Evidence: Snowball Earth was iced to the equator

Mar 10 | News

Ancient tropical rocks that now reside in the remote northern reaches of Canada tell the tale: about 716.5 million years ago the Earth lay bound in a layer of ice that limited life to eukaryotes. Strangely, this glaciation—history’s most extensive at 5 million years, say researchers at NSF and Harvard—occurred at about the same time that animals appear in the fossil record.

Evidence of hydrothermal vents on the seafloor near Antarctica

Mar 4 | News

Scientists at Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory have found evidence of hydrothermal vents on the seafloor near Antarctica, formerly a blank spot on the map for researchers wanting to learn more about seafloor formation and the bizarre life forms drawn to these extreme environments.

Faster method to detect bacterial contamination in coastal waters

Mar 3 | News

Engineers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have sped up the process of analyzing bacterial concentrations to under one hour, through the development of a new in-field, rapid-detection method.

Antarctic ice shelf collapse possibly triggered by ocean waves

Feb 12 | News

A study led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography and multiple universities has concluded that southbound infragravity waves, created and driven by storms in the Pacific Ocean, may have been a key mechanical agent in the 2008 breakup of the Wilkins Ice Shelf.

Aerogel material absorbs oil spills

Feb 5 | News

An ultra-lightweight sponge made of clay and a bit of high-grade plastic draws oil out of contaminated water but leaves the water behind.

New research rejects 80-year “Primordial Soup” theory of life's origin

Feb 3 | News

A new paper in the journal BioEssays claims that Earth’s chemical energy, originating from hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, jump-started life on our planet. In opposing the old idea that cells grew by fermenting organics in a “soup”, the UK-based scientists say that all life arose from gases at specialized locations deep undersea.

Bubble physicist counts bubbles in the ocean

Jan 22 | News

The bubbles in your champagne that appear to jump out of your glass and tickle your nose are exhibiting a behavior quite similar to the tiny bubbles found throughout the world’s oceans.

New solar distillation pond methods developed

Jan 6 | News

Ecosystems of terminus lakes around the world could benefit from a new system being developed at the Univ. of Nevada, Reno to desalinate water using a specialized low-cost solar pond and patented membrane distillation system powered by renewable energy.

Robot records deepest erupting undersea volcano

12/18/2009 | News

More than 4,000 feet beneath the Pacific Ocean, a submersible robot in May of this year captured a unique video of a deep-sea eruption, allowing scientists to see for the first time the creation of a material called boninite, which had previously been found only in samples at least a million years old.

CSI sharks

12/2/2009 | News

Hit-and-run attacks by sharks can be solved with a new technique that identifies the culprits by the unique chomp they put on their victims, according to a Univ. of Florida researcher. In a method analogous to analyzing human fingerprints, scientists can make identifications by precisely comparing shark bites to the jaws and teeth of the powerful predators.

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Much ado about next to nothing

Mar 15

The recent review of the past 10 years of the National Nanotechnology Initiative--as presented by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology--suggested the rise of nanomanufacturing as the near future of nanotechnology. But the actual proposed funding reflects a cautious approach, even about nanotech in general.

Lunar tires, space MRSA, and resonating microfluidics

Mar 5

I typically attend the annual Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy each year in pursuit of specific coverage. This year, I sought out candidates for coverage in a vacuum technology article, and pulled together some instruments for a spectroscopy guide. But as busy as that kept me, it wasn’t all mass spectrometers and vacuum pumps on the show floor.  

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NuGard Coating Ashburn Hill

Jan 7

NuGard First Response Protective Clothing are lightweight coveralls, jackets, and pants that provide protection from heat and flame while keeping the wearers body temperature constant.

Multi-Touch Music Maker

Jan 7

Professor David Wessel shows his multi-touch interface that uses computer technologies that allow him to experiment with fine controls to "caress" the instrument.