Cosmic Radiation Help Wanted
A NASA report warned that more research is needed on cosmic radiation before manned missions to the Moon or other planets can be made, which are now scheduled to take place in 2020. The report states that, unlike flights to the International Space Station—protected by the Earth's magnetic field—flights to the Moon or Mars would be vulnerable to intense cosmic radiation. Specifically, the report calls for a better understanding of how and when solar storms occur and suggests building "storm shelters" inside spacecraft to protect astronauts from harmful space rays.
Scientists have theorized that in clusters of hundreds of thousands of stars, the heavier stars slow down and stay in the core, while the lighter stars move faster and move toward the outskirts of the cluster. But the centers of the clusters are extremely dense, making it difficult to track the motion of many stars. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has finally shown visible evidence of this phenomenon, known as mass segregation. Researchers measured the speed of an unprecedented 15,000 stars at the core of a dense star cluster in the Milky Way. Their findings showed that stars known as blue stragglers, thought to be collisions of two stars, moved more slowly than regular stars, huddling at the center of the cluster.
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Down and Out Down Under
Stealing water from local dams and tanks has become a major problem throughout Australia, especially in small towns near the capital, as farmers continue to face the worst drought of a generation. In the past two weeks, Australia's government has invested more than $682 million in drought relief. More than 90 percent of the most populated state of New South Wales is experiencing a drought.
Australia announced plans on Oct. 25 to build the largest solar power station in the world. The government promised to contribute the equivalent of $57 million to the project, which is predicted to cost a total of $319 million. The plant uses mirrors to focus sunlight on solar cells, which will produce enough energy to power more than 45,000 homes without producing any greenhouse gases. The announcement comes as Australia faces increasing criticism that it is not doing enough in the fight against global warming, particularly as it faces its worst drought in recent history. Australia produces the most carbon dioxide per person of any nation, and, like the United States, refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol.
Through Thick and Thin
Think a fur coat and thick skin can protect you from the West Nile Virus? Not if you're Kunik, the polar bear in the Toronto zoo who allegedly died from the disease after a mosquito bit him on the nose. Kunik was euthanized a month ago after his hind legs stopped working, zoo officials reported last week. A sample of the bear's brain tissue has been sent to a lab for testing; if confirmed, Kunik will be the first polar bear to die of the tropical disease.
An international organization focused on eating disorder education and treatment called for a worldwide ban on hiring severely underweight models for runway shows and magazine advertisements. Similar restrictions already caused a stir at modeling agencies in September, when organizers of Madrid's Fashion Week used Body Mass Index (BMI)—an indicator of height-weight ratio—to disqualify some models for being too thin. Now, the Academy for Eating Disorders is hoping the entire industry will only hire models who exceed a BMI deemed "healthy" by the World Health Organization.