Medicine & TechnologyFor those of you in the states enjoying a welcomed break from the summer sun, today you may just get more than you bargained for. As the moon passes this afternoon across the northern hemisphere, the usually invisible transition will make its mark in daylight as it eclipses part of the sun. And so long as the clouds stay clear of the view, you may just have an interesting afternoon show to look out for.
Today marks a rare occasion, one where alignment makes a spectacle in the sky. While you can expect the autumn day to have cool weather and an added air of sunshine, you can also expect quite a surprise when part of the sun disappears in the mid-afternoon shade. It’s a rare occurrence that you won’t catch for another 3 years at the soonest, but the partial solar eclipse won’t be enjoyed by everyone. Mostly it’ll be a show for the northern United States.
Taking not only developing nations, but the world by surprise, the recent Ebola virus outbreak seen in West Africa is one of unprecedented proportions and terrifying outcomes. Far greater than 20 times worse than previously documented outbreaks in human victims, the current epidemic has made headlines for months as researchers search for a cure and health officials search for a way to stop it from spreading. And while many nations in West Africa are falling farther and farther into a state of disease, the World Health Organization declared that the country of Nigeria has successfully rid itself of the viral pathogen.
Since 2012, when Dutch nonprofit Mars One led by Bas Lansdorp announced plans for a permanent colony to be established on Mars, many have been questioning whether or not the company will be able to make good on its promise. But researchers at MIT say that even if they can, the first Martian pilgrims may not last a year around the Sun.
Apple launched today its Apple Pay service which promises to make payments easier with its breakthrough contactless payment technology and unique security features.
While surveillance on a global scale tightens, looking for the looming threat of Ebola symptoms from international travelers around the world, researchers worldwide are evaluating the all too real threat of the spreading viral infection. And they’re finding that even a conservative estimate could spell international disaster over the next few months.
Today marks 21 days of quarantine since the Ebola infection spread into the US by an infected Dallas patient, who recently fled Liberia. And as none of the individuals quarantined for their close contact with the infected have developed the often fatal hemorrhagic fever, health officials are hopeful that their clean bill of health is a sign that the Ebola virus will not find a foothold here in the United States.
Well, it appears that even after a controversial display last month at the United Nation’s (UN) Climate Summit held in New York City, renowned actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio is using more than his words to cause a change: he’s putting his money where his mouth is.
Predicted to occur this Thursday, Oct. 23, the off-center new moon will pass in front of the sun creating a partial solar eclipse seen across the United States. Though the predicted visibility will range anywhere from twelve to seventy percent of clarity, researchers at NASA expect that the event will be widely visible across the entire continental US.
It’s no big secret that humans tend to think of themselves as the center of the universe. It’s a flaw that has countlessly been proven wrong as science emerged and showed a different view of the world a around us. However, as it turns out, our galaxy may also be to blame for believing it too is the center of the universe.
Recently accepted for publication by the journal Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union, the research lead by NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies analyzed the relative intensity and devastation caused by droughts since 1000 AD and found that though the 2014 summer in California was particularly out of the ordinary even in the driest of areas, it did not quite compare to the drought of 1934.
After excavating a large complex found in the Israeli archaeological site of Tel Burna, archaeologists have uncovered what they believe to be a 3,300 year-old complex, once run and inhabited by an ancient cult.
This morning, the king of social media himself, Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife announced their plans to aid in medical efforts by donating $25 million to the Centers for Disease Control Foundation. The news arrived this morning as the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that issues with containment and assessment of the Ebola virus’ impact may lead to a 1,000% increase in infections (10,000 cases a week) by as early as this December.