research

Could radiation really encourage life in icy bodies or the ocean-planets of our solar system? Scientists at San Antonio’s University of Texas, in collaboration with the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) have welcomed the possibility of radioactive decay leading to the support of analogous microorganisms from resulting molecules.

Many of us can now control our household devices remotely, turning our central heating on or off on our way to work, or programming lights to come on when we are away from home. Now, engineers at Cornell University are looking to extend this type of technology by creating intelligent infrastructure which can monitor underground pipework.

Any number of events can lead to damage to pipework infrastructure, including natural disasters such as earthquakes and flooding, to man-made issues including damage from construction work, blockages and ruptured pipes.

Every year, around 1 in 10 babies worldwide are born prematurely. This equates to around 15 million babies and their parents having to spend time in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) in incubators. Despite improvements in neonatal care, approximately 1 million of those prematurely born babies will not survive. Of those who do survive, many suffer complications including learning disabilities, visual and hearing problems which affect their whole lives.

One of my favorite movies in the science genre is 1997’s Contact. The novel that it was based off was written by noted astrophysicist Carl Sagan and the movie had a good mix of fact and fantasy that actually seemed credible. Jodie Foster’s portrayal of Dr. Ellie Arroway, a scientist for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), was phenomenal.

Many of us might assume that with the arrival of the digital age, the function of libraries will naturally cease to exist. Although this is partly true and in some ways a worrying trend, there is hope for these institutions. Many book enthusiasts, children, college students and professors still insist on the sanctity of libraries and visit them frequently for educational purposes, leisure reading or otherwise. There’s nothing like a good old book in hand!