Posts from — July 2010

Humans have a long history of looking to the stars. As a race, we have curious fascination with the unknown: the vast expanse of space is about as unknown as you can get. Modern telescopes have expanded our view, but the universe hasn’t given up all of her secrets yet.

One of the most basic features of the universe, its size, is still an enigma. As we look up above, we can see lots of darkness peppered with stars. We know that it is big, but how big is it? Well, scientists don’t always agree. The trouble is that we can’t see that far.

[Read more →]

Global warming has been a hot topic lately: the earth is getting hotter, and its got everyone in a frenzy. Despite the political debate surrounding the issue, the general scientific consensus is that (among other things) rising carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air is the culprit; and humans are to blame for the CO2. No matter what the cause, the earth is getting hotter, and something needs to be done about it.

[Read more →]

Henrietta Lacks was an African-American tobacco farmer who got cervical cancer at the age of 30. Despite her doctors’ efforts, her case of cancer was too aggressive to control; she passed away in October 1951. But this is not the end of the story.

[Read more →]