For an excellent introduction to the Higgs Boson, see Frequently Asked Questions: The Higgs! – CERN Bulletin. Extracts: According to the Englert-Brout-Higgs mechanism, the property that we measure as the ‘mass’ of a particle is the result of a constant … Continue reading
It looks very much as if the Higgs Boson has been identified at CERN, it was announced today during an emotional webcast at which Peter Higgs was present. Results from both CMS and ATLAS were presented. The presenters emphasised, however, … Continue reading
Panguite is a new titanium oxide (named after Pan Gu, the giant from ancient Chinese mythology who established the world by separating yin from yang to create the earth and the sky) which has been discovered by scientists from the … Continue reading
Living organisms surviving in open space supports the idea of ‘panspermia’ – life spreading from one planet to another, or even between solar systems. The life in this case was lichen but it seems possible that organisms could colonise planets … Continue reading
The Eurasian Center for Big History & System Forecasting (ECBSF) seeks to develop a unified and interdisciplinary history of the Cosmos, Earth, Life and Humanity. It also seeks to develop system forecasting of social, political, demographic, ethnic and cultural processes … Continue reading
The search for liquid water beyond the Earth is important in the struggle to understand the origin of life. Data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft have revealed Saturn’s moon Titan probably contains a layer of liquid water under its ice shell. Researchers … Continue reading
For geologist Zalasiewicz, each and every pebble you find in your garden or on a shoreline is a “capsule of stories” which tell the dramatic history of the Earth. From the “pebble menagerie”, he chooses a piece of slate lying … Continue reading
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA—If there are other species like us in the universe, theyve probably been around for a lot longer than we have. According to new research presented here today at the 220th meeting of the American Astronomical Society and published … Continue reading
Adam Rutherford presents an amazing three-part series on extinction on UK BBC Radio 4 broadcast on Tuesdays at 11:00 and Thursdays at 21:00 (GMT+1 hour). People living in the UK can listen on the BBC iPlayer. Others might be able … Continue reading
An ancient family of trees, the cypresses, got their start on the supercontinent Pangaea before it split apart. New genetic research indicates this continental split helped shaped the evolution of these trees, which now include giant redwoods and sequoias. More … Continue reading