Month: October 2007

10 Possible Ways the World Could End – Stephen Petranek

Stephen Petranek reveals the question that occupies scientists at the end of the day.  How might the world end? He lays out the challenges that face us in the drive to preserve the human race. Will we be wiped out by an asteroid? Eco-collapse? How about a particle accelerator gone wild?

Most interesting is the decrease in the earth’s magnetic field that has allowed in more radiation.  If the magnetic field has decreased strength by 5% this might partly account for the recent increasing of temperature?

Dr. Dean Ornish tracks the dramatic spread of obesity

In a sobering 3-minute talk, Dr. Dean Ornish tracks the dramatic spread of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease around the globe — as people outside the US start to eat, live and die like Americans do. “This may be the first generation in which our kids live a shorter lifespan than we do,” Ornish says. The good news? These trends are preventable and even reversible through diet and exercise.

According to Dr. Ornish “Cardiovascular diseases kill more people each year than in the US. And worldwide than all other illnesses combined… Of these 95% are preventable and reversible.”

The Obesity Epidemic

One third of Americans are classified as obese—and the number is growing. Let’s get some insight into this expanding epidemic.

Consequences of Obesity – Obesity doesn’t just affect what you see in the mirror: It can have serious consequences for your health.
Overcoming Obesity – Obesity can lead to a plethora of unhealthy consequences, but the good news is that it can be eliminated with some lifestyle changes.

Are Solar Flares Effecting Our Climate?

The STEREO mission will provide a totally new perspective on solar eruptions by capturing images of coronal mass ejections and background events from two observatories at the same time. STEREO’s twin observatories will be offset from one another in orbit. One observatory will be placed “ahead” of the Earth in its orbit, and using a series of lunar swingbys, the other will travel “behind.” Just as the slight offset between your eyes provides you with depth perception, this placement will allow the STEREO observatories to obtain 3-D images of the sun.

Using this unique 3-D imagery, scientists will be able to examine the structure of these important events, and learn more about their fundamental nature and origin.