The Universe
Colliding Galaxies (Edition 46, No. 5)
Astronomy is tough--you can't just set up an experiment to run in the laboratory. Instead astrophysicists look at numerous galaxies and try to put them in chronological order. It seems big galaxies are made of smaller ones that have merged together.
Earth Shattering Asteroids (Edition 46, No. 6)
If a meteor plummeting to earth killed off the dinosaurs you've got to wonder what it would do to us. The worst possibility? It could generate a tsunami three miles high that would wipe out the Eastern Seaboard.
Big Bang (Edition 46, No. 13)
An original song for Science Report. A description of everything that was made in the Big Bang--all the particles that formed all the chemicals that formed all the planets that formed all life!
Quark Stars (Edition 45, No. 3)
Quarks make up the world, always traveling in pairs or in triplets. They are never alone--except maybe, just maybe at the heart of dying stars.
Star Birth (Edition 44, No. 1)
Out in the vaccuum of space there's little chance of a particle meeting up with another one. Yet somehow they gravitate towards each other in the nursery of the stars.
Gamma Ray Bursters (Edition 44, No. 6)
For 30 years scientists have noticed bursts of gamma rays that stream in from the sky. No one has known what they are or even where they come from--our own galaxy or the outer reaches of the heavens? Until now.
Looking for ET (Edition 44, No. 11)
Scientists have long listened for extraterrestrial radio waves in the search for intelligent life on other planets. One scientists think we should be monitoring for laser beams--the intergalactic equivalent of fiber optics--instead.
Looking for Mr. Goodplanet (Edition 43, No. 10)
Finding companionship hasn't been easy for the earth. It's not particularly easy to find planets outside of our own solar system. One scientist has a new idea that could help in the search.
The Search for Antimatter (Edition 42, No. 2)
We're all made of matter, but scientists think there should be antimatter out there, too. Now NASA is going to go looking for it.
Photos of the Stars (Edition 40, No. 10)
Getting an up close and personal pic of a star isn't easy. They are so far away they look like pinpoints of light, even through powerful microscopes. Now the first picture of a star other than our sun has been taken.
Seeing Planets (Edition 39, No. 14)
Whether or not there's extra-terrestrial life out there is a moot point when we can't even see planets outside of our solar system. One scientist has an idea for a telescope that could help use spot planets around other stars.
Plausible Planets (Edition 39, No. 15)
Once you can see planets, which ones should you look at to have the best chances of spotting life? Simple. Look around stars that resemble our sun.
Little Green Algae (Edition 39, No. 16)
But what if the planet doesn't support technologically advanced life, but only plants? Here's what to look for when instead of little green men, there's only little green algae.
Primordial Helium (Edition 38, No. 11)
After decades of searching, astronomers have just found helium in outer space! This helium is special because it's left over from the Big Bang.
Lithium and Brown Dwarfs (Edition 38, No. 15)
No, its not a vertically challenged friend of Snow White, its out in space. A brown dwarf is a little smaller than a star, a lot bigger than a planet, and only hypothetical--until now. The very first confirmed brown dwarf has been found.
Laughing Gas in Space (Edition 37, No. 4)
It's not just for the dentist anymore. Laughing gas has been found out in space in large clouds that are the precursors to planet formation. Maybe laughing gas had something to do with the beginnings of life, as well.
Shock Wave Universe (Edition 37, No. 9)
Most explosions have a shock wave. Did the Big Bang have one, too? If so, it could change scientific assumptions about the creation of the universe.
Six-Eyed Telescopes (Edition 37, No. 13)
The repaired Hubble Space Telescope is great, but how do we improve telescopes on the ground? By putting a bunch of telescopes together to get ultra-stereo vision.
Age of the Universe (Edition 36, No. 11)
Some scientists say it's 10 billion years old; others say it's 20 billion. The problem is that different methods of measuring give different answers.
The Search for Dark Matter (Edition 35, No. 12)
Scientists believe that the universe is filled with dark matter--exotic stuff we can't see, that nevertheless affects the way galaxies move. Perhaps we can track dark matter by examining the everyday minerals around us.
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