Kate Graham-Shaw

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Articles

Lightning on Earth Knocks ‘Killer Electrons’ Loose in Orbit

Dec 2, 2024 | scientificamerican.com | Kate Graham-Shaw

Lightning strikes in the atmosphere can trigger a rain of high-powered “killer electrons” in low-Earth orbit that form harmful streams of radiation, new research suggests. Scientists had previously thought killer electrons might appear only in our planet’s distant outer radiation belt, but a study in Nature Communications finds that lightning nudges them loose in the much closer inner belt, too.
Produktywny nacisk

Dec 1, 2024 | projektpulsar.pl | Kate Graham-Shaw

Dzięki trzęsieniom ziemi mogą powstawać samorodki złotaSolidne sztabki złota ułożone w bankowych skarbcach, platerowane złotem medale wręczane podczas tegorocznych igrzysk olimpijskich, a nawet twoja własna złota biżuteria mogą zawdzięczać swoje istnienie trzęsieniom ziemi. Naprężenia i odkształcenia wytwarzane przez poruszające się podczas takich zdarzeń płyty tektoniczne mogą wywoływać reakcje chemiczne, w których wyniku maleńkie cząstki złota łączą się w większe samorodki.
Trzęsienia ziemi dają złoto

Dec 1, 2024 | projektpulsar.pl | Kate Graham-Shaw

Naprężenia i odkształcenia wytwarzane przez poruszające się podczas takich zdarzeń płyty tektoniczne mogą wywoływać reakcje chemiczne, w których wyniku powstają samorodki. „Naszym największym sukcesem jest wskazanie nowego procesu powstawania złotych ziaren i wyjaśnienie, w jaki sposób mogą powstawać naprawdę duże bryłki” – mówi współautor badania Christopher Voisey, geolog z Monash University w Australii.
Can Overpriced Peaches Convince Us That Fukushima Is Safe?

Oct 9, 2024 | scientificamerican.com | Kate Graham-Shaw

What if I told you that peaches grown around the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant, site of Japan’s catastrophic nuclear accident, were on sale at Harrod’s, the luxury department store in London where Ronald Reagan once inquired about buying a baby elephant? It's true, and how those peaches got there is as much a story of clever marketing as how the people of Fukushima prefecture, marred by the 2011 disaster, are trying to disentangle their region from its nuclear legacy.
Earthquakes May Forge Large Gold Nuggets

Sep 2, 2024 | scientificamerican.com | Kate Graham-Shaw

Solid gold bars stacked in bank vaults, layers of plating on this summer’s Olympic medals or even your own pieces of golden jewelry could owe their existence to earthquakes. The stress and strain produced by moving tectonic plates during these temblors may trigger a chemical reaction that causes minuscule particles of gold to coalesce into larger nuggets, a new study proposes.
Artificial Sweetener Erythritol Likely Linked to Thrombosis Risk, Study Warns

Aug 22, 2024 | scientificamerican.com | Kate Graham-Shaw

Sugar-free food and drinks may not be a healthier choice after all. Used since the 1990s in everyday products from gum and candy to cookies and diet sodas, the artificial sweetener erythritol has 70 percent of the sweetness of sugar but far fewer calories. It is also commonly blended with stevia-based sweeteners to increase their volume and sweetness and give them a sugarlike texture.
Common Causes of Food Poisoning Recalls and How to Avoid Getting Sick

Aug 16, 2024 | scientificamerican.com | Kate Graham-Shaw

Thanks to the development of modern agriculture, the germ theory of disease and pasteurization, as well as the advent of freezers, electric ovens and fridges, millions of people can now access safe, disease-free food in many parts of the world. But despite these advances, foodborne illnesses endure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that around 48 million Americans—one in seven—get sick from food each year.
New U.N. Cybercrime Treaty Could Threaten Human Rights

Aug 9, 2024 | scientificamerican.com | Kate Graham-Shaw

NEW YORK CITY —The United Nations approved its first international cybercrime treaty yesterday. The effort succeeded despite opposition from tech companies and human rights groups, who warn that the agreement will permit countries to expand invasive electronic surveillance in the name of criminal investigations.
These 352 Asteroids Likely Have Cute Little Moonlets

Aug 8, 2024 | scientificamerican.com | Kate Graham-Shaw

An ultraprecise satellite tasked with mapping more than a billion stars across the galaxy has spotted something fascinating closer to home: 352 asteroids in the solar system that likely have their own orbiting moons. These systems, known as “binary asteroids,” are challenging to pinpoint because of their distance from Earth and comparatively small size.
Rare Whale Beached in New Zealand Offers Glimpse of Little-Known Species

Jul 23, 2024 | scientificamerican.com | Kate Graham-Shaw

When the 16-foot-long corpse of one of Earth’s most elusive marine mammals—a spade-toothed whale—washed onto a beach in New Zealand’s Otago region, scientists scrambled to get eyes on the beast. The persistently stealthy species, first identified in 1874, has evaded any known live sightings; science knows very little about it.