The earthquake that struck Chile on Saturday may have shifted the Earth’s axis and created shorter days, according to scientists at Nasa. Richard Gross, a geophysicist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said the 8.8 magnitude quake could have moved the Earth’s axis by 2.7 milliarcseconds (about 8cm) – enough to shorten a day by about 1.26 microseconds.
A large quake can shift huge amounts of rock and alter the distribution of mass on the planet. When that distribution changes, it changes the rate at which the planet rotates, which determines the length of a day. “The length of the day should have got shorter by 1.26 microseconds,” Gross told the Bloomberg news agency. “The axis about which the Earth’s mass is balanced should have moved by 2.7 milliarcseconds.”
March 3, 2010
A St. Leo’s Transtion Year student, Stephanie Coakley attended a TY one week
Biochemistry-Immunology Programme in Trinity College
from Mon 15 th to Fri 19 th Feb 2010.
In her description below we hear her own version of experiences she had during those five days.
I had the wonderful experience attending a Biochemistry and Immunology course in Trinity College from the 15th to the 19th of February. During this week Trinity College welcomed four Ttransition Year students to “push back the frontiers of science” for a week. The course was organised by Professor Cliona O’Farrelly and Professor Andrew Lloyd. This course introduces you to the world of scientific research in Trinity College. The best way to learn things is through experience and by asking questions. This was what this course was all about; experiencing real science first hand and asking lots of questions.
We were each assigned to a host lab. I was in an Immunology based research lab where all the work being done went towards developing new vaccines or cures. During the week I worked with proteins, macrophages and various cells. Ed Lavelle was the head of the research team in my host lab. My supervisor was Jim, a research scientist in the lab. Jim showed me around the lab, answered my many questions and did some of the typical experiments of that lab with me. He showed me how to do a Western Blot: a technique for separating out proteins and identifying specific proteins. He also showed me the process of preparing slides for work on the microscope.
Stephanie using the microscope to observe cells.
The microscope we used had many ‘special features’ such as laser beams to illuminate proteins which had a dye added to them, it is able to create the conditions needed for cells to survive so you can see the cells activities. It can work as a normal microscope would or it can give a more defined image by showing a slice of the cell. It can also take pictures of the cells you are viewing.
Images of human cells seen using the microscope.
I also got to work with some undergraduate students who were working on their projects. They explained to me what their project was and what they were doing. I got to help them with the various experiments they carried out while I was in the lab (for example cells being split and an Elisa).
We were also called to Tim Mantle’s lab (pH lab) where we got the chance to try out a typical experiment of that particular lab.
We also had a tour around the Biochemistry and Immunology building ( although we still didn’t know exactly where we were going even after the tour as the building is massive). We had a health and safety talk and we did a science trail and ‘treasure hunt’. This was a self-directed tour of the entire college. We were given a map, audio pod cast (this tells you the history of Trinity College as you make your way around) and a list of questions to which we found the answers on our tour around the college. We also got to see the Doughas Hyde Art Gallery and received a very interesting tour around the Zoology Museum and the Science Gallery. Jim also brought me to see the book of Kells and the famous Long Hall.
We got to experience what college life is like and what the courses are like by talking to the students in the labs or around the building. Everyone is really nice and welcoming, you feel at home in no time.
I did this course because I love science. I was interested in these particular areas and was considering pursuing them as a career in the future. After the week I spent in Trinity doing this course I would love to go on to study Immunology in college. It was a fantastic experience and I loved every moment of it. It gives you a real insight into the world of science, of research and of the courses available. It is an invaluable experience which I would highly recommend to students interested in science and who want to “push back the frontiers of science”!
WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO REPORT THAT FROM NEXT YEAR ONWARDS PROF. O’FARRELLY HAS OFFERED PLACES TO TWO FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS FROM ST. LEO’S ON THIS PROGRAMME.
February 25, 2010
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. If you can raed tihs, psot it to yuor fbceoosk pgae or on titwetr. Olny 55% of plepoe can raed tihs. Waht do you tihnk? Deos it wrok for ohetr lngauaegs aslo?
January 25, 2010
My Science Career A new website, penned MyScienceCareer.ie, has been launched which aims to provide resources to help people find out more about a career in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. The website is produced by Discover Science & Engineering (DSE), the Irish Government initiative which aims to increase interest in science, technology, innovation and engineering among students, teachers and members of the public in Ireland. The DSE is also responsbible for websites like science.ie, the excellent and award winning primaryscience.ie and one of my favourite blogs myscience.ie. The new site contains a famous Irish scientists section, science related articles, a science career glossary, video interviews with scientists about their work and a wonderful “Science Ambassadors” section profiling Irish scientists of today.
January 14, 2010
Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 21, 1833. Alfred Nobel is best known as a chemist and inventor of dynamite and other, more powerful explosives but also for the annual prizes which bear his name. Today, December 10th, is the anniversary of his death in 1896 and also the anniversary of the first Nobel Prizes in 1901.
An explosives expert like his father, in 1866 he invented a safe and manageable form of nitroglycerin he called dynamite, and later, smokeless gunpowder and (1875) gelignite. He quickly created an industrial empire manufacturing many of his other inventions. Nobel amassed a huge fortune, much of which he left in a fund to endow the annual prizes that bear his name. The first Nobel Prizes were handed out for achievements in the areas of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. The sixth prize, for economics, was instituted in his honour in 1969.
December 10, 2009
Today, November 24th, marks the 150th anniversary of the first publication of On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. It was met with significant resistance at the time, especially from the church, but remains a seminal work of literature. If you are wondering what all the fuss is about, why not check the book out in the library. It is well worth a read and is easy to follow. Since then, there has been enormous debate as to whether Darwin’s theory of Natural Selection is without flaw. National Geographic today publish a series of six articles looking at some difficult to explain phenomena in the story of evolution. They then outline the evolutionist argument. A great article and worth checking out.
November 24, 2009
The inaugral Catherine Mc Cauley Lecture will take place in St Leo’s College on the 16th of December at 7.15. The lecture will be delivered by journalist and broadcaster Oliva O’Leary. All are welcome to attend.
November 20, 2009
There’s water on the moon. Yes, you heard me right. Water on the moon was found by scientists. What does water on the moon mean? Will water on the moon really make a difference in our lives? These are the questions I sat out to answer.
First off, up until now our lives have functioned perfectly well without having to go in to outer space to see if we can find other water sources. With all of the other things that taxpayer euros could have been spent on, one has to wonder if water on the moon is significant.
Believe me, it is.
According to Time magazine, water on the moon is necessary if humans ever plan on living on the moon. There would have to be some form of water source, as shuttling water from Earth to the moon would be costly and time-consuming.
Further more, ice on the moon could give scientists insight in to the creation of our solar system. Polar ice has given scientists many indications of how the Earth was formed, and ice on the moon could give even more information.
While water on the moon may not sound like that big of a deal, it really is something that could be the biggest breakthrough we will ever see in our lives.
Tonight, as you are looking up at the starry skies of Carlow take a good look at the moon and remember – there’s water up there.
November 14, 2009
Splash! NASA moon crash struck lots of water By ALICIA CHANG (AP) – 44 minutes ago LOS ANGELES — The lunar dud for space enthusiasts has become a watershed event for NASA. Spacecraft that crashed into the moon last month kicked up a relatively small plume. But scientists have confirmed the debris contained water — 25 gallons of it — making lunar exploration exciting again. Experts have long suspected there was water on the moon. So the thrilling discovery announced Friday sent a ripple of hope for a future astronaut outpost in a place that has always seemed barren and inhospitable. “We found water. And we didn’t find just a little bit. We found a significant amount,” Anthony Colaprete, lead scientist for the mission, told reporters as he held up a white water bucket for emphasis. He said the 25 gallons of water the lunar crash kicked up was only what scientists could see from the plumes of the impact. Some space policy experts say that makes the moon attractive for exploration again. Having an abundance of water would make it easier to set up a base camp for astronauts, supplying drinking water and a key ingredient for rocket fuel. “Having definitive evidence that there is substantial water is a significant step forward in making the moon an interesting place to go,” said George Washington University space policy scholar John Logsdon. The October mission involved two strikes into a permanently shadowed crater near the south pole. First, an empty rocket hull slammed into the Cabeus crater. Then, a trailing spacecraft recorded the drama live before it also crashed into the same spot four minutes later. Though scientists were overjoyed with the plethora of data beamed back to Earth, the mission was a public relations dud. Space enthusiasts who stayed up all night to watch the spectacle did not see the promised giant plume of debris. NASA scientists had predicted the twin impacts would spew six miles of dust into the sunlight. Instead, images revealed only a mile-high plume, and it was not visible to many amateur astronomers peering through telescopes. Members of the blue-ribbon panel reviewing NASA’s future plans said the discovery doesn’t change their conclusion that the program needs more money to get beyond near-Earth orbit. The panel wants NASA to look at other potential destinations like asteroids and Mars. “This new and terrific result reassures us about lunar resources, but … the challenges currently facing the human spaceflight program remain,” Chris Chyba, a Princeton astrophysicist who is on the panel, said in an e-mail. President George W. Bush had proposed a more than $100 billion plan to return astronauts to the moon, then go on to Mars; a test flight of an early version of a new rocket was a success last month. President Barack Obama appointed the special panel to look at the entire moon exploration program. The decision is now up to the White House, and NASA’s lunar plans are somewhat on hold until then. As for unmanned exploration, previous missions had detected the presence of hydrogen in lunar craters near the moon’s poles, possible evidence of ice. In September, scientists reported finding tiny amounts of water in the lunar soil all over the moon’s surface. But it was NASA’s Oct. 9 mission involving the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, LCROSS, that provided the stunning confirmation announced Friday — water, in the forms of ice and vapor. “Rather than a dead and unchanging world, it could in fact be a very dynamic and interesting one,” said Greg Delory of the University of California, Berkeley, who was not involved in the mission, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif. The LCROSS spacecraft only hit one spot on the moon and it’s unclear how much water there is across the entire moon. Scientists spent a month analyzing data from the spacecraft’s spectrometers, instruments that can detect strong signals of water molecules in the plume. “We’ve had hints that there is water. This was almost like tasting it,” said Peter Schultz, professor of geological sciences at Brown University and a co-investigator on the LCROSS mission. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who in 1969 made his historic Apollo 11 moonwalk with Neil Armstrong, was pleased to hear the latest discovery, but still believes the U.S. should focus on colonizing Mars. “People will overreact to this news and say, `Let’s have a water rush to the moon,’” Aldrin said. “It doesn’t justify that.” Mission scientists said it would take more time to tease out what else was kicked up in the moon dust. AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein contributed to this report.
November 14, 2009
Thousands of star fish washed up on Lissadell beach
Thousands of dead star fish have washed up on Lissadell beach in Co. Sligo.
The Department of the Environment, Heritage and local Government confirmed that between 20 and 50,000 of the fish were washed up.
The huge number of adult star fish are estimated to measure between 3 and 8 inches in diameters.
The Department said that investigations are continuing into the circumstances surrounding the events but at this initial stage it’s believed that it’s as a result of a a storm or freak wave
November 5, 2009
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