NEW YORK, NY — The United Nations has declared 2014 to be the year of crystallography. The International Year of Crystallography (IYCr2014) will be launched during an opening ceremony to be held on 20 and 21 January 2014 at UNESCO Headquarters (Paris). This international launch will be a showcase for crystallography and crystallographers, featuring eminent […]
Category Archives: Science
International Year of Crystallography
3rd World Countries from the Third Planet
EARTH — The space race continues. Iran claims to have successfully sent its second monkey into space. “In total, this is the 2nd monkey sent into space and returned in perfect health to Iran. I congratulate the Leader, scientists and the nation,” said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. At the same time, China became the third […]
Comet ISON
NASA — Did comet Ison survive its trip around the sun? After several days of continued observations, scientists continue to work to determine and to understand the fate of Comet ISON: There’s no doubt that the comet shrank in size considerably as it rounded the sun and there’s no doubt that something made it out […]
Extreme Weather Events: Typhoon Haiyan / Yolanda
“The climate crisis is madness. We can stop this madness.” Philippines — One of the world’s most severe storms hit the Philippines. The damage is so massive that it has taken several days just to asses the situation. It appears as though thousands of people lost their lives. Complete towns have been wiped out. The […]
Circadian Rhythms
National Institute of General Medical Sciences — What are circadian rhythms? Circadian rhythms are physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness in an organism’s environment. They are found in most living things, including animals, plants and many tiny microbes. The study of circadian rhythms is […]
Galaxy Growth Like Watching Paint Dry
NASA — Watching a tree grow might be more frustrating than waiting for a pot to boil, but luckily for biologists, there are tree rings. Beginning at a tree trunk’s dense core and moving out to the soft bark, the passage of time is marked by concentric rings, revealing chapters of the tree’s history. Galaxies […]
Sea Serpents Washing Ashore
CALIFORNIA — Two rare oarfish have washed up on California beaches. A dead 18-foot-long oarfish was found off Catalina Island on October. 13. A 14-foot-long oarfish carcass was found on Oct. 18 in Oceanside, CA. Oarfish can grow to more than 50 feet in length and are considered the longest fish. Their appearance has led […]
Climate Change in the United States
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says: The Earth’s climate is changing. Temperatures are rising, snow and rainfall patterns are shifting, and more extreme climate events—like heavy rainstorms and record high temperatures—are already affecting society and ecosystems. Scientists are confident that many of the observed changes in the climate can be linked to the increase in […]
First Global Pollution Tax
The United Nations’ aviation agency (International Civil Aviation Organization) approved the initial steps in implementing a worldwide tax on greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes. If the proposal gets accepted, it would take effect in 2022. The European Union had been seeking a more robust agreement: “While we would have liked more countries to accept our […]
Tax Pollution
One of the only taxes that makes sense is a pollution tax. A progressive income tax is perhaps the worst type of taxation. Why would you want to tax people for being productive… then, tax them higher the more productive they are? These countries currently have taxes on carbon emissions: Australia, India, South Korea, Japan, […]