iTWire IT Science News

Want to live as one world? You can in the far future!

William Atkins — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:08:44 +0000

Scientists are predicting in the far, far future, that all of the continents will join together, as they have in the distant past. In fact, Asia and the Americas are said, according to the latest model, to join together in about one hundred million years in a land mass being called Amasia.

Finally an answer: Why do zebras have stripes?

William Atkins — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:22:35 +0000

A study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology answers the question as to why zebras have stripes. The answer by these Hungarian and Swedish researchers may surprise you but, at least, it is a step in the right direction to answer the pressing question: Why do zebras have stripes?

Mars gets the (irrational?) chopping block by NASA

William Atkins — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:56:43 +0000

It is expected to be announced that NASA will cut funding for the exploration of the planet Mars after Congress cut its 2013 budget. However, a former high ranking NASA official calls the move “irrational and unjustified.”

Baumgartner set to skydive from 36.5 km (22.7 mi) high

William Atkins — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:49:06 +0000

Austrian adventurer and daredevil Felix Baumgartner wants to do what no one has done before: skydive out of a balloon 36.5 kilometers above the Earth – that’s 120,000 feet or approximately 22.7 miles in altitude.

Iran successfully sends Navid (Gospel) into space

William Atkins — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:08:14 +0000

On Friday, February 3, 2012, the state news agency of Iranian reported that its national space agency (Iranian Space Agency) successfully launched another mission into space, this time sending its Navid (Gospel) satellite into space with its Safir 1-B rocket.

Stephen Colbert hops on the NASA bandwagon

William Atkins — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:19:38 +0000

Stephen Colbert, the host of "The Colbert Report", says he is a big fan of space and supports the "great things" NASA is doing on the International Space Station.

Accident delays next space station crew

William Atkins — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:58:28 +0000

The Russians were forced to delay the next manned flight to the International Space Station when the descent module for its Soyuz spacecraft was accidently over-pressurized during its testing phase. Thus, three of the current crew members onboard the ISS will get to stay in space a month and half longer.

NASA releases first video of far side of the Moon

William Atkins — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:17:33 +0000

The U.S. space agency NASA releases the first video of the far side of the Moon. The cameras taking the video are part of a project by former astronaut Sally Ride. The project is geared to show students how interesting science is to learn.

Long-time NASA astronaut Shannon Lucid retires

William Atkins — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:54:05 +0000

American astronaut Shannon Lucid has retired from NASA after over three decades of being a NASA employee, including being an astronaut on the Russian space station Mir and the International Space Station.

NASA releases Space Race Blastoff app in Facebook

William Atkins — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:27:24 +0000

The U.S. space agency NASA announced the release of its first multi-player online game Space Race Blastoff on Monday, January 30, 2012. The app is available on Facebook.

Japanese supercomputer predicts 2012's climate patterns

David Heath — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:28:44 +0000

Climate variations in the Indian and Pacific Oceans will drive the planet's climate in 2012.

NASA snaps super HD pix of home base Earth

William Atkins — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:54:21 +0000

NASA has just released an image it is calling “Blue Marble 2012”, which the space agency is describing as the “most amazing high definition image of Earth.”

Carpooling kids often go without booster seats

William Atkins — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:39:33 +0000

Research performed by a University of Michigan professor and fellow colleagues found that parents often do not use booster seats on children when carpooling. Such a practice is very dangerous if a serious crash should occur while on the road.

Legonaut (Lego astronaut) rises high into the sky

William Atkins — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:36:49 +0000

Canadian teenagers Mathew Ho and Asad Muhammad bought an inexpensive weather balloon. They connected it to a Styrofoam box with several cameras and a Lego astronaut. And, then they filled the balloon with helium for an 80,000-foot ascent into the sky. See the rest of their story below.

Russian cargo ship launched to space station 1/25/2012

William Atkins — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:51:39 +0000

The Russians launched its Progress spacecraft to the International Space Station on Wednesday January 25, 2012 (local time at the Kazakhstan launch site), with about 2.9 tons of supplies and equipment onboard for the ISS Expedition 30 crew.

Aliens on Venus or lens cap? You decide!

William Atkins — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:20:33 +0000

A Russian scientist analyzed images taken by the Venera-13 spacecraft that landed on the planet Venus in 1982. He insists life exists on Venus based on strange looking objects that were seen changing positions. NASA thinks something is amiss.

Watch Out! Another solar radiation flare heading this way

William Atkins — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:48:50 +0000

Sunspot 1402 is getting ready to hit Earth, only three days after Sunspot 1401 impacted the magnetic field surrounding our planet. This one is a little more problematic.

U.S., Russia, and Europe may go to Moon together

William Atkins — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:38:26 +0000

According to reports coming out of Russia, the Russian space agency Roscosmos is interested in joining with the U.S. space agency NASA and the European Union’s space agency ESA for joint exploration of the Moon.

Triangular alien spaceship?: No, says NASA

William Atkins — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:32:43 +0000

A triangular object seen in video taken by the NASA STEREO probe appears to show an alien object heading toward Earth. NASA scientists analyzed the images and have other, more rational, thoughts on the origin of this strange-looking space object.

SpaceX delayed for first Space Station trip

William Atkins — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:17:29 +0000

The first commercial cargo ship (Dragon) planning to fly to the International Space Station by Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) will be delayed by nearly two months so engineers can perform additional testing.