Author Archive | Thomas Sumner

The ATHLETE vehicle at one of its fuel cell charging stations. Credit: JPL/NASA

Fuel Cells…in Space!

When it comes to exploring strange new worlds, NASA’s ATHLETE (All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer) is one tricked-out rover. The robotic vehicle (pictured) has six wheels attached to six spider-like legs that move independently to traverse the bumpy surfaces of Mars, the Moon, asteroids and beyond. The whole setup acts as a giant platform for whatever…

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Top 5 Science Stories of 2012 According to Reddit

2012 was a big year for science. From tiny particles to worlds millions of miles away, there were a lot of science stories worth reading. Here is a compilation of the top five of the year, according to the point-score given by users of Reddit.com. For each major story I’ve made a useful infographic to…

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An artist's concept of the New Horizons space probe and its item of interest, Pluto.

Pluto probe peril

As the Curiosity rover safely studies rocks on the surface of Mars, a NASA mission on route to Pluto may find itself on a treacherously rocky path. NASA announced last month that the $650 million New Horizons space probe’s planned trajectory during its July 2015 flyby could turn into a collision course with unknown moons…

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An anti-GMO protester dressed as a giant soy bean. Prop 37 has sparked major debates and protests throughout California over the labeling of genetically modified foods.

The Case for GMOs

On Tuesday we Californians will vote on Prop 37 to decide whether or not to force companies to label their genetically modified foods. The European Union already requires the labeling of these GMOs, and some European countries ban genetically modified products outright. This labeling paints the picture that GMOs are dangerous and shouldn’t be developed…

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