Did Congestion Charging Just Go Viral?
What is congestion charging? Congestion charging or pricing is the practice of setting up cordon tolls around the city on a large-scale to charge entrants for entering during peak hours...
"technology"
Quantum Gravity Expert Says “Philosophical Superficiality” Has Harmed Physics
As readers of this blog know, late last spring I spoke at a cool conference in England called How the Light Gets In, where I hung out with all kinds of professional reality-ponderers.
Blink! This Contact Lens Post Could Make Your Eyes Water
He would dab on a bit of cocaine to anesthetize his eyes first. Then, to prevent air getting in, Müller would insert the lenses with his eyes under water.
Under the Deep Sea (A Little Mermaid Parody)
Those of you following this blog know that I love me a great science music video parody. This awesome one from College Humor does not disappoint!
Will Solar Float to the Rescue in Japan?
Land-constraints and a massive nuclear shutdown have intensified the debate over where to put new electricity generation capacity in Japan.
Unlocking the Secrets of the Inner Earth: The Deep Carbon Observatory
We are all well aware of the immense role that carbon plays in our lives. However, have you ever thought about the immense reservoir of carbon that exists deep beneath the earth’s surface?...
Welcome to Texas – America’s energy storage laboratory
Texas is well-known as the home of the oil and gas industry. Over the last decade it has also become the nation’s wind power leader. Today, it is poised to be America’s testbed for energy storage technologies...
Does the scientific journal have a future?
This summer, scholars will use the break from teaching to submit manuscripts, review papers and develop new ideas. But even as the major functions of scholarly publishing march on, scholars, publishers and librarians start to ask, "What does the future of the scholarly journal look like?" Perhaps we should be asking a different question...
If you wish to make a gene from scratch
According to the New York Times, synthetic biology is creating DNA out of thin air. A recent article about synthetic biology and consumer goods describes DNA synthesis as a process where “DNA is created on computers and inserted into organisms.” Computers are pretty cool and really useful in synthetic biology labs, but it takes a [...]..
Photo Friday: Where does it come from? Where does it go? Visualizing Energy Flows
Each year, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory publishes a powerful graphic of U.S. energy use. In the most recent version, one can see how the ~97 quadrillion british-thermal units (quads) of energy used in the United States can be broken down by uses and sectors...
Michael Pollan and Raj Patel invite me to their class to discuss “GMOs”
"Many worthy people objected to the production of hybrids on the ground that it was an impious interference with the laws of Nature." This comment by Maxwell T.
Exoplanet Size: It’s Elementary
Since quite early in the history of the discovery of planets around other stars it’s been apparent that the likelihood of certain types of planets around a star is related to the abundance of heavy elements in that system...
Snow, a Slowing Planet, and a Last Dangerous Dance with Venus
In about a month’s time, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Venus Express spacecraft will adjust its orbit and dip into the outer venusian atmosphere...
Remembering a Great Science Educator
Seventeen years ago, Phil Yam, then news editor (now managing editor, online), was looking for a rent-a-kid to test out the newly opening physics playground at the New York Hall of Science...
The Shale Boom is Big and Good (Bad) for the Economy
Hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) has flipped the global energy discussion on its head. Over the past five years, the world has watched the U.S.
Why is the grass always greener on social media?
Are you on social media? I’m willing to bet you’re on at least one channel (and it’s probably Facebook). In December 2013, 73% of adults online were using a social networking site of some sort...
Google's Cars Sniff Out Natural Gas Leaks to Deliver Cleaner Air
Of all the things to be leaking methane on Staten Island in New York City—corroded gas pipes, sewers, the Fresh Kills dump—who would have suspected the mail truck?
Patient in Failed Depression-Implant Trial Tells His Painful Story
Success stories are a staple of medical communication. The clinician or reporter tells the tale of a patient whose ailment has been ameliorated by a new drug, device, surgical procedure or other intervention...
To Hades and Back: Snailfish Surprise in the Kermadec Trench
ABOARD THE R/V THOMAS G. THOMPSON—On the scale of the Pacific Ocean, the Kermadec Trench looks like a thin line snaking down from southwest to northeast just off the northeastern tip of New Zealand’s North Island...
Winter Is Coming... So Wear the Right Clothes
The April 6th Game of Thrones episode, "Two Swords," eased the HBO series out of the gate and into its fourth season. With this Sunday's episode, "The Lion and the Rose," and King Joffrey's Purple Wedding, things picked up speed considerably...
