Mars orbiter finds evidence of dry ice snowfalls
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has detected carbon dioxide in clouds above the planet's surface, suggesting that dry ice may have fallen as "snow" to the planet's surface.
STEM
Genetic test may be able to predict autism
Researchers in Australia, using US data, say they may have found a way to use a genetic test to predict the possibility that a child will develop autism spectrum disorder.
Private suborbital space flight to launch from Kennedy
A company that develops spacecrafts that can achieve a suborbital altitude of about 100 km will be able to launch the private space flights from the Shuttle Landing Facility at Cape Canaveral.
We’re learning more about currents in the oceans
Ocean currents, the driving force behind storms like Isaac, which may soon be upgraded to a hurricane, are better understood, thanks to the work of a team of scientists at Florida State and MIT.
Restoring wetlands after centuries of farming in the Piney Run watershed
A win for the environment, a win for a farmer, and a win for developers all come at once when an environmental restoration company in Maryland gets into the act and works their magic.
Is sleep-learning via sensory input possible?
Sleep-learning studies are difficult for a variety of reasons, but a group in Israel thinks they have shown that sleep-learning is possible—not through speaking to people while they're sleeping, but through getting them to tie the sense of smell to the sense of hearing.
Florida schools grapple with Common Core standards
Teachers in Florida and in 45 states are struggling to revise lesson plans as the new Common Core State Standards go into effect. In some states, like Florida, the transition is gradual, while other states drop their old standards cold turkey.
Biochemist, former Miss Massachusetts, has a TV show
In a push to get kids excited about STEM learning (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), a biochemist started an organization, which is now producing TV segments for Comcast in Boston. Fun to watch! GREAT science!
Butterflies move north in warming climate
Data from an amateur group of naturalists enabled a study about butterfly populations in a warming Massachusetts climate. Amateur data is becoming increasingly valuable to scientists as the need for data often surpasses its availability.
Quantum computer figures out that 15 = 3 × 5
Prime factorization of large numbers makes online purchases with a credit card more secure. But physicists at the University of California, Santa Barbara, might have found a way to beat it. The issue now is time.