How to deflect an asteroid
MIT engineers devise a decision map to identify the best mission type to deflect an incoming asteroid.
On April 13, 2029, an icy chunk of space rock, wider than the Eiffel Tower is tall, will streak by Earth at 30 kilometers per second, grazing the planet's sphere of geostationary satellites.
Why not even Minnesota is safe from quakes
Minnesota earned its 'blue mark' in the 1975 Morris earthquake, which had its epicenter in the western part of the state.
- Californians, want to run away from the Big One? Head for Minnesota.
- As this map shows, the Gopher State is the least likely to be hit by earthquakes.
- Choose your new home wisely, though: even Minnesota has one earthquake-sensitive spot.
What do people around the world think about climate change?
Global warming appears to be front of mind for people worldwide.
Climate change is reversible – that's the view of 80% of Chinese people, according to a report from the European Investment Bank (EIB).
How long will a volcanic island live?
Plate tectonics and mantle plumes set the lifespan of volcanic islands like Hawaii and the Galapagos.
When a hot plume of rock rises through the Earth's mantle to puncture the overlying crust, it can create not only a volcanic ocean island, but also a swell in the ocean floor hundreds to thousands of kilometers long.
'Charcoal Australia': This viral image isn't the full story
Viral 'photo' is composite image, but other map shows true and growing size of devastation
- A viral photo shows Australia smoldering like a piece of charcoal about to ignite.
- The composite image shows all fires over an entire month, which is not the same as all fires raging at the same time.
- That's not to say the devastation isn't real, and growing–as proven by another map.
