Month: September 2010

  • Indian Murky Air Quality

    Data from the Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) instrument on NASA’s Terra spacecraft have been used in a groundbreaking new university study that examines the concentration, distribution and composition of aerosol pollution over the Indian subcontinent. The study documents the region’s very high levels of natural and human-produced pollutants, and uncovered surprising seasonal shifts in the…

  • Restoring the Chesapeake

    Reducing the delivery of nutrients to the Chesapeake Bay is one of the most important components of restoration efforts to achieve a healthy Bay ecosystem. The United States Geologic Service (USGS) has developed a new method for tracking the progress toward reducing nitrogen and phosphorus delivery from the watershed to the Bay. When evaluating the…

  • World’s largest solar plant advances

    The world’s largest solar power plant cleared an important hurdle on Wednesday, laying the groundwork for a dramatic expansion in solar energy generation in the United States and around the world. The proposed $6 billion-plus Blythe, California plant, originally proposed by Chevron Corp. and Solar Millennium AG, won clearance to build from the California Energy…

  • Cure for Insomnia: Get Moving

    You’ve been tossing and turning all night. Rolling over, the clock says 2:30 am. Instead of reaching for the bottle of Nyquil, or something even stronger, researchers from Northwestern University (NWU) have a much healthier alternative to falling asleep – aerobic exercise. Regular cardiovascular exercise can improve the quality of sleep, overall mood and vitality…

  • Agropolis: The Future of Urban Agriculture?

    Last week at the Nordic Exceptional Trendshop 2010, held in Denmark, one presentation took urban agriculture to the next level. A collaboration with NASA, you might even say it launched urban agriculture out of this world, and into the future.The idea is called Agropolis, a combination grocery store, restaurant, and farm all in one building,…

  • Electric Trucks to Deliver High Tech Chips: Potato Chips That Is

    Here’s some crunchy news for you. Usually when we hear about a chip-maker adapting the latest technology, we think of Intel, Motorola or AMD. But snack chip manufacturer Frito-Lay announced last week that they will be rolling out their first five all-electric delivery trucks in NYC, setting the stage for sixteen additional trucks this year…

  • Killing frost touches western Canada

    Killing frosts hit crops in northwestern Alberta on Tuesday, but a widespread frost across the Canadian Prairies looks to arrive a day later than expected, a Canadian Wheat Board analyst said on Wednesday. The frost may have left little damage in the Peace region because wheat and canola crops there are mature enough to withstand…

  • Strange fruit: 8 tempting ideas from the orchard to brighten your week

    Fruits are the jewels of any kitchen garden, but if you like unusual edibles then you’re in for a treat, because many of the most productive and unusual plants produce delicious fruit that you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.

  • Satellite Warning System of Natural Disasters

    Looking down upon the Earth gives one the big picture. Up high in the sky are many man made satellites that are designed to look down and send information to various places. NASA is currently designing a pair of robotic probes to keep tabs on how the planet is changing and to help forecasters predict…

  • How to Save the Wild Tiger

    Tigers, like most big cats of the world, are in retreat. In the past, tigers were found all throughout Asia, from the Caspian Sea to Siberia and Indonesia. Now they occupy only six percent of their former range. In the last decade alone, tiger-occupied area has decreased by 41 percent. Despite decades of conservation initiatives,…