Our Planet

No Respecter of Borders: How Countries Respond to Contagion

The history of infectious diseases is as old as human history itself. From the Black Plague that ravaged the Middle Ages to the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic that claimed more lives than the Great War, these microscopic pathogens have proven time and again to be among humanity’s most cunning adversaries.

The man who plays classical music on the piano for elderly/disabled elephants

Paul Barton: the man who plays classical music on piano for elderly/disabled elephants

English classical pianist Paul Barton plays famous classical music pieces on the piano for elderly/disabled elephants. I recently discovered his channel on Youtube – he’s doing an amazing job.

Would it be immoral to send out a generation starship?

If human beings are ever to colonize other planets – which might become necessary for the survival of the species, given how far we have degraded this one – they will almost certainly have to use generation ships: spaceships that will support not just those who set out on them, but also their descendants. The vast distances between Earth and the nearest habitable planets, combined with the fact that we are unlikely ever to invent a way of traveling that exceeds the speed of light, ensure that many generations will be born, raised, and die on board such a ship before it arrives at its destination.

Highest-Resolution Mars Panorama Yet by the Curiosity Rover

Highest-Resolution Mars Panorama by the NASA's Curiosity Rover (2019)

Between November 24 and December 1, 2019, NASA’s Curiosity Rover has captured its highest-resolution Mars panorama yet. The composite contains 1.8 billion pixels of the Martian landscape and it is composed of more than 1,000 images.

Women Breaking the Glass Ceiling in STEM Fields

It may be a man’s world but, let’s face it, far more often than not, it’s the women who are running it. It’s the women who provide the brains as well as the heart, the wisdom and the care.

However, for all the remarkable contributions women have made, and continue to make, to human history, barriers persist. The fields of science and technology, for example, continue to be overwhelmingly populated by men.

Nevertheless, women are at last breaking into the boys’ club of the STEM fields. In this article, we’ll explore the STEM fields in which women are playing an increasingly important role. We’ll also celebrate the women who are breaking the glass ceiling and unlocking the doors for the female scientists and technologists of the future.

Evolution: that famous “march of progress” image is just wrong

Evolution explains how all living beings, including us, came to be. It would be easy to assume evolution works by continuously adding features to organisms, constantly increasing their complexity. Some fish evolved legs and walked onto the land. Some dinosaurs evolved wings and began to fly. Others evolved wombs and began to give birth to live young.

Harnessing Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy taps into and harvests the heat released from below the surface of the earth. It’s a renewable energy that doesn’t contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Geothermal energy reduces our carbon footprint and doesn’t take up a structural footprint, either. Unlike the endless fields of wind turbines or solar panel arrays, most of the energy generation happens out of sight and underground.