The Van Allen Belts are donut-shaped rings of radioactive particles that encircle the Earth. They can damage satellites and pose a bit of a risk for human astronauts who venture outside our planet's protective magnetic field and into the regions of the belts. Back in high school, you probably learned that there were two of them. But, it turns out, under certain situations, this planet actually has three Van Allen Belts. The story about this at Nature News, written by , is a joy to read. You really get a sense of how totally scientists' minds were blown by this discovery.
Everything you thought you knew is wrong
Backyard astronomer captures astonishing video of huge fireball whacking into Jupiter (video)
Amateur astronomers captured incredible video (example below) of a fireball smashing into Jupiter on August 28. According to Kyoto University astronomer Ko Arimatsu—who leads a program in which backyard astronomers… READ THE REST
Fascinating look at the decomposition of a partially-frozen sheep
This poor sheep drowned while trying to cross a channel. As sad as the linked image is, it's also fascinating to see what happens when an animal dies of natural… READ THE REST
A handsome and mesmerizing perpetual motion simulator
Steve Mould explains and extols the virtues of a wonderfully-designed perpetual motion simulator (previously at BB) crafted by William Le. He even commissioned a transparent version that shows the clever… READ THE REST
For $359, this Lenovo ThinkPad T480 + Microsoft Office Pro (2021) combo can be yours
We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its view TL;DR: This two-for-one Lenovo ThinkPad480 + Microsoft… READ THE REST
Cut the cords and clutter with this $32.99 3-in-1 wireless charging pad
We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. TL;DR: This 3-in-1 magnetic wireless charging pad is the… READ THE REST
Get more work done with a lifetime of Microsoft Office for less than $35 today
We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. TL;DR: Microsoft Office is a business essential, and… READ THE REST
