Will Poor

Read the latest articles by Will Poor 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.

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>

Read More:Discovery Wildlife: Why do female reindeer grow antlers

If Antlers Are So Heavy, Why Do Animals Have Them?

Read More:Discovery Wildlife: <a href="http://www.discoverwildlife.com/animals/mammals/why-do-female-reindeer-grow-antlers">Why do female reindeer grow antlers?</a>Britannica: <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/runaway-selection-hypothesis">Runaway selection hypothesis</a>Phys: <a href="http://phys.org/news/2016-11-evolution-phenomenon-puzzled-darwin.amp">Study explains evolution phenomenon that puzzled Darwin</a>

Read More: How Stuff Works: What If I Were Struck By Lightning

What Happens When You're Struck By Lightning?

Read More: How Stuff Works: <a href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/storms/struck-by-lightning.htm">What If I Were Struck By Lightning?</a>NASA: <a href="http://thunder.msfc.nasa.gov/primer/primer2.html">Lightning and Atmospheric Electricity Research</a>The Washington Post: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/05/08/ten-shocking-things-that-can-happen-if-you-are-struck-by-lightning/">Ten Shocking Things That Can Happen If You Are Struck By Lightning</a>

Read More:UC Riverside: Hawking RadiationScience Alert: Stephen Hawking just published a new solution to the black hole information paradox

Do Black Holes Ever Die?

Read More:UC Riverside: <a href="http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/BlackHoles/hawking.html">Hawking Radiation</a>Science Alert: <a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/stephen-hawking-just-published-new-solution-to-the-black-hole-information-paradox">Stephen Hawking just published a new solution to the black hole information paradox</a>

Antarctica is the most unique of the seven continents for many reasons.

How Science Is Keeping Antarctica Ungoverned

Antarctica is the most unique of the seven continents for many reasons. Not only is the landscape breathtakingly beautiful and the year round temperature a consistent cold and colder, but Antarctica is also the only continent on earth that has no permanent inhabitants and no government. However, with the plethora of natural resources here, it's very likely this territory won't remain ungoverned forever.Natacha Pisarenko is an Associated Press photographer who documents scientists doing research in Antarctica. Although the researchers here come from different countries and have varied backgrounds, Pisarenko has frequently observed them all working together peacefully. A big reason for that is <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/law-and-treaty/our-treaty-obligations/history">The Antarctic Treaty.</a><a href="http://skr.cm/296sgid">RELATED: Why Do We Go to Antarctica?</a>The Antarctic Treaty was established back in 1959 during the Cold War in an effort to encourage <a href="http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/did-you-know/2011-12-10-many-countries-have-research-stations-in-antarctica.html">cooperative scientific research.</a> The treaty states: "Scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be exchanged and made freely available." This also supports the idea that no one owns Antarctica. Various nations have tried to claim it over the years but no claims have been globally recognized.Today there are 75 research stations in Antarctica with scientists from all over the world studying a number of subjects. Measuring air quality here is ideal because Antarctica's air is virtually pollution-free. Astronomers are drawn to the area because it stays dark outside for 24 hours during winter months, giving ample time for studying the night sky.<a href="http://skr.cm/296s7eN">RELATED: Who Owns Antarctica?</a>Pisarenko says she worries the peace that currently exists here will soon be broken by those who come to take advantage of Antarctica's valuable resources. "...many fear that countries will rush to explore its mineral resources and oil. For now, countries are banned from drilling or having military bases, but several nations keep research stations as a way to claim territory," she told Seeker.It's a valid concern considering there could be as much as <a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2015/05/04/beneath-antarctica-a-wonderland-of-oil-awaits-exploitation/">200 billion barrels of oil here.</a> However, we likely won't see change to the continent in the near future. The next time the treaty will be reviewed is 2048. Until then, we can still think of Antarctica as a sort of utopia. It's the only continent in the world where there has never been any nuclear testing, wars, or military activity of any kind.As Pisarenko puts it, "...it's a beautiful world, there are no borders, and people rely on generosity and kindness to survive." We can only hope it will stay that way for many centuries to come.-- <a href="http://www.seeker.com/community/Molly_Fosco">Molly Fosco</a> See more of <a href="https://blog.apimages.com/tag/natacha-pisarenko/">Natacha Pisarenko's work</a>. Read More:South Pole 1911-2011: <a href="http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/did-you-know/2011-12-10-many-countries-have-research-stations-in-antarctica.html">Did You Know That Many Countries Have Research Stations in Antarctica?</a>BBC: <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27910375">Why Do So Many Nations Want A Piece Of Antarctica?</a>Discovering Antarctica: <a href="http://discoveringantarctica.org.uk/challenges/sustainability/future-of-antarctica/">Future Of Antarctica</a>

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?

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.

If Antlers Are So Heavy, Why Do Animals Have Them?

Sure, Rudolph has a red nose, but does it have antlers? Is ornamentation even beneficial to any species?

What Happens When You're Struck By Lightning?

The chances of being struck by lightning are about 1 in a million. What exactly is lightning and what happens if it hits you?

Do Black Holes Ever Die?

Do black holes actually evaporate? Find out more as we dive deep into Hawking Radiation!

How Science Is Keeping Antarctica Ungoverned

Antarctica: a research utopia for international governments. Do natural resources threaten the peace on Earth's only non-governed continent?

How Science Is Keeping Antarctica Ungoverned

Antarctica: a research utopia for international governments. Do natural resources threaten the peace on Earth's only non-governed continent?