Global climate change (part 1) : AOL Video feed

Striking a Solar Balance

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:10:45 -0400

Planet Earth is an oasis of life, but without the Sun, our home planet would be a drastically different, inhospitable place. The Sun’s electromagnetic energy makes life on Earth possible; solar power also generates clouds, cleans our water, and drives ocean currents, thunderstorms, and hurricanes. For three decades, NASA scientists have studied the unique relationship between the Sun and the Earth, and they are particularly interested in the role of the Sun in Earth's energy balance.

Discovery Project Earth: Raining Forests In a Nutshell

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 08:28:58 -0500

Replanting the Earth’s depleted forests is a daunting task. Get a three-minute primer on Dr. Mark Hodges' idea exploring the mechanics of mass reforestation.

Sci Fi Science: Gamma Ray Burster

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:05:24 -0500

At the height of the Cold War government scientists detect huge bursts of radiation. This source of radiation is a gamma ray burster and it’s pointing directly at Earth! Could this be the Death Star Michio is looking for?

Sci Fi Science: Designing a Light Sabre

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:42:12 -0500

Looking to design a light sabre the same as those found in Star Wars? Dr. Michio Kaku reveals how we could one day build a light sabre using products found on Earth.

Heavy Metal Task Force: Goliath

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:24:31 -0400

Goliath is one of the largest mining machines in the world, as tall as an 18-story building. It can move a swimming-pool-size chunk of earth in one bite. Want to go for a ride?

NASA Terra@10: Terra’s 10th Anniversary

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:04:42 -0500

The Earth-observing satellite Terra celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2009. This video highlights how Terra has helped us better understand our home planet. The satellite’s five instruments - ASTER, CERES, MISR, MODIS and MOPITT - reveal how our our world is changing.

NASA From the Archives - The Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE)

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:24:11 -0500

NASA’s Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite rocketed into Earth orbit on Nov. 18, 1989, and quickly revolutionized our understanding of the early cosmos. This video was reissued by NASA for COBE's 20th Anniversary.

The Future of Human Spaceflight: The Augustine Report and its Implications

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:10:00 -0500

In June 2009, NASA created the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee and charged it with conducting "an independent review of ongoing U.S. human space flight plans and programs, as well as alternatives, to ensure the Nation is pursuing the best trajectory for the future of human space flight – one that is safe, innovative, affordable, and sustainable." Retired aerospace executive Norman Augustine was named committee chairman. The committee presented its report in October 2009. The report found that "The U.S. human spaceflight program appears to be on an unsustainable trajectory. It is perpetuating the perilous practice of pursuing goals that do not match allocated resources." Among its recommendations: extend the life of the international space station until 2020, look to commercial spaceflight for placing astronauts in low-Earth orbit, and consider flights to asteroids and other locations as part of a long-term plan to get to Mars. The report is available at http://www.nasa.gov/offices/hsf/home/index.html Speakers: * Norman Augustine; Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Retired, Lockheed Martin Corporation; Chairman, Review of Human Spaceflight Plans Committee * Prof. Edward F. Crawley; MIT Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics; Member, Review of Human Spaceflight Plans Committee * Prof. John Logsdon; Professor Emeritus of Political Science and International Affairs; George Washington University; Distinguished Visiting Professor; Space, Policy and Society Research Group, MIT * Prof. Asif Siddiqi; Assistant Professor of History, Fordham University * Prof. David A. Mindell (moderator); MIT Program in Science, Technology, and Society; MIT Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics; Space, Policy, and Society Research Group