Science / 22

Trump's Supreme Court pick touts independence, dodges questions

September 06, 2018

That is also the focus of most of my own reservations about him (I think his record on many other issues is quite good). On Tuesday, the first of at least four days of hearings by the Senate Judiciary Committee began with partisan quarrelling over the nomination and persistent protests from members of the audience, followed by their arrests.

Tropical Storm Gordon lashing Panhandle, expected to become hurricane before landfall

September 05, 2018

Meanwhile, out in the eastern Atlantic, Florence has become the third hurricane of this season. Despite the warnings, Gordon is not expected to become a major hurricane and is forecast to waken significantly when it makes landfall. In Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency Monday and said 200 National Guard troops will be deployed to southeastern Louisiana.

Tropical Storm Gordon brings hurricane warning to Gulf Coast

September 05, 2018

A hurricane watch is in effect for the area stretching from the mouth of the Pearl River in MS to the Alabama-Florida border. Tropical storm and storm surge warnings were in effect along a long stretch of the central Gulf Coast from Morgan City, Louisiana, including Lake Pontchartrain, to the Alabama-Florida border.

Botswana, long an elephant refuge, faces poaching threat

September 04, 2018

This comes just months after anti-poaching units were disarmed. The BBC has quoted Mike Chase of Elephants Without Borders as saying: "I'm shocked". According to that census, a third of the continent's elephants had been killed in the last decade. It is thought that poaching in neighbouring counties may have pushed the elephants across the border into Botswana , where those pursuing ivory appear to have followed.

Prime Minister says Ottawa still committed to build Trans Mountain pipeline expansion

September 04, 2018

I'm angry", Notley told a news conference at the legislature Thursday night. "But we also understand that abandoning a plan to tackle pollution is not the right approach to build a pipeline". It faces stiff environmental opposition from British Columbia's provincial government and activists. Notley announced Thursday she was pulling Alberta out of the federal climate plan until Ottawa gets the pipeline expansion back on track.

The Russian Capsule from the International Space Station Has an Air Leak

September 03, 2018

Yesterday, crewmembers traced the leak to a 2-millimeter-wide hole in one of the two Russian Soyuz spacecraft that's now docked to the orbiting lab. Throughout the day, the crew was never in any danger, and was told no further action was contemplated for the remainder of the day.

Possible tropical development in the gulf this coming week

September 03, 2018

The center said in its 11 a.m. EDT advisory that Tropical Storm Florence was located about 225 miles (365 kilometers) west of the southernmost Cabo Verde Islands off the west coast of Africa. Rainfall will have to be monitored on Monday as locally heavy rainfall will be possible, particularly in Collier County. - Regardless of eventual development, lack of development or final location, it will increase rain chances for much of the Gulf Coast states from Florida to Texas.

Space station "stable" after leak

September 02, 2018

NASA is negotiating with Boeing Co. and SpaceX to develop new vehicles to transport astronauts, but the work has been troubled by relentless delays. In the wake of the fix, flight controllers in Houston are continuing to monitor station's cabin pressure.

California lawmakers pass net neutrality bill, heads to governor's desk

September 02, 2018

Assembly Bill 2943 had already passed the Assembly and Senate and was one vote away from the governor's desk. Six Republicans joined almost all Democrats in supporting the legislation. The legislation was proposed by Democratic Sen. If signed by Gov. Also banned is zero-rating, or when ISPs offer free data, but only for the use of specific apps or services, in turn favoring certain companies over others.

Tropical waves increase rain chances as early as late weekend

August 31, 2018

While one forecast model (European model) was originally more aggressive in developing a potential tropical storm, it has now pulled back and is now suggesting something much weaker. Regardless of development, this system could produce heavy rainfall across portions of Hispaniola, the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Florida into early next week.

Small Air Leak Detected on International Space Station

August 31, 2018

Astronauts on board the International Space Station have managed to fix a tiny tear in the fabric of a Russian capsule that was letting oxygen leak into space. Well one astronaut has done one better and stopped a leak in the International Space Station with his finger. It sounds alarming, but flight controllers say the astronauts aren't in any immediate danger.

Hundreds of endangered sea turtles found dead

August 31, 2018

They had been dead for about eight days when local residents reported them. Numerous turtles were partially decomposed with fragmented shells. The use of fishing nets is banned in Pacific waters in the area. The office of the federal attorney for environmental protection (PROFEPA) said it would investigate the case. Authorities said they had buried the turtles after conducting a thorough examination and collecting samples.

Tropical Wave Could Mean A Wet & Windy Holiday Weekend For South Florida

August 31, 2018

In its 2 p.m. statement, the Hurricane Center said the disturbance was expected to begin a west to northwest movement over the next few days and should reach tropical storm strength today or tomorrow. An area of disturbed weather is associated with a tropical wave is now sitting over Hispañola. First, whether or not this system continues to encounter less wind shear as it approaches the Gulf of Mexico.

International Space Station leak to be plugged after suspected micrometeorite hit

August 31, 2018

The leak was found in the Soyuz craft, which is docked with the ISS, reported Russian space chief Dmitry Rogozin. Official statements refer to the meteor as a "micrometeorite" and the resulting damage as a "micro fracture". But, according to NASA : "All station systems are stable and the crew is planning to return to its regular schedule of work on Friday". This is not the first time a small leak has sprung up on the space station, which has been continuously inhabited by rotating crews ...

Goats prefer happy human faces

August 31, 2018

We all know dogs are good at reading our moods, but it turns out goats may have a talent for telling if humans are happy or not, too. And the ruminant mammal, known for its intelligence and remarkable ability to scale mountains, prefers happy to sad faces, say British scientists.

Reaction swift following court ruling puts Trans Mountain pipeline project in limbo

August 31, 2018

A judgment on whether the federal government adequately consulted First Nations on the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline was handed down on Thursday morning. "I think the court really had no other choice than to do this", he said. "There are 500 people who are delayed in coming in", he says. "I am both disappointed and profoundly concerned about the decision", she said.

Forecasters tracking tropical system off Africa that could be next named storm

August 31, 2018

The system far offshore is likely to be Hurricane Florence, which is just a strong tropical wave near Africa this morning. As of 11am Thursday, Potential Tropical Cyclone Six was located roughly 370nm ESE of the southernmost Cabo Verde Islands.

Small air leak in International Space Station patched

August 31, 2018

He said the fracture was found on the Soyuz ship that brought astronauts to the ISS in June for a six-month mission and is now docked with the space station. "Once the patching is complete, additional leak checks will be performed". Because the pressure loss was "very small", flight controllers determined that the astronauts and cosmonauts "are in no danger", officials with the European Space Agency (ESA) said in a separate statement.

Hurricane/Tropical Storm Lane Poured Record Rainfall on East Hawaii

August 30, 2018

While Hawaii was spared from a direct hit from Hurricane Lane, which was downgraded to a tropical storm over the weekend, some areas were slammed with torrential rain. About 200 people have called to report damage, mostly on the east side of the Big Island, county Managing Director Wil Okabe said. The whole of Hawaii was on a flash-flood watch for the duration of Lane, and schools across the state were shut on Thursday and Friday in anticipation of the storm, the Inquisitr previously ...

Goats prefer happy people who smile at them, study says

August 30, 2018

In the study which was carried out at the Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats in Kent, the researchers found that the goats spent more time examining the smiling faces with their snouts before looking at the angry photos. Dr Alan McElligott with one of the goats tested. "This is the first evidence that shows goats are capable of visually discriminating facial expressions of a very different species, humans, who express their emotions in very different ways", study co-author Natalia ...

Where asylum seekers on the run may be sent

August 30, 2018

State Emergency Service area controller Peter Rinaudo said earlier his crews were searching through the mangroves and near the mouth of the river, reportedly with dogs. "With Peter Dutton back as Home Affairs Minister, I suspect this incursion will be dealt with swiftly and that there will be more focus on border security in North Queensland", he later posted to Facebook.

California Ends Cash Bail

August 29, 2018

In turn, each county will use the council's outline as a basis to set its own procedures for requirements to release a suspect before trial. California will no longer have a bail system for suspects awaiting trial beginning next year, after Democratic Gov.

Heat Advisory In Effect As Heat Wave Hits Maryland

August 29, 2018

Late Night Ramp Closure Planned - "The ramp from the southbound George Washington Memorial Parkway to eastbound I-66 and westbound Route 50 (Arlington Boulevard) will be closed Wednesday night , August 29 and Thursday night, August 30 from midnight to 4 a.m.

Hawaii residents urged to remain vigilant after hurricane

August 28, 2018

Flames burned nine homes in the historic coastal town of Lahaina and forced 600 people to evacuate, Maui County spokeswoman Lynn Araki-Regan said. Emergency planners however noted that there were no large-scale power outages, and food and water supplies remained sufficient.

Want An Out-Of-The-World Selfie? Click With This NASA App

August 26, 2018

The NASA Selfies app and NASA's Exoplanet Excursions virtual reality app were created to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the launch of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope . Scroll down to check out a 360-degree YouTube version of the TRAPPIST-1 tour. This VR application will be available for Oculus and Vive through the Spitzer mission website .

Tropical storm warning cancelled for Big Island; heavy rainfall still possible

August 26, 2018

A once-powerful hurricane twisted and drifted away from Hawaii, leaving behind heavily saturated ground on the Big Island and many residents on other islands relieved it didn't wreak more havoc. "Lane's outer rain bands will produce excessive rainfall this weekend, which could lead to additional flash flooding and landslides". Stunning aerial images show cars trapped in deep water and Hilo's Kamehameha Statue mound as an island of it's own.

YouTube gamer kills himself, a mother and daughter in high-speed crash

August 25, 2018

Witnesses told police that about a half an hour earlier the black McLaren smashed through a fence at a local elementary school and drove away at high speed. Heitmann's YouTube account has more than 877,000 subscribers. He was driving it in the wrong direction when it hit the SUV on Thursday, killing himself as well as a 43-year-old woman and her 12-year-old daughter.

'Plan for Worst and Hope for Best': Hawaii Braces for Massive Hurricane

August 23, 2018

People have been rushing to stores for supplies and are stocking up on canned foods, ramen, water and toilet paper. The airline is advising all passengers travelling to or from cities affected by Hurricane Lane to check the status of their flights prior to leaving for the airport.

Arctic's oldest, thickest sea ice has started breaking apart

August 23, 2018

The breakdown of some of the oldest and thickest sea ice in the Arctic has occurred for the first time in recorded history. The changes could force scientists to revise their theories about which part of the Arctic will withstand global warming the longest.

International Space Station satellite releases stunning images of Hurricane Lane

August 23, 2018

Ige also warned Hawaii residents, who haven't experienced a major hurricane since Hurricane Iniki killed six people and caused $1.8 billion in damage back in 1992, that the storm's heavy rainfall would cause risky floods and landslides, and urged people not to attempt to cross moving water.

Inslee: Trump is co-conspirator in premature death of Washingtonians

August 23, 2018

Around 600 coal-fired units at 300 facilities could be covered by the proposed rule. The Trump administration's newest proposal to weaken regulations on coal-fired power plants is called the Affordable Clean Energy rule, or ACE. Total energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in the United States fell by 14 percent from 2005 to 2017, while global emissions increased over 20 percent.

The Real Reason You Should Never Flush Your Contact Lenses

August 23, 2018

Some scientists at Arizona State University asked that question and found that a lot of them are going down the sink or getting flushed down the toilet - adding to the problem of microplastic pollution . As wastewater sludge is often used as soil fertilizers, those tiny particles can find their way into the digestive tracts of farm animals grazing on fertilized crops and soil organisms such as earthworms.

Don't throw those contact lenses down the drain

August 23, 2018

Contact lenses are generally made using a mixture of silicones , fluoropolymers and acrylic glass to create a soft material that allows oxygen to pass through the lens to the eye. He knows that there can be an accidental fall of a lens in the toilet or sink as it is removed, but a great majority of users "just flush them because they have no instructions on what to do with them", he said.

A new type of aurora is not an aurora at all

August 23, 2018

The particles crash into the atoms and molecules in the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in photons (tiny bursts of light) which form the colorful aurora. Experts continue the search for the causes of STEVE. Steve looks similar to an aurora - better known as the Northern Lights - a colorful light display in the Earth's sky, spotted in high-latitude regions like the Arctic and Antarctic.

Governor Ige Signs Emergency Proclamation in Anticipation of Hurricane Lane

August 23, 2018

Mike Charnick, a meteorologist for the Weather Service, said a weather system from the southwest, similar to a monsoon pattern, is going to put more moisture in the air, increasing the chance for precipitation. And that, it turns out, explains a lot of Hawaii's usual hurricane luck. On Tuesday, Hawaii residents scrambled to prepare for the storm's arrival.

Hurricane Lane Heads Over Pacific, Could Get Close to Hawaii

August 22, 2018

The hurricane was moving west at 16 miles per hour and was expected to cross into the Central Pacific basin today, the National Hurricane Center said. While the Big Island, at most immediate risk from Lane, has been hit by tropical depressions and storms, it also has never been struck directly by a hurricane-strength storm in modern records.

Hawaii braces for 'life threatening' hit from Hurricane Lane

August 22, 2018

We take a look at the expected impacts from this storm, and why it's so rare, below. "The Hawaiian Electric Companies will make every effort to keep the power on but the electric grids are not hurricane-proof", said Ron Cox, senior vice president of operations.

Trump rally chants 'lock her up' after Cohen plea, Manafort verdict

August 22, 2018

The jury found him guilty on five tax fraud charges, one charge of hiding foreign bank accounts and two counts of bank fraud. In a statement to USA media, Mr Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani, reacting to Mr Cohen's plea, said: "there is no allegation of any wrongdoing against the President in the government's charges against Mr Cohen".

Hurricane Lane grows to category 5 as it heads toward Hawaii

August 22, 2018

The storm was traveling west at 12 miles per hour with 150 miles per hour maximum sustained winds . As of Tuesday morning, the eye of the hurricane was located well to the southeast of the island chain, and was moving west at about 14 km/h.

EPA plans to roll back emissions standards on power plants

August 22, 2018

The attorneys general of Virginia and NY quickly criticized the EPA announcement and said they would sue to block the rule if it becomes law. "Today's proposal provides the states and regulated community the certainty they need to continue environmental progress while fulfilling President Trump's goal of energy dominance", Wheeler said in a news release .

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull Wins Leadership Challenge

August 21, 2018

He refused, however, to rule out another challenge. We have now moved nearly 400 people off Manus Island and Nauru and that is a significant achievement. "We know that disunity undermines the ability of any government to get its job done and unity is absolutely critical", Turnbull added. "My job having lost the ballot today is to respect the view of the party room, which of course I do", he said.

Tropical Storm Ernesto is coming, get ready for some really heavy rain

August 19, 2018

Met Eireann says "high-intensity" rainfall can be expected on Saturday night due to Tropical Storm Ernesto . "Maximum sustained winds remain near 45 miles per hour with higher gusts". The weather will most likely be stormy this weekend especially in the north-east. 'Ex-Ernesto will then merge with an Atlantic low pressure system.

Trapped in 99-Million-Year-Old Amber, a Beetle With Pilfered Pollen

August 19, 2018

Local deposits of amber find the most stunning evidence of the past, including extinct microscopic frog and feathered tail of a dinosaur . Secondly, their ancestors, the remains of which date from the age of from 160 to 200 million years, were suitable for this form of the jaws.

Subtropical Storm Ernesto forms over the Atlantic Ocean

August 19, 2018

Subtropical Storm Ernesto is continuing to churn northward Wednesday night, beginning a slow turn that will take it away from the USA and Canada. Hurricane-force winds extend 25 miles from the center of the storm, while tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles.

Where is Storm Ernesto now? When will it hit UK?

August 17, 2018

By Tuesday morning, current forecast models have the Lane a category 2 storm circulating 110 mph winds located about 385 miles east-southeast of Hilo. The Met Office said that by the time Ernesto hits the United Kingdom he will no longer have storm status, but he will still bring heavy rain and winds.

Florida Declares State Of Emergency As Red Tide Spreads

August 17, 2018

The algae turns the water toxic for marine life, and in recent weeks beachgoers have been horrified to find turtles, large fish like goliath grouper and even manatees wash up dead. The dinoflagellate Karenia brevis , or K. brevis , is the alga responsible for red tide , while blue-green algae is caused by different types of cyanobacteria, namely Microcystis aeruginosa, which is believed to be to blamed for the massive bloom in Lake Okeechobee, according to researchers from the University ...

PIO physicist laid foundation for NASA's mission to 'touch' the sun

August 16, 2018

Parker Solar Probe , on a ULA Delta IV Heavy rocket, lifts off at Cape Canaveral. Scientists expect the Parker Solar Probe to cover the 89-million-mile distance to the Sun's Corona by November, after using Venus's gravitational pull as a slingshot towards the star in October, Sky News reports .

Jury Finds Monsanto’s Roundup Responsible for Man’s Cancer

August 15, 2018

However, the France-based International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is part of the World Health Organization, classified it as a "probable human carcinogen" in 2015. Working for a school district in Benicia, California, about 40 miles east of San Francisco, Johnson mixed and sprayed hundreds of gallons of Roundup.

NASA launches Parker Solar Probe in first mission to ‘touch Sun’

August 14, 2018

While the Parker Solar Probe will travel through a space with temperatures of several million degrees, the surface of the heat shield that faces the Sun will only get heated to about 1,400 degree Celsius. Among the puzzlers: Why is the corona hundreds of times hotter than the surface of the sun and why is the sun's atmosphere continually expanding and accelerating, as Parker accurately predicted in 1958? Thousands of spectators jammed the launch site, including 91-year-old astrophysicist ...

Perseids 2018: Where And How To Watch The Dazzling Meteor Shower

August 13, 2018

Most meteor shows have a short peak, but, since Earth takes almost a month to get through the trail of "cometary dust" from Perseid's mama astrological phenomenon, the comet Swift-Tuttle, these heavenly wonders have a broad peak, NASA said.

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