How we think about our planet’s center may need to be seriously updated. New evidence suggests that, instead of consistently rotating faster than Earth’s spin, the solid inner core oscillates – spinning first in one direction with respect to the surface far above, then the other, changing direction every six years. This not only has … Read more
Our planet’s protective shell isn’t quite what it used to be. Over the past two centuries its magnetic strength has taken a nosedive, and nobody has the foggiest idea why. At the same time, a concerning soft-spot in the field called the South Atlantic Anomaly has blistered over the Atlantic ocean, and has already proven … Read more
Sending humans virtually anywhere in space beyond the Moon pushes logistics of health, food, and psychology to limits we’re only beginning to grasp. A staple solution to these problems in science fiction is to simply put the void-travelers to bed for a while. In a sleep-like state akin to hibernation or torpor, metabolism drops, and … Read more