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Gale In Context: Science is an engaging online resource that provides contextual information on hundreds of today’s most significant science topics. By integrating authoritative reference content with headlines and videos, learners see how scientific disciplines relate to real-world issues, from weather patterns to obesity. Users can explore millions of full-text articles from national and global publications, 200+ experiments and projects, and top reference content.
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Since its discovery in 1930, astronomers have been debating the status of the tiny world at the farthest reaches of our solar system—Pluto. In this program, students are given a firsthand look at the scientific process that initially classified Pluto as a planet and then reclassified it in 2006 as a Dwarf Planet. Not all scientists are in agreement with this definition and the future may bring further reclassification. Students will learn the scientific...
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Trees are an essential resource that we rely upon for a multitude of everyday needs. Meeting the world’s increasing demands, while complying with conservation guidelines requires new arboriculture technology. From a computer at a sawmill, data - including desired tree length and diameter - is sent to harvesting machinery in the forest. Botanists are researching genetically manipulated (transgenic) trees to learn if they are suitable for integration...
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Extreme weather events can cause widespread damage resulting in billions of dollars of losses. Recent events, such as blizzards, hurricanes, and droughts have been exceptionally devastating as a result of several environmental factors. The convergence of several weather systems and the right atmospheric conditions sometimes result in the “perfect storm.” This issue examines the factors behind catastrophic weather. It explains El Niño and La Niña,...
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In this program, Jake Willers goes on an expedition to study endangered macaws and discover environments where the birds snack on clay licks to neutralize toxins in their diets. Macaws are intelligent, social birds that gather in large flocks and are native to Mexico, Central America, and South America. They are omnivores, feeding on fruits, seeds, nuts, insects, and clay. Macaws are vocal birds and communicate within the flock to mark territory,...
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Over seventy percent of the Earth is covered with water – around 326 million trillion gallons! Water is essential for life – it gives plants ability to create sugar for food and it helps humans regulate temperatures and nourishes and protects the brain, spinal cord and other tissues. Water is equally important to the environment due to the intricate balance of the water cycle. This program takes an in-depth look at the chemistry of water and its...
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Tarantulas are the oldest spiders on the planet and have venomous fangs that rival many snakes. They have a combination of five characteristics that make them unique. They are hairy, have dense hair pads with retractable claws and long fingerlike spinnerets. They also have cuspules, which are black studs, all around their mouthparts, used to crush food. Lastly, they have eight eyes set in a rectangular position - yet remain almost blind. Other spiders...
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The U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is a collaborative national center for fusion energy research. The Laboratory advances the coupled fields of fusion energy and plasma physics research, and is developing the scientific understanding and key innovations needed to realize fusion as an energy source. This program details how PPPL has gained extensive capabilities in a host of disciplines including advanced computational...
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It is a common occurrence for extraterrestrial bodies to impact with planets in the Solar System. The inner planets are most at risk of impact from bodies that lie in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. In this program, students will see how we are preparing our planet for a possible impact and how we are using spacecraft to learn more about the asteroids.
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Much of the cosmos cannot be seen through optical telescopes. But it can be detected in wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum ranging from gamma-rays, through x-rays and ultraviolet to infrared and radio. They reveal cauldrons of starbirth, exploding stars, neutron stars and black holes. Most exciting are Gamma-ray Bursters—cosmic flashes as bright as a million trillion Suns. In this program, we learn more about visible light (7 colors and...
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The ALMA or Atacama Large Millimeter/Sub-millimeter Array is a powerful radio telescope observatory. The large array probes the first stars and galaxies and directly images the formation of planets. The ALMA is composed of 66 high precision antennas and has a much higher sensitivity and resolution than other telescopes. It has unprecedented sensitivity and resolution, giving astronomers incredibly detailed views of distant objects in space. Based...
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Approximately 12,000 babies are born annually in the United States with a hearing impairment. With impressive advancements in technology, cochlear implants are giving these children the ability to hear. A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can provide the sense of hearing to patients who are profoundly deaf or are severely hard of hearing. The cochlear implant helps patients hear by using electrodes that stimulate the remaining...
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Anthropometry is the science that defines physical measures of a person's size, form, and functional capacities. Forensic science (often shortened to forensics) is the practical application of science to matters of the law. In criminal law, forensics science can help prove the guilt or innocence of the defendant. In civil actions, forensics can help resolve a broad spectrum of legal issues through the identification, analysis and evaluation of physical...
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Comets have been causing fear in the minds of humans for millennia. Now new spacecraft are giving us insights into their composition and behavior. Comets allow us to study what the solar system was like in its formative period. They orbit the Sun in the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud. This program teaches students about comets and helps students understand why comets cause both fear and fascination.
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At one time, Venus might have been Earth’s twin, but scientists speculate that a maturing Sun doomed Venus. It is a lifeless planet with a dense, choking atmosphere with temperatures that could melt lead. Its environment is brutally hot and is constantly being covered by molten lava oozing from thousands of volcanoes. Constantly shrouded in cloud, Venus could once have been Earth’s twin with oceans and continents, even simple life, but as the...
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The Sun is only one of more than 200 billion stars in the Milky Way. Students will see the enormous span of the universe, some of our neighboring stars and an excellent description of the life of a star. Of the 200 billion stars in our galaxy, the nearest star is Alpha Centauri, 4.25 light years away.
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Olympus Mons, the tallest and deepest volcano in our Solar System. Although Mars is about half the size of Earth, it takes nearly twice as long to orbit our Sun. NASA’s 21st century inter-planetary robots landed on the once watery surface and sent back images and collected data. Coupled with Earth-bound complex telescopes, multi-disciplinary studies continue to enhance our knowledge of our closest neighbor.
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The Very Large Array, or VLA, telescope was built by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory to investigate radio waves from a variety of astronomical objects. This enormous array includes 27 antennas that look into deep space to see quasars, pulsars, remnants of supernova, gamma ray bursts, radio-emitting stars, the sun and planets, black holes, and the hydrogen gas that constitutes a large portion of the Milky Way galaxy. This program takes a look...
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Baked and irradiated, Mercury is a cratered world; pock-marked by impactors that rained from space during the early development of our Solar System. With double sunrises, its day is twice as long as its year. Mercury’s orbit is now perpetually shadowed from the scorching Sun; scientists think there may be ice deposited by comets. In contrast, the un-Earthly Venus is a lifeless planet with a dense, choking atmosphere with temperatures that could...
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By fitting together the pieces of Earth’s development, scientists are using revolutionary instrumentation to scan the universe to explore the possibility of past, present and potential future life elsewhere in our universe. Current extraordinary advances in telescope infrared technology provides increasingly detailed images of our universe. The question remains, is Earth the only place in the solar system where life exists?