Welcome back to News for Nerds! This week we go shopping for dinosaur bones, we get to the bottom of why sugar is making us stupid, and we find a creative way to keep your cell phone battery at full strength. But first: if I see you do it, then I probably will, too.
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"We can put a man on the moon, but we do not understand what the function of yawning is."
So says the University of Maryland's Gary Hack. He's co-authored a new study that may finally have gotten to the bottom of the yawning mystery. Popular theories, such as fatigue and lack of oxygen, have not hel …
Welcome back... This week we look at the largest crocodile in history, the first glimpse of light from an alien super-earth, and the chemical that makes some people procrastinate more than others. But first: do you smell that, or is it just me?
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Perhaps none of our senses is as tied to old memories as our sense of smell. What gives?
A lot of it has to do with geography. Not the kind of geography you learned about in middle school, but the geography of the brain. You see, the olfactory bulb is part of the brain's limbic system. And that part of the brain happens …
Welcome back to more News for Nerds! This week we'll look at brilliant toddlers, big moons, expensive rocks, and the correlation between your handshake and your longevity. But first: sometimes I start a dialogue with myself because I'm the only one who can relate.
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We all talk to ourselves, right? Research has shown that most people talk to themselves at least every few days, and sometimes on an hourly basis. But while that might carry with it the implications of a crazy person, it's actually a very helpful habit.
Scientists have known for years that children pr …
Welcome back to another edition of News for Nerds! This week we'll help you learn to draw, we'll give you another reason to eat your vegetables, and we'll blast off for new worlds with some very rich people. But first: with summer fast approaching, a public service announcement.
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Anyone who's eaten their ice cream too fast knows about the perils of brain freeze. But up until recently, no one really understood what caused it.
Enter a cardiovascular electronics researcher named Jorge Serrador.
Dr. Serrador and his team conducted studies that show the cause of dreaded …
Welcome back to another edition of News for Nerds. This week we discuss everything from potholes in Cleveland to underwear in deep space, with a brief stop to watch some wonderfully nerdy video. But first: wake me up before you go-go.
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For people with a love/hate relationship with technology -- or for people with a real aversion to mornings -- I've got just the thing for you.
How about an alarm clock that has no snooze button, can only be shut off by punching the day's date into a keypad, and which locks in the alarm as wake-up time approaches? Oh, and it costs $350.
Thi …
Four Oregon teenagers have potentially solved a decades-old problem for NASA. And they've earned a nice chunk of cash in the process.
A team of students from West Salem High School submitted their design for the 'Infinity Suit' -- essentially astronaut underwear that can absorb heat without changing temperatures -- to the Spirit of Innovation Challenge, a contest hosted by the Conrad Foundation.
After being named one of 15 finalists, the team's design was hailed as one of four winners. The foursome scored a trip to San Francisco and $5,000 in cash.
As for the details of the 'Infinity S …
Welcome back to News for Nerds! This week we look at the hidden benefits of fruit, we go back in time to play with fire, and we get a better understanding of how we got hooked into the Facebook universe. But first: watch out, he's a biter.
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The Tyrannosaurus Rex is probably the most famous (and most infamous) dinosaur in our popular culture.
But over the past few years, some of the T Rex's accepted traits have been called in to question. For instance, there is some speculation that the 40 foot-long dinosaur was not able to run, but instead would just 'plod along …
Welcome back to more News for Nerds. This week we study the link between avalanches and ice cream, we learn about the trouble with redheads, and we go where no man has gone before. But first: one of these days, Alice...
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Ever heard of the Giant Impact Hypothesis?
For many years it has been the prevailing theory about where our moon came from.
The theory goes like this: early in its existence, Earth collided with another, Mars-sized planet, called Theia. The resulting smash-up led to a disc of magma orbiting our planet that would later coalesce into the moon we know …
Ron Garan has a cool job -- he's an astronaut. He spent last summer at the International Space Station as part of Expedition 27/28. While there, he conducted experiments and participated in the very last spacewalk of NASA's shuttle program.
Since coming back to Earth in September, Garan has been busy with, among other things, social media. He lit up Twitter with a series of fantastic space TwitPics, and now he's joined the popular Reddit community.
For the uninitiated, Reddit is a social media site that acts as an open forum for people to discuss pretty much everything you can imagine. Garan …
Filmmaker James Cameron is the man behind the two highest-grossing films of all time.
But no matter how you feel about Titanic or Avatar, Cameron's latest adventure epic might be his most inspiring work to date.
Cameron took to the seas this week for a visit to the Mariana Trench's Challenger Deep -- which is actually the deepest known point on Earth. Tucked inside a custom-designed sub called The Deepsea Challenger, the director spent about three hours conducting the first manned scientific exploration of Challenger Deep.
It won't be the last.
Technical glitches prevented Cameron from col …
Welcome back to News for Nerds. This week we uncover a new animal in an unlikely place, we pile one male stereotype on top of another, and we tell you what cool toy NASA has just unveiled. But first: "Boys, are you buzzing?"
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In a further sign that our phones are taking over our lives, Nokia has filed a patent that would connect your cell phone... with your tattoo?
Oh yes, that's right. Using something known as 'haptic feedback', users would be alerted to incoming calls, email, and text messages through a "perceivable impulse" comin …
Welcome back to News for Nerds. This week we get dressed up, put on a fancy robo-glove, and bond with honeybees. But first: don't be afraid to look up every once in a while.
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If you've gazed up at the night sky this week, you may have seen some unusual lights gazing back at you. What gives?
As it turns out, there are five planets visible in the night sky during the month of March... though not at the same time.
Throughout early March, Mercury has been visible in the northern hemisphere. The entire world has a great view of Mars at its brightest moment this year. Venus and Jup …
Today we bring you a very cool opportunity to get involved in some fun scientific shenanigans. It comes to us courtesy of the great Alan Alda.
Now, depending on what generation you belong to, you probably associate the name Alan Alda with one of the following:
veteran character actor and star of more than 50 films;
Captain Hawkeye Pierce from TV's M*A*S*H;
the host of Scientific American Frontiers;
that guy... who was in that thing?
Lucky for you, all of those answers are correct. And even luckier for you -- for all of us, really -- Alan Alda has a serious, li …
Welcome back to News for Nerds! This week we look into the future of wireless communication, we identify a new suspect in the sinking of the Titanic, and we explain why some people might not like your name. But first: we're off and running.
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A four-legged robot developed by a company called Boston Dynamics is now in the record books. It is officially the fastest-running robot in history.
The Cheetah -- whose design was, in fact, inspired by an actual cheetah -- hopped on a treadmill last week and ran at a pace of 18 miles per hour. That bested the decades-old re …
Welcome back! This week we get to the bottom of Leap Day, we eat astronaut food for longer than anyone should have to, and we learn some fun new facts about dogs. But first: is this the quiet before the storm?
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I've covered solar storms in previous editions of News for Nerds, so hopefully you're familiar with the concept. But this week we learned that there's a 12 percent chance that the Earth will experience an enormous megaflare from the sun in the next decade.
Solar storms of this magnitude are extremely rare. The last one, known as the Carrington Event, happ …
Well, THIS is certainly a good idea.
Google has launched its first-ever science fair, and it's open to "anyone and everyone between 13 and 18." Your project can consist of just about anything, and signing up is easy.
Google is quick to point out that not all geniuses are straight-A students, so don't be intimidated. If you've got a good idea, you should pursue it. The deadline for entry is April 1, and all submissions will be judged by a panel of teachers and college professors. By the end of May, 90 regional finalists will be announced, and from that pool, 15 global finalists …
Welcome back to News for Nerds! This week we get a whiff of test tube hamburgers, take an elevator ride into space, and get rid of that random guy who ruined what could have been your perfect profile picture. But first: those aren't the droids you're looking for.
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In case you were born last Tuesday or have been in a coma since 1977, you're probably familiar with a little indie movie franchise known as Star Wars. The original Star Wars film centered around the construction (and, spoiler alert, eventual destruction) of a one-stop headquarters/conference r …
Welcome back to another edition of News for Nerds! This week we'll look at why Adele's music makes us cry, how to tell if someone's lying to you online, and what your heartbeat has to do with your Twitter password. But first: we're gonna need a bigger boat.
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Piranhas are fierce, destructive creatures. Native to South America, they use teeth as sharp as kitchen knives to eat just about everything they come into contact with.
Everything, that is, except the mysterious fish called the arapaima. The arapaima is a pretty unusual animal to begin with -- a relic of evolutio …
Welcome back...
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You know about extreme sports. They've become part of the mainstream these days, with entire TV shows dedicated to showcasing the skills (and courage) of base jumpers and X gamers. But Felix Baumgartner would like you all to know that when it comes to extreme sports, he's not messing around anymore.
Baumgartner, an Austrian adrenaline junkie, is planning to set the record this summer for highest skydive when he takes a high-altitude helium balloon 120,000 feet in the air, and then, like any sane person would do, jumps off and plummets back to Earth.
…
Our friend Steve Spangler is an absolute rock star in the worlds of science and education. His events draw teachers from all over the world, and his appearances on Denver's 9News (weekly) and the Ellen DeGeneres Show (a dozen and counting) are the kind of viral videos that you actually feel good about watching while you're supposed to be doing something else.
Best of all, Steve is the master of sharing a cool experience and then teaching the science behind it.
Today we stumbled across some video from one of his recent visits to 9News. In it, he shows meteorologist Becky Ditchfield how to pus …
Welcome back to more News for Nerds! This week we settle the debate about going to bed angry, we see why dinosaurs got a leg up on the competition, and we find you the perfect parking space outside your favorite store. But first: can you guess what the lead story is about?
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It's looking more and more like we will one day be fully capable of reading someone's thoughts.
Researchers at the University of California Berkeley have demonstrated a method of reconstructing words based solely on the brainwaves of patients thinking about those words. Pretty cool, but …
Are you afraid of spiders? Are you fascinated by them? Do you really know very much about them?
Our friends over at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science host a series of short videos on a wide variety of topics, with most running about two to three minutes in length. The program is called Science Bites, and it covers everything from earthquakes to tastebuds to, yup, you guessed it, spiders.
The videos are fun and informative, and they'll be interesting to curious people of all ages. Here's a taste:
Science Bites: The Truth About Spiders from DMNS on Vimeo.
What do you think? …
There truly are no age restrictions when it comes to innovation.
A pair of 17 year-old Canadian boys built a homemade spacecraft for a plastic Lego astronaut, and then successfully shot him 15 miles into the stratosphere. They even managed to return the Lego man back to Earth unharmed.
Matthew Ho and Asad Muhammad crafted a Styrofoam spacecraft and attached it to a weather balloon they ordered online. They then fitted a box with four cameras and a GPS tracking system, armed the brave Lego man with a nylon parachute, and filled the balloon with helium purchased at a party supply store. T …
Welcome back to another edition of News for Nerds! This week we'll share the benefits of double-dating, explain why your dog dictates your buying habits, and give you some insight into the tricky mindgames drug companies like to play. But first: look, up in the sky!
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A solar storm got underway this week, and despite fears that its effects might disrupt our everyday lives, so far the biggest symptom we've seen is a spectacular light show in the form of aurora borealis.
Solar storms involve electromagnetic bursts from the sun, which make their way to Earth with alterna …
Welcome back to News for Nerds! This week we've got a pop star horse fly, a very expensive pet rock, and a huge argument over a tiny fraction of time. But first: what do you get when you cross a tiger and Komodo dragon?
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Paleontologists working in Brazil have found an unusual fossil -- a mammal-like monster that was stalking around, terrorizing smaller animals more than 260 million years ago, before even the dinosaurs.
The animal, called Pampaphoneus biccai, is considered a cross between "a tiger and a Komodo dragon, if you can imagine that," says lead …
In late November, NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory launched Curiosity, a next-generation rover that is traveling all the way to Mars on a mission to learn if that neighboring planet is, or ever was, a habitable planet.
Curiosity will start by traversing tens of millions of miles across our solar system, which is no small task in itself. Once there, it will roam around the red planet, studying and collecting rocks and soil in order to detect the chemical building blocks of life. It's an important step in what is hoped to lead to long-term colonization of Mars someday.
There are a s …
Welcome back to a slightly abbreviated version of News for Nerds! This week we sniff out canine intelligence and make you feel guilty about not paying enough attention to your mom. But first: Way to reinforce the stereotype, fellas.
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Ladies, if you've ever been on the receiving end -- or on the giving end, for that matter -- of aggressive and unwanted advances from a guy, it turns out that evolution may be to blame after all.
Researchers at Williams College have found that men tend to wildly overestimate the amount of interest that a woman shows toward them, and …
(So much of what I write is aimed at parents and educators, but this article is different. I encourage you to share this with any middle school and high school students who are in your life.)
There are great lessons that nature teaches us, if we only pay attention. Sometimes they’re right before our eyes, but sometimes they’re light-years away from us...literally. Are we mature enough to learn from them?
This is the story of a star wanna-be, one that had all of the ingredients for being a star, but failed. It turns out that this true story could be more relevant to you …
Welcome to the inaugural edition of News for Nerds for 2012! This week we'll dive into the fountain of youth, resurrect an extinct behemoth, and peer through the fog of 'pregnancy brain.' But first: happy new year. Let's talk about zombies.
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Did you ever stop to think about just how important honeybees are? The answer is hugely important. Honeybees pollinate many, many crops, and without their constant buzzing presence, plant life on Earth -- and therefore human life -- could be in real danger.
So you can imagine how worried scientists have been these past few years by so …
For those interested in stargazing, skywatching, planet-peeping... 2012 is going to be a good year for you.
Space.com contributor Joe Rao has laid out 12 of the most awe-inspiring celestial events to watch for in the coming year. Not all of them will be visible to everyone -- a few of these may require some travel for the diehard fan -- but most of them can be seen at one time or another by any U.S. resident with a clear view of the night sky.
Among the highlights from Rao's list:
March 13: The brilliant "double planet": The two brightest planets, Venus and Jupite …
Welcome back to this very special year-end edition of News for Nerds. This week we'll look at the top nerdy holiday gifts for that very brainy person in your life, we'll explore the remote region of Asia that has recently uncovered 200 new animal species, and we'll get to the bottom of all this talk about the so-called 'God Particle'. But first: a little love for the lefties.
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Being left-handed can be a blessing and a curse. New research has shown that left-handed people are at higher risk for certain mental health issues, including ADHD, dyslexia and schizophrenia. Separate st …
Welcome back to News for Nerds! This week we'll take a look at what may be the world's biggest bug -- plus we'll get to the bottom of an unlikely relationship that involves an endangered species and a nuclear power plant, and a rare cosmic phenomenon that's coming to a town near you. But first: Is that you, Eos?
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The hunt for Earth-like planets is a long and expensive one. But with the discovery this week of a planet known as Kepler 22b, scientists say they're getting closer and closer to finding the elusive 'Goldilocks' planet -- so called because such a planet would be n …
After our Thanksgiving hiatus last week, welcome back to News for Nerds! This week we learn what Homer Simpson has in common with our prehistoric ancestors, we plumb the depths of an icy moon, and we scope out some seriously nerdy ink. But first: Remember what I'm about to tell you.
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If you've ever walked into a room only to forget why you were going there in the first place, fear not. It isn't just a 'senior moment.' The culprit is actually -- believe it or not -- the door you passed through on your way there.
A new study out of Notre Dame has shown that even college stu …
Welcome back to News for Nerds! This week we take you to deep space, invade your personal space, and lighten the mood for a few blue souls. But first: cue the tractor beam!
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Scientists have been moving objects with light for about the last 20 years. Using so-called 'optical tweezers,' it's possible to grab hold of tiny objects like cells and pull them around in one direction or another. This works because a light beam exerts a tiny forward push when it hits something.
Light can also pull objects, using something called 'gradient force,' which uses the power of electric an …
Welcome back to News for Nerds! This week we uncover a creepy predator with 66 legs, we take a closer look at the asteroid that buzzed the tower on Tuesday, and we start the movement to get chewing gum back in schools (but not stuck to the bottom of desks, because that's just gross). But first: ka-ching!
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Never mind Thanksgiving -- if the layout (and music choices) of malls and department stores is any indication, the holiday shopping season is already upon us. And with that shopping season comes the inevitable fate of millions of Americans: rampant overspen …
Welcome back to News for Nerds! This week we delve into the science of goosebumps, the baddest man alive, and the long-lost sixth sense of our fishy ancestors. But first: paging Dr. Ponce de Leon!
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It's not the fountain of youth, but scientists at the Mayo Clinic have found a way to stop some of the hallmark signs of aging -- cataracts, wrinkles, and more -- in lab mice. Their study was published this week in the journal Nature, and it's been getting a lot of attention ever since.
The key to their discovery involves a well-known cellular function known as senesc …
Welcome back to News for Nerds! This week we take a closer look at the latest robot to one-up human competitors, we get to the bottom of why all computer voices are female, and we present further evidence for the case of Mind over Matter. But first: Monday is Halloween (and Sunday is the Halloween Hustle), so we might as well start there.
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Researchers at Cal State Los Angeles have been studying scary movies recently -- specifically, what it is about horror films that we find so appealing -- and the answers have a lot to do with human psychology.
Their research builds …
Welcome back to News for Nerds! This week we take a peek inside your brain, find the source of all life on Earth, and identify the best (and worst) possible day to start a diet. But first: you're getting sleeeepy....
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The British band Marconi Union has produced a song that scientists say is the most relaxing tune in the world. I might argue that Bread's entire catalogue puts me to sleep instantly, but maybe we're splitting hairs.
The song is called 'Weightless' (you can hear it here on YouTube), and sound therapists in England played it, along with music by Enya …
Welcome back to more News for Nerds! This week we'll scour the seabed of the North Atlantic, ponder the proper use of world-class supercomputers, and tell you about the real-world development of some Star Wars technology. But first: let's peek inside the brain of an eternal optimist.
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Is the glass half full? Or half empty?
According to a new study from scientists at University College London, your answer to that question depends less on environmental factors like how you were raised and more on the frontal lobe of your brain.
The study involved 14 people of var …
Welcome back to more News for Nerds! This week we'll dive into the details of our accelerating universe, hunt down the mythical Yeti, and find out why makeup makes you look more competent. But first: how does having to pee affect your decision making?
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Depending on who you are, you may have been following one of several high-profile awards that were announced recently. Three American scientists won the Nobel Prize in physics this week for discovering that the universe is indeed expanding at an accelerating pace. It's a pretty big discovery; it means that the cosmos could ultima …
Welcome back! In this week's News for Nerds, we'll dissect the importance of cyborg rats and consider the implications of solar superstorms on our cell phone calling plans. But first: that buzz you hear is coming all the way from Switzerland.
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The talk of the science world this week was the possible discovery of sub-atomic particles that might travel faster than the speed of light. If that's true -- and we're not 100% positive yet that it is -- then it would force us to reconsider much of what we think we know about the makeup of the universe, the strength of Albert Einstein's 1905 …
Welcome into another edition of News for Nerds! This week we alert you to falling objects, we exonerate an innocent asteroid, and we count all the little protozoa in the world. But first: an unexpected partnership is born.
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Online gaming gets a bad rap sometimes, but it definitely has its virtues. Take for instance the gamers who spent three weeks playing Foldit, an online protein-folding game, as a means of mapping out the structure of an enzyme that could be used in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
According to this article in the Los Angeles Times, unlocking the structure o …
Ever seen the Earth from 220 miles high? Well, you're about to.
Educator James Drake downloaded 600 pictures from an archive of NASA and International Space Station photos, and assembled them into one 60-second video using a special software. The resutls will blow your mind.
The video begins with sunrise over the Pacific Ocean and culminates with another sunrise clear on the other side of the planet. In between, we see the Pacific Northwest and the American Southwest, Texas, Mexico, Central America, South America, cities, oceans, lightning storms, and the overall majestic beauty of Earth. It …
Welcome back to another edition of News for Nerds. This week we dig deep to find an ancient gladiator school, a new use for all those creepy sonogram photos, and a use for genetically modified fluorescent green cats. But first: another Super Earth candidate emerges.
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We are finding planets at such an astonishing rate these days that it's becoming difficult to keep up with all of them. Which is a shame, considering how mind-boggling it is in the first place.
Take for instance the announcement this week that 55 new planets have been found in the Milky Way galaxy. 55 new planets! …
We tend to think of a year -- or any unit of time -- as a tangible, concrete thing. But the truth is not so black and white.
If you stop and think about it, a year is really just a form of measurement. Years, days, hours, minutes... these are all just specific ways of measuring and identifying time. We describe our lives in increments of years in the same way that a carpenter might describe the length of a wood plank in centimeters. It's a universally agreed-upon form of measurement that allows us all to work within the same frame of reference.
The thing about time, however, is that it's pin …
After a short vacation hiatus, welcome back to another edition of News for Nerds! This week we'll look at creepy foods of the future, creepy lifeforms of the past, and a very bling-y new discovery in deep space. But first: the forecast calls for scattered showers with a slight chance of laser beams.
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It's been a strange year for weather. It was unseasonably hot out here in Colorado all summer, and then suddenly, Labor Day brings with it a 40-degree drop in temperatures. There have been droughts and fires in the south, and hurricanes in the northeast. If only there was a way to …
Welcome into another week's worth of News for Nerds. This week we reveal the smartest insect in the world, we talk about the future of light bulbs, and we puzzle over the darkest planet ever discovered. But first: this is going to sting a little.
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Forget the little butterfly above your ankle or the 'I Love Mom' on your biceps -- the next hot trend in the world of tattoos might be inked-up nanosensors that track levels of sodium and glucose in your blood.
The technology comes from a research team at Northeastern University, which is developing the 'subdermal sensors' …
Welcome into another edition of News for Nerds. This week we'll talk about all the nasty stuff that lives inside your bellybutton, the good news about one of our closest cosmic neighbors, and why an ancient collision in deep space is a lot like taking a pie to the face. But first: our latest entry in the category of 'weird medical maladies.'
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Like many of you, I enjoy a good whodunnit mystery. Many of the best, from Agatha Christie novels to Alfred Hitchcock movies, center on the idea of the perfect crime. But what makes a perfect crime? Moreover, what makes a perfect …
There are few people in the world of television with more creative influence, more of an 'it' factor, than Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane. In addition to creating, producing and providing multiple voices for his flagship animated TV show, which has aired on the Fox network in fits and starts since 1999, he's also the force behind top-rated hits like American Dad and The Cleveland Show.
In 2008 he signed a deal with Fox worth a reported $100 million (making him the highest-paid TV writer in the world), and earlier this year it was announced that he would be granted a life-long wish t …
Welcome back to another edition of News for Nerds. This week, we'll find out why the snack drawer at work is hurting your brain, why Jupiter is the king of the Milky Way, and why the king of Jordan is such a big Star Trek fan. But first: what's old is new again.
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If you've ever been to a county fair or amusement park and had your caricature drawn, you know that the resulting image isn't always flattering. What! you say to yourself in horror. My nose isn't that big! Or, My eyes aren't really that far apart!
But as it turns out, caricature artists are on to something. …
Welcome to this week's News for Nerds! This week we find out what video games have to do with high school physics, we get the lowdown on the future of space travel, and we deliver some bad news to Doc Brown and Marty McFly. But first: turn off the lights, the party's over.
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They say there are two things that are certain in life: death and taxes. Well, Robert Ettinger begs to differ. He's long believed that even if death isn't avoidable, it may only be a temporary state. Something reversible. Something that technological innovation can overcome.
And he died this week …
Among 10,000 students from 91 countries, girls from American schools finished in the Top 3 overall at Google's first-ever international science fair. A 17 year-old from Fort Worth won the grand prize, taking home $50,000 in college money for her research on ovarian cancer.
Not bad for a girl that's barely old enough to drive a car. …
After a one-week hiatus, welcome back to News for Nerds! This week we'll dive into the hidden benefit of contact allergies, the hidden perks of a dangerous playground, and the hidden side effects of over-Googling. But first: turn off the lights, the party's over.
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"Job well done, America."
Those were the words of NASA's Mission Control communicator Barry Wilmore after the shuttle Atlantis touched down shortly before dawn on Thursday morning, ending the space agency's 30-year shuttle program.
Beginning with the launch of the shuttle Columbia in the spring o …
There aren't many video games more universally popular than Guitar Hero, and it's easy to see why. At some point in their life everyone dreams of being a rock star, right? So there's a natural appeal in living out that fantasy by rocking to your favorite songs, one virtual power chord at a time.
Well, one educator took that appeal a step further. Follow this link to watch a short video about the class project that University of Virginia professor Gavin Garner came up with -- a build-your-own-guitar adventure that includes lessons on mechanical, electrical, and software engineering.
It's …
Prior to last weekend's final liftoff for the space shuttle Atlantis, photographer Scott Andrews led a three-man team that used 15 cameras to shoot more than 120,000 still images detailing the final preparation for launch.
The result is an incredible three-minute video that captures the painstaking efforts of NASA crews during the final four days of prep work before Atlantis set sail for space one last time.
Andrews, who works by day as a technical consultant for Canon, has been photographing launches and landings since the Apollo 15 mission in 1971. Even so, in order to get approval fr …
This week's News for Nerds covers the origins of barking dogs, the problem with having a wide face, and some science-y stuff about an asteroid the size of Arizona. But first: don't change that dial!
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For those of you that listen to the Dom and Jane Show each and every morning, please keep it up. You'll thank me later.
No, really. Keep listening. Researchers in England have just completed a study which shows that listening to the radio increases happiness and energy levels -- by a lot.
The study was based on interviews with more than 1,000 people, and it tracked …
We consider it a public service to redirect you to the fun stuff happening elsewhere on the interwebs. Sometimes it's fun videos, sometimes it's interactive slideshows, sometimes it's interesting stories about one topic or another. Whatever the case, we like to keep you up to date. We're looking out for you like that.
Today's cool redirect is from the cosmically awesome nerds over at Space.com: it's a post entirely dedicated to the greatest mysteries of Mars. …
Welcome back to another edition of News for Nerds. This week I've got some bad news about your favorite diet sodas, some good news about an asteroid that didn't kill us all, and some incredible news about the strangers who are living in a Brazilian rain forest. But first: a frog with fangs?
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The World Wildlife Federation has announced the discovery of more than 1,000 new species on the Melanesian island of New Guinea. Among them: a round-headed dolphin, a blind snake, and yes, a frog with fangs.
Not many people could find New Guinea on a map, but its rain f …
There is a pretty big asteroid headed our way, but we don't want to mislead you -- it won't hit the Earth. It will instead pass on by, coming within about 7,500 miles (32 times closer than the moon) but not making any sort of direct impact.
Nevertheless, the fact that we only had four days' warning is a tense reminder of just how vulnerable we are to the rocky debris of outer space. Even if this particular asteroid had been much larger, and on a collision course with, say, Pennsylvania, we still might not have known about it any sooner. …
Welcome back to another edition of News for Nerds. This week we learn about some very smart birds, some very competitive microorganisms, and some very smelly television. But first: don't make me pull this car over or I'll give you something to cry about!
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In what has to be the least-enjoyable research study that an unlucky participant can get roped into, researchers have found that among a wide array of annoying sounds -- including nails on a chalkboard, screeching sirens, and others -- the sound of a young child whining is the most annoying of all.
A team of psychologists fro …
You can always count on the good people at NOVA to bring you incredible new ways to pass the time, science nerd style. Sometimes it's a news story, sometimes it's a video segment. And sometimes, like today, it's with a fun interactive computer toy.
We invite you to check out their interactive model of the solar system. With a single click, you can tour the moon, explore your favorite planets (or even your least favorite planets, really), and whiz by distant stars. The program uses actual NASA calculations to ensure that every single celestial body is in the exact right place.
It's …
Welcome back to News for Nerds! This week we dig deep into the neuroscience behind popular music, we get a glimpse of the future of air travel, and we get to the bottom of the age-old question about why men never seem to listen to their wives. But first: a story that has almost everything a science nerd could love.
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Scientists in Boston have merged light-emitting proteins from jellyfish with a human cell to create something we've never seen before: a living biological laser.
The science behind this neat little trick is a bit heavy, but in a nutshell, the team from Harvard …
The future of commercial airline travel may well include a see-through cabin and interactive gaming. According to Airbus, which is already the maker of the world's largest airliner, transparent planes will be a standard mode of transportation within 40 years. And while that's pretty exciting for most of us, it probably won't help your Aunt Jenny get over her fear of flying. …
You may have heard about the so-called 'armchair astronaut' who last week claimed to have found evidence of a human (or alien) base on Mars. His YouTube video went viral and the internet went abuzz. Of course it didn't take long for astronomers to point out that there was, in fact, no such structure on Mars; it was just a white pixelated streak on a photograph, the result of a cosmic ray in the image sensor of a camera.
Nevertheless, it got people's attention -- which is something that Mars seems to have a knack for. The Red Planet has a history of gaffes, hoaxes, and conspiracy theories that dates back to the 18th century. …
Welcome back to another edition of News for Nerds. This week we'll explore a real-life werewolf condition, spend 16 good minutes with a mysterious antimatter particle, and find one more reason not to spend all day on your cell phone. But first: let's get dirty.
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If you are the parent or older sibling of a young girl, it seems that one of the best things you can do for them is to send them out to play in the mud.
This according to researchers at Oregon State University, who have found that women tend to have higher rates of allergies, asthma, and other autoimmune diso …
This week's News for Nerds brings us lots and lots of cool stuff involving Egyptian pyramids, tiny robots going where humans can't, and an Australian twentysomething solving one very big cosmic problem. But first: pack up the family truckster and let's go camping!
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Summer is here, which means that camping season is well underway. If you're a fan of all the fancy outdoor equipment that the recreation superstores have to offer, just wait until you see the tent that some engineering students have come up with.
For starters, it's 1,900 square feet. It's radiation-proof. And i …
There's a common question that students have been asking about math classes since the beginning of time, and it goes something like this: When will I ever use any of this knowledge in real life?
We get it. As you sit in school learning about, say, geometry, it can be hard to see any application for subjects like math or science outside of the classroom. It can feel like the kind of thing that's only useful to help get you to graduation. Are we getting warmer here?
But the truth is that math is everywhere you look -- even in the world of extreme sports. …
Welcome back to News for Nerds! This week, a medical miracle, a pat on the back for Einstein, and a robot geologist takes a long nap on Mars. But first: you're getting sleeeeppppyyy...
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Get ready to bring some new technology to bed with you, and I'm not talking about the iPad2.
Two science-savvy college students have developed a shirt that can track your breathing patterns during sleep, thus allowing you to spot the ways that things like coffee, exercise and stress alter your slumber.
Here's how it works. Two small sensors (made from heat-pressed vinyl)&nb …
This week's News for Nerds includes a Twitter-based investment strategy, a master gene that can wreak havoc on your metabolism, and a new wrinkle in a popular theory. But first: let's head up into orbit.
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The shuttle Endeavour finally hit the skies this week after weeks of delay, and so far the final mission for the accomplished shuttle is off to a good start. Much of the attention around Endeavour this week had to do with the attendance of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords at liftoff (her husband, Mark Kelly, is an astronaut aboard the ship). You may recall that Giff …
Can you believe that there's such a thing as the 'Best Illusion of the Year' contest?
Well, luckily for all of us, there is. It takes place in Naples, Florida, and from that great convergence of visual researchers comes this list of the top 10 coolest optical illusions of the year, as reported by New Scientist Magazine. …
Welcome back to another edition of News for Nerds! This week, we'll look at why the moms of twins live longer, how an ant turns into a zombie, and what it takes to get a 100-pound human-powered helicopter off the ground. But first: let's take a trip down the holiday road.
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It's the middle of May, which means that we are right on the cusp of summer vacation season. For many families, summer vacations might mean visiting family or taking a road trip to Wally World. But for the really discerning traveler, how about booking an all-inclusive getaway to the moon? …
One of the things that I constantly hear from students is that if they are perceived as 'nerds' in middle school or high school, they won't fit in with the so-called 'cool crowd,' and therefore they won't get to do all the fun stuff that the 'cool crowd' gets to do during their teenage years.
There are about a million reasons why that's just not true at all, and pretty much anybody who's ever lived through grades K-12 would tell you so. But that's not even the most important point that I want to make, so we'll just let that argument slide. If you want to believe that you have to dumb down in school in order to do fun things for a couple years with a bunch of temporary friends, fine. Whatever. It's not true, but we'll ignore that silliness for the time being. …
After a one-week hiatus, welcome back to another edition of News for Nerds. This time around, we plumb the depths of the universe for secrets, consult a calendar to check our medical condition, and gaze deeply into your beautiful eyes. But first: this one's for all the single ladies.
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Actually, let's start with a riddle: What's green, hides under rocks, and remembers everything you ever said in an argument?
The answer of course is a new species of all-female lizards. They were bred in a lab, and despite not having any male counterparts, they seem to reproduce just fine:&n …
The space shuttle Endeavour needs repairs that will take at least a week to complete, NASA announced over the weekend.
Endeavour was scheduled for launch last Friday, but trouble with malfunctioning heaters in three auxiliary power units, which keep the shuttle's power source from freezing in the cold depths of space, has forced an indefinite delay. No specific launch date has been set, but the soonest possible window begins on May 8. …
After a long and storied career, the space shuttle Endeavour will head into orbit one last time this Friday.
During its final 14-day mission, Endeavour and her crew will tackle no fewer than 30 mission objectives -- among them, four scheduled spacewalks and the installation of a new Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) for the International Space Station, which will allow NASA to search for the elusive antimatter and dark matter that are thought to make up much of our universe.
The good people at Space.com have put together this five-minute video that covers the mission objectives in more detail. It also features some interesting commentary by a few of the 500+ scientists (from 16 countries) that are working on the project under Dr. Arthur Ting, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist leading the mission. …
Coming up in this week's edition of your favorite feature, News for Nerds: a brilliant teenage girl jumps into the deep end, the era of private spaceflight is well underway, and a mind-boggling variety of bonus humpback whale coverage. But first: let's fill 'er up!
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Ugh, gas prices. It's gotten to the point that I have to avert my eyes when I fill up at the pump. I just don't want to know what I'm spending on fuel anymore.
As a fan of all sorts of new technologies, I'm curious about what innovations in the automotive world might lead to more energy-efficient car …
This week's News for Nerds includes a mysterious explosion in a distant galaxy, a milestone anniversary that we share with the Russians, and a surprising insight into the medical files of ancient Egyptians. But first: umm... wait, give me a second, it was just on the tip of my tongue...
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Ah, senior moments. Who among us hasn't had the experience of walking into a room and forgetting why we'd come in there in the first place? Or if losing our train of thought in the middle of a conversation? …
So you know about gravity, right? And you've probably at least heard of electromagnetism and the nuclear dynamics that govern atomic movement? These are all forces of nature that affect everything about our lives, and of life on Earth in general.
Well, scientists at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory have discovered a strange new particle that might just turn out to be in a class with those others mentioned above. But the emphasis is on the word might -- more testing remains to be done.
Still, this is incredibly exciting news. …
This Tuesday, April 12, marks the 50th anniversary of man's first visit to outer space. In fact, many people don't realize that the first human to make it into orbit was not an American, but actually a Russian -- Yuri Gagarin, of the now-defunct Soviet Union. Try to imagine what sort of courage that must take: to be the first person to strap yourself to a rocket and be shot into space. The odds of returning safely couldn't be that high, and yet Gagarin went ahead with the mission anyway. …
This week's News for Nerds brings us a thrill-seeking billionaire with a new toy, a date with Martian history, and a possible solution to the art world's greatest mystery. But first: listen to your heartbeat. (But not the song. Please, not the song.)
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If you ever get tired of seeing the battery in your iPod run low, fear not. Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology are working on what they call a 'nanogenerator' that will allow devices like the iPod to be powered by a much more reliable form of energy -- your heartbeat. …
A new study near Mars' north pole finds evidence of icy fog and 'diamond dust', a form of precipitation that is similar to snow. This lends credibility to a long-held belief that the Red Planet has a water cycle similar to the one we enjoy here on Earth.
The evidence comes courtesy of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, which touched down in mid-2008 and relayed information back to Earth for about five months before becoming a victim of frigid weather conditions. This is the first time that fog has been directly observed on Mars. …
This week's News for Nerds bring us an answer to a universal internet mystery, a disappointment for one major movie mogul, and our first close look at a suspiciously quiet neighbor. But first: let's go bananas.
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Maybe you've noticed, but gas prices are moving in the wrong direction. Sure, hybrid and electric car technologies are beginning to catch on, but no matter what powers your car or truck, the long-term goal for all transportation ought to be energy efficiency, right?
That's where the bananas come in. Scientists in Brazil have found a way to create a plastic -- usin …
This week: Rooting out anxiety in the brain, the world's first full face transplant, and how sports make us smarter. But first: some robotic creepy-crawlies are coming soon to a classroom near you.
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Forget about dissecting frogs or piecing together owl pellets. A company called Backyard Brains is developing a tiny electric backpack that can connect with a cockroach's brain to allow the insect to be directed like a remote-control car. One of the practical applications is to teach high school students about neuroscience and human physiology.
The force behind this project is brai …
This week: the lost city of Atlantis, a camera that will change who you are, and the lowdown on nerd dating hotspots. But first: aftershocks of a different variety.
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The biggest news story of the year so far has been the devastating earthquake that rocked Japan last week. And rightfully so.
But did you know that the earthquake actually did some cosmic damage as well? It shortened the length of a day by 1.8 microseconds and added more than six inches to the Earth's wobble.
As our friends at National Geographic point out, this doesn't mean that the quake knocked …
