Scientists at CERN are claiming that they have measured subatomic particles called neutrinos travelling faster than the speed of light. If (and it is a staggeringly big if) it turns out to be a correct measurement what we know as the laws of the universe would fundamentally change. Tweet
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Fukushima should not put us off nuclear power
After the devastation of the tsunami in Japan on Friday, it was a particularly cruel blow that the nuclear reactors in the plant at Fukushima are suffering a partial core melt-down. But it is worth noting that while thousands have died as a result of the tsunami, the media is obsessively covering the situation in the power station which has killed nobody so far. This
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Now is a great time to check out Jupiter
On 20th September Jupiter was the closest it has been to Earth since 1951. For the next 3 months it is still very close and one of the brightest stars in the sky. At its closest it was a mere 368 million miles away – when it reached opposition (the term for when the sun, Earth, and a given planet are lined up in a
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The horror of Deepwater
The ecological horror unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon spill is the most shocking environmental disaster in decades. In addition to the environmental tragedy, the spill also demonstrates the dangers of a quest for profit at all costs. Tweet
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The big bang of science on TV
It seems we just can’t get enough of science at the moment. Brian Cox’s Wonders of the Solar System and Jim Al-Khalili’s Chemistry: A Volatile History set the ball rolling earlier this year and since then we have been treated to Michael Mosley’s The Story of Science, Jim Al-Khalili’s Atom, Stephen Hawking’s Universe, and Channel 4′s excellent Genius of Britain. Tweet
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Carl Sagan – A hero of science
“If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe”. How could anyone who came up with this not be a genius? Most of us have heroes. People that we immensely admire and respect, that inspire us to better ourselves and that challenge us to broaden our horizons. Mine is not a rock star, an artist, a sportsman or
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Everybody look at the moon!
I was recently lent an old telescope by my girlfriend’s dad. It has no discernable brand markings on it and all I have been told is that “it is Russian and quite old”. It’s mounted on a good quality camera tripod. It is extremely heavy duty and appears to be well made. I don’t really know much about astronomy beyond the basics but I find
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String theory: Like trying to explain The Matrix to a dog?
Being a bit of an amateur science geek, the infinite complexity and beauty of the known Universe amazes me. As does the mystery, wonder and possibilities of what we don’t yet know about our existence. Although the evidence based principles of science appeal to the reasoned atheist in me, sometimes the limits of my understanding arrive frustratingly prematurely. Tweet
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