Science / 26

Dem lawmakers seek criminal corruption probe of EPA's Pruitt

June 13, 2018

Kaptur told her committee colleagues that "taxpayers entrust us to spend their money wisely, and I can not imagine there are many of our citizens who think that $130 vanity pens are worthy investments". "H$3 is actions related to his wife's employment and the quid-pro-quo condo situation with industry lobbyists may have crossed a line into criminal conduct punishable by fines or even by time in prison", the lawmakers wrote in the letter .

French farmers to stage refinery blockade to protest palm oil imports

June 13, 2018

Total committed to use less than 300,000 tonnes of crude palm oil per year at its La Mede biofuel refinery out of a total processing capacity of 650,000 tonnes, and to use 50,000 tonnes of locally grown rapeseed. The firm, which operates five of France's seven refineries, nine depots, and 2,200 petrol stations, said the depots and four refineries were still blocked.

National Hurricane Center: Monitoring Gulf of Mexico for low chance development

June 12, 2018

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Bud had maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour (185 kph) Monday morning. The hurricane center warned that swells generated by Bud "are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions".

Indian Scientists Discover New Planet 600 Light Years Away

June 11, 2018

The star, which is located roughly 160 light years from Earth, isn't like our Sun. Since the planet revolves around host star EPIC 211945201 or K2-236, it will be known as EPIC 211945201b or K2-236b - ISRO said . "Very few such spectrographs exist around the world (mostly in the US and in the Europe) that can do such precise measurements", the space agency said on its website late on June 8.

NASA found organic molecules on Mars

June 10, 2018

But it is "consistent with the past presence of biology", said Ken Williford, an astrobiologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "The big takeaway is that we can find evidence". Scientists have been seeking organic molecules on Mars ever since the 1976 Viking landers. In the second paper, scientists describe the discovery of seasonal variations in methane in the Martian atmosphere over the course of nearly three Mars years, which is almost six Earth years.

NASA Re-Plans Juno's Jupiter Mission

June 09, 2018

But the radio signals slightly differed from what researchers have recorded on Earth, raising questions about the nature of lightning on Jupiter. The spacecraft will continue to orbit the planet till the early 2020s and is set to begin its 13th flyby of Jovian cloud tops next month.

Hey Ferrari, the CN Tower is in Toronto, not Montreal

June 09, 2018

The Scuderia could also face a reduced threat from Red Bull as their auto is likely to be less suited on the long straights, though will be strong in the many heavy braking zones. Williams rookie Lance Stroll continued Canada's impressive run of backmarkers into the points, as the Canadian finished P9 after starting P17 in his first home F1 race.

Aletta a major hurricane in the Pacific

June 09, 2018

It was upgraded to a Category 3 storm on Friday. Hurricane Aletta erupted into a major hurricane in the East Pacific overnight. Fortunately, the hurricane poses no direct threat to land, however, a second named storm may be brewing in another area off the Mexican coast and should it develop into a tropical storm, it would earn the name Bud.

Oldest 'footprints' found in China

June 08, 2018

For comparison, non-bilateral animals include sponges, corals, jellyfish, and anemones. The identity of the creature that made the 546-million-year-old footprints is still unknown but reports claimed that it came from the period when the earliest animals are thought to have evolved.

Hurricanes are traveling more slowly - which makes them even more dangerous

June 08, 2018

Atlantic storms that make landfall moved 2.9 miles per hour (4.7 kph) slower than 60 some years ago, it said. According to the study by Dr Jim Kossin from the National Centers for Environmental Information, tropical cyclones have slowed in both hemispheres and in every ocean basin except the Northern Indian Ocean.

Trio of astronauts headed to International Space Station

June 08, 2018

The three spacemen blasting off into space are NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor, Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev, and German astronaut Alexander Gerst. Gerst is the only astronaut of the mission that had participated in a space mission in 2014. In this program, the audience will have a rare opportunity to learn about space from the insiders: what it's like to live and work in space, to be an astronaut and be responsible for the ISS, its overall mission success, the safety of its ...

NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover Starts Analyzing Drilled Rocks After Year-Long Break

June 08, 2018

NASA will present its Mars discovery on Thursday, June 7, in a live televised conference. It is not a shocker that Curiosity has again found something interesting on Mars but the NASA's secrecy about it raised some questions. "This was no small feat". "The scientific team was confident that the engineers contend - are so confident that we went back to the pattern that we missed before".

These 550-Million-Year-Old Footprints Could Be The Oldest Ever Discovered

June 08, 2018

Created before the Cambrian Explosion-a sudden burst in animal diversity that took place about 541 million years ago-scientists think these are the oldest trackways ever discovered on Earth. "Animals use their appendages to move around, to build their homes, to fight, to feed, and sometimes to help mate", he said , adding that the movement of sediments by the first legged creatures could have had a major impact on the Earth's geochemical cycles and climate.

New NASA Chief Vows US Will Always Have Astronauts in Orbit

June 08, 2018

The journey from Kazakhstan to the orbiting laboratory is expected to take two days with the trio set to make it by Friday morning. Although the media seems infatuated with private companies like Musk's SpaceX , Americans remain traditionally confident in NASA.

NASA's Curiosity rover finds organic matter on Mars

June 08, 2018

On Earth , methane is mainly produced by biological processes. Methane is a strong greenhouse gas, and it could have supported a climate that sustained lakes on Mars. The scientists took questions from the public as they revealed increasingly more information about Curiosity's latest developments. "There's three possible sources for the organic material", said astrobiologist Jennifer Eigenbrode of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.

United Nations chief: Oceans will have more plastic than fish by 2050

June 08, 2018

World Environment Day is the "people's day" for doing something to take care of the Earth. On Twitter , Guterres pledged to abolish the use of plastic bottles in his office, and he did that starting on Monday, removing all plastic bottles from his office, conference rooms and Department for Public Information.

Trio of New ISS Astronauts Blast off to International Space Station

June 08, 2018

The Soyuz MS-09 ship has successfully entered a designated orbit and is set to dock at the space outpost Friday. According to a release from NASA , the launch has been scheduled for 7:12 a.m. EDT. These three astronauts would be joining the three spacemen, namely NASA's Drew Feustel , the commander of Expedition 56; NASA's Ricky Arnold; and Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos, already aboard the orbiting space station.

New Mars discoveries advance case for possible life

June 08, 2018

No matter its objective, these work as "chemical clues" for researchers about Mars. In any case, Webster said the methane apparently works its way into the atmosphere from sub-surface reservoirs of some sort, places where non-biological geochemistry is going on or where microbial life might somehow flourish.

Frenchman begins Pacific Ocean crossing attempt

June 08, 2018

In the Pacific, the biggest accumulation of plastic smog is about the size of Germany, France, and Britain combined and Lecomte will swim right through it. "It's a problem we created and there is a very easy solution to start reversing it-single-use plastics for example, if we stop using them that will make a big change".

If not the Moon, a day on Earth would last 18 hours

June 07, 2018

Geoscientists are of the opinion that the days on earth are getting longer. As the Moon grew more distant, the days got longer. A new study led by researchers at the University of Wisconsin - Madison reveals that ancient Earth had much shorter days, and the 24-hour days that we experience in modern times come courtesy of the Moon.

Is the Mysterious Planet Nine Just a Swarm of Asteroids?

June 07, 2018

For some years now, researchers have speculated that something is pulling these objects away from the plane where the system's major planets are orbiting, giving them a downward inclination of 30 degrees. "There could be thousands of these (smaller) bodies out there waiting to be detected", said Jacob Fleisig, of the University of Colorado at Boulder who presented this new research earlier this week at the American Astronomical Society meeting.

Asteroid Spotted Before Earth Collision for Third Time

June 06, 2018

NASA says the rock "disintegrated several miles above the surface" over Botswana, Africa , and it created a fireball that lit up the night sky. However, NASA excuses itself saying that "this was a much smaller object than we were tasked with detecting and warning", according to Lindley Johnson from the NASA's planetary defense.

ISS Expedition 55 crew returns to Earth after 168 days in space

June 05, 2018

Shkaplerov was out of the capsule first and was pictured munching grapes as the support crew tended to him ahead of his journey back to Moscow. Tingle came out next, to whoops and cheers, followed by Kanai. HDEV cameras aboard the International Space Station are constantly recording, as the ISS circles the earth at 380 kilometres above the planet, on the edge of space in low earth orbit.

Small Asteroid Hits Earth Hours After Being Spotted By Astronomers

June 05, 2018

The asteroid hit Earth 8 hours after these images were taken, burning up in Earth's upper atmosphere over Botswana, Africa. According to CNEOS records, the asteroid's distance from Earth's centre, at closest approach, was calculated to be 5,874 km, which is well inside the planet's radius of 6,371 km.

Thailand: Whale dies after consuming over 80 plastic bags

June 05, 2018

The whale vomited up five bags during the rescue attempt before it died, the department said. According to Jatuporn Buruspat, director-general of the marine and coastal resources department , the male pilot whale probably thought the bags were edible, as they slightly resemble a squid, a main source of pilot whale's diet.

SpaceX goes for its 11th launch of the year early on Monday

June 04, 2018

Payer traveled from SES headquarters in Luxembourg to watch the launch of his company's SES-12 satellite. Weather officials said this is from a weak surface front that will be bring west-southwest winds during the launch window. SpaceX's next launch is a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station, set for the end of the month. Engineers and technicians with SpaceX are presently assessing the health and resiliency of that booster to ensure that these Block 5 variants can be ...

White House Whims Are Not Grounds for Emergency Coal, Nuke Plant Bailouts

June 04, 2018

The Trump administration's claims of energy security for keeping coal and nuclear plants online is not supported by the facts , as multiple power networks, including PJM, one of the biggest U.S. The action by the Energy Department would represent an unprecedented intervention into USA energy markets. "We strongly urge the administration to reject this ill-conceived draft plan and adopt a policy approach that promotes market forces and competition in our nation's power system", Todd ...

Department of Energy recommends bail out of failing coal plants

June 03, 2018

Trump, who has frequently promised to bring back coal jobs, believes that keeping America's energy grid secure "protects our national security, public safety and economy from intentional attacks and natural disasters", White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.

Dunes made of tiny frozen methane grains discovered on Pluto

June 03, 2018

Pluto's surface is mostly nitrogen, which is solid at the average temperature of around -230°C. Pluto presents a bit of an age conundrum this way. He said other explanations, such as periodic increases in Pluto's atmospheric pressure, could also result in lofted dune particles.

Scientists have examined images of Pluto and made a startling discovery

June 02, 2018

Now, though, thanks to the spectacular images returned by the New Horizons spacecraft that flew past Pluto in 2015 , we know that, far from being a dreary and undistinguished body, Pluto is a lively and active object that displays a fantastic variety of landscapes.

NWS says flash flood watch continues through Wednesday morning

June 02, 2018

A Flash Flood Watch is out for most of central until 2 AM. Alberto trek northward will progress slowly over the next several days. And shower and thunderstorm chances will remain elevated through at least Thursday. Monday, May 28 7 a.m. In West Virginia , Berkeley, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, and Morgan.* Until 10 PM EDT this evening* Numerous showers and thunderstorms capable of producing heavy rainfall will develop through the afternoon and evening.

Oldest Known Lizard 'Megachirella' From The Dinosaur Era Found in Italian Alps

June 02, 2018

Paleontologists have identified the world's oldest lizard fossil, providing key insights into the evolution of modern lizards and snakes . "The specimen is 75 million years older than what we thought were the oldest fossil lizards in the entire world and provides valuable information for understanding the evolution of both living and extinct squamates ", said lead author Tiago Simoes, a doctoral student from the University of Alberta in Canada.

240 million year-old ‘mother of all lizards’ found

June 01, 2018

Speaking with Live Science , lead study author Tiago Simões , a doctoral candidate in biological sciences at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, said the lizard needed further attention to determine its significance. Move over Godzilla. There's a new " mother of all lizards " in town. He added, "I used this dataset... to conduct the phylogenetic analysis presented in this study".

Lions, Tigers, a Jaguar and a Bear: Zoo Escape Grips Germany

June 01, 2018

A bear had also escaped from the privately owned Eifel zoo, but was shot, a local official told AFP. A drone deployed to find the missing beasts - two lions, two tigers and a jaguar - finally located them within their caged areas, said regional authorities.

European Union proposes ban on single-use plastics

May 31, 2018

For SUP items that don't have available replacements, various measures will reduce the waste and discourage inappropriate disposal, as well as ensuring that the costs of such wastes fall on the producers of the single-use plastic items, in line with the EU's strong "polluter pays" principle.

Canada’s purchase of Trans Mountain was exceptional -minister

May 31, 2018

BC's opposition had almost killed the project...and still might finish it off despite the gamble by the federal government to nationalize the pipeline system. While the $4.5 billion Trans Mountain takeover keeps alive a project seen as critical to expanding markets for Canada's crude and improving the price oil-sands producers get paid, it also reveals how key infrastructure projects can be stymied by local opposition and regulatory hurdles.

Rocket launch ignites brush fire, burns NASA camera

May 31, 2018

Because even though the Falcon 9 didn't directly toast the camera, the launch did start a fire in the area , and this is what came upon and ultimately melted the hapless camera as it sat a quarter mile away from the launchpad. Incredibly, when Ingalls finally retrieved and cracked open his forever-ruined camera, he found that the memory card remained intact. The original GRACE mission started orbiting Earth back in 2002, and this new one will work to continue on its discoveries with "new ...

Canada purchases Trans Mountain pipeline project for $4.5B

May 30, 2018

It is subject to approval by Kinder Morgan's shareholders. It certainly won't cost any less than the almost $7.5 billion Kinder Morgan had allocated for it. But he also acknowledged: "It will be a federally owned project and that has some difference in terms of the paramountcy of the federal government".

Crews cleaning up oil spill at Kinder Morgan station near Kamloops, BC

May 29, 2018

Canada will also offer federal loan guarantees to ensure construction continues through the 2018 season as part of the deal with the company. The parent company, Kinder Morgan Inc, expects to collect around $1.25 billion after tax from its share of the sale.

Subtropical Storm Alberto to make landfall on Florida Panhandle within hours

May 29, 2018

STORM SURGE: The combination of storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The first named storm of the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season is projected to continue moving north before turning to the north-northwest Sunday evening and Monday.

Alberto: Heavy rains expected for Central Florida

May 28, 2018

With conditions expected to worsen overnight officials are encouraging vacationers leaving the Gulf Coast on Monday to give themselves extra time. With that said , water rise should be relatively minimal and really will be from Crystal River northward along the Florida coast toward the Panhandle.

Ebola outbreak 2018: Two infected patients flee treatment center in Congo

May 28, 2018

Health Ministry sources, who asked not to be named, said two police officers had been deployed to help track them down. WHO's response chief warned that the fight to put an end to the Ebola outbreak is at a critical point. Complicating factors include its spread to a major city, that health workers are among those infected and the existence of three or four "separate epicenters", making finding and monitoring the contacts of infected people more hard.

A odd creature, like a wolf shot in Montana

May 28, 2018

Several people report being strong armed into keeping quiet about their reports by men wearing black suits. An enigmatic incident has been baffling USA authorities in the state of Montana: In mid-May, a farmer near the small town of Denton shot and killed a wolf approaching his farm.

Chris Johnson's Forecast | Alberto remnants set to impact the Commonwealth

May 28, 2018

With heavy rains and rising tides, some flooding is also a possibility. The forecast from the European model shows the intense moisture feed over the southern Peninsula, meaning the coverage and intensity of the rain is expected to increase.

Subtropical Storm Alberto heads to southern states

May 28, 2018

Subtropical Storm Alberto is expected to hit the panhandle of Florida Monday afternoon while bringing the threat for heavy rain, gusty winds, and risky storm surge for those areas. Gradual strengthening is forecast until the system reaches the northern Gulf Coast. In the Baltimore suburb of Ellicott City, a massive storm caused flash flooding on Sunday that swept through its historic Main Street area, local news video showed.

USA forecasters expect 10-16 tropical storms in active season

May 28, 2018

These factors are set upon a backdrop of atmospheric and oceanic conditions that are conducive to hurricane development and have been producing stronger Atlantic hurricane seasons since 1995. "The devastating hurricane season of 2017 demonstrated the necessity for prompt and accurate hurricane forecasts". During the upcoming season, there is a 70 percent chance of 10 to 16 named storms developing, with winds of 39 miles per hour (63 km/h) or higher.

SpaceX blasts off Iridium, NASA satellites in 10th launch this year

May 27, 2018

Unfortunately, Ingalls got an unwelcome surprise when he walked about a quarter-mile from the launchpad to retrieve his camera after the event was over. As we already know from Ingall's posted images, the memory card retained the shots, with the camera doing its job until the heat proved too much. He adds that a nearby fireman was able to extinguish the fire while it was happening but it was too late.

Alan Bean (1932 - 2018), Apollo astronaut walked on the Moon

May 27, 2018

Six years later, he piloted the lunar module on Apollo 12, the second moon landing mission, and walked on the moon's surface with fellow astronaut Charles Conrad. Among other things, the two explorers collected 75 pounds of moon rocks and soil for study on Earth. After Apollo , Bean commanded the second crewed flight to the United States' first space station, Skylab , in 1973.

Three Massive Canyons Discovered in Antarctica

May 26, 2018

The space agency is unable to gather the data itself, since most satellites are unable to observe the South Pole as spacecrafts can typically only fly up to about 83 degrees in latitude. 'If the ice sheet thins or retreats, these topographically-controlled corridors could facilitate enhanced flow of ice further inland, and could lead to the West Antarctic ice divide moving, ' Dr Winter said .

When the dinosaurs died, so did forests - and tree-dwelling birds

May 26, 2018

But our recent work also shows that those birds capable of living on the ground were also likelier to survive. This is because the impact and its after-effects decimated the planet's forests, leading to the extinction of all tree-dwelling birds, according to an worldwide team of researchers.