The same way Vatican did for Galileo Galilei in 1992, Church of England decided it was time to separate itself conceptually from its fundamentalist sisters into religion and apologize to Charles Darwin, the very one who issued the much-disputed theory of evolution. Both Galilei and Darwin shaped the modern science of today. In 1633, under the threat of torture, the catholic Inquisition forced Galilei to withdraw his theory about Earth orbiting the sun. "Eppur si muove (All the same, it moves)," said the great man though, after recanting his theory. Almost 360 years passed before Pope John Paul II finally admitted the obvious, that the... [read more >>] North Carolina State University recently received a grant from NSF (the National Science Foundation) for the National Research Center for Future Renewable Energy Delivery Management Systems they want to develop, dubbed "Internet for energy." The $18.5 million (about 13.5 million Euros) invested by NSF will provide a good start for the university and its other over 60 partner companies. Although the center begins research soon, it won't open its doors to the public until 2 years from now. The technology they will develop is said to replace the outdated power grid of the US with a smarter one, able to store and distribute the ... [read more >>] 10:36 am, today. The main computer screen in one of the LHC surveillance rooms displays 2 flashing dots, indicating that the last test has been successfully completed. Humankind still exists. Perhaps the most believable story about the apocalypse is the most recent one, linked to the power-up of the LHC (which we've written about on a daily basis). Briefly, the Large Hadron Collider is supposed to smash together protons contained into two particle beams that are to be sent on colliding courses at the speed of light (about 11.000 tunnel laps/second) on October 21st. This experiment is supposed to prove the existence of the Higgs bo... [read more >>] Experts from the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, located in Tallahassee, close to Florida State University, are currently undergoing operations required for the creation of the most potent magnet built to date. The Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico will house the object 2 million times more powerful than the magnet of your average refrigerator, which, upon completion, is said to be able to resist forces equal to the explosion of 200 dynamite sticks. I'm sure the first question that pops in your minds (it was the same for me as well) is either "Why?" or "What for?" Well, the director of the laboratory, Greg Boe... [read more >>] As the time remaining until the first true LHC experiment passes at a snail’s pace, the physicists in charge with the whole process are threatened to be killed by people who, in turn, fear for their lives. There's little common knowledge regarding the LHC and physics in general. People generally think physics is too complicated and too unimportant for them, but when some physicist wannabes claim it can endanger their lives, they suddenly become experts and threats against real scientists are being issued. A short reminder: LHC (the Large Hadron Collider) is a huge particle accelerator built by CERN (the European Organi... [read more >>] Volcanoes are the result of the tectonic movements of the Earth's crust, when magma from the entrails of the planet goes out as lava. They became present in the legends and mythology of all people living around them, which venerated and feared them at the same time. There are submarine and terrestrial volcanoes, but those with an impact in human life are mostly terrestrial, a number of 1,500. These are encountered on the subduction zones (where a tectonic plaque falls under another) like on the Pacific Ring of Fire (from Kamchatka till Indonesia and western Americas, from Alaska to Chile) or on the oceanic mid-ridges (like in Iceland).... [read more >>] Water gives our planet the name "Blue Planet". This chemical gives life to Earth. The Earth's hydrological machine with its vertical cycle, from surface to atmosphere and from atmosphere to the surface, is driven by the Sun energy. 70,000 cubic km of water evaporate yearly from the ground, coming from rivers, lakes and plant and animal transpiration. The seas and oceans contribute with 550,000. The rainfall brings down this water amount: 440,000 on the seas and oceans and 110,000 on the ground, from where a great part is carried by rivers to the oceans and seas, while some amount reaches the water table that fuel the springs. The unde... [read more >>] The emergence of the mountain bikes filled the roads with those addicted to this sport. A mountain bike is very handy for exercising, even if one rides it more often on the roads than mountains. The best bikes for sporting are those with intermediary wheels, which provide an easy movement on the asphalt. Bike riding is a stealth exercise, which covers from a relaxed ride to sophisticated training. As a ride, biking gives a good shape and power for the legs, strengthens the ligaments, articulations and tendons. It helps slimming: a person of 75 kg (190 pounds) will waste 660 kcal/hour at a speed of 25-30 km (15-19 mi)/hour. (trained people c... [read more >>] Volcanoes are the result of the tectonic movements of the Earth's crust, when magma from the entrails of the planet goes out as lava. They became present in the legends and mythology of all people living around them, which venerated and feared them at the same time. There are submarine and terrestrial volcanoes, but those with an impact in human life are mostly terrestrial. These are encountered on the subduction zones (where a tectonic plaque falls under another) like on the Pacific Ring of Fire (from Kamchatka till Indonesia and western Americas, from Alaska to Chile) or on the oceanic mid-ridges (like in Iceland). Amongst the hundre... [read more >>] Before searching for the oldest penis, we must establish when it could have appeared. The penis exists only in those animals that have an internal fecundation, animals which lay eggs or deliver living offspring, but the sperm must fertilize the egg inside the female's body. The lineages that evolved internal fecundation are not many. Some are aquatic: cephalopods (squids, octopuses, cuttlefish), snails (the terrestrial ones, too), crustaceans (only some of them), and sharks. Most are terrestrial, as life on the ground is devoid of water help at the moment of insemination. On land, insects, spiders, snails, reptiles, birds (just few), a... [read more >>] | 
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