SciGuy
A science blog with Eric Berger
- Last build:
- Language:
- Feed URL:
- http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/index.rdf
RSS FEED IDEMS: SciGuy
- The forecast for Houston, a century hence
As part of a story I recently wrote to describe global warming's possible economic and climatological ramifications for Houston, I contacted the state's climatologist, John Nielsen-Gammon, who happens to be a frequent and welcome contributor to this blog. I found... - Has Craig Venter done it? Created new life?
There's a story in The Guardian today that suggests maverick biologist Craig Venter may soon announce the creation of a new life form. This has long been anticipated, but Venter could declare the creation of a new bacterial life form... - Quick programming note
Just a quick note to let folks know I'm presently traveling and will have limited access to a computer for the next few days. Comment approval will be somewhat delayed for this reason. Additionally, I'll probably not update the blog... - Hear! Hear! James Randi on speaker cables
There was a time, pre-marriage, when I invested much of my free capital and speakers, stereo systems, high-definition televisions and the like. I bought my first home in 1999 partly because of the opportunity for cranking up music and movies.... - Probably no tropical threat to Texas this week, but...
Although there are presently no named storms in the Atlantic basin, the tropics remain as active as one would expect for this time of year. There are now two areas of investigation worth discussing, Invest 90L, and Invest 92L. Yesterday... - A new tropical disturbance in the Gulf; possible Texas impact
Another tropical disturbance has continued developing over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico today, and there's a chance the system could bring rain or even heavy winds to the upper Texas coast later this week. First, let's look at the satellite... - Captured on film: Sun rips off a comet's tail
NASA's STEREO satellite, which images the sun in three dimensions, has captured a fantastic view of a solar explosion ripping the tail off of a comet traveling in the inner solar system. It's the first time humans have witnessed such... - The ever-controversial James Watson, on religion
Aside from Stephen Hawking, James Watson is probably the most-famous living scientist. (For those who don't know, he co-discovered the structure of DNA more than half a century ago, and later was a director of the Human Genome Project.) Watson... - Cockroaches are creatures of the night
I'm not sure why scientists felt the need to study the behavior and intelligence of cockroaches for two years, but biologists at Vanderbilt University apparently felt the need to do so. And, in this study, they found that cockroaches were... - Do we now know why ozone is harmful?
In the upper atmosphere, ozone shields the Earth from ultraviolet rays. But lower down, it can be harmful to respiratory systems, and in recent years scientists have documented increases in heart problems associated with ozone. ChronicleNot just an unsightly blight.... - The Onion skewers big science. Particle physicists beware?
The Onion has a hysterical send-up of scientific funding requests this week that, for some particle physicists, I am afraid may strike a little close to home. First, the article: WASHINGTON, DC -- Top physicists from several major American universities... - Parallel universes: this century's theory of relativity?
Everyone knows that 1905 was Albert Einstein's Annus Mirabilis, when he delivered four great papers, including one on the special theory of relativity. He spent the next decade or so working out the general theory of relativity and became world... - The oddsmakers don't think we're going to Mars
It's not even legal to make such wagers, but online betting does provide some indication of what people really think about our chances to accomplish great things with human spaceflight. One betting web site, BetUS.com, has recently posted odds for... - Who was the greatest classical scientist? My top five.
Sure the Greeks may be more popularly known for the Olympics, or, more recently, the Battle of Thermopylae. But if you ask me their contribution to natural philosophy was far greater. Before the Greeks, sages explained the workings of every... - Monopoly game pieces fly on shuttle. Cool or not?
A shuttle mission this summer, STS-117, carried as part of its cargo game tokens from the new Here & Now edition of the game Monopoly. An update of the classic game, the game tokens include a Toyota Prius, New Balance...
