Planet Earth, features and articles | Educational Science

Sep 30, 2005

Scientists Surprised by X-rays from Lab Lightning

Sparks created in a lab give off X-rays, scientists announced Monday. X-rays are a byproduct of high-energy electron discharges in the Sun, in exploding stars, and even in lightning. Many scientists did not expect sparks alone to do the trick. Researchers at Florida Institute of Technology brought their equipment, which...

Aug 31, 2005

Scientists Turn Cow Waste into Electricity

Scientists have generated renewable electricity using natural materials that are cheap and plentiful - cow manure and stomach juices. Microbes living in the rumen chamber of a cow's stomach break down cellulose - a tough carbohydrate produced by plants, specifically in the grass cows munch on. This process helps cows...

Aug 31, 2005

The Snowball Effect of Global Warming

In a twist to the proverbial snowball effect, warmer Arctic temperatures are stimulating plant growth, which darkens the landscape and causes more sunlight to be absorbed rather than reflected. The result: Winter heating could increase by 70 percent, according to a new study. The study examined western Alaska during the...

Aug 31, 2005

Slow Seismic Slip Event Underway in Pacific Northwest

Updated 2:35 p.m. ET Sept. 14 An important seismic event imperceptible to humans has begun in the Pacific Northwest as predicted, according to the government agency Geological Survey of Canada. The chance of a major earthquake is 30 times higher now for a roughly two-week period, but the odds are...

Aug 31, 2005

Increase in Major Hurricanes Linked to Warmer Seas

The number of severe hurricanes has doubled worldwide even though the total number of hurricanes has dropped over the last 35 years, a new study finds. The increase in major storms like Katrina coincides with a global increase of sea surface temperatures, which scientists say is an effect of global...

Aug 31, 2005

Hurricane Center May Run Out of Names

HURRICANE RITA: The Latest Storm Update Before the 2005 hurricane season is done, you might read about Hurricane Alpha. Each year, 21 common names are reserved for Atlantic Basin hurricanes, with the list arranged alphabetically and skipping certain letters. Rita is the 17th named storm in the Atlantic Basin this...

Aug 31, 2005

Deadliest U.S. Hurricane Ever Hit Texas in 1900

Texas, the most likely destination for Rita, is second only to Florida in direct hurricane hits since 1900. Between 1900 and 2004, 38 hurricanes hit Texas. [See full list] The National Hurricane Center predicts Rita will strenghten to a dangerous Category 3 storm with winds of at least 111 mph...

Aug 31, 2005

New Computer Model Predicts Rita's Path and Intensity

As Hurricane Rita takes aim on Texas, a new computer model is being tested to see if it can more accurately forecast the storm's movement and intensity. Like the other half-dozen or so different computer models used by the National Hurricane Center, the new one relies on data from various...

Aug 31, 2005

Court Case Threatens to 'Drag Science into the Supernatural'

A court case that begins Monday in Pennsylvania will be the first to determine whether it is legal to teach a controversial idea called intelligent design in public schools. Intelligent design, often referred to as ID, has been touted in recent years by a small group of proponents as an...

Aug 31, 2005

Intelligent Design: 'The Death of Science'

In his highly influential book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, science philosopher Thomas Kuhn presented the idea that science is not a gradual progression toward truth, but a series of insurgencies, with scientific theories constantly usurping one another. That is sometimes true. And proponents of intelligent design love Kuhn's argument....

Aug 31, 2005

Opening Arguments Made in 'Intelligent Design' Court Case

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A school district went to court Monday to defend its policy of telling students that a higher power may have created life -- an alternative to the evolution theory they are already learning. Eight families are suing the Dover Area School District where the teen students...

Aug 31, 2005

Tropical Deforestation Would Alter Storm Paths, Reduce U.S. Rainfall

Rainfall in parts of the United States would be reduced significantly by total deforestation in other parts of the world as the paths of storms are altered, new research shows. The study, led by researchers at Duke University using a NASA computer model, is among the first to reveal potential...

Jul 31, 2005

Beach Pollution Worse During Full Moon

The Full Moon has been blamed for a lot of things, most often falsely or without solid evidence. But here's one to add to the column of truths: Full Moons mean more polluted beaches. So do New Moons, when the satellite is not visible. A new study of 60 beaches...

Jul 31, 2005

Inside an Earthquake: 2 Miles Down in Fault Zone

Scientists breached a major underground earthquake zone this week in Southern California by drilling a hole more than 2 miles down into the San Andreas Fault. The hole will be lined with steel and concrete, then instruments will be installed to monitor the many small and large temblors that occur...

Jul 31, 2005

Plane Crash Survival: Miracle, or Skill and Science?

Voice of Reason: Attributing the survival of the passengers to a miracle is an insult to the bravery, skill, and experience of the Flight 358 crew. On Aug. 2, 2005, amid heavy rain and lightning, Air France Flight 358 from Paris, France, to Toronto, Canada, crashed. The plane had attempted...