Ryan Wallace

NASA Says Tropical Rainforests May Hold a Key To the Climate Change Issue

While tropical rainforests may be vanishing, a new study led by NASA researchers reveals yet another reason why trees in the tropical rainforest may in fact be man’s best friend. With greenhouse gas emissions on a constant rise since the dawning of the industrial revolution and the subsequent population growth that followed, researchers in recent years have tried to estimate exactly how much carbon dioxide is actually absorbed by plants to better assess a serious global issue. And in a new NASA-led study, researchers from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory were able to combine three different divisions of science to reveal that tropical rainforests may be absorbing far more CO2 than many researchers previously thought, in response to rising atmospheric levels of the greenhouse gas.

SpaceX’s Tuesday Mission May Change Space Exploration, And Our Taxes Forever

Knowing the waste associated with space exploration, the millions of dollars invested in early flight stages merely shelled off into space, private-sector rocket company SpaceX has decided to rework how the space exploration game is played. Developing reusable pieces, that if brought back with a spacecraft could be used on yet another mission, the company not only intends to change their role in the rocket industry, but the way our tax dollars are spent as well.

Blue Hole of Belize—The Fall of Maya Civilization Found in the Sand

Over the past Millenia, civilizations even before the age of written history, have fallen when faced with famine, disease and even war. But when the most advanced civilization in the world disappears without a reason, the mystery creates some unique speculations. For years now, researchers and archaeologists have sought out an answer to what happened to the Mesoamerican Mayan civilization, and while theories have run the gamut from mass suicide to disease and famine, researchers now believe that they have found the answer entombed in an underwater lagoon.

How Many Times Did the International Space Station Crew Ring in the New Year? Can You Guess?

While their families and colleagues must undoubtedly think about them 24 hours a day, it seems that most residents of Earth never find themselves pondering what life must be like for the elite six astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) just outside our atmosphere. Orbiting the Earth in a giant space-bound laboratory, life can get pretty interesting. And something even as innocuous as the ball drop of a new year can turn into something entirely note-worthy.

What One Discovery May Mean For Conservation Efforts in Southeast Asia

Now, while conservation efforts have sought out to stop this practice that ruins tropical ecosystems, many have failed as national and international agencies refuse to step in unless something else causes a pressing concern. And in that hope, the forests of Indonesian island Sulawesi may soon find their deforestation coming to a close; all thanks to strange-breeding frog species.

SpaceX’s Reusable Rocket Could Turn the Tide of Space Missions in 2015

Ever wonder why they call space the “final frontier”? Well it isn’t because it’s the last place for us to explore or expand. As it so happens, space is often thought of as the final frontier because most of what leaves our Earth in search of exploration never comes back. In fact, it’s the reason why Mars One’s newest plans for colonization on Mars is only planning one-way trips. But what if we could reuse rockets and reclaim the several-million-dollar investments that our space agencies, and our tax dollars, invest each and every year? Perhaps we’d be able to go in search of far more things. And that’s what private-sector rocket company SpaceX hopes to achieve.

Chatty Zebra Finches May Slur Their Speech When Drunk, But Then Again Who Doesn’t?

Well, they may not be the normal bar hoppers you’re likely to spot out on New Year’s Eve, but a new study shows that when zebra finches imbibe even just a bit, they won’t likely pass a sobriety test no matter how high their tolerance. Spiking the drinks of the small Darwinian subjects, researchers with the Oregon Health & Science University found that after drinking even small amounts of liquor the birds were less inclined to fly around but certainly slurred their songs and chirps with a distinct drunken vibe.

Health Officials Believe They May Have Found Source of Newest Ebola Outbreak

While the viral pathogen continues to claim lives in West Africa, health officials believe that they may have now found the source of the infection, in a hollowed out tree. After making an expedition to patient zero’s—a two-year-old boy named Emile Ouamouno—hometown in Meliandou, Guinea, researchers believe that they may have found the source of Ebola in a hollow tree the young boy may have played in, which also is home to a colony of bats.

What Lay in Seas of Venus? Researchers Say They May Have Found the Cloudlike Answer

As NASA contemplates sending man to Venus, to live in a floating civilization above the hostile burning surface, new research reveals that while current surface temperatures soar above a bone-ashing 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures may have once supported some sort of liquid on the surface—but you won’t be able to guess what it is.

Irish High Court Rules In What They Believe is Best Interest for Dead Mother and Unborn Fetus

After nearly a month of debates and testimonies arguing the legal rights of an unborn fetus, a three-judge panel of the Irish High Court ruled on Friday Dec. 26 that in the case of a pregnant mother being declared clinically dead, that doctors may choose to turn off life support, and in-effect terminate the pregnancy, if the fetus has little chance of survival.

First Caramel Apples, Now the Ice Cream May be Infected—Listeria Epidemic

First it’s the caramel apples, now it’s contaminated ice cream. Where will the CDC draw the line? In a recent international outbreak of bacterial infection Listeria, health officials from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have investigated recent deaths and sourced the outbreak back to potentially bad batches of pre-made caramel apples sold in retail stores such as Safeway over the past few months. But now, as the holiday season is in full bloom and more cases are popping up day after day, CDC officials are finding other sources, as well, and are now putting a warning on ice cream potentially infected in some areas of the nation.

Illegal Import May Be the Death of a Few Species, Including Humans—Coconut Crab in Hawaii

In a strange sequence of events, officials with Hawaii’s Department of Agriculture reported that an illegally transported Coconut Crab was found roaming down Honolulu’s Salt Lake Boulevard early this past weekend. And while the species may sound like a small an unassuming small beach crab, with claws strong enough to pierce through coconuts, the discovery of one on the island has researchers and department officials on edge from the possibilities of what may come.

Facebook Comments on Class Action Lawsuit—Are They Going Through Your Messages?

After more than a year of legal fees and litigation, Facebook has finally seen the course of what their class action lawsuit will entail for them, and now they’re commenting back. Now you might view Facebook as the protectors of your dirty little secrets, or even the social media source connecting you to your friends worldwide, but a new class-action lawsuit the company faces alleges that Facebook employs have been scanning users’ messages for information—and your messages may have been hacked too.

What Manganese and the Trade Winds Tell Researchers about the Coral Bleaching Epidemic of the Pacific

Researchers from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), tasked with monitoring the overall health of Pacific coral reefs are sounding an alarm of international proportions to notify the public and government agencies that the Pacific Ocean coral reefs are facing a massive die-off known commonly as “coral bleaching”. Publishing their recent study in the journal Nature Geoscience, the researchers are pointing towards warming oceans and dying trade winds for the massive coral bleaching soon to hit these coral reefs, and are naming global climate change as a contributing factor.

Facebook Faces Federal Court After Accusations of Reading Users’ Messages

Ever been in breach of your user policies? Well if you have, you’ll know that judges don’t take too kindly to infringing on other people’s privacy—worse yet, it could amount to millions of dollars in restitution. And while they may seem like the protectors of all our dirty little secrets, leaked through to the internet, it turns out that FACEBOOK INC. is facing a class-action lawsuit of their own, accusing them of scanning users’ messages.

‘The Interview’ Goes Back to Its Theater Roots—Live Reading in NYC this Saturday

Even in the face of potential international warfare, public acclaim and the media win the popular vote. So it comes as no surprise that since Sony Pictures pulled the plug last week on the release of controversial comedy “The Interview”, the people have demanded another option to see what’s ruffling international feathers—and Sony has answered them with a unique alternative. While cinemagoers will not be pleased to miss out on the comedic makings of Seth Rogen and James Franco, the stars of the newly banned film, theatergoers will be able to watch a live reading of the movie’s screenplay on Saturday Dec. 27 at New York’s Treehouse Theater.

Tick-Bourne ‘Bourbon Virus’ Wreaks Havoc on Kansas

While these little arachnids are not much to look at, ticks are the carriers of a myriad of diseases, which makes them of great importance to researchers. History has shown that they can cause sepsis, this past summer researchers discovered that the Lone Star tick can create a severe allergy to red meats, and now health officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that a new tick-borne virus can even cause multiple organ failure.

NuSTAR Telescope Helps NASA Find Nanoflares on the Sun

With a new day in science comes a new study of the sun. No, we’re not talking about a new telescope or a new division under the international space agencies, but rather a reallocation of a science used in other parts of space. Turning their sights from far off black holes, with a closer subject in mind, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is repositioning their NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array) towards our very own local star to produce the most sensitive measurements of high-energy solar x-rays to date.

Cyberterrorism Marks the End of ‘The Interview’, and Perhaps the Start of Something Worse

It’s been a brawl months in the making, since Sony Pictures announced the trailer for the upcoming film “The Interview”. But now threats have manifested into firewall action, and the US is claiming that North Korea is at fault for some serious feats of cyberterrorism. And while the totalitarian regime is throwing some pretty heavy ammunition via the media our way, President Obama says the “acts of cybervandalism” are just that—vandalism, not war.

Sweets May Swell Your Brain—Caramel Apples & Listeria

Want to give something sweet this Christmas as an added treat? Well, you may want to reconsider. While cookies and cakes may be safe, one Autumn treat may carry along with it a bad tiding, and a serious infection as well. Though caramel apples are often an Autumn/Winter treat, health officials with the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are saying that they may be the link between a multi-state Listeria outbreak that has to date led to more than four deaths, and dozens of hospitalizations. Spanning the states of Texas, Arizona and Minnesota, the CDC confirms that the bacterial infections came after ingestion of pre-packaged caramel apples, and now the patients are facing life-threatening complications.

A Holiday Filled With Chirps & Cheer—The Christmas Bird Count

When it comes time to the Christmas season, people innately begin counting the birds: four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and whole lot of other species. But if you’re an ornithologist, then the holiday season also marks an important time for bird-watching. Waking up before sunrise and catching a glimpse of the black-necked stilts or the white-tailed kites may be a part of your daily agenda, but when Dec. 14 rolls around you’re ready for day long adventures to camp out and count the local bird species in the skies.

Warblers Flee, As Warnings from Mother Nature Reveal Coming Storms

In the study of ecology, it’s long been known that animals have a sort of sixth sense above and beyond what humans can perceive. Perhaps through the aid of their keen senses of smell or their abnormally acute sense of hearing, animals such as dogs are able to sense the presence of cancers, the onset of seizures, and even changes in the climate. But in a new study led by UC Berkeley ecologist Henry Streby, it’s birds that are sensing a change. Golden-winged warblers to be exact.

Real-World Medicine Man Or Phony? MDs Weigh In on the Dr. Oz Debate

Before the age of medical doctors and precise pharmaceuticals, people turned to the aid of medicine men, tribal councils and even shaman to heal all sorts of ailments. Herbal remedies were prescribed, and more often than not, the symptoms would disappear, or the person whose ailments would escalate would disappear too with the problem. But do you know who they never asked for help? Television personalities—not even those with medical degrees.

In Wake of Changing Diplomatic Relations, Cuba Reasserts Communistic Regime

Though the embargo has not yet been lifted, this past week indicated a change in diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba after nearly 53 years of political divide. Wednesday, Dec. 17, marked a unique turnaround between the island nation and the US in terms of political and economic relations when US President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro delivered addresses simultaneously aired, sparking hope and conversation about their future together. But this morning, Dec. 20, after President Castro’s speech for the twice-annual legislative session held at the National Assembly in Havana, Cuba, many are questioning whether or not plans may fall through with the prevailing communism underlying the nation of Cuba.

Caramel Apples May Not Be So Sweet—Listeria Outbreak Across US

This holiday season you may want to steer clear of the sweets—or at least caramel apples. Though the caramel sweets are often an Autumn/Winter treat, health officials with the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are saying that they may be the link between a multi-state Listeria outbreak that has to date led to more than four deaths, and dozens of hospitalizations. Reporting this morning, Dec. 19, on the condition of the outbreak, the CDC says that at least 28 individuals spanning the states of Arizona, Texas and Minnesota have been infected and are facing the life-threatening illness.

While US Moves Forward, Cuba Stands Still—Diplomatic Relations in Stand Still

It’s been a discussion decades in the making, but one whose final answer is not yet given. On two different sides of a war years ago, the United States decided once that Cuba should face an embargo thought to keep ties between the two nations as severed as could be. But with new leaders and a new collective vision for the future, not only of politics but of the two nations together, the embargo stopping free flow of products and people between the two nations may soon come to an end.

Half the Size, But Twice the Bite—Study Reports European Wolves Are on the Rise

As carnivorous species in the United States, like the Mexican Gray Wolf, face dwindling populations and increased difficulties finding niche habitats, a new study reveals that carnivores in Europe are on the rise—and they are more than twice as abundant. The new study published this week in the journal Science reports that while Europe may be one of the most industrialized landscapes on the face of the Earth, that conservation efforts and restoration practices have led the continent to large-scale success in bringing back continental carnivore populations.
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Most Popular

Recommended Stories

Real Time Analytics