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  • Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of ...Read more

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    Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education

    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of sustainability. Here is a link to the one-page bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2366_00_0000.pdf. See report on Bloomberg News.
  • Earth's Center Is 1,000 Degrees Hotter Than Previously Thought, Synchrotron X-Ray Experiment Shows
    Scientists have determined the temperature near the Earth’s center to be 6000 degrees Celsius, 1000 ...Read more

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    Earth's Center Is 1,000 Degrees Hotter Than Previously Thought, Synchrotron X-Ray Experiment Shows

    Scientists have determined the temperature near the Earth’s center to be 6000 degrees Celsius, 1000 degrees hotter than in a previous experiment run 20 years ago. These measurements confirm geophysical models that the temperature difference between the solid core and the mantle above, must be at least 1500 degrees to explain why the Earth has a magnetic field. For more information about this study, see the press release from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.
  • Ocean Volcanic Rocks Contain Samples of Recycled Crust
    Scientists have long believed that lava erupted from certain oceanic volcanoes contains materials fr...Read more

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    Ocean Volcanic Rocks Contain Samples of Recycled Crust

    Scientists have long believed that lava erupted from certain oceanic volcanoes contains materials from the early Earth’s crust. But decisive evidence for this phenomenon has proven elusive. New research from a team including Carnegie’s Erik Hauri demonstrates that oceanic volcanic rocks contain samples of recycled crust dating back to the Archean era 2.5 billion years ago. Their work is published in Nature. Oceanic crust sinks into the Earth’s mantle at so-called subduction zones, where two plates come together. Much of what happens to the crust during this journey is unknown. Model-dependent studies for how long subducted material can exist in the mantle are uncertain and evidence of very old crust returning to Earth’s surface via upwellings of magma has not been found until now. For more information about these results, see the press release from the Carnegie Institution.
"Parnasus Apollo" by Raphael (1511).
Click on image for full size
Image courtesy of Planet Art.

Apollo

In Greek mythology, Apollo was the son of Zeus (Jupiter) and Leto (Letona). His twin sister is Artemis (Diana). He was the god of the Sun, and was also a fine musician and healer.

He was known as the god who could foretell the future. His most famous sacred place was at Delphi, site of the Oracle of Delphi. Apollo and his sister had short tempers, and sometimes killed for revenge.

The Romans also believed in Apollo as the god of light, music, and healing.


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Science, Evolution, and Creationism

How did life evolve on Earth? The answer to this question can help us understand our past and prepare for our future. Although evolution provides credible and reliable answers, polls show that many people turn away from science, seeking other explanations with which they are more comfortable....more

Jupiter

In Roman mythology Jupiter was the king of heaven and Earth and of all the Olympian gods. He was also known as the god of justice. He was named king of the gods in the special meeting that followed his...more

Artemis

Artemis was the twin sister of the god Apollo. Her father and mother were Zeus and Latona. Artemis was the goddess of the Moon. She was also known as the goddess of the hunt. Romans identified Artemis...more

Diana

Diana was the twin sister of the god Apollo. Her father and mother were Jupiter and Latona. Diana was the goddess of the Moon, and she preferred the company of young goddesses. She was also known as the...more

Faunus

Faunus was a Roman pastoral god. The Romans identified him with the Greek god Pan . Like Pan, Faunus had the legs and horns of a goat. Faunus was an oracular deity. He was able to predict the future that...more

Lyra

It seems the sky is filled with mythical people and animals. But now meet the one and only musical instrument to grace the sky: Lyra, the Lyre! A lyre is a small harp, small enough to fit in your lap....more

Phoebe

Phoebe is the name of a moon of Saturn. Phoebe is a fairly small moon. It is about 220 km (137 miles) across. Eight of Saturn's moons are larger than Phoebe. A whole bunch of Saturn's moons are smaller...more

Gaea

Gaea, or Mother Earth, was the great goddess of the early Greeks. She represented the Earth and was worshipped as the universal mother. In Greek mythology, she created the universe and gave birth to both...more

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