Scientific Minds Want To Know

Scientific Minds Want To Know

Hubble spies planet being devoured by star

The doomed planet, the hottest in the galaxy, is 300 times the size of Earth.

First time phenomenon seen clearly 

Also: 

• Life and death of stars
• A new kind of supernova
• NASA gives up on lander

Bacterium could help show how life began

The first organism with a fully synthetic genome could answer one of science's oldest questions.

Resurrecting fossils 

Also: 

• Church warns scientists
• More on the discovery
• Mycoplasma mycoides

Bizarre Hammerhead Shark Head Product of Evolution Cascade

A new study indicates several species of small hammerhead sharks living today stemmed from one large ancestor living some 20 million years ago, evolving twice at different times and places.

A picture of a burrowing crayfish, Engaeus granulatus

Betelgeuse about to go Supernova

When it collapses, it will be at least as bright as the full moon, and maybe as bright as the sun. For six weeks. So the really lucky folks (for whom Betelgeuse is only visible at night) will get 24 hour days, everybody else will get at least some time with two suns in the sky. The extra hour of light from daylight savings time won't burn the crops, but this might. Probably, all we'll get is visible light (not gamma rays or X-rays), so it shouldn't be an ELE. It's sure gonna freak everyone out, though.....

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