EXOPLANETARY SCIENCE
This new rapidly-growing field of scientific research is devoted not just to finding exoplanets but to discovering and analysing detailed information about them.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24348024
This report presents fascinating observations on an exoplanet Kepler-7b, which circles a star some 1,000 light years from Earth using Nasa's Spitzer and Kepler space telescopes. Brice-Olivier Demory of MIT interprets the measurements as a reflective signature of clouds on the exoplanet. Variations of the intensity of light from the parent star reflected from the exoplanet clouds yield information about the planetary cloud cover.
If this approach is extended to other (and closer to Earth) exoplanets among the hundreds of these planets already discovered beyond our solar system the research may reveal significant discoveries.
Wednesday, 2 October 2013
Tuesday, 1 October 2013
THE LEGACY OF FUKUSHIMA
This new critical analysis by Rupert Wingfield-Hayes exposes the devastating legacy of Fukushima, sounding a dire warning about the future of nuclear power.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24332012
His visit to a small town 5 miles from Fukushima is a poignant reminder of the human cost of the disaster. All the inhabitants have gone, still refugees two and a half years after the tsunami which wrecked the nuclear reactors at Fukushima. There is a huge task removing radioactive contaminated topsoil and trees within a 20 mile radius of ground zero. Where do you put it all? For how many hundreds of years?
Professor Kurokawa comments: 'Many senior bureaucrats from Japan's Nuclear Industry Safety Agency would take lucrative jobs in the nuclear industry after leaving government'.
Could it happen again? Wingfield-Hayes concludes that if the complacency prior to the disaster could happen in Japan, it can almost certainly happen elsewhere. The myth that it is safe has gone.
This new critical analysis by Rupert Wingfield-Hayes exposes the devastating legacy of Fukushima, sounding a dire warning about the future of nuclear power.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24332012
His visit to a small town 5 miles from Fukushima is a poignant reminder of the human cost of the disaster. All the inhabitants have gone, still refugees two and a half years after the tsunami which wrecked the nuclear reactors at Fukushima. There is a huge task removing radioactive contaminated topsoil and trees within a 20 mile radius of ground zero. Where do you put it all? For how many hundreds of years?
Professor Kurokawa comments: 'Many senior bureaucrats from Japan's Nuclear Industry Safety Agency would take lucrative jobs in the nuclear industry after leaving government'.
Could it happen again? Wingfield-Hayes concludes that if the complacency prior to the disaster could happen in Japan, it can almost certainly happen elsewhere. The myth that it is safe has gone.
Monday, 30 September 2013
CONFIRMATION OF WATER IN MARS SURFACE
A new paper by Laurie Leshin of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York describes findings by the Mars Curiosity Rover instruments of water in the Martian surface.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24287207
Curiosity has travelled 400 metres from the touchdown site in Gale crater. Instruments have now recorded ~ 2% water vapour present in the dusty red covering over the Martian surface.
A new paper by Laurie Leshin of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York describes findings by the Mars Curiosity Rover instruments of water in the Martian surface.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24287207
Curiosity has travelled 400 metres from the touchdown site in Gale crater. Instruments have now recorded ~ 2% water vapour present in the dusty red covering over the Martian surface.
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
ALL CHANGE FOR THE NHS .....
GP-led groups have now taken over control of local NHS budgets, and a new board, NHS England, oversees the running of the service.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21964568
The 152 Primary Care Trusts have been scrapped.
A major concern is how significant will be an increasing role of the private sector in the NHS.
GP-led groups have now taken over control of local NHS budgets, and a new board, NHS England, oversees the running of the service.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21964568
The 152 Primary Care Trusts have been scrapped.
A major concern is how significant will be an increasing role of the private sector in the NHS.
Monday, 1 April 2013
WELFARE SYSTEM REFORMS
Today sees cuts in housing benefit for some social housing tenants with a spare bedroom, and changes to council tax.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21991953
Low income families will now be paying council tax, while millionaires are gifted tax cuts of £100,000 per year.
Today sees cuts in housing benefit for some social housing tenants with a spare bedroom, and changes to council tax.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21991953
Low income families will now be paying council tax, while millionaires are gifted tax cuts of £100,000 per year.
Sunday, 31 March 2013
NEW RESULTS FROM PLANCK
The European Space Agency's Planck telescope has produced further important results, in addition to the new cosmic background radiation map published last week.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21940434
This new data is a mapping of the distribution of all matter in the universe.
It relates to the cosmic background radiation findings revealed last week by analysing tiny distortions in the early radiation caused as it passed matter on its journey here. Basically, it is an extension of the well-known gravitational lensing technique to cover the whole sky. The results are in agreement with those from the near universe using other techniques.
Only 15.5% of all matter in the universe is 'normal' atomic matter; the remaining 84.5% is the so-called 'dark matter'. In terms of the total matter / energy in the universe, 4.9% is 'normal' matter, 26.8% is dark matter, and 68.3% is dark energy.
The European Space Agency's Planck telescope has produced further important results, in addition to the new cosmic background radiation map published last week.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21940434
This new data is a mapping of the distribution of all matter in the universe.
It relates to the cosmic background radiation findings revealed last week by analysing tiny distortions in the early radiation caused as it passed matter on its journey here. Basically, it is an extension of the well-known gravitational lensing technique to cover the whole sky. The results are in agreement with those from the near universe using other techniques.
Only 15.5% of all matter in the universe is 'normal' atomic matter; the remaining 84.5% is the so-called 'dark matter'. In terms of the total matter / energy in the universe, 4.9% is 'normal' matter, 26.8% is dark matter, and 68.3% is dark energy.
Tuesday, 26 March 2013
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
FURTHER EVIDENCE OF MARS WATER INDICATOR
The Mars Curiosity rover computer problem is gradually being sorted, as further results from rock drilling have revealed important new evidence about the nature of water that once existed in the Gale Crater area on the Martian surface.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21755976
Curiosity has drilled into a rock which has been shown to contain clay minerals - with evidence of sulphur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and carbon. This indicates the rock studied was deposited in a fresh water environment. Previous studies showed an acidic water environment, which would be less likely to support micro-organisms.
The Mars Curiosity rover computer problem is gradually being sorted, as further results from rock drilling have revealed important new evidence about the nature of water that once existed in the Gale Crater area on the Martian surface.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21755976
Curiosity has drilled into a rock which has been shown to contain clay minerals - with evidence of sulphur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and carbon. This indicates the rock studied was deposited in a fresh water environment. Previous studies showed an acidic water environment, which would be less likely to support micro-organisms.
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
MARS CURIOSITY ROVER HITS COMPUTER PROBLEM
Curiosity has been hit by a computer glitch just as it has begun analysing rock samples from the Martian surface. As a result, Curiosity is now working from a back-up computer.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21654308
Nasa engineers are trying to sort the problem, which may have been caused by high-energy cosmic ray particles.
Meanwhile, Curiosity's scientific work has been put on hold.
Curiosity has been hit by a computer glitch just as it has begun analysing rock samples from the Martian surface. As a result, Curiosity is now working from a back-up computer.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21654308
Nasa engineers are trying to sort the problem, which may have been caused by high-energy cosmic ray particles.
Meanwhile, Curiosity's scientific work has been put on hold.
Friday, 1 March 2013
WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION REPORT ON NEW FUKUSHIMA CANCER RISK ASSESSMENT
A new report from the WHO shows that people living near Fukushima have a small increased risk of developing cancer during their lifetime.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21614722
The biggest lifetime risks were seen in those exposed as infants.
For girls exposed to radiation from the accident as infants, the report found a 4% increase above expected lifetime risk for solid tumours, and 6% above for breast cancer. Boys exposed as infants have a 7% risk increase of leukaemia. The biggest risk was a 70 % lifetime increase of thyroid cancer for infant girls.
The report also found that a third of emergency workers working in the plant after the disaster are at an increased risk of cancer.
The WHO report emphasised that these risks were relative and remained small. They are small additional risks above existing low risks.
WHO's Dr Maria Neira said that the report underlined the need for long-term health monitoring of those who were at high risk, along with medical follow-up and support. 'This will remain an important element in the public health response to the disaster for decades' she said.
A new report from the WHO shows that people living near Fukushima have a small increased risk of developing cancer during their lifetime.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21614722
The biggest lifetime risks were seen in those exposed as infants.
For girls exposed to radiation from the accident as infants, the report found a 4% increase above expected lifetime risk for solid tumours, and 6% above for breast cancer. Boys exposed as infants have a 7% risk increase of leukaemia. The biggest risk was a 70 % lifetime increase of thyroid cancer for infant girls.
The report also found that a third of emergency workers working in the plant after the disaster are at an increased risk of cancer.
The WHO report emphasised that these risks were relative and remained small. They are small additional risks above existing low risks.
WHO's Dr Maria Neira said that the report underlined the need for long-term health monitoring of those who were at high risk, along with medical follow-up and support. 'This will remain an important element in the public health response to the disaster for decades' she said.
Thursday, 28 February 2013
CHECK-UP IMAGE ON-BOARD MARS ROVER CURIOSITY
The link below shows an image taken on 23 February 2013 on-board the Mars rover Curiosity. It was taken by the Mastcam camera.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/pia16766.html
This is a check-up picture, taken just after the delivery of a sample of Martian powdered rock into the SAM intrument, following drilling into the rock. It shows the sample-processor and the delivery tool.
The clarity of this image is remarkable.
The link below shows an image taken on 23 February 2013 on-board the Mars rover Curiosity. It was taken by the Mastcam camera.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/pia16766.html
This is a check-up picture, taken just after the delivery of a sample of Martian powdered rock into the SAM intrument, following drilling into the rock. It shows the sample-processor and the delivery tool.
The clarity of this image is remarkable.
Sunday, 10 February 2013
CURIOSITY ROVER STARTS DRILLING FOR ROCK SAMPLES
The Mars Curiosity rover has today drilled into a Martian rock at Yellowknife Bay and collected a rock sample for the first time. It's now six months since Curiosity landed.This is a wonderful step forward for interplanetary science - the first historic such probing of a rock on another world.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21399857
The pictures from Mars show what looks like a small mound of fine grey powdered rock.
The hole drilled for the sample is 6.4 cm deep and 2.0 cm diameter. The next step will be to transfer the sample into two scientific instruments to carry our careful measurements: Chemin and Sam.
An incredible achievement. To be carrying out precise scientific experiments remotely with samples on the Martian surface is amazing.
The Mars Curiosity rover has today drilled into a Martian rock at Yellowknife Bay and collected a rock sample for the first time. It's now six months since Curiosity landed.This is a wonderful step forward for interplanetary science - the first historic such probing of a rock on another world.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21399857
The pictures from Mars show what looks like a small mound of fine grey powdered rock.
The hole drilled for the sample is 6.4 cm deep and 2.0 cm diameter. The next step will be to transfer the sample into two scientific instruments to carry our careful measurements: Chemin and Sam.
An incredible achievement. To be carrying out precise scientific experiments remotely with samples on the Martian surface is amazing.
Friday, 4 January 2013
NEW TYPE OF METEORITE FROM MARS
A 320g black rock found in a Moroccan desert in 2011 has been shown by scientists at the University of New Mexico to be a new type of meteorite from Mars.
http://bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20900843
The meteorite was probably blasted off Mars about 2 billion years ago, after an asteroid or comet impact on Mars.
It's unlike any of the other Mars meteorites discovered on Earth.
It has a basaltic breccia formation, the scientists report, containing alkali elements like potassium and sodium, and has more water molecules than found in other Mars meteorites.
Interestingly, it's just the sort of rock that is now being researched on the surface of Mars by the Curiosity rover. - but appears to date from an era long ago when surface conditions on Mars were much warmer and wetter.
A 320g black rock found in a Moroccan desert in 2011 has been shown by scientists at the University of New Mexico to be a new type of meteorite from Mars.
http://bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20900843
The meteorite was probably blasted off Mars about 2 billion years ago, after an asteroid or comet impact on Mars.
It's unlike any of the other Mars meteorites discovered on Earth.
It has a basaltic breccia formation, the scientists report, containing alkali elements like potassium and sodium, and has more water molecules than found in other Mars meteorites.
Interestingly, it's just the sort of rock that is now being researched on the surface of Mars by the Curiosity rover. - but appears to date from an era long ago when surface conditions on Mars were much warmer and wetter.
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
TEPCO SUED BY US SAILORS OVER RADIATION EXPOSURE
The Japanese nuclear power company TEPCO, which operated the Fukushima nuclear reactors, has been sued by eight US sailors who allege they were exposed to higher radiation levels at the stricken site than admitted by TEPCO.
http://bbc.co.uk/news/business-20856051
If this allegation is eventually tested in the courts, evidence may emerge about the measured radiation levels at the Fukushima site during the March 2011 nuclear disaster, and the actions of TEPCO at that time.
The Japanese nuclear power company TEPCO, which operated the Fukushima nuclear reactors, has been sued by eight US sailors who allege they were exposed to higher radiation levels at the stricken site than admitted by TEPCO.
http://bbc.co.uk/news/business-20856051
If this allegation is eventually tested in the courts, evidence may emerge about the measured radiation levels at the Fukushima site during the March 2011 nuclear disaster, and the actions of TEPCO at that time.
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