Our Beloved Solar System’s Mercury is Actually Shrinking

Apparently, it’s possible for planets to shrink, and it’s happening within our very own solar system. Mercury, already the smallest planet, is contracting, causing what appears to be shrinkage. According to research from NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft, the planet closest to the sun has lost about four miles of elevation in some areas. Scientists have known… Continue reading Our Beloved Solar System’s Mercury is Actually Shrinking

Drone Captures Amazing Footage of Dolphin Mega-Pod

Most of us have seen dolphins either in the ocean or at theme parks and aquariums. But most people can’t claim to have seen a mega-pod of the sort filmed by tour boat captain Dave Anderson’s drone. Using s small GoPro camera attached to a drone, Anderson was able to film a five-minute video of… Continue reading Drone Captures Amazing Footage of Dolphin Mega-Pod

The Sleep You’re Missing out on Might Be Killing Your Brain Cells, Study Says

All that sleep you missed out on might catch up to you after all. A recent paper published in the Journal of Neuroscience reports that staying awake too long destroys brain cells in mice. And there’s a chance it might do so in humans as well, reports Forbes. A Loss of Brain Cells Researchers at… Continue reading The Sleep You’re Missing out on Might Be Killing Your Brain Cells, Study Says

Can Twitter Detect HIV Outbreaks?

A new study has shown a link between HIV outbreaks and real-time social media platforms like Twitter. UCLA researchers published the study in Preventive Medicine journal, finding a connection between geographic outbreaks of HIV in the U.S. and tweets heavily focused on drugs and sexually risky behavior. From May through December 2012, researchers collected 550… Continue reading Can Twitter Detect HIV Outbreaks?

Scientists Now Able to Track Whales From Space

Although they are the largest mammals on the planet, you can’t see whales from space. Not until now, that is. Scientists have discovered that they can keep track of whales by using images taken from space with the DigitalGlobe’s Worldview-2 platform. The system uses exceptionally high resolution satellite pictures and image-processing software that scientists can… Continue reading Scientists Now Able to Track Whales From Space

Body Odor Could Be The Next Thing We Use for Identification

There is no doubt we’ve all encountered someone with a less than pleasant body odor. Well, that distinct smell, while just a nuisance today, may soon become your means of identification. Scientists are discovering that human scent is not only unique to each person but also constant enough over time to have an 85% identification… Continue reading Body Odor Could Be The Next Thing We Use for Identification

Google Wants the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health to Take Advantage of Its Cloud Services

Google has joined the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health, the company announced on its Research Blog today. In an effort to help healthcare providers and others analyze the huge volumes of genomic information available today, Google is proposing one Web-based API for importing, processing, storing and searching genomic data at scale. Google is also… Continue reading Google Wants the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health to Take Advantage of Its Cloud Services

Could Electric Shocks to the Brain Replace Caffeine?

When you’re awake for long periods of time (think 30 hours or more!), coffee just isn’t cut out for keeping your brain alert. And the caffeine jitters that come from drinking other energy drinks don’t help keep you on your A game, either. But don’t fall asleep yet: researchers are working on a new way… Continue reading Could Electric Shocks to the Brain Replace Caffeine?