With the dream of one day being entirely able to rid our world of fossil fuel and coal as sources of energy, at the National Ignition Facility in California, scientists for the first time where able to create a fusion reaction that created slightly more energy than what was used in creating the experiment. While the goal of harnessing the power of fusion is the long term hope for this research, this experiment is simply a small milestone along the road to our goal of infinite clean energy. Perhaps sometime within our life times we will be fortunate enough to live in a world where clean energy is something that is no longer a goal but a reality.
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/feb/12/nuclear-fusion-breakthrough-green-energy-source
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Blood Falls, Antarctica
Blood Falls Antarctica might well be one of the coolest places you will never get the chance to visit.
Blood Falls is the byproduct of a lake more than 2 million years old, and untouched for millions of years. Lake Bonney, a subglacial lake; lies over 1,300 feet below a glacier in total complete darkness. For the last 2 million years this sheet of thick, dense ice has guarded this saline lake from contamination and sunlight, so much intact that it seemed unlikely that remnants of life would even by possible. Although, scientists have never have never been able to drill through the 1300 foot glacier into the surface of Lake Bonney it can be concluded that there are in fact living organisms in the subglacial lake. Unlike the plankton and plant life we have closer toward the surface, these bacteria lifeforms are likely performing chemosynthesis in which they break down Iron compounds into compounds they can digest and then once again replenish in order to allow for the Iron to be used for future digestion.
The famous blood red color is formed as a result of the iron in the subglacial lake seeping through the ice and turning to Ross upon contact with the air. The result is amazing display of interaction between an environment of today and one of a time long forgotten.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIaf9LDJR9c
Blood Falls is the byproduct of a lake more than 2 million years old, and untouched for millions of years. Lake Bonney, a subglacial lake; lies over 1,300 feet below a glacier in total complete darkness. For the last 2 million years this sheet of thick, dense ice has guarded this saline lake from contamination and sunlight, so much intact that it seemed unlikely that remnants of life would even by possible. Although, scientists have never have never been able to drill through the 1300 foot glacier into the surface of Lake Bonney it can be concluded that there are in fact living organisms in the subglacial lake. Unlike the plankton and plant life we have closer toward the surface, these bacteria lifeforms are likely performing chemosynthesis in which they break down Iron compounds into compounds they can digest and then once again replenish in order to allow for the Iron to be used for future digestion.
The famous blood red color is formed as a result of the iron in the subglacial lake seeping through the ice and turning to Ross upon contact with the air. The result is amazing display of interaction between an environment of today and one of a time long forgotten.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIaf9LDJR9c
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