Political and Religous writer at TSSNewsMag

[robertjgarrison]

Water, weather, new worlds: Cassini mission revealed Saturn’s secrets

Water, weather, new worlds: Cassini mission revealed Saturn’s secrets

Cassini is the most sophisticated space probe ever built. Launched in 1997 as a joint NASA/European Space Agency mission, it took seven years to journey to Saturn. It’s been orbiting the sixth planet from the sun ever since, sending back data of immense scientific value and images of magnificent beauty. Cassini now begins one last campaign. Dubbed the Grand Finale, it will end on Sept. 15, 2017…

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[robertjgarrison]

Water, weather, new worlds: Cassini mission revealed Saturn’s secrets

Water, weather, new worlds: Cassini mission revealed Saturn’s secrets

Cassini is the most sophisticated space probe ever built. Launched in 1997 as a joint NASA/European Space Agency mission, it took seven years to journey to Saturn. It’s been orbiting the sixth planet from the sun ever since, sending back data of immense scientific value and images of magnificent beauty.

Cassini now begins one last campaign. Dubbed the Grand Finale, it will end on Sept. 15, 2017…

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[robertjgarrison]

Living with a Star: NASA and Partners Survey Space Weather Science

Living with a Star: NASA and Partners Survey Space Weather Science

Geomagnetically Induced Currents, or GICs, can result from geomagnetic storms — a type of space weather event in which Earth’s magnetic field is rattled by incoming magnetic solar material. The quick-changing magnetic fields create GICs through a process called electromagnetic induction. GICs can flow through railroad tracks, underground pipelines and power grids. Credits: NASA Download…

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[robertjgarrison]

Can March for Science participants advocate without losing the public’s trust?

Can March for Science participants advocate without losing the public’s trust?

As the March for Science nears, questions about whether scientists can and should advocate for public policy become more important. On one hand, scientists have relevant expertise to contribute to conversations about public policy. And in the abstract, the American public supports the idea that scientists should be involved in political debate. On the other hand, scientists who advocate may risk…

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[robertjgarrison]

Will Turkey’s referendum mark the end of democracy and the birth of ‘Erdoğanistan’?

Will Turkey’s referendum mark the end of democracy and the birth of ‘Erdoğanistan’?

Turkey is approaching a critical juncture in its long-term political development. Irrespective of the outcome, the country’s April 16 referendum, which proposes changing the constitution to concentrate power in the hands of the president, heralds a new political era.

Many signs seem to point to a narrow victory for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in his attempt to establish an executive presidency

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[robertjgarrison]

NASA's MAVEN Reveals Mars Has Metal in its Atmosphere

NASA’s MAVEN Reveals Mars Has Metal in its Atmosphere

Mars has electrically charged metal atoms (ions) high in its atmosphere, according to new results from NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft. The metal ions can reveal previously invisible activity in the mysterious electrically charged upper atmosphere (ionosphere) of Mars.

“MAVEN has made the first direct detection of the permanent presence of metal ions in the ionosphere of a planet other than Earth,” said…

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[robertjgarrison]

Six questions about the French elections

Six questions about the French elections

As France goes to the polls to elect a new president, observers are wondering if the vote will follow a populist trend that led to Brexit and the election of Donald Trump.

Here are a few important things to know about the upcoming vote, as explained by Joshua Cole, an American scholar of European history.

1. How does the French presidential electoral process work? Prospective candidates must…

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[robertjgarrison]

For Rex Tillerson in Russia, stakes are high and outlook is dim

For Rex Tillerson in Russia, stakes are high and outlook is dim

Donald Trump entered office in January vowing to improve US relations with Russia. Less than three months into his presidency, however, the prospects for a rapprochement with Russian President Vladimir Putin seem to be as remote as they were under any of his predecessors.

The extent of tensions and disagreements between the United States and Russia will be on display on Wednesday when US…

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[robertjgarrison]

NASA will discuss new results about ocean worlds in our solar system from the agency’s Cassini spacecraft and the Hubble Space Telescope during a news briefing 2 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 13. The event, to be held at the James Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington, will include remote participation from experts across the country.

The briefing will be broadcast live on NASA…

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[robertjgarrison]

US airstrike on Syria: What next?

US airstrike on Syria: What next?

Make no mistake. The April 6 U.S. airstrike on Syria following Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapon attack is a remarkable shift in President Donald Trump’s – and Washington’s – past policy.

As president-elect, Trump’s Middle Eastern concerns centeredon defeating the Islamic State and depicted Syria’s millions of refugees as potential extremists and a threat to U.S. borders. The president now…

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[robertjgarrison]

With new technology, mathematicians turn numbers into art

With new technology, mathematicians turn numbers into art

Once upon a time, mathematicians imagined their job was to discover new mathematics and then let others explain it.

Today, digital tools like 3-D printing, animation, and virtual reality are more affordable than ever, allowing mathematicians to investigate and illustrate their work at the same time. Instead of drawing a complicated surface on a chalkboard, we can now hand students a physical…

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[robertjgarrison]

What’s at stake as President Trump sits down with China’s Xi

What’s at stake as President Trump sits down with China’s Xi

The U.S. and China together account for one-third of global economic output, so there is a lot at stake as President Donald Trump meets with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, not least the fate of the world economy over the next few years.

And it is precisely the magnitude of the stakes involved that has led some observersto assume that both countries will play it safe and focus on the areas of…

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[robertjgarrison]

NASA’s Cassini Mission Prepares for 'Grand Finale' at Saturn

NASA’s Cassini Mission Prepares for ‘Grand Finale’ at Saturn

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, in orbit around Saturn since 2004, is about to begin the final chapter of its remarkable story. On Wednesday, April 26, the spacecraft will make the first in a series of dives through the 1,500-mile-wide (2,400-kilometer) gap between Saturn and its rings as part of the mission’s grand finale.

“No spacecraft has ever gone through the unique region that we’ll attempt to…

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[robertjgarrison]

Can the relationship between Europe and Africa stand the test of time?

Can the relationship between Europe and Africa stand the test of time?

The signing of the Treaty of Rome, which established the European Economic Community (EEC) 60 years ago in March 1957, came at a tumultuous time in relations between Europe and Africa.

Just weeks earlier Kwame Nkrumah had declared Ghana a republic, an event which was a turning point in the decolonisation of sub-Saharan Africa.

Nkrumah remarkedthat the treaty’s inclusion of colonial territories…

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[robertjgarrison]

Momentum isn’t magic – vindicating the hot hand with the mathematics of streaks

Momentum isn’t magic – vindicating the hot hand with the mathematics of streaks

It’s NCAA basketball tournament season, known for its magical moments and the “March Madness” it can produce. Many fans remember Stephen Curry’s superhuman 2008 performancewhere he led underdog Davidson College to victory while nearly outscoring the entire determined Gonzaga team by himself in the second half. Was Curry’s magic merely a product of his skill, the match-ups and random luck, or was…

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[robertjgarrison]

Space Station Crew Cultivates Crystals for Drug Development

Space Station Crew Cultivates Crystals for Drug Development

Crew members aboard the International Space Station will begin conducting research this week to improve the way we grow crystals on Earth. The information gained from the experiments could speed up the process for drug development, benefiting humans around the world.

Proteins serve an important role within the human body. Without them, the body wouldn’t be able to regulate, repair or protect…

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[robertjgarrison]

Waves on Sun Give NASA New Insight into Space Weather Forecasting

Waves on Sun Give NASA New Insight into Space Weather Forecasting

Our sun is a chaotic place, simmering with magnetic energy and constantly spewing out particles. Sometimes the sun releases solar flares and coronal mass ejections — huge eruptions of charged particles — which contribute to space weather and can interfere with satellites and telecommunications on Earth. While it has long been hard to predict such events, new research has uncovered a mechanism…

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