Sharon – Australian Science

Weekly Science Picks

Sharon — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 07:47:24 +0000

It’s Sunday again. Time for some science-y goodness from around the globe!!

The discovery that a type of mouse feels no pain from scorpion venom has revealed a new strategy for developing pain-killing drugs.

Hubble to get boost from gravitational lensing

Astronomers are attempting to boost the imaging prowess of the Hubble Space Telescope by taking advantage of naturally occurring zoom lenses in space.

More animals discovered in the Amazon – including a purring monkey!

At least 441 new species of animals and plants have been discovered over a four year period in the vast, underexplored rainforest of the Amazon, including a monkey that purrs like a cat.

Microbiologists and Astrobiologists work with kids to discover new microbes!

Extremophiles are microbes that have adapted to extreme environments, such as Utah’s Great Salt Lake. But new microorganisms can be found in everyday places, and scientists are showing school kids how to discover and name their own new species.

Ozone hole smaller than average this year

The ozone hole that forms each year in the stratosphere over Antarctica was slightly smaller in 2013 than average in recent decades, according to NASA satellite data.

ESA volunteers slacking off for science

ESA’s volunteers recently finished their third and last session lying in bed in the interest of spaceflight and science. They can return to their normal lives after spending their last 21 days in bed with their feet up – once their bodies have recuperated from the experience.

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Science Weekly: dinosaurs, global time bomb, shy birds, proof of alien life

Sharon — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 06:36:12 +0000

Welcome to Science Weekly!! It’s been a busy week so we’ve got some great picks for you today.

What’s that smell?

Most of us know we have 5 taste receptors… but did you know we can smell ten different ‘categories’ of odours?

Dino model shows the glide path to flight

Scientists using a wind tunnel and a full-scale model have shed light on how feathery dinosaurs adapted to the skies.

E-waste is a ‘global time bomb’

International expert urges nations to act over our planet’s ever-expanding pile of toxic electronic waste.

Shy birds stick together

According to recent research shy birds stick together and gain courage through numbers, whereas bold birds go it alone.

Understanding the Southern Ocean

It appears NASA satellites have not accurately estimated the important life-giving microscopic phytoplankton population that lives in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica.

Proof of alien life? More evidence please!

Could life really exist on other planets? The most positive scientific answer we can offer is: well, maybe, but we do not yet have enough evidence for or against.

New nano material is on the way…

A new nano material with applications that could include reducing condensation in airplane cabins and enabling certain medical tests without the need for high tech laboratories has been developed by researchers at the University of Sydney.

Cite this article:
Harnett S (2013-09-24 06:36:12). Science Weekly: dinosaurs, global time bomb, shy birds, proof of alien life . Australian Science. Retrieved: Apr 27, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/weekly-science-picks-48/

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Weekly Science Picks

Sharon — Sun, 25 Aug 2013 00:03:48 +0000

It’s that time of the week again. Time for some science-y goodness from around the globe!!

NASA Spitzer Telescope celebrates 10 years in space!

Ten years ago the Spitzer Space Telescope was launched about a Delta II rocket from Canaveral, Florida. Spitzer is an infrared telescope and is the fourth of the NASA’s four Great Observatories in space, Hubble, Chandra, Compton and Spitzer.

Precision atomic clock sets new record

The most precise clocks in the world have been built in the US. Two clocks made from ytterbium (serioulsy I’ve not heard of this element before!) and could be used for technological advancements beyond timekeeping, such as navigation systems, magnetic fields and temperature. Apparently the clocks’ ticking rate varies less than two parts in one quintillion, or 10 times better than any other atomic clock. Sounds great! But does it stop me being late for work?

NASA prepares for LADEE launch

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is a robotic mission that will orbit the moon to gather detailed information about the structure and composition of the thin lunar atmosphere and determine whether dust is being lofted into the lunar sky. LADEE will help us better understand the moon, and other objects including asteroids and other planetary moons.

Want to boost your testosterone level? Try chopping wood…

A new study by the Institute of Social, Behavioural and Economic Research at the University of California, Santa Barbara has found that chopping wood to clear land and feed the family produces more testosterone in men than competitive activities like sport.

Plankton may spread oyster herpes virus

Plankton may be spreading a herpes-like virus that has been devastating Pacific oyster farms in countries ranging from France, UK, Spain and the US.

Bacteria can cause pain on their own

Bacteria can directly trigger the nerves that sense pain, suggesting that the body’s own immune reaction is not always to blame for the extra tenderness of an infected wound.

Map tracks path of dust plume from Russian Chelyabinsk meteor

Watch this video that shows the dust path left behind the 11,000-metric-ton meteor as it ripped through Earth’s atmosphere on February 15, 2013.

Cite this article:
Harnett S (2013-08-25 00:03:48). Weekly Science Picks. Australian Science. Retrieved: Apr 27, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/weekly-science-picks-43/

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Women in Space: Judith Resnik

Sharon — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 00:37:19 +0000

This article is one of a series of articles in which I will profile every woman astronaut, cosmonaut and taikonaut who has been into space. Last time we looked at the career of Sally Ride. Today I’m profiling astronaut Judith Resnik. (The feature image above is a collection of drawings of women astronauts by artist Phillip J Bond. You can find Phillip’s wonderful series on women astronauts here.)

When the space shuttle Challenger was due to launch in the middle of the night (Australian time) on the 28th of January of 1986 – I was in the middle of a standard teenage baby sitting gig. The kids must have been 6 or 7 years old and we were all very excited by the upcoming launch, but disappointed by the late hour. As I tucked the kids into bed I agreed to wake them up during the night so we could watch the launch. We didn’t get up during the night, I don’t remember why – maybe I didn’t set the alarm, maybe I decided not to wake them, maybe I just forgot. When I woke in the morning and turned on the TV, the images of the Challenger exploding a minute into launch were so horrifying they still affect me today.

Judith Resnik (NASA image)

Judith Resnik broke many records during her short life. She was the only person in her high school graduating year to score a perfect college entrance score, she was the second American woman in space (2 missions/145hours), the first Jewish woman in space, and she was, sadly, a member of the first shuttle crew to perish during a mission.

Judith was born in 1949 in Akron, Ohio to Jewish parents who had emigrated from the Ukraine. She had a younger brother, Charles. When a student at Firestone High School, Judith excelled in mathematics and played classical piano. She went on to graduate from Carnegie Mellon University with a B.S. in electrical engineering, and then received her PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland. Judith married fellow student Michael Oldak in 1970; although the subsequently divorced in 1974 they remained close friends. Michael even travelled to Kennedy Space Centre to watch Judith’s first mission launch.

Judith in space (NASA image)

After graduation from Carnegie Mellon Judith worked as a design engineer on various NASA projects contracted through her employer, the RCA Corporation. She also worked with the US National Institute of Health as a biomedical engineer, and as a systems engineer with Xerox Corporation during her PhD. When Judith heard that NASA was looking for female astronauts she sought advice from her faculty advisor and mentor Angel Jordan, who encouraged her to apply. In an interview with the Carnegie Mellon newspaper Jordan said, ‘she was an amazing person’, and he still feels responsible for her loss, ‘I pushed her to excel, and I live with that memory every day’.

Judith Resnick, like Sally Ride, was recruited into the astronaut program by actress Nichelle Nichols (Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek) who worked as a recruiter for NASA from the mid 1970’s until the mid 1980’s. NASA selected Judith as an astronaut candidate in January of 1978. She completed the year-long training and evaluation period in August 1979. Judith’s first mission was as mission specialist on the maiden voyage of Discovery on 30 August 1984 (STS41-D). She worked on a number of projects in support of Orbiter development, including experiment software, the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), and training techniques.

During the mission the crew of STS41-D activated the OAST-1 solar cell wing experiment, deployed three satellites, and completed a number of experiments. STS 41-D completed 96 orbits of the Earth before landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on September 5, 1984. Judith’s first space mission caused plenty of publicity for NASA , during her mission Judith showed a playful sense of humour, doing extensive periods of aerobatics, and holding a sign reading ‘Hi Dad’ up to the camera. According to her ex-husband, Judith ‘had a great sense of humor and was always willing to try anything’. She made waves during her first mission with images of her long flowing locks of hair, viewers were used to seeing the mundane cropped hair styles of men during missions. Resnik didn’t like to be pigeonholed as a woman astronaut or a Jewish astronaut, she considered herself ‘just another astronaut, period.’

STS51-L Crew (NASA image)

Judith’s second mission was also as mission specialist, aboard Challenger (STS51-L), which was launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 11:38 on January 28, 1986. Challenger crew included the commander, Mr. F.R. Scobee, the pilot, Commander M.J. Smith (USN), fellow mission specialists, Dr. R.E. McNair, and Lieutenant Colonel E.S. Onizuka (USAF), as well as two civilian payload specialists, Mr. G.B. Jarvis and Mrs. S. C. McAuliffe (NASA Teacher in Space). During the mission crew were expected to deploy tracking and data relay satellites, carry out the first flight of the Shuttle-Pointed Tool for Astronomy (SPARTAN-203), deploy the Halley’s Comet Experiment in order to observe Halley’s Comet and complete a number of lessons as part of the Teacher in Space Project.

The STS 51-L crew died on January 28, 1986 when Challenger exploded shortly after launch.

The facts of the Challenger disaster are well known. Challenger blasted off from Kennedy Space Centre (KSC) at 11:38 hours on 28 January 1986. 73 seconds after lift off, during the ascent phase, Challenger experienced a catastrophic structural failure resulting in the loss of the crew and vehicle.

How news of the Challenger disaster broke

Naturally, after such a catastrophic incident there was a Presidential review, the resulting Rogers Commission findings are publicly available.

Judith has been honoured many times, including lunar crater ‘Resnik’, a dormitory at Carnegie Mellon, the main engineering hall at University of Maryland all named in her honour. A memorial to Resnik and the crew of Space Shuttle Challenger has been dedicated in Seabrook, Texas where Resnik once lived, the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) ‘Judith Resnik Award’ for space engineering is also named in her honor, and a memorial to Judith resides at the base of Hammerschlag Hall, at Carnegie Mellon University. Members of Tau Beta Pi, the National Engineering Honor Society, help maintain the monument.

‘The future is not free: the story of all human progress is one of a struggle against all odds. We learned again that this America, which Abraham Lincoln called the last, best hope of man on Earth, was built on heroism and noble sacrifice, It was built by men and women like our seven star voyagers, who answered a call beyond duty, who gave more than was expected or required and who gave it little thought of worldly reward.’

– President Ronald Reagan, 31 January 1986.

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National Science Week: Memes, blogs and videos: how social media has transformed the way we communicate science

Sharon — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 07:42:54 +0000

On Friday night I was lucky enough to be able to attend National Science Week’s Event ‘Memes, blogs and videos: how social media has transformed the way we communicate science‘ in Canberra. The event was a panel discussion between some of the most prominent and influential social media science communicators around the globe. The panel included:

Phil Plait – (AKA @BadAstronomer) an astronomer, writer and popular science blogger, Elise Andrew – Creator of I Fucking Love Science on Facebook; Henry Reich – Creator of MinutePhysics and MinuteEarth YouTube channels; Mitchell Moffit & Gregory Brown – Creators of AsapSCIENCE YouTube channel; Destin Sandlin – Creater of SmarterEveryDay YouTube channel; and Chris Cassella – Managing Director of Science Alert.

It really was a stellar ‘cast’ who have a combined social media reach of well over 100 million people per week. So what did these ‘giants’ of social media have to say about science communication? Well they said a lot, so I can only cover the highlights here. For a start – they all agreed – anyone can be a ‘science communicator’. You don’t have to be a scientist, or journalist or writer to be an effective science communicator, you just need to have a passion for science, and the time and ability to pass that information onto others. So what do the panel members think makes their science communication successful, and what can they suggest to someone interested in science communication?

Let’s start with Phil Plait, astronomer, author and science blogger who thinks that ‘all science is entertaining’! Phil selects topics for his blog based on what he’s excited by, not so much on what he thinks others want to see. Phil explained that his philosophy is that if he’s excited about it, other people will be excited about it. He recognises that people are often interested in the scary stuff, so he wrote ‘Death from the Skies’, where he talks about all the stuff that could kill us; blackholes, magnetic flares, supernovas, and killer asteroids. He recommends putting your own spin on a topic, if every one else is talking about it, you need differentiate yourself from everyone else.

Phil Plait (Image courtesy of www.badastronomer.com)

In contrast to Phil, Elise Andrews, creator of the enormously popular I Fucking Love Science Facebook page, really didn’t start off with an idea of ‘doing’ social media. Elise manages a page with 6.4 million followers on her own, and admits that the task takes up all of her time. Elise’s tip is to use the Facebook scheduling function, which helps dramatically with maintaining content in a global 24 hour information cycle. She stressed that the viral nature of social media means that it’s one of the few ways we have to get the message of science and science communication in front of people who wouldn’t normally seek out science-related material. When asked about the contentious name of her page, Elise responded ‘the name of your page is important, you need a name you can’t not look at!’

Minute Physics creator Henry Reich has a background in physics, so that’s why he focuses on physics – he understands it and he wants others to understand it. Henry believes that traditional teaching of physics/science is classical and boring to most people, which is a shame, because right now current physics is focused on really cool stuff like the big bang, string theory, quantum theory, etc. When deciding on a topic Henry tries to focus on the cool stuff, he then tries to explain it in a way that is simple and fun – but remains true to the science. Minute Physics videos are restricted to a minute or two – that makes Henry focus on what is important and condenses the message – there’s no room for extraneous material or ‘fluff’, and that keeps the attention of the viewer.

A clip from Minute Physics: Albert Einstein, The size and existence of atoms (Source: Minute Physics)

AsapSCIENCE creators Mitchell and Gregory, who also have a YouTube channel agree that the traditional way of teaching science can be seen as boring and dry. They believe the message in traditional classroom learning is ‘goal focused’ rather than focusing on the details of the science. So when they pick a topic, they ask a question like ‘Why do we age?’ rather than starting with detailed descriptions of cell division and DNA replication, etc.. This makes the message more relatable, rather than what often happens in a classroom setting with it being very dry and overwhelming. Incorporating entertainment is a vital part of effectively communicating the message – it helps to overcome the reputation of science as being dry and boring, and overly serious.

The third member of the panel that has his own YouTube channel is Destin Sandlin, creator of Smarter Every Day. Although Destin has an engineering background – B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, M.Sc. in Aeronautical Engineering – he takes the approach that he’s just an average guy who is trying to figure something out that he doesn’t know. This allows him to take his viewers on a journey from unknowing to discovery to knowing. In crafting his videos he looks for the “Aha!” moment – the point at which you go from not-knowing to knowing how something works or what caused it to happen. Destin’s videos are progressive – each one starts off with simple concepts, gets progressively harder, until it spikes with a serious point, before it reaches its conclusion. He believes that each video needs to cater for all levels of viewer and should have something interesting for everyone.

Lastly, Science Alert Managing Director Chris Cassella, says that Science Alert started as a website promoting Australian science, since Australian scientific accomplishments are under-represented in the media and community awareness. Chris started to use Facebook to drive traffic to the website, although things didn’t quite work out that way. The Facebook page didn’t drive much traffic to the website, but there was fantastic engagement on Facebook – he then realised that Facebook itself was a better delivery medium. He recommends that sites mix up the serious science content with humorous memes, jokes, etc which breaks up the stream and helps keep people engaged.

During the Q&A session at the end of the panel, an audience member asked the panel for their advice to scientists on what they can do to help assist science popularisers to get the message out about new research. The immediate and very strong message from all panelists was, “publish your results in open access journals!” So often, they would love to link to new research, but linking to a paywalled paper or article creates a deluge of complaints from their audience – so they can’t do it.

So there’s a lot of information to take away from this group of committed science enthusiasts and communicators, but here’s a few tips:

– Be passionate about the science you love, whether it’s biology, physics, astronomy or chemistry – if you’re passionate about it, your enthusiasm will be passed on to your listeners/viewers.

– The advent of social media and platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube means that you no longer need to have a lot of money or resources to be an effective science communicator, you can start with a laptop and internet connection and you’re on your way.

– You don’t need top notch equipment, ‘Hollywood’ style special effects or eye-wateringly expensive graphics to produce your own YouTube videos.

– Make sure you get your science facts right, but if you make a mistake, correct it, be transparent about it, and move on.

If you’d like to see more of the panelists check out these links for further tour dates during National Science Week: Phil Plait, IFLS Live, and National Science Week.

Cite this article:
Harnett S (2013-08-12 07:42:54). National Science Week: Memes, blogs and videos: how social media has transformed the way we communicate science. Australian Science. Retrieved: Apr 27, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/national-science-week-memes-blogs-and-videos-how-social-media-has-transformed-the-way-we-communicate-science/

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Weekly Science Picks

Sharon — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 00:08:41 +0000

It’s that time of the week again. Time for some science-y goodness from around the globe!!

Mystery of the Van Allen Radiation belts solved!

We’ve known for some time that electrons in the heart of the Van Allen Radiation Belts are accelerated to almost the speed of light. But until now we didn’t know why…..

Researchers implant false memories in mice

This sounds like the plot of about a half a dozen sci-fi movies… but researchers have attempted to implant false memories in mice and the results are very interesting!

Whispers from space will be clearer thanks to new technology

Picking up extremely weak signals from exploring spacecraft, such as Gaia and BepiColombo requires cooling a detector to within a few degrees of absolute zero. Recently ESA upgraded 3 of their deep space tracking antennas with the new technology.

Gastric bypass surgery reduces incidents of diabetes

Doctors have known for a while that patients with diabetes who undergo gastric bypass surgery often don’t require insulin shots after surgery. They assumed it was the result of weight loss and change of diet, as it turns out that’s not the full picture…

Hubble spies gold…

Images snapped by the Hubble Space Telescope suggest that gold may have been generated by a violent neutron star collision that also yielded lead, platinum, uranium and other heavy elements.

US authorities plan to cull thousands of barred owls

Federal wildlife officials plan to dispatch armed bird specialists into forests of the Pacific Northwest starting this fall to shoot one species of owl to protect another that is threatened with extinction.

Intact dinosaur tail discovered in Mexico

Paleontologists discover the fossilized remains of a 72 million-year-old dinosaur tail in a desert in northern Mexico.

Cite this article:
Harnett S (2013-07-28 00:08:41). Weekly Science Picks. Australian Science. Retrieved: Apr 27, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/weekly-science-picks-39/

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Weekly Science Picks

Sharon — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 07:43:02 +0000

A happy Science Sunday to everyone! As usual there’s been a lot happening in the world of science, so lets take a peek of the most interesting picks for the past week!

Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) to launch!

At the end of this month, NASA will launch IRIS. IRIS will watch the Sun and provide NASA with information on the Sun’s atmosphere and the interface region. This will give scientists a better understanding of how the Sun’s energy powers the solar wind!

NASA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to explore Mercury

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Italian Space Agency (ASI) President Enrico Saggese signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation on the European Space Agency (ESA) led BepiColombo mission to Mercury

Earth’s plant life shown in Hi Res imaging

NASA’s Suomi NPP Satellite shows Earth’s vegetation mapped at a higher resolution than ever before.

Human Brain Mapped in 3D!

A new three-dimensional map, aptly called BigBrain is the most detailed ever constructed! Scientists hope it will lead to a more accurate picture of how the brain’s different regions function.

Can high energy y-ray astronomy be done from Earth?

Traditionally astronomers have relied on space telescopes to conduct high-energy y ray astronomy because Earth’s atmosphere is a very efficient shield for y rays. However, in early July at the International Cosmic Ray Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, indicate that γ-ray astronomers are betting their future on an ambitious ground-based telescope.

What drives mammals to extinction?

Australian researchers say that it’s not bad luck that drives mammals to extinction over geological time, but their failure to keep pace with a deteriorating environment.

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Weekly Science Picks

Sharon — Sun, 26 May 2013 08:09:09 +0000

A happy Science Sunday to everyone! As usual there’s been a lot happening in the world of science, so lets take a peek of the best picks for the past week!

Conjunction of Jupiter, Venus and Mercury!

If you’re into astronomy, a planetary conjunction is something to celebrate! This week is one for the observers. Just after dusk for the next few days you can see the unusual and stunning alignment of Jupiter, Venus and Mercury.

‘Three planets Jupiter, Venus and Mercury — can be now be seen in the western sky at dusk, weather permitting, in a rare and beautiful gathering that changes from night to night. Astronomers call a meeting of objects in the night sky a conjunction, but this planet parade is better described as a “Grand Conjunction.”

Cockroaches join sugar free craze

Also in the news this week. Cockroaches. Yes. Cockroaches. Apparently they’re cutting back on the sugary stuff, for good reason.

Sugar-free diets aren’t just making headlines in the human world. Cockroaches have joined the anti-sugar trend. Research published in the US journal ‘Science’ today shows cockroaches will eat anything, except sugar. The researchers show that cockroaches have learned to detect and avoid a certain kind of glucose that is commonly used in commercial traps.

Citizen scientists help solve astronomical puzzle

Citizen scientists solved a decades-old puzzle by assisting astronomers to make the most accurate distance measurements yet for an important star system.

The new research, reported in the in the journal Science found the distance to the binary system SS Cygni in the constellation Cygnus the Swan, is 372 light-years. That’s far closer than previous measurements of 520 light-years made by the Hubble Space Telescope, according to the study’s lead author Dr James Miller-Jones of Curtin University and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research.

Neanderthal tooth reveals breastfeeding history

This article took me by surprise. I know we can tell a lot from looking at skeletons, and fossilised teeth but how long a mother breastfed for?

The debate on how long to breastfeed now has a Neanderthal spin with analysis of a fossilised tooth suggesting primitive mothers breastfed exclusively for just seven months. The claim is based on an analysis of barium concentration in different layers of tooth enamel, which also reveals the Neanderthal child was completely weaned at 1.2 years.

Enjoy your weekend folks!

Cite this article:
Harnett S (2013-05-26 08:09:09). Weekly Science Picks. Australian Science. Retrieved: Apr 27, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/weekly-science-picks-32/

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The post Weekly Science Picks appeared first on Australian Science.

Women in Space: Sally Ride

Sharon — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:08:51 +0000

This article is the third in a series of articles in which I will profile every woman astronaut, cosmonaut and taikonaut who has been into space. Last time we looked at the career of Svetlana Savitskaya the second woman in space. Today I’m profiling astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. (The feature image above is a collection of drawings of women astronauts by artist Phillip J Bond. You can find Phillip’s wonderful series on women astronauts here.)

In 2004 I saw Sally Ride at an Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC) Radio National Science Special in Canberra. When I first saw her speak, I was surprised how small she appeared on stage. In my mind, Sally Ride was larger than life, an adventurer, explorer, a trailblazer who broke boundaries in physics, astrophysics and space exploration. Of course within a few minutes of her speaking I was completely drawn into her world of science and space exploration where her stature, and gender is irrelevant. (The transcript of the show she shared with astrophysicist Paul Davies, and marine biologist Syliva Earle can be read here).

Sally Ride aboard the Shuttle (Image credit NASA).

Sally Ride was born in Encino, California. She had one sibling, a sister, her mother was a volunteer counselor at a women’s prison, her father was a political science professor. Sally went to Swarthmore College, taking physics courses at UCLA, she then went on to Stanford to earn her Bachelors degree in English and Physics, and her Masters degree and PhD in physics. Sally was an accomplished athlete, and nationally ranked tennis player in her youth.

Sally was one of about 8,000 people who responded to NASA’s call for applicants for the space program. Sally was ‘recruited’ to NASA by actor Nichelle Nicols who played communications officer Lt. Uhura in the original Star Trek television series. NASA had asked Nichols to help them find the first qualified women and minorities to join what was was until then, an all white male astronaut corps. After more than 12 months of testing and training Sally was one of the few selected to join NASA in 1978. Somewhat unsurprisingly at the time, her gender attracted quite a bit of media attention. Although she herself stayed well clear of gender issues Sally was still asked inane questions like ‘Do you weep when things go wrong on the job?’, and ‘Will the flight affect your reproductive organs?’. Sally noted that she felt astronaut training was ‘asexual’, women and men did all the same training, and that in space ‘weightlessness was the great equaliser, you don’t need to be strong in space’.

Sally Ride – Pilot (Image Credit NASA)

When Challenger roared into space on 18 June 1983 Sally Ride became the first American woman, and the youngest astronaut in space. She was preceded by Valentina Tereshkova in 1963 and Svetlana Savitskaya in 1982, both Russian astronauts. During the STS-7 mission the crew deployed two communications satellites and conducted pharmaceutical experiments. Sally was the first woman to use the robot arm in space and the first to use the arm to retrieve a satellite. Sally’s second space flight was in 1984, STS-41G where the crew deployed the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite, and conducted various observations. STS-41G was the first time that two women flew in space together, when Kathryn Sullivan joined Ride on the crew. Upon her return she was then scheduled for STS-61M, however, that mission was cancelled in the wake of the Challenger disaster. She was nominated to head the Operations sub-committee on the Rogers Commission, the presidential commission investigating the challenger accident. Following the investigation Sally went to work in NASA HQ authoring a report ‘NASA Leadership and America’s Future in Space’.

Sally Ride and Muppet (Image courtesy of Wikimedia)

During her career, Sally served as the ground-based capsule communicator (CapCom) for the second and third Space Shuttle flights (STS-2 and STS-3) and helped develop the Space Shuttle’s robot arm. She spent a total of more than 343 hours in space. Sally remarked in an 1984 interview that she felt ‘a lot of pressure’ being the first US woman in space, and that most of the pressure was ‘generated by the media’. She said she felt ‘proud’ to be the first US woman in space, and that the extra pressure made her determined to do things right.

Sally left NASA in 1987 and went to work for Standford University, she then moved to the University of California San Diego (UCSD) as the Professor of Physics. She was also the Director of the California Space Institute, and a vigorous promoter of public outreach for science. In 2001 Sally co-founded her own company, Sally Ride Science, a company that creates entertaining science programs, events, and publications for elementary and middle school students, with a focus on girls. In 2003 she was asked to be a member of the Space Shuttle Columbia Accident Investigation Board, the only person to sit on both the Challenger and Columbia accident boards. Whilst at USCD, Sally led Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL) public outreach program for the ISS – EarthKAM and GRAILMoonKAM which encouraged school students to study imagery of the Earth and moon. Sally was also nominated to serve on the 2009 commission that helped shape NASA’s current spaceflight program.

Sally Ride (Image courtesy of NASA)

Sally Ride passed away on 23 July 2012 from pancreatic cancer. A fiercely private person, she did not release any information or details of her 17 month battle with her illness. Her death shocked many people. President Obama said shortly after her death ‘As the first American woman to travel into space, Sally was a national hero and powerful role model. She inspired generations of young girls to reach for the stars and later fought tirelessly to help get them there by advocating for a greater focus on science and math in our schools’. Sally’s legacy of public outreach and work with school students through her company Sally Ride Science will be continued by her partner and co-founder of Sally Ride Science, Tam O’Shaughnessy.

Perhaps the most moving tribute to Sally comes from her friend Nichelle Nichols, ‘Sally Ride — my heart aches right now. Sally was one of my first and biggest achievements. She once thanked me for my recruitment efforts while under contract to NASA, saying “If it hadn’t been for you I might not be here.

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Lake Vostok and the search for extraterrestrial life

Sharon — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:17:53 +0000

When Russian geographer and Antarctic explorer Andrey Kapitsa travelled to Vostok Station in 1959 he was looking for evidence of a subglacial lake that was first proposed by Russian scientist Peter Kropotkin at the end of the 19th century. Whilst Kropotkin was not able to specify the location of subglacial lakes, he theorised that masses of fresh water could be trapped far below the Antarctic ice sheets. He believed that the massive pressure of thousands of meters of solid ice would mean that temperatures at the bottom of the ice sheet would be high enough to create isolated water lakes.

Lake Vostok (Image courtesy of the National Science Foundation)

During expeditions to the region around Vostok Station in 1959 and 1964 Kapitsa took numerous seismic readings of the thickness of the Antarctic ice sheet. When Kapitsa analysed his measurements he was able to confirm that he had found a subglacial lake – just as Kropotkin predicted.

It wasn’t until the 1970s that further tests were conducted on Lake Vostok. British scientists performed numerous tests including airborne ice-penetrating radar surveys over the site. Results confirmed the presence of a liquid, freshwater lake far below the icy surface. In the 1980s and 1990s subsequent studies confirmed the details of the lake and revealed that it was the largest of 140 known Antarctic subglacial lakes (about 400 subglacial lakes exist worldwide). Measurements showed that the lake was more than 250km long, 50 km wide, about 400m deep, and was submerged more than 4km under the surface. In 2005 it was discovered that Lake Vostok had a number of islands, and that it’s likely that Lake Vostok is connected to other Antarctic subglacial lakes by a series of subglacial rivers. Unfortunately, scientists are still unsure how water might travel between the lakes, however it appears that the water in Lake Vostok may have been trapped under the ice for 15 – 25 million years. Lake Vostok is interesting to astronomers and astrobiologists, who theorise that if life exists somewhere in the cold murky depths of the lake, then perhaps it could also survive in the cold icy moons of our outer solar system.

Since 1989 there have been various efforts to drill down into the lake to obtain samples to test for microbes. However, drilling Lake Vostok has proven to be a very difficult exercise due to the remote location, freezing temperatures (the coldest recorded temperatures on Earth were recorded at Lake Vostok at -89 degrees Celsius), and long dark winters that reduce drilling times. Samples were taken from an ice core that reached within 100m of the lake in 1998, 2011 and 2012 but these results were inconclusive.

Black Smoker Hydrothermal Vent (Image Courtesy University of Victoria)

Recently researchers announced that they had penetrated the ‘surface’ of Lake Vostok and had analysed samples taken from the drill head in the borehole. Results indicated a type of bacteria that was ‘unknown’ – a result that initially excited scientists. However, the next day, it was announced that the bacteria in the sample was found to use kerosene as an energy source. This was problematic for the team, as they use significant amounts of kerosene and freon at the site to stabilise the borehole (54 tonnes over the last few years). This result pointed to a likely contamination of the sample. Researchers advised they would be conducting further tests in order to collect ‘clean’ samples.

So – why are we so interested in Lake Vostok?

Until the mid 1980s we had a very narrow idea of where life could survive on our planet. We essentially applied the ‘Goldilocks’ theory; in order to foster ‘life’ the environment had to be not too hot, not too cold, must have water, sunlight etc… In the 1980s and 1990s, scientists discovered that microbial life has an amazing ability to survive in what we would consider extreme environments, niches that are blisteringly hot, dry, acidic, or even extremely cold. The discovery of these microbes, known as extremophiles has shown us that the boundaries of where life can exist, and even thrive are far wider than previously imagined. The image above shows a ‘black smoker’ hydrothermal vent – deep in the ocean spewing out water anywhere from 60 – 400 degrees Celsius. Typically these objects are surrounded by life forms, including Thermophiles, microbes that thrive in extremely hot temperatures. Until these deep sea hydrothermal vents were discovered in the early 1980’s we had no idea that life could survive, let alone thrive in such an inhospitable environment without sunlight and under such enormous pressure. The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. is also home to various types of thermophiles, which thrive in the Grand Prismatic hot spring, despite it’s average 70 degree Celsius temperature.

Grand Prismatic Spring – Yellowstone National Park (Image courtesy of Wikimedia)

By looking at sites such as Lake Vostok we hope that we will discover something that will confirm our understanding of the boundaries for life or perhaps give us new information! We hope to find a new type of bacteria, similar perhaps to the psychrophile, or cryophile, extremophiles that can grow and reproduce in temperatures as low as -15 degrees Celsius. These organisms are currently found on Earth in small pockets of briny water surrounded by sea ice, alpine and arctic soils, deep ocean waters, glaciers and snowfields.

Although the Russians have been working on Lake Vostok for some time, they aren’t the only ones taking a good look at sub glacial lakes. Researchers from Britain and the U.S. are also working on Antarctic sites. The Americans have drilled more than 800m to reach Lake Whillans, whilst British researchers have stalled testing on Lake Ellsworth while they test new hot-water drilling methods.

If we find microbes surviving in the waters of Lake Vostok, or another subglacial lake that has been subject to enormous pressure, freezing conditions, lack of sunlight – that suggests that life could exist on one of the icy moons of the solar system. With the knowledge gained from sites like Lake Vostok we can plan missions to the icy moons in search of life. Research has shown that subsurface oceans may exist on a number of solar system moons including Enceladus (Saturn), Titan (Saturn), Europa (Jupiter), and Triton (Neptune). Each of these moons may have an environment capable of harbouring life.

It just may not be life as we know it.

Enceladus and it’s ‘tiger stripes’ – an area near the south pole of the moon that may cover a sub surface ocean (Image courtesy of NASA)

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