Tag Archives: science

Peril in Orion! Beware Betelgeuse?

Betelgeuse, the bright red star in Orion’s right shoulder, is a semiregular variable star, with small periods of 185 days and 2,100 days and a main period of around 400 days. It will explode at any moment, and we’re right … Continue reading →

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Edited Twins, Genetic Engineering and Bioethics

Gene-editing rules showed up in my news feed last Monday. So, indirectly, did genetically-edited twins who, as far as I know, are still alive. If I’d known how little I’d be able to verify about Dr. He Jiankui’s famous (or … Continue reading →

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Galaxies, Gravity and a Hot Terrestrial Planet

“NASA’s Webb Reveals Intricate Networks of Gas and Dust in Nearby Galaxies“Laura Betz, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland; Christine Pulliam, Hannah Braun, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Maryland; Editor Jamie Adkins (February 16, 2023) “Researchers using NASA’s James … Continue reading →

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Ancient Stone Tools: Hello, Fellow Humans?

“Ancient stone tools found in Kenya made by early humans“ BBC News (February 10, 2023) “Archaeologists in Kenya have dug up some of the oldest stone tools ever used by ancient humans, dating back around 2.9 million years. “It is … Continue reading →

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Exoplanets, Dust, and Who Sees Data First?

It’s been a little over 10 years since scientists spotted Kepler-22 b. It was the first time we’d spotted a transiting exoplanet that’s in its sun’s habitable zone. That may or may not mean that Kepler-22 b is habitable. The … Continue reading →

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