Most people have been perpetually reminded since childhood that breakfast is a must. But in recent years, nutritionists and scientists have called this crucial eating time into question. And despite a plethora of research, the scientific community still hasn't come to a solid conclusion as to when the best time to eat your first meal of the day really is.
A long time ago, a galaxy far, far away sprang into existence. Billions of years later, light from that galaxy hit a mirror in a solar-powered satellite orbiting the third planet of a medium-sized star, and the scientific community of the ruling species of that planet got really excited. And they all lived happily ever after.
Whether it's a nervous habit or done just by accident, most people crack their knuckles every once in a while. But the reason why joints crack at all (and the long-term effects of cracking) has been the subject of much debate in the scientific community. With the help of a real-time MRI image, a group of Canadian and Australian researchers could help settle the debate once and for all. Their work was published today in PLOS One.
One hundred years ago today, the scientific community mourned the passing of a very important bird. Her name was Martha (after George Washington’s wife), and she was the last known passenger pigeon to have existed. She died in her cage at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914, marking the end of the passenger pigeon species, Ectopistes migratorius.
There's an old proverb that states "We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." And if some in the scientific community have their way, that sentiment will extend to other planetary bodies as well. A movement among some in the spacefaring community believe that humans need to set up a kind of national parks system for planets prior to human and further robotic exploration to ensure that pristine environmental value - both scientific and intrinsic - is preserved beyond Earth orbit.
Vindication has to be one of the most satisfying effects of a Nobel Prize win - after years of work, the scientific community has finally recognised the real weight of a discovery someone probably fought a very long time to prove. So Daniel Shechtman must feel really satisfied today. The Israeli chemist is a Nobel laureate for his discovery of quasicrystals, a unique form of solid matter whose discovery cost him his job and reputation.
EDITOR'S PICKS
