Asteroid deflector to save the day

 

Almost exactly 1 year after the asteroid exploded above Chelyabinsk, Russia, another HUGE asteroid (270 meter in diameter) whizzed past us at a speed of 27,000 mph 2.1 miles from earth.

The Russain 20 meter asteroid exploded 30km above gound (~3 time the hight of commercial plane) releasing the energy equlivent to 20 atmoic bomb that sent a shock wave injuring more then 1,000 people on the ground.

Unfortunatly, upon such Armageddon, Bruce Willis is unlikely to come and save the day...

Such events remains a very real threat to humanity. The responsible of tracking and possibly of deflecting asteriods on Armageddon, lays upon programs such as NASAs "Near Earth Objects" (NEO) and the"Space Mission Planning and Advisory Group" (SMPAG). These program should be given our utmost attention and celebration in advancement.

 

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/feb/17/asteroid-2000-em26-fly-close-earth-potentially-hazardous

Anti-gravitation cancer cure

Cancer cure research is being held in space

The outer space gravitational conditions are optimal for the inhibition of cancer cells 

For those who think that space exploration offers no tangible benefits for those of us on earth, a new research discovery involving thyroid cancer may prove otherwise. In a new report appearing in the February 2014 issue of The FASEB Journal, researchers from Germany and Denmark show that some tumors which are aggressive on earth are considerably less aggressive in microgravity. By understanding the genetic and cellular processes that occur in space, scientists may be able to develop treatments that accomplish the same thing on earth.

The hope is to find new cellular targets, leading to the development of new anti-cancer drugs which might help to treat those tumors that prove to be non-responsive to the currently employed agents.

Research in space or under simulated microgravity using ground-based facilities helps in many ways to understand the complex processes of life and this study is the first step toward the understanding of the mechanisms of cancer growth inhibition in microgravity.

Spotting Mercury on 31st January

Best Mercury view of the year

The current position of the tandem Earth-Mercury allows to spot our neighbor planet this 31st January

This week is your best chance for 2014. The best time to spot Mercury is about half an hour after sunset (or half an hour before sunrise).

If the sun is any higher, the sky will be too light to see Mercury. If the sun is any lower, Mercury itself will be too low to spot in the horizon haze. About 30 minutes from sunset or sunrise seems to be the "sweet spot" for seeing Mercury.

Find a location with a low western horizon … actually about half way between west and southwest. Watch the sun go down, wait half an hour, and then look just above and to the left of where the sun set.

Mercury will be at its highest when it is farthest from the sun on Friday (Jan. 31), but it should be almost as visible any night this week. The special treat about Friday night is that Mercury will be joined by a one-day-old crescent moon, just below and to its right. The following night the moon will have moved so that it’s just above Mercury.

Stephen Hawkins: Black Holes don’t exist

Hawkins creates polemic about our believes once again

The scientist and eminence in physics puts into debate doubts about our understanding of the black holes

Hawkins triggered once again the debate about black holes the last Wednesday, 22nd January. This debate is headed by the two physics branches: the general relativists and the quantum physicists. Those two parties defend different theories that create a paradox about what happens after a black hole.

The firsts understand the universe as we’ve been taught in school: Black holes will suck you up until you get smashed into a very dense dimension. However the quantum physicists suggest that this theory is wrong as will be denying one the basic principles of physics: “complete information about a physical system at one point in time should determine its state at any other time”. That’s why Hawkins affirms that the information of the sucked up object must be entirely kept in the black-hole.

This would mean a complete change of the black hole as we understand it. However, his brief paper wasn’t getting into much detail which leads to think that this is only an eventual call to action for those experts about the matter. In any case, the debate is open once again and trying to solve one of the most intriguing mysteries of our universe.