The Ice Volcanoes of Saturn's sattelite, Enceladus

The Ice Volcanoes of Enceladus

Dramatic plumes, both large and small, spray water ice out from many locations along the famed "tiger stripes" near the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus.
Photo credit: www.wikipedia.org

Saturn's Enceladus may not seem like anything special; just another middle child in a family of 62 natural satellites (funny, Saturn doesn't sound like a Catholic name). But zoom in real close and you'll see that its surface is constantly rocked by massive explosions ... of ice. Yes, Enceladus is home to thousands of what scientists are awesomely calling cryovolcanoes.

Due to the proximity and the immense gravitational pull of Enceladus' smothering helicopter parent planet, the moon is constantly being warped and squished, causing its subterranean ice reserves to crack and pulverize into an underground ocean. As forces continue to build up, the subterranean sea, much like a Japanese high school student, eventually succumbs to pressure and erupts. Great plumes of water shoot outward into space, instantly freezing into ice and making an entire moon appear as if it had spontaneously sprouted jet engines.

Enceladus' cryovolcanoes were discovered quite recently by the Cassini space probe, after it managed to capture actual images of the moon's great flailing ice tantrums. According to scientists, this discovery might also explain what keeps replenishing the debris that makes up Saturn's signature rings. If you're having trouble wrapping your mind around it, imagine Saturn as a great big pimp that beats up on its poor trusting charges until they eventually cough up more ice for the planet's tacky, outrageous bling.

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"5 Mind-Blowing Things Found Hiding in Our Own Solar System" by Ivan Farkas
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NASA's Plan to Save Earth From Killer Asteroids

NASA's Plan to Save Earth From Killer Asteroids

A 2013 meteor explosion above Chelyabinsk, Russia injured more than 1,700 people. It was completely unexpected -- and it could happen again.

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"12 Worst Tattoos of 2011" by Grace Murano
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715 "new worlds" outside the solar system, discovered by NASA

Hundreds of new planets have been discovered (Picture: Nasa / AP)

A ‘mother lode’ of ‘new worlds’ have been discovered outside the solar system, with Nasa confirming the existence of 715 new planets.

The US space agency doubled the number of planets known to humanity in just one day after the discovery ‘bonanza’.

Nasa called the new finds a major step toward the planet-hunting Kepler telescope’s ultimate goal of ‘finding Earth 2.0.’

‘The Kepler team continues to amaze and excite us with their planet hunting results,’ explained Nasa veteran John Grunsfeld.

‘That these new planets and solar systems look somewhat like our own, portends a great future when we have the James Webb Space Telescope in space to characterise the new worlds.’

Continue reading Nasa announces planet ‘bonanza’ after discovering 715 ‘new worlds’ outside the solar system
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Researchers have created a substance designed to help wounds heal faster

A 'glue' engineered to allow faster healing of wounds. 

It may sound like something out of "Asimov's Science Fiction" magazine, but researchers in Switzerland have created a substance designed to help wounds heal faster, from minor cuts to broken bones, reports LiveScience.

The substance, referred to as "engineered growth factor," works by "remaining near the damaged tissue longer than it normally would."

Growth factors are defined as proteins produced naturally by animals. These factors have a variety of uses in the body, from contributing to fetal development to healing skin gashes and broken bones. When the body is injured, growth factors signal certain cells to surround the wound and promote healing.

While growth factors are essential in the healing of wounds, it is difficult to get such proteins to "stick where they are needed." Long-lasting, engineered "glue" could subsequently benefit those with chronic wounds stemming from diabetes or immune system deficiencies.

Studies were conducted on mutant mice with genetic defects making it difficult for wounds to heal. The substance was applied to new wounds on the mice, signaling cells to help heal the damage, and quickly. Its ability to stay put means it could be applied to injuries in much smaller doses, with scientists able to use amounts "up to 250 times smaller" than any such substance used previously. Continue reading...

Scientists discover massive skull of 'strange looking' dinosaur in Canada

Pachyrhinosaur lakustai, named after Grande Prairie science teacher Al Lakusta who originally found the dinosaurs bones in 1970.

A rare dinosaur skull unveiled by University of Calgary paleontologists Thursday was literally hiding in plain sight.

Even with Prof. Darla Zelenitsky pointing out the eye socket of the “gargantuan” pachyrhinosaur’s skull, it still looked like just a giant chunk of rock.

And, with it being found inside the town limits of Drumheller — billed as the dinosaur capital of the world — it probably had hundreds of prehistoric enthusiasts traipsing over it for decades before anyone noticed.

University of Calgary professor Darla Zelenitsky points to the eye socket of the skull of a pachyrhinosaur found inside the town limits in Drumheller, Alta., Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014.

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