Science Etcetera, Jupiterday 20091001

Posted in Science Etcetera on October 1st, 2009

Stephen Hawking has presented an audio essay and slideshow covering his career as he steps down from his position as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University.

Stephen Hawking
Credit: NASA

Brand new, never seen before images of Mercury from the MESSENGER space craft.

The period of time on Earth beginning 1.8 billion years ago is known as the “boring billion,” a period of time when evolution was stagnant and before multicellular life exploded onto the scene, may have been caused by a dominance of sulfur-based life, which prevented oxygen-breathers to successfully propagate.

The exoplanet COROT-7b is so hot that, when it storms, pebbles condense out of the air and rain into molten lava lakes.

Once measuring up to 23 feet and weighing as much as 1,100 pounds, the Chinese Paddlefish may be extinct as protections for the species did not include protections for its environment.

Chinese Paddlefish

Researchers have found some of the chemical reasons for why muscles age, finding that continual exercise of the muscle keeps it younger and able to heal faster, while sudden bouts of intense exercise after periods of inactivity may cause damage that doesn’t heal effectively.

The rise of social networks in our lives has produced flocking behavior in our personal preferences and opinions.

Computer Scientists have successfully booted one-million Linux kernels as virtual machines on a single super-computer, setting up an environment in which to study cyber security and model botnet attacks.

Google Earth Climate Introductory Tour: