Aneeta Akhurst

Read the latest articles by Aneeta Akhurst at Seeker

Artificial Intelligence

Space & Innovation

Will AI Destroy All Humans, or Help Us Build a Better Future?

Vanity Fair - <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/news/tech/2014/11/artificial-intelligence-singularity-theory">Enthusiasts and Skeptics Debate Artificial Intelligence</a>Stanford - <a href="http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/blog/2013/12/human-error-cause-vehicle-crashes">Human Error as a Cause for Vehicle Crashes</a>The Guardian - <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/30/rise-of-robots-evil-artificial-intelligence-uc-berkeley">The Rise of Robots </a>Wired - <a href="https://www.wired.com/2014/06/ai-healthcare/">Artificial Intelligence Is Now Telling Your Doctor How To Treat You</a>NPR - <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/03/16/470011574/what-artificial-intelligence-could-mean-for-education">What Artificial Intelligence Could Mean For Education</a>

The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster has been regarded as the worst nuclear accident in history.

Chernobyl's Massive Radiation Shield Is Preventing Nuclear Fallout

The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster has been regarded as the worst nuclear accident in history. The fallout from the event has affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, and left behind one of the most radioactive sites in the world. Shortly after the accident, construction crews and clean-up personnel known as "liquidators" risked their lives to construct and concrete and steel sarcophagus to seal in radioactive material. This sarcophagus still stands today, but is unstable due to years of erosion.This issue led over 40 countries and multiple organizations to work together to build a better, larger solution. The New Safe Confinement (NSC) has moved into place to cover Chernobyl's decomposing tomb. Weighing in at 35,000 tons, the structure is taller than the Statue of Liberty and longer than two jumbo jets. The purpose of the structure is to encapsulate the contaminated sarcophagus and close it off from the environment with an airtight seal. Once the NSC is sealed, crews will then begin the long process of dismantling the old enclosure to prevent it from collapsing.Thanks to the hard work of the crews and backers of this project, an additional nuclear disaster has been averted. Although this is a tremendous feat, it cannot go without mentioning that due to the nature of radioactive material, the site will remain contaminated for the foreseeable future. We would like to thank The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for providing us with video assets for this episode. For more information on their involvement with the New Safe Confinement, visit: http://www.ebrd.com/what-we-do/sectors/nuclear-safety/chernobyl-new-safe-confinement.html

Read More: Caltech - Herschel Discovers Infrared LightNASA - What Wavelength Goes With a Color?

This Invisible Light Shows Us What Our Eyes Can't See

Read More: Caltech - <a href="http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/classroom_activities/herschel_bio.html">Herschel Discovers Infrared Light</a>NASA - <a href="https://science-edu.larc.nasa.gov/EDDOCS/Wavelengths_for_Colors.html#invisible">What Wavelength Goes With a Color? </a>NASA JPL - <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/infrared-astronomical-satellite-iras/">Infrared Astronomical Satellite</a>Space.com - <a href="http://www.space.com/25732-redshift-blueshift.html">What Are Redshift and Blueshift?</a>

Planets

NASA's Plan To Use A Giant Magnet To Make Mars Habitable

Mars used to look a lot like Earth. The planet had a vast sea under oxygen rich skies, and as far as we know, all the right conditions for life. But while Earth was beginning to see its first glimpse of life, Mars was losing its chance of becoming a habitable world. We don't know why, but roughly 4.2 billion years ago, Mars's magnetic field disappeared. That magnetic field protected the young planet from a constant barrage of solar winds ejected from the sun. But once it was gone, Mars's warmer, rich atmosphere was blown out of the solar system.But could we make Mars habitable again?NASA might have a new strategy to do just that. They theorize that by placing a large magnetic dipole shield between Mars and the Sun, they can protect the planet from the Sun's solar winds and perhaps establish a new atmospheric equilibrium. Read More: New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/06/science/space/mars-atmosphere-stripped-away-by-solar-storms-nasa-says.html?_r=0">Mars' Atmosphere Stripped by Solar Winds, NASA Says</a>NASA: <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-mission-reveals-speed-of-solar-wind-stripping-martian-atmosphere">NASA Mission Reveals Speed of Solar Wind Stripping Martian Atmosphere </a>USRA: <a href="http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/V2050/pdf/8250.pdf">A Future Mars Environment For Science and Exploration</a>

History

Earth & Conservation

In the 1950s and 1960s, Arthur Tress used his camera to show the changing landscape of New York City, and captured a place that was pretty much unrecognizable from what it is today.

Smog Almost Killed New York City, Here's How

In the 1950s and 1960s, Arthur Tress used his camera to show the changing landscape of New York City, and captured a place that was pretty much unrecognizable from what it is today. Following its post WWII prosperity, New York City started to see the negative effects of an industrial boom as the environment took a turn for the worse. During this period, toxic smog engulfed the city with extremely elevated levels of carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide, and it took a direct hit at the health of New Yorkers. In 1966, during a period of elevated air pollution, known as the "killer smog", where researchers found an increase in death rate of 24 deaths per day. It was during this time that Arthur documented the destruction of the environment around him. Through his photographs, Arthur opened a dialog about the environmental issues in New York City. His photographs were published in magazines and put on posters in hopes that they would be seen by people who had the power to enforce change. Over time, New York City began to clean up it's act thanks to programs such as the EPA, which was founded in 1970. Arthur's photos now serve as a record to remind us of the importance of preserving the world around us.

Conservation

This is the face of an American environmentalist.

When Did Environmentalism Become So Political?

This is the face of an American environmentalist. Richard Nixon, former republican President of the United States. You see, not that long ago, environmentalism was a fairly bipartisan issue. But all that changed.

Student in Chile have been protesting for over a decade to overturn inequality within the educational system.

The Power of Chile's Student Resistance Movement

Student in Chile have been protesting for over a decade to overturn inequality within the educational system.

Fleeing conflict, famine and domestic oppression, the number of refugees has swelled to more than 20 million.

Japan Rejected Over 99% Of Refugees Last Year. Here's Why.

Fleeing conflict, famine and domestic oppression, the number of refugees has swelled to more than 20 million. Many are seeking refuge in countries like Turkey, Germany and the United States, but for many their lives are left in limbo, unable to build a new life. And with this challenge, the international community is reminding signatories of the UN Refugee Convention of their duties to help those in need. But Japan seems immune to this pressure, since in 2016, it took in only 28 refugees.With less than 2% of its population being foreign-born, Japan has always shied away from the idea of a multi-cultural society. This is one of the reasons why it is so hard to become a Japanese citizen. It's even harder for asylum seekers, since the process requires a lot of paperwork and all of it must be submitted in Japanese. So why does Japan take in any refugees at all?Learn More: Reuters: <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-asylum-idUSKBN15O0UV">Japan took in just 28 refugees in 2016, despite record applications </a>Financial Times: <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/528f996e-f1b4-11e6-8758-6876151821a6">Japan accepted 28 refugees in 2016 </a>Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-25/a-wary-japan-quietly-opens-its-back-door-for-foreign-workers">Japan Opens Up to Foreign Workers (Just Don't Call it Immigration)</a>

It's generally agreed that 2016 will go down in history as a titanic bummer of a year.

You Now Have A New Organ: Meet The Mesentery!

It's generally agreed that 2016 will go down in history as a <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/history/2016/07/is_2016_the_worst_year_in_history.html" target="_blank">titanic bummer</a> of a year. But on the bright side, we each got a new internal organ. That's something, right? It's all about classification, really. It seems that the grouping of tissues known as the <a href="http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/fundamentals/the-human-body/organ-systems" target="_blank">mesentery</a> was recently upgraded to organ status, by those who get paid to classify such things.The Organ Formerly Known as a Tissue is a fold in the inner lining of your torso that suspends and attaches intestinal organs to the abdominal cavity. So how does a grouping of cells get promoted from tissue to organ? It's pretty interesting, actually. In today's DNews report, <a href="http://www.seeker.com/community/trace_dominguez/" target="_blank">Trace Dominguez</a> breaks down medical classification systems and profiles our proud new organ, the mesentery.Read More:Seeker: <a href="http://www.seeker.com/a-brand-new-human-organ-has-been-identified-2177481699.html">A Brand-New Human Organ Has Been Identified</a>Eureka Alert!: <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-12/uol-isi121616.php">Irish surgeon identifies emerging area of medical science</a>Nature: <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v523/n7560/full/nature14432.html">Structural and functional features of central nervous system lymphatic vessels</a>

Read More:Get 15% off Domain.com's domain names and web hosting when you use coupon code DNEWS at checkout

You Don't Even Want To Know About Bacteria On The Space Station

Read More:Get 15% off <a href="http://www.domain.com" target="_blank">Domain.com's</a> domain names and web hosting when you use coupon code DNEWS at checkout!NASA: <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/new-research-collaboration-explores-microbiome-of-the-space-station">New Research Collaboration Explores Microbiome of the Space Station</a>Scientific American: <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-does-ultraviolet-ligh/">How does ultraviolet light kill cells?</a>Nature: <a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/npjmgrav20167">Four-year bacterial monitoring in the International Space Station-Japanese Experiment Module "Kibo" with culture-independent approach</a>

Read More:TIME: What We Know About When Jesus Was Actually BornEarth Sky: Was the Christmas Star real?Space.com: Was the Star of Bethlehem a Star, Comet ... or Miracle?

Can Science Determine When Jesus Was Actually Born?

Read More:TIME: <a href="http://time.com/4157162/jesus-born-christmas/">What We Know About When Jesus Was Actually Born</a>Earth Sky: <a href="http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/was-the-christmas-star-real">Was the Christmas Star real?</a>Space.com: <a href="http://www.space.com/14036-christmas-star-bethlehem-comet-planet-theories.html">Was the Star of Bethlehem a Star, Comet ... or Miracle?</a>

Aneeta Akhurst’s Recent Articles

Will AI Destroy All Humans, or Help Us Build a Better Future?

The debate over the impact of artificial intelligence won't go away any time soon. So, which side are you on?

Chernobyl's Massive Radiation Shield Is Preventing Nuclear Fallout

Chernobyl's New Safe Confinement is protecting the world from another nuclear disaster.

This Invisible Light Shows Us What Our Eyes Can't See

Infrared light is all around us even though we cannot see it. Find out how this invisible radiation impacts our everyday lives.

NASA's Plan To Use A Giant Magnet To Make Mars Habitable

NASA thinks flying a giant magnet into space could help transform Mars into a habitable planet.

Smog Almost Killed New York City, Here's How

In the 1950s and 1960s, a photographer captured the environmental destruction of New York City.

When Did Environmentalism Become So Political?

When you think of environmentalism, does Richard Nixon come to mind?

The Power of Chile's Student Resistance Movement

Student in Chile have been protesting for over a decade to overturn inequality within the educational system.

The Power of Chile's Student Resistance Movement

Student in Chile have been protesting for over a decade to overturn inequality within the educational system.

Japan Rejected Over 99% Of Refugees Last Year. Here's Why.

With an increasing number of refugees around the world, countries are opening up their doors. But, this isn't the case for Japan.

You Now Have A New Organ: Meet The Mesentery!

Why did it take us so long to identify a new human organ? What does the mesentery do and how often are we "discovering" new organs?

You Don't Even Want To Know About Bacteria On The Space Station

Think the ISS is squeaky clean...think again! Bacteria like Staphylococcaceae and Enterobacteriaceae absolutely thrive in space stations!

Can Science Determine When Jesus Was Actually Born?

What was the 'Star of Bethlehem' and was it really shining on Jesus' birthday? Astronomers offer some theories.