In 1950 there was only one city on the planet that held 10 million (plus) people. Now there are several more. As the population of our planet grows, as do the amount of megacities. Tokyo is high a top the list with almost 34 MILLION people!! Talk about a MEGA-city! These cities also happen to be some of the most watched places for New Years fun! So, this year when you're watching the ball drop, be sure to consider the amazing amount of people that are in New York, Paris, Tokyo, Delhi, and various other megacities all around the world! Happy New Year everyone!!
A lot of space related news has happened in the last month. Here are some of the highlights of what's happening out there...way out there.
Huge news from NASA. The MSL (Mars Science Laboratory) launched in late November and is expected to arrive on the Martian surface in August of 2012. This one ton robot will rove the planet looking for soil samples that show if Mars was or was not ever capable of holding life. This will be a huge step forward in researching the types of conditions in the universe that could or could not hold life! For more info on the MSL please go to http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/
In other news, the Voyager 1 satellite has left the solar system!!! That's right, this officially is the very first human made object to leave the solar system. This probe is about 10 BILLION miles away from Earth right now and is, amazingly, still communicating with us. Voyager 1 was launched in 1977...pretty far out!
Lastly, big big big news from 600 light years away. Kepler 22b has been confirmed as an "Earth-like" planet. This newly discovered planet is 600 light years away, about 2.5 times larger than Earth, and orbits a star very similar to our own sun. Scientists think that the average temprature on Kepler 22b is about 70 degrees, how lovely. More on this discovery can be found right here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler-22b
Happy Holidays and we'll catch up with more Stellar Headlines next month!
So, things have changed a lot since 1943. Back then the computer industry was tiny compared to the giant booming, seemingly endless industry that it is these days. Thomas Watson has been quoted (or misquoted depending on who you ask) about how the world market could hold maybe 5 computers. Five computers?? Really?? Well, currently there are nearly 1 billion personal computers on the planet right now! If these trends continue we should hit the 2 billion mark in the year 2015. Wow! Motherload of motherboards! Wait, it gets better. This calculation is only based on personal computers. Once you factor in the machines used by various companies (big and small) and the millions used by governments around the world, that number becomes significantly larger!
Regardless, that quote sure was a sign of the times. Those words could never be said today.
For more information on Thomas Watson check out his wiki page!
Other than blasting people into space and taking photos of far off distant worlds, NASA has contributed a lot to our day-to-day lives also. Check out this page for more info on what NASA's done to help you sleep, clean, and live a little easier. NASA Inventions!
One of the most common misconceptions about this tasty holiday is based around some simple chemistry. The amino acid in question is Tryptophan! The most popular source of this culinary chemical on your dinner table is turkey, however there is a little myth that we need to clear up. Though turkey does contain tryptophan, you should know that turkey is actually not the most tryptophan filled food. In fact its not even close. There are several other foods that contain way more of this chemical than your Thanksgiving centerpiece.
For example eggs, soybeans, pumpkin seeds, milk, and sesame seeds all have way more tryptophan than the turkey on your plate! If you want to see a chart of tryptophan break down, follow this handy dandy Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tryptophan
So, why do we get tired if its not this chemical agent? Well, the answer is actually the same as why you get tired after running a few miles, work. Your body is just working overtime to digest the vast amounts of food you are eating on Thanksgiving. So, this year when the post-dinner zzz’s find you, just know that your body is tired from digesting the mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, rolls, green beans, pumpkin pie, and…oh yeah…the turkey.
Well, lets count:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, errr...999,999,998...999,999,999..1,000,000,000!! Whew!! Took a bit longer than we thought. A billion is a huge number!! If you were to count from one to a billion you would need nearly 96 years! Keep in mind this is straight counting, no food, bathroom breaks, tv shows, nothing! When news headlines reference billions of dollars or when you hear about the billions of stars in our galaxy, it can be hard to grasp the enormity of the data, so lets put some perspective on this giant number.
For instance:
A billion pennies is 10 million dollars.
A billion miles could get from Earth to well beyond Saturn
Or a billion miles is about 41,000 trips around the Earth.
And a billion seconds is 31 years, 8 months, and 12 days...That’s enough time for you to do about a billion things!
In the early days of auto racing a second person was used as a spotter to look for other vehicles and check the gauges. All that changed when Ray Houron won the inaugural Indy 500 in great part to his stunning new invention, the rear view mirror. This eleminated the weight of the extra person and began a tradition that is still used to this day.
Also, in 1922 Barney Oldfield installed a major safety device in his car, the seat belt. About a quarter century later the factories in Detroit took notice and started to instal them their vehicles.
Fuel additives, tire technology, disc brakes? Yep, you guessed it! All invented to make race cars run smoother and safer. Thanks to these speed hungry technichians many of these inventions can be found in your driveway!!
