Our Planet

Top 20 Countries having the most number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (2021 Update)

There are a total of 1121 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world (as of January 2021: 869 Cultural, 213 Natural, and 39 Mixed) in 167 countries. Here are the top 20 countries having the most number of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

What is a UNESCO World Heritage Site? According to the Wikipedia, “A World Heritage Site is a place (such as a building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, or mountain) that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as being of special cultural or physical significance.“

Can Geothermal Energy Save Us From Climate Change?

What if an unfathomably hot, never-ending, never-varying heat source existed that could be harnessed for energy production? This heat source does exist. Right beneath our feet. The top of the Earth’s mantle hovers around 1000 degrees celsius, achieving access to it would make the efficiency of all other current energy sources pale by comparison. With global ocean temperatures continuing to climb, concerned organizations and individuals continue to seek a solution for our presently unsustainable energy production methods.

Why Real-Time Big Data Matters to the Maritime Industry

Over 90% of world trade is in the hands of the international maritime shipping industry. Every year, it moves more than USD 4 trillion of goods. For shipping companies, there’s a lot of pressure to remain on schedule, protect the cargo ship and crew, and ensure profitability. And we can’t say it’s easy.

SETI: new signal excites alien hunters – here’s how we could find out if it’s real

Michael Garrett, University of Manchester

The US$100m (£70m) Breakthrough Listen Initiative, founded by Russian billionaire, technology and science investor Yuri Milner and his wife Julia, has identified a mysterious radio signal that seems to come from the nearest star to the Sun – Proxima Centauri. This has generated a flood of excitement in the press and among scientists themselves. The discovery, which was reported by the Guardian but has yet to be published in a scientific journal, may be the search for extraterrestrial intelligence’s (SETI) first bona fide candidate signal. It has been dubbed Breakthrough Listen Candidate 1 or simply BLC-1.

Galactic archaeology: astronomers are using stars as fossils to study the Milky Way

Understanding the stellar population of our galaxy could reveal a great deal, not only about our own home but also about the universe as a whole. So-called galactic archaeology can reveal how galaxies take shape and explain some of the interesting complexities of our own.

A simple guide to buying your first telescope

You decided to buy your first telescope, but don’t know where to start? Here’s a simple guide for you.

Top 10 Most Beautiful Earth Photos Taken From the International Space Station in 2020

Crew Dragon approaches the ISS, May 31, 2020

Here are the top 10 most beautiful Earth photos taken by the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the orbiting laboratory, in 2020. Which one is your favorite? Or if your favorite image was not listed here, please leave a comment below. To see all images taken from the International Space Station and published by NASA, visit Space Station Images webpage.

Why SpaceX build Starship from stainless steel instead of carbon fiber?

Starship. It is built using stainless steel.

Carbon fiber is lighter and stronger than stainless steel. It is widely used especially in the last two decades, and now we have a lot of experience of building and using it for different purposes. For example, it is most commonly used in the bodywork of a Formula 1 car and also the air box, the wings, the engine cover, steering wheel, and suspension. Space shuttles also use carbon fiber composite materials offering excellent heat resistance in order to withstand the extremely high temperatures they receive while the atmospheric re-entry.

Carbon fiber is an extremely strong material compared to its weight. So, why SpaceX engineers changed their minds and decided to use stainless steel instead of carbon fiber while building the Starship?

How to practice holiday sustainability

Holiday sustainability - Christmas tree detail

Since the holidays are right around the corner, think of ways you can make more sustainable habits! This season is all about gifts, decorations, food, and more, however, a lot of waste is created from these festivities once they’re over.

Financial Planning as Climate Change Gets Worse

Climate change is getting worse. Ascending temperatures contributed to the devastating Australian wildfires of 2020. Meanwhile, coastal surges and extreme rainfall are causing more hurricanes to touch down on the United States.

Amid increasing climate disasters, the average person is left with little in the way of their own protections. Perhaps the only thing many of us can do is to prepare our finances for a worsening climate.

But this is easier said than done. With the impacts of climate change around every corner, how do we navigate our financial planning for security even in the event of a disaster? Answering this question requires an exploration of the financial impact of climate disasters as well as useful strategies for financial preparation.