ddelmonte - Slashdot User

Submission + - ESA Satellite shows sudden ice loss in Southern Antarctic Peninsula (esa.int)

Submitted by ddelmonte on Friday May 22, 2015 @07:12AM

ddelmonte writes: A recent acceleration in ice loss in a previously stable region of Antarctica has been detected by ESA’s ice mission — CryoSat.

The latest findings by a team of scientists from the UK’s University of Bristol show that with no sign of warning, multiple glaciers along the Southern Antarctic Peninsula have started to shed ice into the ocean. Scientists noticed that the glaciers started "lowering" around 2009, and the rate of lowering is presently approximately 60cu km per year. Prior to 2009, the 750 km-long Southern Antarctic Peninsula showed no signs of change.

Submission + - A Near Earth Object Approaches Rather Close

Submitted by

ddelmonte

on Saturday February 28, 2009 @07:24PM

ddelmonte writes: "An "exciting" very close pass of a Near Earth Asteroid for observers in the northern hemisphere awaits Monday and Tuesday nights; NEO 2009 DD45 will skim within 0.0003 AU of the earth during the early evening hours of March 1 (2nd UT) and will attain a brightness of at least mag. 10.8, perhaps brighter. This object is moving incredibly fast, so charts and preparations will be necessary to even keep up with it telescopically as it moves rapidly north and east each hour. For full details and ephemeris information, click: http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/mpec/K09/K09D80.html Remember that all times (in decimal days) listed for the object on that link are in Universal Time, NOT local time. An alternative site for those like me who are mathematically challenged is http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ According to the NASA data, the object is between 22 and 60m across."

Submission + - Internet Use Can Be Good for the Brain (washingtonpost.com)

Submitted by

ddelmonte

on Wednesday October 15, 2008 @10:39AM

ddelmonte writes: "This Reuters/Washington Post article examines a test conducted at UCLA. They tested two groups, young people who used the Internet, and older people who had never been online.Both groups were asked to do Internet searches and book reading tasks while their brain activity was monitored. "We found that in reading the book task, the visual cortex — the part of the brain that controls reading and language — was activated," Small said. "In doing the Internet search task, there was much greater activity, but only in the Internet-savvy group." He said it appears that people who are familiar with the Internet can engage in a much deeper level of brain activity. "There is something about Internet searching where we can gauge it to a level that we find challenging," Small said. In the aging brain, atrophy and reduced cell activity can take a toll on cognitive function. Activities that keep the brain engaged can preserve brain health and thinking ability. Small thinks learning to do Internet searches may be one of those activities. "It tells us we probably can teach an old brain new Internet tricks," he said."

Submission + - New Large Caves Found on Mars

Submitted by

David DelMonte

on Monday April 02, 2007 @05:12PM

David DelMonte writes: "space.com is reporting the discovery of seven dark spots near the Equator on Mars. They are thinking that these are cave openings. The openings are the size of football fields, and one of them is thought to extend approximately 400 feet below the surface. The full story is here. http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070402_mm_ma rs_caves.html
"

Submission + - Top 10 April Fools Stories

Submitted by

ddelmonte

on Friday March 30, 2007 @08:19PM

ddelmonte writes: "Yahoo News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070329/od_afp/lifes tyleaprilfoolmediaholidayoffbeat;_ylt=AiB2WDfNIRFu kGxgROHj_pnMWM0F) has made a roundup of the top 10 April Fools stories, at least of recent years. I personally think we're in the midst of one of the longest running AF stories of all time. He lives down the street on Pa Ave."

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