Rachel K Wentz

Chinese Astronauts Hope to Come aboard International Space Station, and End US Ban

In the fifteen years since the International Space Station has been in operation, this multi-nation venture has steadily advanced our understanding of science, from astronomy, to human physiology, to materials science. It represents a global effort in scientific research and includes five participating space agencies, from the U.S., Russia, Japan, Europe and Canada. Noticeably absent is China. The Chinese would like to see that change.

Why Wait for Hurricane Season when you can Make One in the Lab?

Florida is famous for many things: abundant sunshine, beautiful beaches, a surplus of theme parks, and more tourists than you can shake a stick at. But it's also renowned for its hurricanes. Luckily, scientists at the University of Miami no longer have to wait around for hurricane season to study the dynamics of these massive storms, they can now produce them on demand.

MIT’s Cheetah Robot can not only Run, It can now jump!

The brainy folks at MIT have outdone themselves again. Not only did they develop a robot that can run untethered while mimicking the bounding gate of a quadruped, but now their speedy cheetah can even jump.

The Investigation into whether Johnson & Johnson Knew about their Harmful Uterine Device

Johnson & Johns is under investigation by the FBI for possible prior knowledge about dangers linked to one of their medical devices, the laparoscopic power morcellator, which is supposed to provide a minimally invasive alternative to hysterectomies and removal of fibroid tumors, but in reality, may have been spreading dangerous forms of cancers among its patients.

Another Distraction for Drivers: The Apple Watch

As the movement over texting while driving pushes forward in the U.S., with more and more states adding laws to their books to try to deter this dangerous habit, Canadian police are being hyper vigilant and recently ticketed a man for using his Apple Watch while driving.

Disaster-Mitigating Robots Battle for $2 Million Pentagon Prize

On June 5th, the Pentagon will hold the final round of its Robotics Challenge, where 25 teams from around the world will vie for a $2 million prize to see whose robot can perform best amidst a simulated disaster zone. But there's more at stake than just money. The Pentagon hopes one day such robots might save lives.

Dino Debate Continues – New Analyses Indicate They Were Warm Blooded

In the long debate over whether dinosaurs were warm or cold blooded, a study published last year in Science was thought to have put the issue to rest. Dinosaurs were neither, according to the paper. Instead, they occupied an intermediate category. But a reanalysis of the same data has drawn new conclusions. And the verdict this time? Warm blooded.

Scientists Use 3D Printed Eggs to Study the Art of Deception among Birds

3D printing has already established itself within the scientific community. It's been used to produce tools aboard the International Space Station, replicate body parts for surgical procedures, and now it's found a new niche among biologists studying bird behavior. It turns out, 3D printers produce mighty fine eggs.

Ancient Skull Shows Signs of Lethal Combat

Scientists have discovered what may prove to be the oldest example of intentional violence among humans. In fact, the individual who died of apparent head wounds over 430,000 years ago is not exactly "human," but one of our close cousins, a Neanderthal. And what his skull may prove is that violence predates the rise of modern humans.

A New Species is named following the Discovery of a 3-Million-Year-Old Jaw Fragment

Most of us are familiar with "Lucy," the famous hominid skeleton discovered by Donald Johanson and colleagues back in 1974 along a dried out gully in Ethiopia. Lucy lived over 3 million years ago and was assigned the name Australopithecus afarensis; a species many believe led to the rise of Homo sapiens. But a new discovery may rewrite our origins, for it seems Lucy was not the only type of Australopithecine roaming the African plains so long ago.

Giant Telescope Construction Continues atop Hawaiian Volcano, Despite Protests

The best place to view space is from a locale far from the glaring lights of human habitation. And what better spot than the isolated Hawaiian islands, in the middle of the northern Pacific? Unfortunately, the residents of Hawaii abhor the idea of another telescope marring their sacred mountain. So they have banned together to bid the giant scope a hearty "Aloha!"

See What Tools Made the Cut Aboard the Upcoming Europa Clipper Mission

What would you pack for the 390 million mile trip to Jupiter's icy moon, Europa? Last year, NASA posed that question to a bevy of scientists and after whittling down the final 33 proposals, they have decided on nine items that will rocket aboard the Europa Clipper, which is set to blast off sometime after 2020.

A Robotic Bird Gets a Leg-Up from a Robotic Roach

How do you enable a robotic bird to fly? You launch it off the back of a fast little roach. How do you enable a robotic bird to fly? You launch it off the back of a fast little roach.

San Andreas Ready to Blow – In Theaters and In Real Life

Admit it, there's nothing more fun than sitting in a dark theatre, munching on a bucket of buttery popcorn, and watching the Earth get demolished. In the latest round of catastrophic flicks, California is destroyed as the famous San Andreas Fault unleashes unimaginable (and unrealistic) devastation across the state. Aren't they still recovering from Godzilla?

Clever Birds use Weight and Sound when choosing their Nuts

In yet another example of avian ingenuity, researchers from Poland and Korea have discovered that birds have the ability to use weight and sound to distinguish more desirable peanuts from their less desirable counterparts.

Cave Deposits May Help Predict Future Weather Patterns on our Warming Planet

Throughout human history, people have utilized caves for protection from the elements, as safe havens from predators, and as canvases to display beautiful works of art. Now, a group of scientists from Vanderbilt University are using caves to learn about weather patterns in the past. And what they're discovering may provide insight into our planet's future climate.

Endangered Jaguars May Lose Designated Land if Area Ranchers Have their Way

In March 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service set aside just over 1,000 acres of land straddling the U.S. and Mexican border in an effort to bolster the rapidly dwindling numbers of jaguars. This beautiful spotted cat, who once roamed from Argentina in South America, all the way up to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, has now been practically wiped out in the United States. But that is irrelevant to the angry ranchers who believe providing room for the cats was "unlawful, arbitrary, and capricious."

A Bird’s Eye View Aboard an Aborted SpaceX Test Mission

SpaceX is one step closer to being the first privately-owned company to send astronauts to space. And one of the most important aspects of any mission is protecting the lives of the crew. So they recently tested an abort system that would propel astronauts to safety in the event of an emergency. And a point-of-view camera let us come along for the ride.

Satellite Data Reveal an Alarming Trend in Antarctica

Antarctica is a truly massive continent. At over 5 million square miles, the whole of the US could fit securely within its borders. It boasts the highest, driest, coldest, and windiest landscape of all seven continents. And the fact that it is losing ice is nothing new. It's the rate at which parts of the continent are melting that is raising new concerns.

Archaeologists Track the Birth, Life, and Death of the 3,000-Year-Old Egtved Girl

She was dressed in a knee-length skirt and a short woolen blouse when she was buried in an earthen mound in southern Denmark. She was only a teenager when she died. Her small body was wrapped in a blanket and placed in an ox hide-lined coffin made of oak. Beside her, tucked within a small cloth sack, were the cremated remains of a six-year-old child. Now, over 3,000 years later, scientists are able to trace the young girl's journey across an ancient landscape.

Ancient DNA Shows Dogs Split from Wolves Much Earlier than Previous Estimates

The long relationship between humans and dogs has just been pushed back by tens of thousands of years, thanks to a small piece of rib bone found during an expedition to the far northern reaches of Siberia. And the genetics show that dogs split from wolves much earlier than we once believed.

Sampling the World’s Oceans on a Global Scale Reveals the Complex Relationship between Viruses and Microbes

If you're going to study something as vast as the world's oceans, it helps if you have a large cadre of scientists to sift through the data. And that's just what an international research team, led by University of Arizona scientists, have done. They are rolling out the results of a three-year expedition in which they cataloged over 150,000 tiny ocean creatures, most of which are brand new discoveries.

Four-Legged “Seizure Sniffers” Provide Protection and Comfort for their Owners

Dogs have been man's companion for thousands of years. First domesticated by our hunter/gatherer ancestors over 18,000 years ago, they have been part of our culture ever since, providing protection from predators, warning us of danger, and most of all, serving as loving companions. So the fact that they may offer some assistance to those with seizure disorders should come as no surprise. It's how they assist their owners that is truly remarkable.
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