As many of you know, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is one of my favorite nonprofit groups. For decades, RMI has been tirelessly working on rearranging our relationship with energy. Few organizations have such big impact with so few resources. One of the beautiful tenets of RMI is that small changes can lead to dramatic … [Read more…]
Peering at the stars many of us wonder if anyone else is out there. At least I wonder and assume everyone does as well. And in the vastness of space someone else is likely looking back, wondering the same. And if not what a waste of space. Even if the probability of two intelligent life … [Read more…]
Much like the favorite extraterrestrial hunting software program SETI@home, the Rosetta@home initiative leverages idle computing time across the globe to crunch data. It takes its name from the “Rosetta Stone” tablet, which enabled deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs. Rosetta@home seeks to decipher protein structures to help find cures for devastating diseases, including COVID-19. The project may have … [Read more…]
Most of us wonder when looking at the sky – into the infinite vastness of space — if there could be intelligent life out there, other beings we could communicate with, learn from, or even meet one day. In spite of decades of Hollywood films depicting E.T.s we have yet to find solid evidence of … [Read more…]
It was April 25, 1953 when Watson, Crick, and Wilkins published their seminal paper on DNA and today a group of us crazy people celebrate what that knowledge has done for human well-being. Happy DNA Day! We covered last year’s DNA Day in another blog post and this year we return to give it more … [Read more…]
The icy mountains of Norway are the perfect hideyhole for preserving anything important against time, the elements, maybe even alien invasion. The Svalbard Seed Vault, which we talked about here and also here, isn’t the only cool archival project in the region. Surrounded by glaciers, permafrost, and polar bears, GitHub is readying to store valuable … [Read more…]
In 2008, Norway gifted the world the Svalbard Seed Vault, also known as the “Doomsday Vault.” This self-sustaining facility, carved into a mountainside and surrounded by permafrost, protects heirloom seeds from future apocalyptic conditions. The idea is if we ever need to restart society these precious plant species will not be lost and our food … [Read more…]
The advance of our science begets knowledge — and control — of our environment, so much so we often seem not of this world but above it. Grand masters. But there’s no escaping we are part of nature and sometimes it’s a microscopic thing like the corana virus that reminds us of how intimately we … [Read more…]
Every April 25 some of us commemorate the day in 1953 when Watson, Crick, Wilkins, et al (particularly Rosalind Franklin who received little credit at the time) published their paper on the structure of DNA. Today we celebrate the scientific advances that the understanding of DNA has made possible. I met Francis Crick in the … [Read more…]
Help SETI Answer The Question: Are We Alone?by Carl Kruse Every year the good people at SETI @ HOME make a fundraising drive to support their efforts in tackling what is one of the great remaining questions of humanity, is there intelligent life besides us in the universe? While the answer to the question is … [Read more…]
Melting Permafrost Floods Svalbard Seed Vault By Carl Kruse On Friday, March 19, a stream of nervous reports warned that water had entered the doomsday seed repository known as the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Temporary panic ensued because Svalbard is humanity’s last line of defense against a major catastrophe or doomsday situation that might imperil … [Read more…]
The March for Science by Carl Kruse Some scientist friends have come out against the upcoming March For Science, saying that while good intentioned, the march runs the risk of trivializing and politicizing science, turning scientists into another group embroiled in the culture wars and further alienating science from a certain segment of the world’s … [Read more…]
A Fantastic Time For Discovery, and for SETI by Carl Kruse The journal NATURE’s website reportedly crashed after it announced the NASA discovery of seven Earth-like planets orbiting a star near us, some 40 light years away in the Aquarius constellation. The star known as TRAPPIST-1 (Transiting Planets and Planetisimals Small Telescope) was observed by … [Read more…]
Fundraiser At the Home Of Maria Celeste Takes Place This Thursday By Carl kruse A reminder that the fundraiser to benefit “Para La Naturaleza,” takes place this Thursday, February 9th at the Miami residence of Maria Celeste Arraras. (See original Carl Kruse Nonprofit Fundraiser for Para La Naturaleza here). Para La Naturaleza seeks to protect … [Read more…]
SETI Project Can Use Our Help by Carl Kruse One of my favorite nonprofit groups is the SETI Institute, which is the world’s top organization that is looking for life elsewhere in the universe. I love SETI because it’s the chance to get involved in answering one of humanity’s last remaining big questions – Is … [Read more…]