Periodic Table . . .Table

For the real die hard science fan/nerd . . . a periodic coffee table of elements.  Thank you Information Aesthetics for the find.

What Happened to Mars’ Magnetic Field

Mars doesn’t have a magnetic field like Earth does (no auroras for the martians) and this has a lot of scientist wondering why.  Here is a Discovery News article that discusses a possible theory of what our planetary neighbor’s my lack this magnetism.  Because of the lack of magnetic field on the red planet, if humans ever visit there they will need to develop forms of navigation besides compass use.  Probably this will involve some form of advanced GPS provided by a satellite relay around Mars.

Northern Lights

Discovery News today provides us with a wonderful little slide show of some beautiful Aurora Borealis pictures.  The Auroras, which occur in both hemispheres (in the south they are called Aurora Australis), are created when charged particles collide with the Earth’s magnetic field.  I have only vaguely witnessed the Aurora Borealis once when I was really little.  All I can really remember was how alien the lights in the sky seemed.  I’d love to someday go somewhere where I can witness a full blast showing of this strange natural phenomena.