the first time since official records have been kept beginning in 1950, there were no tornado deaths from April through June. Spring is typically the most active tornado season, with 61 percent of a...