Author name: Michael Ricciardi

Michael Ricciardi is a well-published writer of science/nature/technology articles as well as essays, poetry and short fiction. Michael has interviewed dozen of scientists from many scientific fields, including Brain Greene, Paul Steinhardt, Arthur Shapiro, and Nobel Laureate Ilya Progogine (deceased). Michael was trained as a naturalist and taught natural science on Cape Cod, Mass. from 1986-1991. His first arts grant was for production of the environmental (video) documentary 'The Jones River - A Natural History', 1987-88 (Kingston, Mass.). Michael is an award winning, internationally screened video artist. Two of his more recent short videos; 'A Time of Water Bountiful' and 'My Name is HAM' (an "imagined memoir" about the first chimp in space), and several other short videos, can be viewed on his website (http://www.chaosmosis.net). He is also the author of the ebook 'Zombies, E.T's, and The Super Entity - A Selection of Most Stimulating Articles' and for Kindle: Artful Survival ~ Creative Options for Chaotic Times

Biologists Confirm First Two-Headed Bull Shark Ever Found

  The unique specimen was found in theΒ uterus of a capturedΒ adult sharkΒ caught in the Gulf of Mexico on April 7, 2011. The two-headed,Β foetalΒ shark died soon afterwards and the body was brought to the marine biology lab at Florida Keys Commmunity College. There have been a few other dicephalic (two-headed) shark species found over the years […]

Biologists Confirm First Two-Headed Bull Shark Ever Found Read More πŸ‘‰

Geo-Engineers Without Orders – Lack of Rules Could Mean More Rogue Experimenters

  Last July, American businessman and “rogue geoengineer” Russ George undertook an ambitious iron-fertilization experiment in the waters off the western coast of Canada. The officially-unapproved-but-not-technically-illegal experiment in geoengineering sought to trigger a massive bloom of CO2-loving plankton (which it did) and which would in turnΒ buttress the localΒ food chain andΒ (consequently)Β the declining salmon population (a source

Geo-Engineers Without Orders – Lack of Rules Could Mean More Rogue Experimenters Read More πŸ‘‰

A Quantum 'Teleportation' Scheme For Sending Encrypted Messages From Space

The practical possibility of quantum cryptography (QC) — of sending a secure message using “entangled” quantum particles (like photons) — made a big splash back a few years ago, but experiments since then were hampered by a limit to the distance such particles can travel (89 miles, to be exact) due to loss of signal

A Quantum 'Teleportation' Scheme For Sending Encrypted Messages From Space Read More πŸ‘‰

The Most Useful Climate Change Impact Infographic Ever [Infographic]

Ever want to know: how much carbon has been released into the atmosphere since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution? Or, how much more carbon (in gigatons) we can “safely” release? Or, how much carbon is yet to be released? Or, how far (or close) we are from various climate change benchmarks and/or tipping points?

The Most Useful Climate Change Impact Infographic Ever [Infographic] Read More πŸ‘‰

Researchers Propose New Quantum Computation Model – A Multi-Particle 'Quantum Walk'

Quantum computing (QC) — though still in its experimental stages at present — is widely held to be the future of computing. A viable quantum computer would enable not just more and faster calculations, it would also make possible new types of calculations that current, binary bit-based computers are incapable of (like a single value-state

Researchers Propose New Quantum Computation Model – A Multi-Particle 'Quantum Walk' Read More πŸ‘‰

Three Hundred Year-Old Mystery of the Falkland Islands 'Wolf' May Have Been Solved by Geneticists

The origin of the enigmatic Falkland Islands ‘wolf’ (FIW) — first observed by European explorers in the late 17th century — may have been determined at last by geneticists working from a fragment of a skull bone preserved by none other than Charles Darwin. The animal is actually a genus of canid called Dusicyon (Dusicyon

Three Hundred Year-Old Mystery of the Falkland Islands 'Wolf' May Have Been Solved by Geneticists Read More πŸ‘‰

NASA: "We've Discovered A Previously Unknown Surprise Circling Earth" (VIDEO)

Calling the discovery a “lucky one” and “entirely unexpected”, NASA planetary scientists have announced their discovery of an ephemeral (transient) third ring of radiation surrounding our planet. The new radiation band is actually a torus-shaped ring, and was detected by a pair of space probes — the Van Allen probes (named after the astronomer that

NASA: "We've Discovered A Previously Unknown Surprise Circling Earth" (VIDEO) Read More πŸ‘‰

New Imaging Technique Allows Real-Time Tracking of Single RNA Molecules in Living Cells [VIDEOS]

Presenting at the annual Science conference in Boston last week, Dr, Robert H. Singer of Albert Einstein College of New York, captivated the packed room of scientists and science journalists with motion images of real-time messenger RNAΒ (mRNA) activity in living (mouse brain) cells. The visualization is a first for single molecule imaging. Up until this

New Imaging Technique Allows Real-Time Tracking of Single RNA Molecules in Living Cells [VIDEOS] Read More πŸ‘‰

Geo-Engineering the Climate Would Encourage Small, Exclusive Coalitions, A New Game Theory Model Shows [VIDEO]

The cost of geoengineering the climate is considerable, but it’s considerably less than the cost of climate mitigation (and not to forget the time it takes to get everyone to agree on, say, target reductions in CO2, by a certain date). But there are legitimate concerns and criticisms of this “anthropogenic interference” too — not

Geo-Engineering the Climate Would Encourage Small, Exclusive Coalitions, A New Game Theory Model Shows [VIDEO] Read More πŸ‘‰

New Class of Molecular Compounds That Kill the Influenza Virus Discovered

Building upon previous research that revealed a method of manipulating a key viral replication enzyme, an international group of virologists have discovered a new class of compounds that are capable of killing the influenza virus. It is hoped that the new compounds will lead to the development of anti-influenza drugs that the virus strains can’t

New Class of Molecular Compounds That Kill the Influenza Virus Discovered Read More πŸ‘‰

Advanced Microscopy Techniques Give Scientists Beautiful and Unprecedented Views Inside Living Cells [PHOTO/VIDEO FEATURE]

This year’s Science/AAAS Conference theme was “The Beauty and Benefits of Science” and from press conferences to symposia, the beauty of science was on ample display, as scientists dazzled with amazing images and captivating computer-reconstructed videos of cellular and molecular activity (often depicting real-time dynamics!). And they’re not just pretty pictures, or course; these images

Advanced Microscopy Techniques Give Scientists Beautiful and Unprecedented Views Inside Living Cells [PHOTO/VIDEO FEATURE] Read More πŸ‘‰

Dolphins Call To Each Other By Imitating Each Other's 'Signature' Whistle

Dolphin’s are renowned for their intelligence and sociability and there have been many studies over the past 50 years of dolphin research documenting their remarkable range of abilities.One of these is the dolphins’ ability to imitate sounds, and, in particular, human vocalizations, and even computer-generated sounds. This has led many researches to investigate the cetacean’s

Dolphins Call To Each Other By Imitating Each Other's 'Signature' Whistle Read More πŸ‘‰

Food Science Expert Claims that Genetically Modified Crops Are 'Over-Regulated', Cites Public Fear, Misinformation

University of Illinois professor emeritus of the department of food science and nutrition Bruce Chassy There is little doubt that genetically modified (GM) crops will play an increasingly crucial role in global agriculture in the coming decades — especially as the world grapples with the challenges of providing food, and food security, for an estimated

Food Science Expert Claims that Genetically Modified Crops Are 'Over-Regulated', Cites Public Fear, Misinformation Read More πŸ‘‰

Chaos from the Sky – Russian Meteor Impact Stirs Urgent Calls for Asteroid 'Sentries' [VIDEOS]

File this under ‘strange coincidence of cosmic phenomena’… The near-Earth fly-by of asteroid 2012 DA14 co-occurred with a bus-sized meteor entering Earth’s atmosphere over the Russian Ural mountain city of Chelyabinsk, producing blinding flashes and numerous sonic booms — blowing out windows in buildings over a fairly wide area — before finally exploding into a

Chaos from the Sky – Russian Meteor Impact Stirs Urgent Calls for Asteroid 'Sentries' [VIDEOS] Read More πŸ‘‰

RNA-Like Molecules Found to Self-Assemble into Gene-Like Material – Discovery May Be Key to the Origin of Life

  In the great quest to uncover the secrets to the origin of life on Earth — a discipline referred to as biogenesis theory — there remains a profound (unanswered) question: how do “living” molecules arise from non-living ones? For, to answer such a question means making a distinction between different states of molecular organization.

RNA-Like Molecules Found to Self-Assemble into Gene-Like Material – Discovery May Be Key to the Origin of Life Read More πŸ‘‰

Bioengineers '3D Print' Living Human Embryonic Stem Cells for First Time

As noted in an earlier planetsave post on lunar construction , 3D printing technology is achieving remarkable things of late — most especially in the fields of biomedicine and cell biology. And while bioengineers have succeeded in printing embryonic (mouse) cells via similar technology, the ‘holy grail’ of cell printing — the printing of living

Bioengineers '3D Print' Living Human Embryonic Stem Cells for First Time Read More πŸ‘‰

Building a Moon Base? How About 3D Printing It Instead?

3D printing technology is finding some remarkable applications these days; more than just a clever way to make personalized furniture or dishware, 3D printing (using rapid prototyping software) has of late expanded into biomedicine and anti-cancer drug manufacturing. But now, this rapid 3D printing technology — which relies on design software-controlled lasers — is poise

Building a Moon Base? How About 3D Printing It Instead? Read More πŸ‘‰

'Quadruple Helix' DNA Observed in Human Cells for First Time – Could Be Related to Cancer

Scientists at Cambridge University in the UK have observed ‘quadruple helix’ DNA in human cells for the first time. Most all DNA — the DNA we all learned about in school — has two strands of genetic material, each spiraling about the other in what is referred to as a double helix. But apparently, our

'Quadruple Helix' DNA Observed in Human Cells for First Time – Could Be Related to Cancer Read More πŸ‘‰

Global Warming, Droughts, Helping to Spread Toxic Fungus in Corn Crops

In 2011, the toxic, yellow-green or green-black mold aspergillus (Aspergillus flavus) was found to have contaminated about 8% of the corn crop coming from the State of Missouri (source: Grain Inspection Service). Last year, more than half of that state’s corn crop was contaminated, rendering large quantities of one of our nation’s biggest food crops

Global Warming, Droughts, Helping to Spread Toxic Fungus in Corn Crops Read More πŸ‘‰

‘Idle No More’; Indigenous Peoples Movement Spreads Across N. America, World, With Urgent Environmental & Human Rights Message

It is being called the largest indigenous mass mobilization in recent history. You may not have heard yet of the ‘Idle No More’ movement, but you will; it’s momentum has been steadily growing in recent weeks, and, is being fed by a myriad of kindred human rights movements, environmental organizations, and eco-justice/direct action groups all

‘Idle No More’; Indigenous Peoples Movement Spreads Across N. America, World, With Urgent Environmental & Human Rights Message Read More πŸ‘‰

First Asteroid Intercept Mission Planned by ESA, Johns Hopkins – Seek Research Ideas [VIDEO]

So, you want to save humanity from the same fate that wiped out the dinosaurs…? Maybe you’ve got a great idea for intercepting and/or deflecting a threat of the asteroid-speeding-towards-Earth kind? Well, first, there are a great many details and logistics to consider when one is talking about any intentional contact between a man-made object

First Asteroid Intercept Mission Planned by ESA, Johns Hopkins – Seek Research Ideas [VIDEO] Read More πŸ‘‰

New Compound Regenerates Auditory Hair Cells – Partially Restores Hearing in Mice

Sometimes a drug developed to treat one disease or disorder is found to be efficacious in treating another. Such is the case with a new compound called LY-411575 which was originally developed to treat symptoms accompanying Alzheimer’s progression. In studies of the drug, medical experts discovered that it had the remarkable ability to stimulate new

New Compound Regenerates Auditory Hair Cells – Partially Restores Hearing in Mice Read More πŸ‘‰

Astronomers Discover Largest Structure In the Universe Yet Seen — Find Challenges Einstein Principle

At 1600 times the distance between the Milky Way and our nearest galactic neighbor (the Andromeda Galaxy), the super cluster of quasars (quasi-stellar radio sources) spans 4 billion light years along its widest dimension (i.e., it would take light 4 billion years to traverse its widest dimension). Such large quasar groups (LQGs) are the largest

Astronomers Discover Largest Structure In the Universe Yet Seen — Find Challenges Einstein Principle Read More πŸ‘‰

Kudos To Kepler – Space Telescope Has Discovered 2740 New Candidate Planets

[UPDATED! Jan. 9, 2013; “First habitable zone super Earth may have been found”, see note below] Today marked the commencement of the 221st American Astronomical Society meeting, and members of the Kepler Space Telescope team had an exciting number to share: 461. That’s the number of new candidate exoplanets found by the Kepler telescope in

Kudos To Kepler – Space Telescope Has Discovered 2740 New Candidate Planets Read More πŸ‘‰

'I'll Never Change' – Actually, You Will (More Than You Think), New Study Shows

Life is full of decisions, many of which will impact our lives far into the future…everything from whether to apply for a mortgage and choosing where to live…to whom to marry and how many children we wish to have…all of these involve various long-term commitments. According to a team of psychologists, these decisions are based

'I'll Never Change' – Actually, You Will (More Than You Think), New Study Shows Read More πŸ‘‰

Astronomers Observe Formation of Baby Planet 'Umbilical Cords' for First Time [VIDEO]

At just 2 million years old, the 450-light-years-distant star HD 142527 is considered to be quite young by cosmological standards. The star — about twice that mass of our sun — is still growing. Such stars grow by “feeding” off of the large, surrounding disc of gas and dust that is left over following its

Astronomers Observe Formation of Baby Planet 'Umbilical Cords' for First Time [VIDEO] Read More πŸ‘‰

2012: A Year of Technological Breakthroughs and Ecological Bad News (Mostly)

It’s been an incredible year for scientific and technological ‘firsts’, advances and breakthroughs…and an entirely credible year (if one was paying attention) of environmental/ecological warnings and forebodings (but with a few encouraging signs). Any year’s end review of such matters is bound to miss a few important events…but here is my personal compendium of the

2012: A Year of Technological Breakthroughs and Ecological Bad News (Mostly) Read More πŸ‘‰

Nano Medicine Advance: 3D 'Molecule Printer' Prints Anti-Cancer Drugs from Self-Assembled DNA

Rapid prototyping software and 3D printing technology has made amazing leaps forward in recent years, enabling quick manufacturing of everything from hand-drawn furniture to skin grafts. The technology allows unprecedented specificity and “personalization” of the manufacturing process. Now comes another big advance for the nanotech and biomedical industries: through a unique integration and application of

Nano Medicine Advance: 3D 'Molecule Printer' Prints Anti-Cancer Drugs from Self-Assembled DNA Read More πŸ‘‰

How to Make Conservatives Care More About the Environment? Use Messages that Speak to Their Morals

For most liberals and progressives, simply hearing or reading about environmental destruction/pollution, the scientific consensus on global warming, the loss of biodiversity and diminishing resources and ‘quality of life’ standards is enough to persuade us to take action to protect the natural environment. But these issues and values — framed in terms of a “moral

How to Make Conservatives Care More About the Environment? Use Messages that Speak to Their Morals Read More πŸ‘‰

Like a 'Living Fossil' – Rare Whale Descended from Ancient Extinct Species Found

a pygmy right whale beached off New Zealand (copyright Darryl Wilson) In 2002, the body of a strange looking whale resembling both a right whale and a bowhead was found washed ashore near Golden Bay, New Zealand. Now, a new analysis of the creature’s DNA and skull concludes that it is/was in fact a pygmy

Like a 'Living Fossil' – Rare Whale Descended from Ancient Extinct Species Found Read More πŸ‘‰

Nearby Sun-like Star May Host Five Planets – One is Potentially Smallest Yet Found in a Habitable Zone [InfoGraphic]

The star is called Tau Ceti and it’s a mere 12 light years away from our own — practically in our solar system’s back yard. Even more impressive, one of the five suspected planets that orbit Tau Ceti appears to be orbiting within the star’s habitable zone — an invisible zone around a star within

Nearby Sun-like Star May Host Five Planets – One is Potentially Smallest Yet Found in a Habitable Zone [InfoGraphic] Read More πŸ‘‰

NASA Releases Amazing Animation of Earth At Night – Newest Satellite Tech Allows 'Cloud-Free' Viewing [VIDEO]

The last two years have been banner ones for high-resolution imaging of the Earth. And as remarkable as these images are, these are still (non-moving) images — photographs of one moment in time (or a single, composite image of several moments). But just last week, at the annual American Geophysical Union meeting in San Fran,

NASA Releases Amazing Animation of Earth At Night – Newest Satellite Tech Allows 'Cloud-Free' Viewing [VIDEO] Read More πŸ‘‰

The Arctic's 'Ticking Carbon Bomb' – State of Thawing Permafrost: 'Actual Situation is Worse'

New analyses of stored carbon in permafrost presented at last week’s annual American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting are causing greater concern amongst climate scientists. One of the new analyses (Hugelius et al) of soil carbon in permafrost utilized data from both new field work and archival records, totaling over 400 sites. The analysis estimates that

The Arctic's 'Ticking Carbon Bomb' – State of Thawing Permafrost: 'Actual Situation is Worse' Read More πŸ‘‰

'Super Symmetry' Theory Fails Collider Tests – Physicists Must Seek New 'Theories of Everything'

It was perhaps particle physics’ most elegant and aesthetically appealing theory of (almost) everything: Super Symmetry (SUSY). SUSY, a type of gauge theory developed over the past thirty years, was an ambitious attempt to integrate elementary particle physics with a broader theoretical understanding of the cosmos — an attempt to approach a ‘Theory of Everything.’

'Super Symmetry' Theory Fails Collider Tests – Physicists Must Seek New 'Theories of Everything' Read More πŸ‘‰

NASA, Los Alamos Lab Test New Nuclear Engine to Power Future Deep Space Missions [VIDEO]

Engineers from NASA and Los Alamos National Laboratories have successfully tested a small, prototype nuclear reactor engine that may power future deep space probes. One of the primary, long-standing goals of space exploration is the development of a small/light-weight, long-lasting power source for long-term space missions. Solar panels become less practical as one ventures further

NASA, Los Alamos Lab Test New Nuclear Engine to Power Future Deep Space Missions [VIDEO] Read More πŸ‘‰

New "Super-Efficient" Nano-Photonic Solar Technology Unveiled by Rice University Scientists

In a development that is being called “revolutionary”, Rice University engineers at the Laboratory for Nanophotonics (LANP) have unveiled a new technology for converting solar energy “directly into steam” (that is, without requiring heating of the entire fluid volume). And unlike current macroscale, solar-to-steam methods, the new “solar steam”: technology uses nanoparticles. The particles —

New "Super-Efficient" Nano-Photonic Solar Technology Unveiled by Rice University Scientists Read More πŸ‘‰

Maine College Is First In Nation to Sell Off Its Fossil Fuel Stock

Most every college or university endowment needs growth to insure that money is available for future academic needs (buildings, equipment, teachers, expanded curricula, etc.). For this reason, nearly every such institution of higher learning maintains a diverse investment portfolio. And obviously, if one hopes for this portfolio to grow in value, then high-valued (high yield)

Maine College Is First In Nation to Sell Off Its Fossil Fuel Stock Read More πŸ‘‰

Art + Science – Dancers Help Scientist Visualize Molecular Motion Inside Cells

Inside our cells, a continuous and violent molecular dance ensues; molecules are constantly banging and bumping into each other, and, in so doing, they prime themselves for a myriad of complex chemical reactions. Understanding the dynamics of this “ballet” is fundamental to developing biomedical techniques and technologies that would probe and modify such dynamics for

Art + Science – Dancers Help Scientist Visualize Molecular Motion Inside Cells Read More πŸ‘‰

It's Open Season On Gray Wolves In Wyoming [VIDEO]

Wildlife lovers may already know that the U.S. Department of the Interior has removed the gray wolf (Canis lupus) from it’s endangered species list — leaving the wolves vulnerable to local State “management” policies. In theΒ State of Wyoming, the current management policy seems almost indistinguishable from an eradication effort; the state’s management plan, which went

It's Open Season On Gray Wolves In Wyoming [VIDEO] Read More πŸ‘‰

Chemical Engineers Develop Self-Healing Polymer ‘Skin’ – Making Possible New Prosthetics

Using an electro-conductive polymer, chemical engineers have created what is being described as a synthetic form of skin that, when injured, heals itself in a matter of seconds. The development is being called a “breakthrough” in the fairly new experimental fields of self-healing compounds and “epidermal electronics”. Previous work in this latter field involved silicon-based

Chemical Engineers Develop Self-Healing Polymer ‘Skin’ – Making Possible New Prosthetics Read More πŸ‘‰

Social Isolation Disrupts Brain's 'White Matter' Formation – Key to Brain 'Plasticity', MS and Mood Disorders

There are three general types of brain tissue: gray matter (the dendrite component of neurons), white matter (the myelin-coated, axon component of neurons) and glial matter (crucial cells that “support”, protect and nourish these neurons). The experience of interacting with our environment can trigger changes in brain cells that impact what is known as brain

Social Isolation Disrupts Brain's 'White Matter' Formation – Key to Brain 'Plasticity', MS and Mood Disorders Read More πŸ‘‰

The Deadliest U.S. Hurricanes [Infographic]

There’s been considerable press on the aftermath and economic impact of hurricane Sandy (and no doubt more to come following the ‘nor’easter’ that just hit the east coast) including data on estimated reconstruction costs by various states. But here now is the newest summary (infographic) on “Frankenstorm” Sandy’s impact with comparison data to other devastating

The Deadliest U.S. Hurricanes [Infographic] Read More πŸ‘‰

The 2012 'Ig Nobel' Prizes in Physics: Spilling Coffee, Bouncing Ponytails

If you are a follower of the annual Nobel Prizes — especially in the sciences — you are probably already aware that two physicists, Serge Haroche and David Wineland, received the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics for their “significant advances in the realization of quantum phenomena with many beautiful experiments” and their “ability to manipulate

The 2012 'Ig Nobel' Prizes in Physics: Spilling Coffee, Bouncing Ponytails Read More πŸ‘‰

Robotics Advance: 'Flea-Like' Bot Leaps Like the Real Thing [VIDEO]

The field of biomimetics – the mimicking of biological attributes for practical uses — has become an increasingly important discipline in recent years, primarily due to its applications in other emerging fields like bio-engineering, materials science, and robotics. An advance in robot locomotion – a big leap for tiny bots In a recent robot prototype

Robotics Advance: 'Flea-Like' Bot Leaps Like the Real Thing [VIDEO] Read More πŸ‘‰

European Satellites Detect Solar Plasma Whirlpools, Waves 'Breaching' Earth's Magnetic Field

The Earth’s magnetic field, or magnetosphere, protects life down on the surface from excess radiation (in the form of high-energy particles and waves) that originate from the solar wind. But this protection is not full-proof. A recent study based upon observations from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Cluster satellite mission shows that our magnetosphere experiences

European Satellites Detect Solar Plasma Whirlpools, Waves 'Breaching' Earth's Magnetic Field Read More πŸ‘‰

Scientists Identify Mysterious Deep Sea ‘Electric Bug’ That Forms ‘Living Power Cables’

The ‘electric bug’, or more specifically, a form of bacteria, was first discovered in 2010 by Danish scientists studying the mysterious chemical fluctuations in the sediment of Aarhus Bay. They had observed a strange chemical linkage between oxygen levels in the water and reactions in the deeper sediments that was faster than chemical theory could

Scientists Identify Mysterious Deep Sea ‘Electric Bug’ That Forms ‘Living Power Cables’ Read More πŸ‘‰

Scroll to Top