Tag Archives: blog7

The Twins Study

NASA has conducted a study that looks at the effects of being in space on the human body, and they are calling it the “Twins Study”. The two test subjects are identical twin astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly. Mark and Scott are the only twins to have traveled to space. The information collected can be … Continue reading The Twins Study Continue reading

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Fission Rocket Engines: Soon?

NASA has revived the dreams of many optimists hopeful of smashing the dire predictions of the ideal rocket equation. Insane designs have long been dreamed of by lunatics attempting to create breakthroughs with the power of the atom, but a NASA research program in the 70’s laid encouraging groundwork for a possible fission rocket. NERVA … Continue reading Fission Rocket Engines: Soon? Continue reading

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I See the Light

An amazing part of the class this semester was the ability to understand and correct some of the misconceptions that I have held about the Solar System for years. Whether it was about the ‘dark’ side of the moon, the brightness of the North Star, tides, the asteroid belt being hard to navigate through, or … Continue reading I See the Light Continue reading

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The Northern Lights

One of the world’s most fascinating and natural wonders are the Northern Lights. These magical lights come in a variety of dancing colors. This seemingly random light show occurs as a result of interactions of Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere with solar winds. Solar winds released by the Sun’s sunspot regions travel through space until … Continue reading The Northern Lights Continue reading

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The Quest to Inhabit Mars

As a species, we need multiple paths to survival. One of which is living in space. With this in mind, companies like SpaceX have plans to colonize Mars. But why Mars? It is the next most habitable planet after Earth. It contains water, temperatures that are not too hot nor too cold, enough sunlight, ability … Continue reading The Quest to Inhabit Mars Continue reading

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Hello Powehi

In the center of the galaxy M87, stars seem to orbit an invisible object. By observing the path of the stars, scientists concluded that there is a supermassive black hole that is dense enough to cause these motions. Although the black hole itself is invisible, we can still observe the ring of light bended by … Continue reading Hello Powehi Continue reading

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Enter The Hypolith

Hypoliths are photosynthetic bacteria that inhabit the desert. Despite the Namib desert in Namibia being one of the most extreme environments on Earth, hypoliths thrive under quartz rock under these harsh conditions. This desert can go years without rain and it is subject to constant solar radiation and scorching heat. With very little water and … Continue reading “Enter The Hypolith” Continue reading

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Lions, Tigers, and Water Bears – Oh My!

Recently in class, we learned about extremophiles – creatures that can survive in extreme situations. My personal favorite extremophile is the water bear (whose official name is the tardigrade) because they’re the hardiest extremophile (in my personal opinion). “Tardigrades have the ability to withstand complete dehydration. Once desiccated, they have been frozen in blocks of … Continue reading Lions, Tigers, and Water Bears – Oh My! Continue reading

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Survival in Space

Scientists and knowledge seekers alike have always wondered about the source, composition, and evolution of both life on Earth and beyond. This field of study is known today as astrobiology, and scientists in this field are currently trying to answer the following question: could life exist beyond Earth? In solving this puzzle, the European Space … Continue reading Survival in Space Continue reading

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Survival in Space

Scientists and knowledge seekers alike have always wondered about the source, composition, and evolution of both life on Earth and beyond. This field of study is known today as astrobiology, and scientists in this field are currently trying to answer the following question: could life exist beyond Earth? In solving this puzzle, the European Space … Continue reading Survival in Space Continue reading

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