Our Planet

Miracle Drug or Snake Oil? How Consumers Can Tell the Difference

Humans have been searching for the fountain of youth for centuries. We have overturned virtually every rock, we have looked under every leaf, and we have plumbed nature’s bounty in order to unlock the secret to eternal life and endless good health.

Along the way, con artists, charlatans, and even well-meaning dupes have introduced an array of “miracle cures” that have proven to be, at best, useless and, at worst, dangerous. Unfortunately, such quackery is by no means consigned to the trash heap of human history.

Here’s why Betelgeuse dimmed in 2019

In 2019, red supergiant star Betelgeuse suddenly dimmed. In fact, the star has a 5.9-year light-cycle minimum period. But, this time, it dramatically to an all-time low.

Betelgeuse is one of the brightest stars in the Earth’s sky and easily can be found on the right shoulder of the constellation Orion. So the dimming, which began in late 2019 and lasted for a few months, was easily noticeable even by backyard observers watching the star change brightness.

This weird, unexpected dimming weird sparked rumors that its death is imminent and it was going to be a supernova.

In fact, Betelguese is really nearing the end of its life. Because of its enormous size, it burns its fuel very rapidly. Red supergiant stars don’t last long, typically only a few hundred thousand years, maybe up to a million. This is actually very short for astronomical timescales. But very long for the human lifespan.

Why does heavy rainfall after a drought cause flood? [Amazing illustration by a Meteorologist]

Dr. Rob Thompson, a meteorologist from the University of Reading shows just how long it takes water to soak into the parched ground, illustrating why heavy rainfall after a drought can be dangerous and might lead to flash floods.

The video is filmed in the Harris Garden of the University of Reading.

Sloth Facts: 10 Amazing things about these adorable mammals

Sloth climbing a tree in Costa Rica rainforest

Sloths are sluggish tree-dweller mammals of the rainforests of Central and South America. They are famous for their languid movements. Sloths spend most of their time hanging upside down in the tree branches and munching on leaves, twigs, and buds.

Space Shuttle Enterprise successfully made its first free flight test on August 12, 1977

Space Shuttle Enterprise first free flight test (August 12, 1977)

On August 12, 1977, NASA’s Space Shuttle Enterprise successfully made its first free flight test, as part of NASA’s Orbiter Approach and Landing Tests (ALT). The ALT program allowed shuttle pilots to explore the orbiter’s low-speed flight and landing characteristics.

IBM PC (Personal Computer) was released on August 12, 1981

IBM Personal Computer (model 5150, commonly known as the IBM PC)

On August 12, 1981, the Personal Computer, (model 5150, commonly known as the IBM PC) was released. This machine (and its descendants) started the PC revolution. It was a very small machine that could not only process information faster than those millions-of-dollars huge computers of the 1960s but also hook up to the home TV set, process text and store more words than a huge cookbook, all for a price tag of less than $1,600.

Unsurprisingly, it suddenly shook the personal computer market. The specifications of the IBM PC became one of the most popular computer design standards in the world. Even today, The majority of modern personal computers (PCs) are distant descendants of the IBM PC.

Scientists are Developing Recyclable and Self-healing Plastics

A combination of dwindling oil reserves and increasing pollution means that the plastic industry must be urgently transformed before it’s too late. The efforts of researchers, including Dr. Jinwen Zhang and his colleagues at Washington State University, mean that solutions are becoming increasingly available. Through the development of malleable and self-healable plastics, created from both existing petrochemical and renewable chemical feedstocks, Dr. Zhang’s team is creating stronger, more resilient plastics that can be easily recycled.

The first E-mail from Space was sent on August 9, 1991

On August 9, 1991, two STS-43 astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, Shannon W. Lucid and James C. Adamson sent the first e-mail from space. The astronauts used an Apple Macintosh portable computer and AppleLink, a popular service for Mac and Apple IIGS users before the commercialization of the Internet, offered from 1986 to 1994.

The recipient of the first e-mail from space was addressed to fellow NASA astronaut Marsha S. Ivins at Johnson Space Center. The message text read:

“Hello Earth! Greetings from the STS-43 Crew. This is the first AppleLink from space. Having a GREAT time, wish you were here,…send cryo and RCS! Hasta la vista, baby,…we’ll be back!”

The Unsuspecting Hazard of Fentanyl

Blackboard with the chemical formula of Fentanyl

Fentanyl has gained the attention of countless news sources in the past few years. In fact, this year dawned the first official Fentanyl Awareness Day, which took place on May 10, 2022. The official website created to promote the day states that this issue is so important because of the alarming death rates directly attributed to fentanyl. However, fentanyl is not only a deadly drug for those who participate in illicit drug use. It also is becoming a deadly substance that is impacting our environment at large. Here’s how.

The first photo of Earth from space taken by a person (August 6, 1961)

On August 6, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov took the first photo of Earth from space taken by a person. It was also the first color image of Earth from space. Titov became the first photographer from space.

This spaceflight was the first crewed spaceflight lasting over 24 hours. Titov was also the first to suffer from space sickness.