Eric Mack

New Mexico

Freelance Writer at Freelance

Practicing decentralization @Consensys & @JournoDAO \ Off-Grid @ Our Uncertain Future \ @Forbes senior contributor \ @CNET contrib. editor

Articles

Oxford Researchers Add New Wrinkle To Mystery Of Earth’s Water

1 week ago | forbes.com | Eric Mack

One of the more counterintuitive explanations for how Earth came to be what it is today may have just been overturned. The popular theory has been that the source of our planet’s abundant water is asteroids bombarding our world billions of years ago, but new research finds Earth may have formed with all it needed for the formation of water molecules.
Asteroid Impact Chances Increase, This Time For The Moon

3 weeks ago | forbes.com | Eric Mack

In the pantheon of apocalyptic science fiction stories, the catastrophic asteroid impact is a well-known trope. Another intriguing variant involves a collision with a moon that then collides (or breaks up and collides) with some inhabited Earth-like world. Earlier this year the asteroid 2024 YR4 seemed to present a small but non-zero chance of smashing into our planet. The space rock isn’t big enough to take out a planet, but it could lay waste to a very unlucky city.
Einstein Eclipse: Blood Moon This Week Falls On A Genius Day

1 month ago | forbes.com | Eric Mack

In the early morning hours (US time) this Friday, March 14 the moon will make a journey through Earth’s umbral shadow, displaying an ochre reddish tint during the latest total lunar eclipse to dazzle skywatchers in the Americas.
The Colossal Woolly Mouse: A Cute Step To Resurrecting Woolly Mammoths

1 month ago | forbes.com | Eric Mack

One of the more unheralded scientific advancements of the past couple decades has been our seeming mastery of genetics. Today, Colossal Biosciences announced another milestone on this journey in the form of a very furry mouse representing a tiny and cute step towards bringing back an iconic, extinct beast: the woolly mammoth. The Colossal Woolly Mouse is a rodent with a few dashes of mammoth genes that should make them fare a little better in cold climates.
SpaceX Starship Launch Today Is First Flight Since January Explosion

1 month ago | forbes.com | Eric Mack

Elon Musk’s rocket company will open a one-hour launch window Monday for the eighth flight of the SpaceX Starship from Starbase in south Texas. Blastoff could occur as soon as 6:30 p.m. ET on March 3 after being delayed from Feb. 28. The massive rocket will again conduct a suborbital flight test, with the Super Heavy booster separating shortly after liftoff for a return to the launch tower and the Starship spacecraft continuing on its journey before attempting a splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
NASA’s Webb Telescope To Scan Asteroid Threatening To Hit Earth

2 months ago | forbes.com | Eric Mack

You know it’s serious when they bring in the big guns, or at least the big lenses. The European Space Agency confirms that the James Webb Space Telescope – humanity’s most powerful eye on the cosmos – will soon turn to observe asteroid 2024 YR4, the space rock with a small chance of impacting Earth in 2032. “The chance of impact is very slim, and the asteroid is small enough that the effects of any potential impact would be on a local scale,” the ESA wrote in a blog post.
How Much Does a Tesla Solar Roof Cost in 2025?

2 months ago | yahoo.com | Eric Mack

There's no use in denying it: People are stressed about their energy bills and are looking for ways to keep the cost of their household low while still providing power. That's according to a recent CNET Money survey, which found that 78% of US adults are concerned about rising home energy costs. For many, that means turning to your usual solar panels. However, the Tesla solar roofs are a little bit different.
Hydrants Are Less Critical Than These Steps To Defend Against Wildfire

Jan 11, 2025 | forbes.com | Eric Mack

The finger-pointing has begun around the tragic and historic Los Angeles wildfires even as the flames continue to spread and mandatory evacuations remain in place for the Palisades and Eaton Fires. Low reservoirs and fire hydrants without water in burning neighborhoods in Altadena, Pacific Palisades and elsewhere have been a much talked about flashpoint, drawing criticism from failed mayoral candidate Rick Caruso and Elon Musk, among others.
How to Save Energy and Protect Your Household From Extreme Weather - CNET

Aug 16, 2024 | cnet.com | Eric Mack

Hurricanes, heat waves and winter storms can have unpredictable effects on your energy usage. We'll show you how to protect your home and keep the power on.
Northern Lights Display To Continue; Severe Geomagnetic Storm Underway

Aug 12, 2024 | forbes.com | Eric Mack

Just hours after many woke up to dazzling pre-dawn displays of the aurora borealis or aurora australis (better known as the Northern or Southern Lights, respectively), NOAA and the National Weather Service say the ethereal show may not be over. The agency’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) said in a statement Monday that G4 or severe geomagnetic storm conditions were observed around 11 am ET and may continue through the evening.