Mark Strauss

What West Point Cadets Learned By Studying A Classic Scifi Novel

When Chris Moseley, an instructor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, decided to teach a “special topics” course on general relativity, he opted for an unusual supplementary textbook: Larry Niven’s 1973 novel Protector, which vividly depicts a battle between spaceships moving at relativistic speeds. Moseley writes in a paper that he had expected…

The APEC Summit Turned World Leaders Into Star Trek Cosplayers

The annual gathering at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit has traditionally been a fashion disaster, with participants donning everything from ill-fitting muumuus to psychedelic shirts. So, this year’s ensemble seemed tasteful by comparison—until people noticed the resemblance to Star Trek: TNG uniforms. A traditional Chinese silk shirt in dark purple and blue, what could be…

Can These Seven Words Really Define All Life in the Universe?

We might not know the meaning of life, but a group of scientists working for NASA came up with a definition for it that’s just seven words long: “Self-sustaining chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution.” But does this truly encompass all life, including the types we have yet to discover? This definition of life was…

The Multiple Asian Border Disputes That Could Trigger The Next War

The ongoing — and some would say, worsening — tension between China and Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea frequently makes headlines. But often overlooked are the dozen or so other rival territorial claims across Asia that could erupt into wars, dragging in neighboring countries or the U.S. Business Insider has compiled…

An Architect Reveals The Secret To Building The Ultimate Pillow Forts

Award-winning architect Ben Pell has designed luxury homes and schools, but as a father, he has also acquired crucial insights into building one of the world’s most mysterious structures: the pillow fort. In addition to recommendeding construction materials (use sheets not blankets for the roof), he provides three classic designs to choose from. If you’re…

You Shouldn’t Be Surprised that Obama Supports Net Neutrality

During his tenure in office, Obama has earned a reputation for hemming and hawing. But there was no sign of that in the video he released today, where he came down hard in favor of net neutrality and gave ISPs the presidential middle finger. Why now? Because it’s a rare no-lose scenario for the White…

​DARPA Wants To Build Flying Aircraft Carriers

Providing yet further evidence that we are living in the Avengers universe, the U.S. military’s futuristic tech agency has announced that it is soliciting ideas for converting existing large aircraft into flying platforms for launching drones. The idea is similar to another DARPA initiative, the controversial Hydra Project, which aims to develop a network of…

A landmark 20-year study indicates that 7 pesticides, some widely used, may be causing clinical depression in farmers. The precise reason remains unknown, but researchers suspect it’s related to the fact that the chemicals—designed to disrupt the nervous systems of insects—are also affecting human neurologic functions.

Stunning New Image Shows Saturn And Titan Shrouded In Darkness

In stark contrast to the brilliant colors of Saturn’s rings and the sunlit hydrocarbon seas of Titan, this image taken by the Cassini spacecraft makes them appear as menacing alien worlds. To us, they seem devoid of detail. But to the trained eyes of scientists, such images reveal crucial insights. High-phase observations — generally taken…

A time-lapse infographic published by Die Zeit Online depicts the protests across East Germany that preceded the downfall of the Berlin Wall. Watch as what begins as tiny dots of discontent in August 1989 explodes into mass demonstrations by November.

Here’s How We’ll Build A Cheap, Safe Lunar Base

The “magnificent desolation” of the Moon might offer some great views, but otherwise it’s a lousy place to live. Human explorers would need protection from a constant bombardment of radiation and extreme temperature shifts. A new video shows how we can inexpensively build an ideal shelter with robotic 3D printers. The concept video, produced by…

The Biggest Lies About Science in the U.S. Government’s “Wastebook”

Over the last five years, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) has published an annual Wastebook, documenting what he considers the 100 most wasteful federal projects. This year he got a lot of media mileage by ridiculing several science grants—which, in fact, were among the cheapest and most worthwhile projects on his hit list. Coburn and his…

Climate change deniers may find it hard to make their case when they’re constantly sneezing. Allergy-causing grasses produce more pollen when atmospheric CO2 is higher, says a new study. An increase in atmospheric C02 levels from 400 ppm (current level) to 450 ppm could result in a 25% increase in pollen production

Scientists Resurrect The Dodo With 3D Laser Scanning

More than three centuries after the last of its species walked on the isle of Mauritius, the skeleton of the dodo bird has been recreated using 3D scanning technology. The virtual model is enabling scientists to reconstruct how it walked, moved and lived to a level of detail that has never been possible before. Arguably…

​Flying Rocket Cats Come Alive In Animated Medieval Book Gifs

Laura Aydelotte, a scholar of rare books, creates striking animations from sketches and artwork appearing in medieval manuscripts. And each one has a unique story to tell. The Dance of Death The Danse Macabre emerges from the art and allegory of the medieval period. Depictions of dancing skeletons and corpses such as the one shown…

The Secret That Botanists Are Keeping From The Public

With its small bright green leaves and dangling, pearl-white flowers, Raven’s Manzanita is instantly recognizable—except that nobody sees it anymore. Botanists won’t disclose the location of the last known wild specimen in California. They’ve concluded that secrecy is the best way to protect rare species. And it’s not just in California. “This is happening all…

What The Elections Tell Us About The Future Of Marijuana Legalization

While voters in Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia passed measures in favor of legalizing pot, Florida rejected the use of medical marijuana. The various campaigns and their outcomes offer valuable insights into the politics of pot, now that 17.5 million Americans live in states that permit retail marijuana. Philip Wallach and John Hudak,…

Physics students have calculated that the physical impact of being rescued by the Flash is, in fact, more damaging than being hit by a car. Based upon footage from the new TV show, they say that increasing the area over which the superhero makes contact with a person would lower the pressure and likelihood of…

A Dramatic Emergency Maneuver Just Prevented A Possible Space Disaster

The European Space Agency has revealed that, last week, the International Space Station confronted its most urgent threat ever from space debris. When ground stations detected a piece of a Russian satellite on a collision course, they managed to protect the station with just hours to spare. Stations on Earth continuously track space junk, since…

Watch As A Lone Porcupine Fends Off 17 Lions

Lucien Beaumont, a guide at the Londolozi Game Reserve in South Africa, was observing a pride of lions on the move, when they surrounded something. “My imagination started to race, trying to figure out what they had found,” he writeson his blog. He never imagined it would be a porcupine—or what would happen next. Image:…