There’s simply nothing on all of Mars quite like it: Orcus Patera, a long, elliptical Martian depression situated between two sibling volcanoes, Elysium Mons and Olympus Mons, is a nearly 235-mile-long anomaly. Especially on its furthest side (far right in the image above), a rim protrudes from the depression, rising nearly to an elevation 6000 feet above the surrounding plains. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the use of “patera” in the strange crater’s name denotes a complex or irregularly shaped formation. “However, despite its name and the fact that it is positioned near volcanoes, the actual origin of Orcus Patera remains unclear,” the agency states at their website.
Sitting before you is a small, limbless, asexual being resembling Casper the Friendly Ghost, smiling and jerking around as it works to manifest a friend for you, who sits a good distance away speaking into a webcam. What’s going on here?
If Japanese robotist Hiroshi Ishiguro could have his way, this little creation, the Telenoid R1, would likely replace instant messaging and webcams altogether, providing a semi-realistic chat experience with friends remotely.
Recently, I was discussing with a friend a variety of the strange and devastating occurrences that have been frequently occurring around the world, and which only seem to be precipitating disaster. For one, the explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf led to what is now accepted as the most devastating environmental disaster in our country’s history. However, the cause behind the initial explosion that resulted in the oil leakage, a methane pocket that escaped into the pipeline, now has environmental scientists concerned, with worst-case-scenarios ranging from uncontrollable gas leakages to speculation about a gigantic tsunami that could ravage the Southern coast of the US.
Truth Out reported today on the Gulf’s “Methane Monster,” warning that methane building there isn’t the only concern we have right now. “The Siberian Shelf alone harbors an estimated 1,400 billion tons of methane,” author Craig Collins wrote, noting this amount to be close to double the amount of carbon in all the trees, grasses and flowers on Earth. “If just one percent of this escaped into the atmosphere within a few decades, it would be enough to cause catastrophic, uncontrollable climate change.” Although the debate over the science behind anthropogenic global warming is still a point of partisan contention, are there certain natural occurrences that may occur in the future that indicate climate change, man-made or not, is inevitable?
Think of the variety of electronic devices you use every single day: from cell phones, to navigation systems in the vehicle you drive, ATMs and electronic banking, and even the computer you’re reading this on right now. What would happen if these sensitive devices were suddenly rendered useless?
At present, this is the very sort of thing that NASA scientists are concerned about, warning that Earth’s sun is now awakening from “a deep sleep” which could result in massive solar storms that, worst case scenario, might be capable of knocking out Earth’s electrical grid.
Utilizing both existing satellite systems paired with new advances and partnerships with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), scientists are discovering new ways to study the sun’s behavior, and although the latest technology in use still represents “a field in its infancy,” data collected is enough to cause concern, according to experts.
Recently, I was discussing with a friend a variety of the strange and devastating occurrences that have been frequently occurring around the world, and which only seem to be precipitating disaster. For one, the explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf led to what is now accepted as the most devastating environmental disaster in our country’s history. However, the cause behind the initial explosion that resulted in the oil leakage, a methane pocket that escaped into the pipeline, now has environmental scientists concerned, with worst-case-scenarios ranging from uncontrollable gas leakages to speculation about a gigantic tsunami that could ravage the Southern coast of the US.