Julian Huguet

Read the latest articles by Julian Huguet at Seeker

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Space & Innovation

This week NASA held a live event to reveal it's latest findings about Enceladus, one of Saturn's moons

NASA Just Revealed There Could Be Life On Saturn's Moon, Enceladus

This week NASA held a live event to reveal it's latest findings about Enceladus, one of Saturn's moons.Scientists announced that the Cassini space probe has detected hydrogen gas coming from cracks in the icy crust, indicating that the moon's subsurface oceans might be able to support life as we know it.Finding hydrogen is a big deal because, it's a chemical we think is essential for life to form, the other's being carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur. We have now detected all of those on Enceladus except phosphorus and sulfur, but we suspect those elements are present in its rocky core as well.To detect the hydrogen, Cassini passed through a plume of mostly water vapor coming out of the cracks - or "tiger stripes"- in Enceladus's ice crust. Enceladus is too small to keep hydrogen in its atmosphere, so the hydrogen must have come from the ocean inside the crust. The plumes of vapor spring up above hot spots, indicating that hydrothermal activity exists on Enceladus's seafloor. We got nominated for a People's Choice Webby! That means, you can help us win. Please, take a minute and vote for us <a href="https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2017/film-video/general-film/vr-cinematic-or-pre-rendered" target="_blank">here</a>. Thanks!

Earth & Conservation

The threat of rising temperatures due to global warming will have serious effects on our tiny blue planet.

The Worldwide Phenomenon That's Shrinking Animals

The threat of rising temperatures due to global warming will have serious effects on our tiny blue planet. Warming oceans could kill coral reefs, there might be less fresh water, more disease, less polar bears, more bark beetles, the list goes on. But here is one side effect you may not have heard of: smaller horses.That's right, warmer temperatures could make some animals shrink.About 50 million years ago, after the dinosaurs died off, the Earth went through a series of warming events called hyperthermals, most likely from an increase of carbon. Most notably was what scientists call the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), when temperatures rose between 5 and 8 degrees celsius, and stayed that way for almost 200,000 years.Now, scientists wanted to know how this global warming event affected the creatures living at the time, so they started studying ancient horse teeth. And they found that, when global temperatures rose, these horses shrank.We got nominated for a People's Choice Webby! That means, you can help us win. Please, take a minute and vote for us <a href="https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2017/film-video/general-film/vr-cinematic-or-pre-rendered">here</a>. Thanks!

Artificial Intelligence

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

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.

Energy

Uranium makes up a teeny percentage of the particles in the ocean, about 3 parts per billion or roughly the equivalent of a grain of salt dissolved in a liter of water

The Ocean Holds Enough Uranium To Power The Planet For 10,000 Years

Uranium makes up a teeny percentage of the particles in the ocean, about 3 parts per billion or roughly the equivalent of a grain of salt dissolved in a liter of water.The thing about the ocean is there's a whole lot of it, about 1.3 sextilion liters, or 13 with twenty zeroes after it. That's a whole lot of uranium just drifting around when it could be powering your fridge, so since the 90s, Japan has been developing methods to pull it out of the water, with the United States and China following suit.Uranium exists in water bonded to two oxygen atoms in a molecule called uranyl. Uranyl has a positive charge, so previous methods of extraction took advantage of this.To capture the uranyl, long strands of plastic coated in a chemical with a negative charge called amidoxime were left underwater for a month, where they would passively soak up that uranium goodness. Then the strands would be brought to the surface, where an acid bath would free the uranyl and regenerate the fibers so they could be put back in the ocean and used again. It's literally rinse and repeat.Read More:Seeker: <a href="http://www.seeker.com/seawater-could-provide-an-endless-source-of-uranium-for-nuclear-plants-2276514732.html" target="_blank">Seawater Could Provide an 'Endless' Source of Uranium for Nuclear Plants</a>IEEE Spectrum: <a href="http://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/nuclear/nuclear-fuel-from-the-sea" target="_blank">Nuclear Fuel From the Sea</a>Science Alert: <a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/we-re-one-step-closer-to-pulling-nuclear-fuel-straight-out-of-the-ocean" target="_blank">We're One Step Closer to Pulling Nuclear Fuel Straight Out of the Ocean</a>

Can you remember how many animals of each kind Moses took onto the ark?

Your Gullible Brain And The Spread Of Fake News

Can you remember how many animals of each kind Moses took onto the ark? If your answer is two, think again. The correct answer is zero. Moses didn't actually take any animals onto the ark, Noah did. If you didn't catch the error, don't worry, you're far from the first to miss it.In fact, a recent study in Psychology Press notes that failing to register errors in questions like this happens all the time. In the study, participants were asked questions that were both "distorted" with false information, like the Moses example, and questions that had no false information. The participants answered 35% of distorted questions as if they were correct, even after they were told to watch out for false information. But most of us do know that Noah was the one who brought animals aboard the ark.So then why isn't this prior knowledge enough to detect the error? The study calls this phenomenon "knowledge neglect," which means that prior knowledge about a topic doesn't save us from falling for semantic errors. Some have likened this to absentmindedness. Others may simply see it as being gullible, easily duped, or cheated. But scientists say there might be more to it than that.Read More:BBC: <a href="http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160323-why-are-people-so-incredibly-gullible" target="_blank">Why are people so incredibly gullible?</a>Discover Magazine: <a href="http://discovermagazine.com/2009/jun/06-why-does-vaccine-autism-controversy-live-on" target="_blank">Why Does the Vaccine/Autism Controversy Live On?</a>Research Gate: <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/295478583_Making_The_Truth_Stick_and_The_Myths_Fade_Lessons_from_Cognitive_Psychology" target="_blank">Making The Truth Stick and The Myths Fade: Lessons from Cognitive Psychology</a>

Read More:LiveScience: Placebo Effect May Account for Half of Drug's EfficacyScienceAlert: Scientists have identified a part of the brain responsible for the placebo effectHarvard Magazine: The Placebo Phenomenon

The Actual Impact Of The Placebo Effect On Science

Read More:LiveScience: <a href="http://www.livescience.com/42430-placebo-effect-half-of-drug-efficacy.html" target="_blank">Placebo Effect May Account for Half of Drug's Efficacy</a>ScienceAlert: <a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-found-the-spot-in-the-brain-responsible-for-the-placebo-effect" target="_blank">Scientists have identified a part of the brain responsible for the placebo effect</a>Harvard Magazine: <a href="http://harvardmagazine.com/2013/01/the-placebo-phenomenon" target="_blank">The Placebo Phenomenon</a>

Julian Huguet

Latest Posts From Julian

NASA Just Revealed There Could Be Life On Saturn's Moon, Enceladus

Here's what you need to know.

The Worldwide Phenomenon That's Shrinking Animals

Animals across the globe are shrinking, and scientists think climate change might be to blame.

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.

When Did Environmentalism Become So Political?

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

The Ocean Holds Enough Uranium To Power The Planet For 10,000 Years

Researchers developed a new way to extract uranium from seawater, bringing us closer to nuclear power that can sustain us for 10,000 years.

Your Gullible Brain And The Spread Of Fake News

Researchers think they've figured out why some people easily believe things that aren't true.

Your Gullible Brain And The Spread Of Fake News

Researchers think they've figured out why some people easily believe things that aren't true.

Your Gullible Brain And The Spread Of Fake News

Researchers think they've figured out why some people easily believe things that aren't true.

The Actual Impact Of The Placebo Effect On Science

We know the placebo effect works, but researchers are starting to figure out exactly why and how doctors could use it to treat patients.

The Actual Impact Of The Placebo Effect On Science

We know the placebo effect works, but researchers are starting to figure out exactly why and how doctors could use it to treat patients.