Ian O'Neill

Read the latest articles by Ian O'Neill 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>

Conservation

Earth & 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.

Astronomy

There's something peculiar going on in the core of Andromeda, the Milky Way galaxy's nearby cousin.

The Andromeda Galaxy Could Be Buzzing With Dark Matter

Planets

Although details are sparse, NASA has revealed that astronomers will reveal an exoplanetary discovery during a special live-streamed announcement today (Wednesday) at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET).

Watch Live: NASA to Announce Exoplanet Discovery Today

Venus is a toxic hellhole that's not only hot enough on the surface to melt lead, but the thick carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere has a pressure about 90 times greater than Earth's.

This Powerful New Technology May Be The Only Way To Explore Venus

Venus is a toxic hellhole that's not only hot enough on the surface to melt lead, but the thick carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere has a pressure about 90 times greater than Earth's. This isn't very good news for any robots we want to send there to explore the planet and do science.It's not like we haven't tried landing on Venus before. From the 1960s to the 1980s, the Soviet Union tried to send a series of 16 spacecraft to Venus as part of the Venera program - which included flybys, atmospheric probes and landers. But all Venus surface missions quickly succumbed to the extreme heat and pressure, most lasting for less than a couple of hours.But there is hope. NASA engineers at the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, are developing a new kind of integrated circuit that not only survives the rigors of being in space, it could also allow the delicate electronics inside Venus landers to live 100 times longer than previous efforts.Thanks to our sponsor for supporting DNews! Check out Graze <a href="https://www.graze.com/us/" target="_blank">here</a> and use coupon code DNEWS for a free snack box.Read More:AIP Advances: <a href="http://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.4973429" target="_blank">Prolonged silicon carbide integrated circuit operation in Venus surface atmospheric conditions</a>NASA: <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-glenn-demonstrates-electronics-for-longer-venus-surface-missions" target="_blank">NASA Glenn Demonstrates Electronics for Longer Venus Surface Missions</a>BBC: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/space_missions/venera" target="_blank">Venera programme</a>

NASA has spotted possible ice volcanoes in the past, including on Saturn's moon, Titan, and on Pluto.

Everything You Need To Know About Galactic Ice Volcanoes!

NASA has spotted possible ice volcanoes in the past, including on Saturn's moon, Titan, and on Pluto. Now, NASA has announced that even Ceres, the closest dwarf planet to the sun, has an ice volcano mystery going on!These ice volcanoes are found on icy worlds. And rather than erupting with molten rock, they erupt volatiles like water, methane and ammonia.Volatiles are chemicals that have very low melting points and for the most part remain as a solid inside icy planets and moons. For example, methane melts when heated to minus 182 degrees Celsius.As Earth is a pretty warm place, methane is usually found as a gas here, but on super-cold worlds like Pluto, it's usually found as solid ice. However, if something heats the interiors of these worlds - like radioactive decay - methane and other volatiles will melt and erupt to the surface.Read More:Seeker: <a href="http://www.seeker.com/dwarf-planet-ceres-mountain-nasa-dawn-water-ice-planets-2234110966.html" target="_blank">The Curious Case of Ceres' Vanishing Ice Volcanoes</a>Space.com: <a href="http://www.space.com/35571-ceres-ice-volcano-ahuna-mons.html" target="_blank">Lonely Ice Volcano On Ceres May Have Once Had Company</a>NASA: <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/where-is-the-ice-on-ceres-new-nasa-dawn-findings" target="_blank">Where is the Ice on Ceres? New NASA Dawn Findings</a>

A stellar romance is blossoming in a star system 370 light-years away, causing a star to make heartbeat-like pulses as its exoplanetary partner zooms close during its short orbit.

Valentine's Day Exoplanet Tugs at Its Star's Heart

There are three astronomical "events" occurring all at once tonight, leading to some excitement in social media circles.

A Comet, Lunar Eclipse and a 'Snow Moon' Will All Grace Our Skies Tonight

The cosmos is a harsh and unforgiving place, especially if you're a comet.

A Star Just Ripped Comet Halley's Massive Cousin to Shreds

Exploration

On Earth, we are blessed with a thick protective atmosphere that prevents all but the biggest space rocks from wreaking havoc on the surface.