WEIRD SCIENCE
Japan looks to replace China as the primary source of critical metals. By Robby Berman – Enough rare earth minerals have been found off Japan to last centuries Rare earths are important materials for green technology, as well as medicine and manufacturing Where …
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 …
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 Michael Irving – A new study suggests the last ice age was caused by an ice wall across the Bering Strait. (Credit: grechka333/Depositphotos). While climate change is the hot topic (pun intended) of the day, the truth is Earth has always …
By Rich Haridy – New research suggests organic farming has a greater impact on carbon emissions and the climate than conventional farming methods. (Credit: ccaetano/Depositphotos). A new international study into the impact of agricultural land use on climate change has found organic …
The bold technique involves surgically implanting a so-called microneedle patch directly onto the heart. By Stephen Johnson – Heart attacks leave scar tissue on the heart, which can reduce the organ’s ability to pump blood throughout the body. The microneedle patch aims to …
Two new papers say everything we knew about black holes was wrong. By Paul Ratner – Scientists calculate that black holes don’t have singularities at their centers. Instead, the theory of loop quantum gravity predicts that black holes shoot out matter across the …
A theory from cosmology claims the Universe could rip apart to shreds. By Paul Ratner – A cosmological model predicts that the expanding Universe could rip itself apart. Too much dark energy could overwhelm the forces holding matter together. The disaster could happen …
Researchers find an amazing amount of often-weird forms of life below the planet’s surface. By Paul Ratner – Scientists found a rich ecosystem deep inside the planet. The “deep biosphere” contains mostly bacteria and microbes. The amount of life below the surface is …
