Earth

Image credit: Pixabay Of the mountains’ majestic strength Of the valleys in between Of the streams and the rivers Which flow crystal clean Earth of the oceans The blue planet Blue seas Blue skies Earth of vast forests Thick and green Full of life Uniquely seen Of salty oceans With washing waves Of sunlit hours Of passing days Home to life To beauty To millions of tiny miracles Unfolding All the time Imperfect Which is perfect What makes Earth different Is growing, changing Trillions of tiny breaths Blood flows on the Earth And nowhere else Where you can bask in the shallows Warmed by the sun...

A Whale That Could Walk!

A new four-legged whale species was recently discovered by a team of researchers in Egypt. The fossil which was encased in a tomb of rock dates back to over 43 million years ago! This ancient creature had four functional legs, so it could dwell on both land and in water. Ironically, Egypt's Fayum Depression, the desert where the fossil was discovered, was an ocean millions of years ago. Researchers believe this fossil is an example from an era when land animals were adapting to marine life. Modern whales evolved from deer-like land mammals over the course of millions of years, and this unique...

Padma Venkatraman

Padma Venkatraman is an award-winning author of young adult novels and has a fifth book releasing soon. She has a Ph.D. in oceanography and worked as a chief scientist on several research expeditions, before turning to children's books.

A Three-Way Race for Space Tourism

Daredevils have been waiting and waiting to travel into space just as easily as they go on vacations to foreign countries. Imagine saying, “For summer break, I’m going to Mars for two weeks,” and not be considered weird. SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and Blue Origin are three major companies led by billionaire business geniuses around the world working to make personal space travel possible. Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic’s famous British CEO Richard Branson decided he wanted to change the world and bring space travel to the market. Branson founded a new company called Virgin...

Summer Solstice: The Longest Day Of The Year

This year, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere falls on June 20. Summer Solstice, as it is called, marks the change of season from spring to summer in the Northern Hemisphere and from autumn to winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Did you know solstice is derived from two Latin roots – ‘sol’ for sun and ‘sistere’ for stand still? The "Vernal Equinox" is the start of spring when day and night are roughly equal. From there on, the noonday sun rises higher and higher in the sky each successive day until the summer solstice, when it appears to almost stand still. The first day of...

Clues In The Mud!

When did landscapes first start to change as a result of human intervention? So far, most research, history, and study seemed to indicate that it all began with the Industrial Revolution. However, last month, this assumption was challenged by a new study. Humans may have actually started changing the landscape 4,000 years ago! Let’s take a look at how the new study was conducted, what it found, and what it means for our warming planet. Mud Cores In order to understand our planet, scientists study the one thing that has prevailed throughout the Earth’s history - mud records. These records,...

The Peaceful Ocean

Listen to the waves of the ocean The billows that break upon the shore The current is strong and mighty The tides of the ocean roar The briny water sparkles in the moonlight The little diamonds tickle my toes The ocean water glimmers in the dark twilight The alluring offing swallows my woes

No More Legacy, Says Colorado

Do you know which college your parents went to? Did you know that you might have a slight advantage when applying to the same college? This practice is known as legacy. Whereas some colleges allow applicants to qualify for legacy if a grandparent or relative has attended the college, others require the applicant's parent to have attended the college. Students with legacy gain an advantage in the college admissions process. Some schools use legacy as a tiebreaker between two equally qualified candidates, whereas other schools give candidates a 160 point SAT/ACT boost. Legacy applicants are...

These Iconic Animals Make A Comeback!

Good news for the iconic Galápagos tortoise and the Florida Panther! These two species which were thought to be on the verge of extinction are slowly making a comeback! On May 25, Ecuador’s Galápagos National Park announced the discovery of a female Chelonoidis phantasticus, a giant sub-species thought to be extinct for over a century. Meanwhile, Florida state’s majestic, but endangered panthers are seeing steady population growth. Let's look at what led to the species going extinct. The Giant Tortoise of the Galapagos Islands The Galápagos Islands, located just off the coast of Ecuador, make...

Can Googly Eyes Save Birds?

Fishing nets, unfortunately, do not catch fish alone... a number of seabirds are unintentionally caught by fishing nets. This has led to some seabird species becoming endangered or on the very brink of extinction. When seabirds hunt for food, or in this case, fish, in the water, they are unaware of the fishing nets below the surface and get caught in them. Recently, scientists have created a floating buoy with googly eyes! Buoys are objects that float on water to mark reefs, hazards, locations, etc. Let's find out more about how these buoys might help save birds. Dangers Seabirds Face...

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