To put it briefly, the habitability of a planet depends on it's distance from its star, the composition of its atmosphere, and the type of star its orbiting.  If our own solar system is at all…

Oh, yes.  I absolutely adore meeting with the media, it's my chance to give something back, don't you know, to give aspiring young journalists a paw up, as it were.  It's the least I can do…

This is my first posting, and already I'm in trouble.  The pull-down menu for "Field" belies an excruciatingly conventional taxonomy of human endeavour.  If I want to deliver a critical…

I have recently been enjoying a bit of cross-Atlantic mud-slinging with some of our most prolific writers, most recently on the subject of which is the true and authentic version of Football.…

Elsevier is about to launch a new journal, Reviews in Physics. This will be a fully open-access, peer-reviewed journal which aims at providing short reviews (15 pages maximum) on physics topics at…

Ten years ago, on Jan. 14, 2005, some orange-y image, showing an alien scenery with lots of pebbles in the horizon, was at the center of ESA scientists’ attention. The snapshot of a distant world…

I live in Massachusetts, home of the National Football League team the New England Patriots.  I admit to being a fan, being raised as a Minnesota Viking by two enthusiastic parents.  The…

Here is a list of Windows 10 Hits and Misses, points which I consider a good point or a area still in need of work.   Right now it is mostly hits.  Over time I will find and post the misses…

Throughout the European Union, environmental elites have to scramble a bit to rationalize their anti-GMO stance while trying not to sound silly. That's not easy. How can modern GMOs be Frankenfood…

Women are at an increased risk of relapse after a smoking cessation attempt. Research indicates that both the hormonal fluctuations of the menstrual cycle and the negative symptomatology…

AirAsia 8501 - More Bodies Retrieved, More Data Released Detik News reports that there was some difficulty in relocating the fuselage.  Sidescan sonar was used and the fuselage was discovered "a…

Each January, I scamper out of the basement and talk to folks during MIT's Independent Activities Period. The Alumni Association is the sponsor (no one from the physics or math department is inviting…

Memorizing the ions is one of the most challenging part of mastering the basics of inorganic nomenclature.  As I agree with Gerhand, Lind (1992), students of chemistry should master the naming…

These semi-serious but mostly joking statements are based on my observations as a student and as a Adjunct Professor at community colleges.  Thinking about the initiative to give school through…

With the terrorist attacks in Paris fresh on the minds of Europeans (150X as many dead in a terrorist attack in Africa, not so much), politicians are reflecting the concerns of the public and…

The International Astronomical Union is holding a competition to assign common names.Astronomy clubs  and other public groups may submit names.   The general public will then get to…

NASA’s Dawn mission is closing in on a mysterious, unknown world in the asteroid belt. The dwarf planet Ceres named after the Roman goddess of agriculture awaits to unlock its secrets. So far, we…

Air Asia Fuselage Found - Photos The fuselage of Air Asia 8501 has been found.  Underwater photos taken by a ROV were posted on Facebook by Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, reposted below.…

If you want a career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, you have probably been cautioned that academia, awash in Federal money promoting STEM careers, can maybe employ 15 percent of the…

A national survey of students in U.S. middle schools and high schools shows some important improvements in levels of substance use. The University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future study…