Full Moon Trifecda and then some.

You might want to look up this evening ( Early Wendesday Morning ) because the Moon will be doing some cool stuff.

1) This Moon is a Super Moon: The moon travels in an elliptical orbit, so this time the moon is a little closer to Earth than the average distance. This makes the Moon appear large and brighter.

2) This Moon is a Blue Moon: Using the modern definition of a "Blue Moon", the second full moon in a calendar month, this is the second full moon in the month of January.

3) This Moon is a Blood Moon: The full moon will enter the Earth's shadow making a lunar eclipse. The color of the Moon may vary from Amber Yellow to a Deep Red. The color comes from the refraction of sunlight through the Earth's atmosphere.

4) This Moon is the Snow Moon: Usually this would be the Wolf Moon, the full moon in the month of January, however since it is the second full moon and should be the full moon of Feburary this moon is called the "Snow Moon"

You can read some details about the Moon and viewing this wonder here:

Look up! Tonight's total lunar eclipse is special in at least three ways

'Super Blue Blood Moon' Coming Jan. 31

First Primates Cloned! Is Human Cloning just around the Corner?

Scientist have cloned two Macaques monkeys. These are the first clones in the primate branch, the same branch that humans and all other Hominids belong. Cloning a primate is a big step towards cloning human beings. Here is some video of theses two cuties: Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua.



You may also read some great articles about the two Macaques monkeys and the methods used to generate theses clones.

Monkey Clones Created in the Lab. Now What?

Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua: first primates born using Dolly the sheep cloning method

Researchers clone the first primates from monkey tissue cells

Astronomy and Physics: Metallic Hydrogen

Scientist have made metallic Hydrogen! A substance thought to be in the cores of Jupiter and Saturn. Now made in the lab you can read the story here: Metallic hydrogen has been created for the first time

Environment Science: The End of Antibiotics

A 70 year old woman died from an infection after being treated with 26 different types of antibiotics. The bacteria that killed her was a resistant strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

You can read the entire story here: A Superbug That Resisted 26 Antibiotics

How can you fight the Antibiotic Apocalypse? Try eating less bacon. You can read that story here: How You Can Stop Antibiotic Resistance (And Still Eat Bacon)

Environment Science: Zika here to stay.

Along with the Zika virus, many other tropical diseases are here to stay in the Southern United States due to climate change. Many mosquitoes that thrive in warmer climates are finding a new home in Florida and other states in the south due to milder winter.
You can read (or listen) about the Zika virus here: Zika May Be In The U.S. To Stay

Environmental Science - The Plant that Bleeds like Beef

Impossible Foods is working on a burger made from a plant. A veggie burger that bleeds and sizzle just like real ground beef!
You can read the NPR story here:Silicon Valley's Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes And Sizzles Like Meat
or you can just visit the Impossible Foods website.

Microbeads in Cosmetics: The New Water pollution.
That $20 avocado and mango facial scrub with microbeads are a danger to the ocean, life and human. Most beauty product that exfoliate have little tiny round balls of plastic called microbeads. These beads wash down the drain after bathing and are NOT removed from waste water at the local treatment plant. The beads eventually enter the rivers and ocean on our planet. Sometime these beads are mistaken as food by fish and other wildlife.

You can read about it here: Toxic Timebomb: Here's the science that explains why microbeads are a disaster

Of course, This is not the only place microbeads show up. Try your toothpaste...

Why dentists are speaking out about the plastic beads in your toothpaste

Environmental Science: Flint's Water Crisis

Flint's Water Crisis OR How public decisions affect you!

Flint's water has been toxic for some time now due to a budget decision made over a year ago. You can see the CNN story here:

How Tap Water Became Toxic in Flint, Michigan

You may find the NPR stories helpful as well. Give them a listen if you want.

High Lead Levels in Michigan Kids After City Switches Water Source

and this one:

Who's to Blame for Flint's Water Problem

Science and Society: Top Paying 2015 Degrees

 

What is the difference between 4.0 GPA Valedictorian Childhood Education major and a 3.0 GPA Chemical Engineering major?  About $37,000 dollars for a starting salary.

Seriously, the average engineering graduates has a starting salary around $65,000 a year in 2015.  While majors in Child Care, Early Education, and Social Work average about $30,000 a Year.  Don't believe me check this out: Forbes - The 10 Bachelor's Degrees with the highest and Lowest Salary Potential

It's been this way for the past 40 years!

You can take all the easy courses just like everyone else, or you can take the road less travel, and reach the peak!

Environmental Science: Giant Microbes

I had mentioned I gave several viruses to my children in class the other day.  These cute plush viruses are 100,000 to 1,000,000 the actual size of the original viruses in the world today.  These toys are made by Drew Oliver of the Giant Microbes Company.  Drew Oliver also make plush toys of tissues cell: Skin cell, Nerve cell, Brain cell, Kidney cell, and other.

Environmental Science: Gun Control

I'm terrify when my 17 year old daugther gets behind the wheel of a car. How could any parent think letting a nine year old handle an uzi would be a great idea. I'm truly dumbfounded. You can see the story here:Shooting by 9-Year Old Stirs Debate Over Guns

Meteorology and Psychology: Female Named Hurricane Kill more people than Male Named Hurricanes

Recent research seems to indicate hurricanes with female names kill more people than hurricanes with male. This is not due to the name, but the perception of people. People perceive female named hurricanes as less dangerous than their male counterparts. Ironically, it is the people with the greatest gender bias that tend to be killed in such hurricanes. So, you could say Mother Nature make the human population less gender bias by removing the worst offenders. You can read and listen to the story here: Americans less fearful of Storms Named After Women

Life Sciences - Ebola will kill us ALL!

Not Really!  Ebola is much harder to contract than most flu virus, but that doesn't stop people from panic.  You and read about Ebola at NPR and listen to the dread factor story here:  The Dread Factor: Why Ebola and "Contagion" Scare Us So Much

For all you hard core gamers out there bent on world destruction have you tried the game Plague by Ndemic Creations?  Plague is an realistic simulation of how diseases spread and humans react on a global scale.

Environmental Science: Environment and the Economy

Monterey Bay in California has bounce back over the last 50 year with an explosion of wildlife, and with it so has the economy of the surrounding communities. Once fertile grounds for hunting, fishing and whaling until depleted, Monterey Bay, California is making a comeback. An economy based on the diverse wildlife is starting to take shape. You can read or listen to the story here: Monterey Bay An "Ocean Buffet Open for Business" This Spring

Environment Science: Toilet to Tap

The city of Wichita Falls, Texas is so short of water they will now get 50% of their drinking water directly from wastewater.  Sometimes called Toilet to Tap, the wastewater is treated, sanitized and mixed with the city drinking water supply.

You can read and listen to the full story here: Drought-Stricken Texas Town Turns To Toilets For Water
There are many cites that have already made this same move: Los Angeles, El Paso, San Diego ,and Singapore. As water becomes more scares more large cities are looking for ways to quench their thirsty citizens.
You may Read that story here: As "Yuck Factor" Subsides, Treat Wastewater Flows From Taps

Environmental Science: Global Warming - 15 Years to turn it all around

The latest U.N. climate change report says that if the world doesn't do some really tough, expensive things over the next 15 years, the costs of climate change may spiral out of control. Some of those things involve technology that isn't available yet, such as removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

You can read and listen to the full story at Marketplace.org : Global Warming: 15 Years to Change Things...

Environmental Science: Who says Population laws don't work?

Samples from the Greenland ice sheet suggest the U.S. Clean Air Act had a clear effect on conditions in the earth’s atmosphere. Pictured is ice core drilling at Summit, Greenland, in 2007. (Photo : Joel Savarino / Laboratory of Glaciology and Geophysics of the Environment)

Samples from the Greenland ice sheet suggest the US Clean Air Act had a clear effect on conditions in the Earth's atmosphere.

You can read the full story here: Greenland Ice Cores show Impact of US Clean Air Act on Climate

Environmental Science: When is water safe to drink?

Even Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virgina won't drink the water.  it's been over a month since the Chemical spill in West Virgina made the watershed contaminated.  Rendering the water unfit for human consumption: Drinking, Bathing, and Washing.  After week, no one is willing to say the water is now safe for use.  Even EPA is unclear.  Read the story here: Sen. Rockefeller Responds to Water Safety Concerns

Or you can listen to the story through the same link. 

Environmental Science: Chemical Spill in West Virgina

The chemical is called 4-methylcyclohexane methanol. The spills has forced a ban on using water in a large portion of West Virgina including the capitol. You can read or listen to the NPR story here: West Virgina Governor Declares Emergency After Chemical Spill

Who would have thought that?

Maybe all that talk about conservation might have been on to something. The average amount of electricity used by Americans has dropped to levels not seen since 2001! All those energy effienct appliance and light bulbs seem to be working. You can read the whole story here: Home Electricity Use In US Falling To 2001 Levels