Current Events

  • 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.
If you plan on viewing a solar eclipse, make sure to protect your eyes.
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Courtesy of the Corel Corporation

The Right Way to View a Solar Eclipse

Everyone should see at least one solar eclipse. They don't occur very often. Those that get a chance to see one should take advantage. However, you must make sure to protect your eyes. If viewed improperly, the Sun can permanently damage them. There are many safe and reliable ways to view a solar eclipse.

One way of viewing an eclipse is using a projection. This can be done a number of ways. A telescope can be lined up to face the Sun. Hold a piece of dark paper with a hole in it near the eyepiece and a sheet of white paper behind that. The eclipse will be projected onto the white paper.

This can also be done without using a telescope. A cardboard box can be made into a viewing box by putting a hole in one side, and allowing the Sun to project onto a white piece of paper inside it.

Another way to view the eclipse involves wearing a special type of glasses. Do NOT wear regular sunglasses! They do not protect against direct rays from the Sun. A special type of sunglasses can be bought wherever the eclipse will be visible.

Remember, it is very important not to look at the Sun with your naked eye. The safest way to see the eclipse is by using a projection. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Last modified June 20, 2001 by Jennifer Bergman.

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