Whether or not Voyager I has actually left the solar system, one thing is certain — it never would have made it far enough to have a debate if it weren't for the help of plutonium-238. The isotope has been crucial for powering spacecraft — there's 10 pounds of the stuff in the batteries of Curiosity. But supplies are very, very limited. In fact, the US scientific stockpile is down to 36 pounds. All of it spoken for. What happens to space exploration when there's no more plutonium-238? Dave Mosher investigates at Wired.
Peak plutonium and a fuel shortage in space
Scientific paper about being bitten by a weird snake
Meet the leaf-nosed snake, a peculiar Madagascan species with a gift for crypsis. Reading about it I found my way to Envenomation by the Malagasy colubrid snake Langaha madagascariensis, which turns out to be "This God Damned Snake Bit Me!" written up as a formal scientific paper. To avoid harming the snake and to prevent… READ THE REST
Sasha Sagan interviews a series of inspiring female scientists
In Violet magazine, writer Sasha Sagan, author of the must-read For Small Creatures Such As We, is interviewing a series of inspiring and diverse female scientists. First up is evolutionary biologist Dr. Michelle Trautwein, "curator of flies" at the California Academy of Sciences. followed by South African chemist/nanotechnologist Dr. Tebello Nyokong of Rhodes University, and… READ THE REST
"Our brain is better at remembering where to find brownies than cherry tomatoes."
Spatial memory is the cognitive process for remembering and recalling the location of objects in relation to yourself and other objects. Turns out, our spatial memory also evolved to more easily remember where chocolate brownies than cherry tomatoes. Makes sense to me. According to researchers at Wageningen University & Research, this is because our evolutionary… READ THE REST
This 3-piece extra large cast iron cookware set is on sale for just $70
If you're anything like millions of Americans, staying at home these past several months has been followed by a steadily increased diet of cooking shows. It's really not hard to understand why. If you can't go out to restaurants the same way right now, why not bring those delicious meals to you? The next logical… READ THE REST
This coder bootcamp can get you up to speed on 6 key programming skills in 60 minutes each
Training packages are available everywhere. And since everyone wants to know how to code, there are literally hundreds of different courses, lectures, and training sessions that can help teach you the building blocks of this foundational ability. However, most of us aren't very patient. We want the facts we need to know, we want them… READ THE REST
If you want your boost your memory, try this course
Your brain is a wondrous creation. Even when you're destroying it with Cheetos and hour after hour of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, it's still the most powerful computer you will ever own. According to Northwestern University psychology professor Paul Reber, each human brain has the capacity to store up to 2.5 petabytes of data.… READ THE REST
