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photo credit: felinebird

As gas prices continue to soar way above what they were a year ago, and as interest in going green continues to soar as well, more and more people are looking into a hybrid car technology. Hybrid cars use two or more power sources to propel the vehicle, including but not limited to rechargeable energy storage systems, gasoline, hydrogen, compressed air, human power, wind, compressed or liquid natural gas, solar power, and combustibles like coal or wood. Although the term by itself is broad in usage, it most commonly refers to HEVs, which stands for hybrid-electric vehicles. Traditional internal combustion engines are used alongside electric motors to propel the vehicle in a way that uses much less gasoline that the car would normally use. There are many websites dedicated to this advancement in technology, and here are some of the finest. [Read more →]

Tags: Science by Kori Ellis
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photo credit: PermanentTraveller

Because of the nature of the cosmos, there are celestial events that are remarkable because of how much different from the norm they happen to be. Full moons are often fascinating and many legends have come to be associated with the phenomenon. Even rare is the blue moon, an extra full moon that happens once every three years or so, and it is infrequent enough to have led someone to coin the saying “once in a blue moon”. Also fascinating are eclipses, where one celestial object moves into the shadow of the other. Whether they are a solar eclipse, where the moon is between the Earth and the sun, or a lunar eclipse, where the Earth is between the sun and the moon, eclipses are transfixing and rare. An occurrence that happens twice a year is the equinox, where the sun is positioned directly over the Earth’s equator, causing the day and night to be precisely the same length. [Read more →]

Tags: Science by Kori Ellis
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credit: dodoco

Since the beginning of man’s observations of outer space, there have been many attempts to apply patterns to the cosmic workings of planets and galaxies. One of these patterns is the rotation of the Earth and the revolution of the Earth, and the other planets in the Milky Way, around the sun. The combination of these two things is what causes the phenomenon known as the summer solstice, when the Earth’s axis is pointed as much as it can toward the sun, causing the longest day of the year. It also marks the first day of summer, and over time, has become part of many religions as an event that marks either celebration, transition, transformation, or something else depending on the religion and culture themselves. [Read more →]

Tags: Science by Kori Ellis
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It’s hard to open a newspaper or surf the internet without hearing about “going green.” The goal is for each human being to do his or her part to waste less resources, have less impact on their environment, and be kind to Mother Nature. Though we all take steps to do our part — composting our perishable goods, recycling, carpooling — it’s time to take inventory and figure out what your environmental footprint is.

Take the quiz and test your knowledge on environmental facts, like whether buying a brand new, gas-powered car is better than driving a well-maintained old car, the environmental impact of replacing just one incandescent lightbulb for a fluorescent, and just how environmentally-unfriendly air travel really is.

After testing your knowledge, calculate your actual ecological footprint or check out your impact on bio-diversity. See how you measure up on food habits, trash generation, and energy consumption.

The results may surprise you - I know they surprised me. Though I live in an apartment building, eat little meat, and don’t own a car, my footprint is a whopping 8.52 global hectares. Learn what you can do to treat your world even better and hopefully, many generations to come will be able to enjoy the beautiful green environs that we all love.

Tags: Science by Erin
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The sky will light up 2008, bringing nighttime observers some truly enjoyable astronomical events. This year, we’re going to witness a total solar eclipse, two pairings of the sky’s brightest planets, and a total lunar eclipse. Talk about phenomenal.

You can check out star cluster occulations and in August, you might be able to spot the annual Perseid meteor shower. Space.com’s Night Sky column will let you in on upcoming events just in time to whip out your telescope all year round, including the following:

• February 1 - Venus-Jupiter conjunction, Part 1: The two brightest planets in the sky will meet on the morning of Feb 1, and will be best seen about 45 minutes before sunrise. Three days later, the crescent moon will join the two, creating a beautiful sight.
• February 20 & 21 - Total eclipse of the moon: Though less than 6 months after the last total lunar eclipse, much of North America will be able to see this one from their own back yard. It will last for about 50 minutes, and promises to be spectacular.
• August 1 - Total solar eclipse: Though only viewable from distant locations like Siberia, this total eclipse will cause Earth’s sun to be blocked for a total of 2.3 minutes.
• August 16 - Partial lunar eclipse: Believe it or not, our moon will eclipse yet again, though only partially, this time giving our global neighbors in Europe, Africa, and Asia a good view.

Clearly, if you love the night sky, 2008 is a going to be a great year.

Tags: Science by Erin
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Scientists at NASA are excited by the new images and information they’ve received about Mercury. Thanks to the MESSENGER probe, scientists got their first good look at Mercury in over 30 years.

At a total price tag of nearly $450 million for the entire mission, the MESSENGER probe was sent into space in August of 2004. The probe is schedule to travel nearly five billion miles in total.

This close-up flyby of Mercury is one of three close-ups scheduled for the MESSENGER probe. The second pass is schedule for October, while the third pass is to be made in September of 2009.

The MESSENGER probe flew by Mercury at just under 125 miles from the planet’s surface. The probe photographed much of the never before seen terrain of Mercury. In total, over one thousand images and countless analytic readers where taken as the probe flew by the planet.

The last time NASA was able to get a good look at Mercury was in 1975 thanks to Mariner 10. These new photographs and information have NASA scientists understandably excited.

“I just can’t wait,” exclaimed Mark Robinson, a scientist close to the MESSENGER project. “I want to see what’s around the corner.”

Photo credit: NASA

Tags: Science by Kori Ellis
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You know that no two snowflakes are alike and that your fingerprint is unique. But did you know that the iris of your eye is also unlike any other in the world? Researchers are working on technology that can recognize the unique pattern of your iris. This could mean that one day you’ll only need to look at your front door or your computer to open it up or turn it on. [Read more →]

Tags: Science by Kathryn
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Want to reduce your carbon footprint and save money on fuel? Consider biodiesel, an alternative fuel derived from vegetable oil. Biodiesel has a minimal byproduct which is good for the earth when recycled in composting.There are places that you can go to buy bio-diesel fuel for your vehicle; Biodiesel.org has a guide for consumers interested in this option. But you don’t have to go far to get this fuel. In fact, you don’t have to leave your own home. Bio-Diesel Kits are now available to make making this fuel at home a viable option. The kits are a little pricey–between $1,500 and $5.000. However, they save you money in the long run and save the earth for generations to come. You can learn more about the process of making bio-diesel fuel here.

Tags: Science by Kathryn
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The Women and Technology Summit is taking place at the Hyatt Regency in Santa Clara, California from September 26-29, 2007.

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Tags: Computers, Science by Kori Ellis
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