Monthly Archive: January 2019
Carl Sagan—who first coined the term—was tempted to call them “star-tar.” By Matthew Davis – Tholins are a broad group of organic compounds formed when simpler molecules are irradiated. They are extremely common in our solar system, and studies have shown that their …
Researchers discover whether genes or social interaction shape personality. By Paul Ratner – Scientists looked at pairs of people who looked like each other but were not twins. The results showed that genetics plays a stronger role in personality formation than how alike …
By Sarah Sloat – A person who dies in Washington has the option of being either buried or cremated. But when the legislative session opens, life after death could become a lot more interesting: State Senator Jamie Pederson plans to introduce a bill …
by Ben B.Boothe, Sr. – I was traveling in India and visited an ancient fortress complex. There they displayed a huge copper vat, mounted on two large wooden beams. The guide said, “When the king traveled to other lands, this was his water …
That disastrous rock now looks to have been a Beta Taurid passenger. By Robby Berman – By Z. Sekanina – Z. Sekanina, The Tunguska event – No cometary signature in evidence, Astron. J. 88 (1983) 1382. doi:10.1086/113429., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61182393 Tunguska’s trajectory and …
By Yasmin Tayag – The Whirlpool Galaxy The spiraling Milky Way galaxy, which nestles our solar system in its Orion Spur, counts several large galaxies as its neighbors in the Local Group. This location is neither fixed nor particularly safe. Galaxies are always …
The benefits of reading should not be understated, even when it comes to living a longer life. A new study finds that reading books in particular returns cognitive gains that increase longevity. By Laurie Vázquez – Flying Books – NationalReadingGroupMonth.com – homepg_photo_2014b Bookworms …
By Jean-Pierre Fabre Bruot – Civita Bagnoregio (pronounced “Ban-yo-regio”) is a delightful ancient hamlet, noted for its striking position atop a plateau of volcanic tuff overlooking the Tiber river valley. Perched on top of a tufa hill among a desolated valley made up of …
David Szondy – Some 46.3 billion barrels of oil, 281 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 20 billion barrels of natural gas liquids are estimated to be underTexas and New Mexico. (Credit: bluebay2014/Depositphotos). As the United States becomes a net oil …
By Rich Haridy – Every morning hundreds of hot air balloons lift off from Cappadocia, an arid region in Turkey. (Credit: Martijn Doolard Behance (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)). From alien architecture to neon water reflections, the last 12 months have delivered a stunning array of …