January 2016

Discovering Dakotaraptor Steini

January 26, 2016January 31, 2016 Science ConnectedDakotaraptor, dinosaurs, raptors

By Featured Guest David Blagic David is a young, amateur paleontologist and student of vertebrate paleontology. He lives in Mladenovac, Serbia. At 14 years old, he enjoys writing on the behavior, morphology, phylogeny, and evolution of dinosaurs, particularly Theropods such as Maniraptorans and Carnosaurs. Connect with him on Google Plus or YouTube. Dakotaraptor steini Dakotaraptor steini is a newly discovered species of dromaeosaurid dinosaur. First remains of this species were discovered in 2005, in the Hell Creek Formation, but it has officially been named only this year. Dakotaraptor steini was about 6…

Environment New Technologies Physics

Spying on the Atomic Structure of Perovskites

January 25, 2016May 12, 2016 Science Connectedalternative energy, solar energy, solar power

By Jonathan Trinastic, @jptrinastic Spying on the Atomic Structure of Perovskites Perovskites are darling materials in the world of solar cells but still somewhat of a mystery to scientists. Perovskite-based photovoltaics boast a combination of high performance and cheap production that makes them an ideal candidate to lead the next solar energy revolution. Like many young and talented upstarts, however, they don’t always perform consistently, and they burn out quickly. Scientists do not yet completely understand why, but they have taken an important step by creating the first images of individual…

Physics

Using Cycling to Teach Physics

January 20, 2016April 1, 2021 Science Connectededucation, physics, science education, STEM education

Working together, scientists and teachers have developed a method to teach teens about aerodynamic drag. Are you using cycling to teach physics, yet? “Usually, describing a realistic motion including aerodynamic drag would be beyond the scope of a secondary physics course. However, I realized that this could be done fairly easily for a bike slowing down by aerodynamic drag,” explains Florian Theilmann from the Weingarten University of Education in Germany. From Textbook to Real-Life Physics “In a common physics class, physics seems to be presented in a very simplified way,”…

Astronomy and Astrophysics Science and Art

Painting the Way to the Moon: An Impressionist Portrayal of a Rocket Scientist

January 13, 2016January 17, 2016 Science Connectedmoon, NASA, space exploration

By Dan Spengler Ed Belbruno is a self-admitted motormouth. Painting the Way to the Moon, a new documentary about the mathematician and painter who previously worked for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), does not prove him wrong—it mostly features Belbruno talking about himself. Painting the Way to the Moon takes its title from Belbruno’s experience of finding inspiration for a ballistic capture trajectory to the moon in a painting he made, but ultimately struggles to find a clear identity. Belbruno tells most of his own backstory, with brief comments from…

STEM Education

You Can Tour These Research Labs

January 12, 2016May 5, 2021 Science Connectedtravel

Tour research labs and see science in action! These labs welcome public visitors. In person visits may be off limits due to Covid-19.

Paleontology Zoology

How Did Snakes Lose Their Legs?

January 11, 2016April 3, 2021 Science Connectedanimals, evolution, paleontology, reptiles, snakes

How did snakes lose their legs? A fresh clue as to how and why has been found deep in an ancient snake’s inner ear.

Max Goldberg photographing grizzly bears and other wildlife in Alaska

Nature Photography Science and Art

Alaska Wildlife Photography: Behind the Scenes

January 6, 2016April 18, 2021 Science ConnectedAlaska, wild alaska, wildlife photography

Hello! My name is Max Goldberg, and you may have seen multiple stories and photos of my adventures in Alaska last summer. As you read, you may be wondering, “How did he get those pictures? They have to be fake. Also, how do I get to Alaska? What gear do you recommend?” Before we get into all that, I should give you a little background. First, you simply cannot just get up and go to wild Alaska, unprepared. Not only dangerous, but incredibly stupid. During the entire trip, my father and I…

Environment Nature Photography Zoology

Using the Power of Photography for Good

January 5, 2016March 11, 2021 Science Connectedenvironment, nature photography, Photography, turtles

The power of photography to achieve environmental good is, indeed, great, as evidenced by the work of photographer Chris van Wyk.

This artist's conception shows a blazar -- the core of an active galaxy powered by a supermassive black hole. The VERITAS array has detected gamma rays from a blazar known as PKS 1441+25. Researchers found that the source of the gamma rays was within the relativistic jet but surprisingly far from the galaxy's black hole. The emitting region is about five light-years away. Courtesy of M. Weiss/CfA

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Gamma Rays from a Galaxy Far, Far Away

January 4, 2016 Science Connectedastronomy, space

After traveling for about half the age of the universe, a flood of powerful gamma rays from a distant galaxy slammed into Earth’s atmosphere in April 2015. The gamma rays met our atmosphere and formed a cascade of light that fell onto the waiting mirrors of the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) in Arizona. The resulting data have given astronomers a unique look into that faraway galaxy and the black hole engine at its heart. What Are Gamma Rays? Gamma rays are photons of light with very…