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EarthSky

David Mayhew On Fundamentally Changing How We Compute

Can you envision plugging into the flow of information--via data centers powered by green energy like wind and solar? David Mayhew can.READ MORE

Joseph DeSimone, The Inventor Of Clean Teflon, On Invention In The 21st Century

The plastics scientist talks about the process behind his work in polymers and what the future holds for inventors.READ MORE

As Irene Arrives, 2011 Has Already Seen A Long List Of Billion-Dollar U.S. Disasters

Snowstorms, tornadoes, flooding and droughts in 2011 have affected millions and cost billions. Here’s the National Climatic Data Center's list of everything that's caused massive damage this year. READ MORE

Will Science Help Feed the World?

Nina Fedoroff, president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, talks about how molecular science, genetic modification, and other advances will help feed the world's growing population in this century.READ MORE

Will Insect-like Flying Machines Revolutionize Surveillance?

To make aerial drones even smaller, scientists are developing tiny aerial vehicles with innovative flapping wings based on those of natural insects.READ MORE

Is Generosity An Evolutionary Trait?

Despite the assumptions of some economists and biologists, new experiments prove that natural selection favors treating others as if the relationship will continue--even when it’s rational to believe it will not.READ MORE

The Science Behind The Epic Arizona Dust Storm

The huge storm in Phoenix on July 5, 2011 started with wind from local thunderstorms. And then it encountered a lot of dust.READ MORE

160 Million Girls Missing From Asia

Growing scarcity of girls and women has tilted the balance of the sexes and the rich and poor in nations where “gendercide” is practiced on a large scale.READ MORE

What Satellite Pictures Of Earth's Lights Can Tell Us About How Our Cities Grow

After examining the patterns made by the built environment at night, Christopher Small concludes that we have a lot more space than we think.READ MORE

The Weather Phenomena Causing 2011's Tornado Explosion

Meteorologist Jeff Masters says that while it might not be climate change, the tornadoes are just one of many weird weather phenomena this year that may be signaling major shifts in the climate.READ MORE

Fukushima Didn't Kill Nuclear Power, It Was Already Dead

Christopher Flavin of the World Watch Institute says there wasn't a revival of nuclear power before the accident. It's actually a dwindling energy source.READ MORE

Beauty And Devastation Amid The Chernobyl Fallout

An artist’s photographs invite a closer look at the dead zone, 25 years after the accident.READ MORE

Engineered Bacteria Can Convert Sunlight, CO2 Into Diesel Fuel

In early 2011, researchers patented a process involving a genetically-modified form of blue-green bacteria that converts sunlight and carbon dioxide directly into diesel fuel.READ MORE

Scientists Did Not Expect 9.0 Magnitude Earthquake in Japan

The March 2011 earthquake near Japan – which reached 9 on the Richter scale – was not anticipated for that region of the ocean, geophysicists say.READ MORE

How the Japan Earthquake Shortened Earth’s Day

The 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Japan shortened Earth's day by 1.8 millionths of a second. While this might sound striking, perhaps even scary, don't panic: Earth is shifting slightly all the time, owing mostly to atmospheric and ocean currents. READ MORE

Debunking the "Supermoon" Theory of Japan's Earthquake and Tsunami

Did the upcoming "supermoon" cause the massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake near Japan and subsequent deadly tsunami? No, it didn't; here's why. READ MORE

Celebrating 100 Years of International Women’s Day

On this 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, what do women want? Everything we deserve.READ MORE

The Truth About Close-Passing Asteroid Apophis

Asteroid Apophis is back in the news, this time due to the release of a report by Russian scientists, which the Huffington Post chose to present in pairing with a scary, factually incorrect and very ...READ MORE

Biomimicry Offers Sustainable Solutions Inspired By Nature

Biomimicry is design inspired by nature. With 7 billion humans on Earth today -- and demand for natural resources growing, while supplies remain fixed -- people are looking for innovative ideas to ...READ MORE

Why Pluto Was Killed

Mike Brown told EarthSky that it wasn't his goal to kill Pluto. The Caltech astronomer has discovered hundreds of objects in the outer limits of our solar system, but it was his discovery of the ...READ MORE