Salem-News.com Science articles Page 38

NASA Space Shuttle Endeavour Launch Can be Viewed at OMSI

Oregon Astronaut Don Pettit of Silverton will be onboard.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - On Friday, November 14th, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) will offer space exploration enthusiasts a front-row seat to watch Oregon astronaut Don Pettit launch into space aboard NASA's space shuttle Endeavour STS-126.

Scientists Continue to Sign Petition Opposed to Global Warming

Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine says a "flood of Scientists oppose what they describe as, "Global Warming Alarmism."

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - As the Senate prepares for floor debate on global warming legislation, the list of scientist signatories to the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine's petition against global warming alarmism is growing by about 35 signatures every day, announced OISM's Art Robinson.

On May 19th 2008, OISM announced that over 31,000 scientists, including more than 9,000 with Ph.D.s, signed a petition that states, "... There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane or other greenhouse gases is causing, or will cause in the future, catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate..."

Phoenix Spacecraft on Course for Sunday Mars Landing

The spacecraft is in fine health.

(PASADENA, Calif.) - With three days and 3 million miles left to fly before arriving at Mars, NASA's Phoenix spacecraft is on track for its destination in the Martian arctic.

"The latest calculation from our navigation team shows the center of the area where we're currently headed lies less than eight miles from the center of our target area," said Barry Goldstein, Phoenix project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "We may decide on Saturday that we don't need to use our final opportunity for fine tuning the trajectory Phoenix is on. Either way, we will continue to monitor the trajectory throughout Saturday night, on the off chance we need to execute our contingency maneuver eight hours before entry."

Microbiologists Discover New Parasite Killing Ducks, Other Species

Myxozoa are a group of microscopic, parasitic animals that live in marine and freshwater aquatic habitats, and one or more species are found in virtually all fish.

(CORVALLIS, Ore. ) - Microbiologists at Oregon State University have discovered a new species of “myxozoan” parasite that has been found for the first time to infect a warm blooded animal – in this case, ducks - after evolving from its relatives that are common in cold-blooded fish and aquatic worms.

NASA to use balloon flotilla to study radiation that affects Earth

(WASHINGTON) - A new NASA project will use more than 40 high altitude balloons to return new scientific insights about Earth's Van Allen Belts. The type of radiation in the belts can be hazardous to astronauts, orbiting satellites and aircraft flying in high altitude polar routes.

NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, has awarded $9.3 million to Dartmouth College of Hanover, N.H., for the study. Research using the balloons can be carried out at a fraction of the cost of using an orbiting satellite.

Western States Facing Waterways Inundated with Non-Native Fish, Amphibians

The most widespread non-native species were brook, rainbow and brown trout, which were found in 14-17 percent of the streams surveyed.

(CORVALLIS, Ore. ) - A new study by researchers at Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that more than half of the stream and river miles surveyed in 12 western states contained non-native fish and amphibians.

Oregon and Washington had fewer non-native species, yet 20-21 percent of the stream miles in the Pacific Northwest still had fish or amphibians that were not present when Lewis and Clark first explored the region.

Nutritional Supplements Improve Memory in Old Dogs; Humans Next?

The study builds on similar findings made several years ago, that found activity and energy level of old rats taking supplements almost doubled, and memory and cognitive function improved.

(CORVALLIS, Ore. ) - Nutritional supplements have successfully been used to improve the memory, ability to learn and cognitive function of old dogs – and might be able to do the same thing with humans.

Oregon State Researchers Seeking Children for Study

The study is part of a $2.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

(CORVALLIS, Ore. ) - Oregon State University reseachers are seeking children ages six to 15 for a new study that will record energy expenditure and changes in physical activity.

Sixth Grade Astronauts Ready for Takeoff

At the completion of training, each crew "flies" a ten-hour mission in the school space station, Alpha-Z 2000, with no adults on board.

(CAMAS, Wa.) - Skilled student astronauts and their teachers have spent the past few months researching, planning and preparing for a successful trip into space.

Students are blasting off into space from the Liberty Middle School launch pad, fully clad in authentic-looking space garb and using highly sophisticated equipment.

Astronomers Announce Monstrous, Brightest Supernova

University of Texas graduate student Robert Quimby first observed the supernova on Sept. 18th, 2006 in the galaxy NGC 1260, located in the constellation Perseus.

(BERKELEY, Calif. ) - An exploding star first observed last September is the largest and most luminous supernova ever seen, according to University of California, Berkeley, astronomers, and may be the first example of a type of massive exploding star rare today but probably common in the very early universe.

UC Berkeley post-doctoral fellows Nathan Smith and David Pooley estimate the star's mass at between 100 and 200 times that of the sun.