The rare earths are a relatively abundant group of 17 elements that are so chemically similar that 15 of them occupy a single row and column in the periodic table. Read more
We are immersed in a dense sea of electromagnetism, or EM. Read more
Got to have that morning rush, whether it is from coffee, tea, chocolate, soft drinks, energy drinks or some other form of caffeine? Read more
What is the universe made of? This is one of the burning questions confronting today’s astrophysicists and cosmologists. Read more
The polar vortex is a permanent low- pressure system that surrounds the geographical north and south poles. “Vortex” refers to the circulation around the poles. The term also describes smaller vortices that occur within lobes of the primary vortex. Read more
Most people have now heard of the atmospheric river called the “Pineapple Express” and the heavy rain and snowfall it caused in California. Read more
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Science has recently revealed new insights into the human body. A vast information network like the internet exists inside. Formerly, scientists thought the brain ruled all body systems and that the other organs merely obeyed its commands. Read more
Thermonuclear reactions deep in the sun’s interior consistently generate the same amount of energy as 2.5 billion 500-megawatt generators, the largest on Earth. Read more
There are tens of trillions of stars in our Milky Way galaxy and billions of galaxies in deep space, each with trillions of stars. Taken in total, there are likely more stars in the universe than grains of sand on all beaches on Earth. Read more
The solid Earth is surrounded by a fluid envelope of atmosphere and ocean, a coupled system of direct interaction. Read more
The transfer of heat from the equator to the poles is the cause of weather. It might manifest as gentle rain, wind, thunderstorms, hurricanes or tornadoes. Read more
Crystals are everywhere. With few exceptions, the solid inorganic substances that make up our world are crystalline. This includes rocks, minerals, ceramics and metals. Read more
It is an interesting aspect of the universe and an ironic sense of unity that it requires more energy to see smaller objects. This is the result of the properties of waves in general and specifically the nature of electromagnetic waves. Read more
We’ve all heard of virtual reality, but virtual water is the current buzz phrase among water conservationists. Read more
Spin is in. Stars spin around supermassive black holes. Planets spin in orbit around the sun. Earth spins daily on its axis, a toy top spins on a desktop, atoms spin, quarks spin, electrons spin and even nonmaterial photons spin. Read more
Charging a cellphone on an induction pad seems like magic, and in a way it is. Induction is a feature of electromagnetism that Michael Faraday stated in 1831, now known as Faraday’s law. It is the basis for much of modern electrical and electronic technology. Read more
From the earliest days of sports announcing, on muggy nights baseball announcers have remarked about how baseballs do not travel as far due to the heavy, humid air. Read more
By strict definition, a catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change. Being such a utilitarian concept, the word takes on other applications outside the world of chemistry from which it evolved. Read more
Just about everyone knows that the moon orbits Earth once every month, which is the time required for one orbit. What we do not commonly know is that the moon’s orbit is not circular; it is elliptical. Read more
Among the many similar but very different mistakes that I see in media is the distinction between silicon and silicone. That “e” on the end looks benign, but it makes a big difference in the material. Read more
The second most abundant particle in the universe after the photon is the neutrino. It is a shifty little thing. It has no electric charge, very little mass, travels very near the speed of light, interacts only with the weak nuclear force and passes through Earth as though it were not there. Read more
