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It’s hard to open a newspaper or surf the internet without hearing about “going green.” The goal is for each human being to do his or her part to waste less resources, have less impact on their environment, and be kind to Mother Nature. Though we all take steps to do our part — composting our perishable goods, recycling, carpooling — it’s time to take inventory and figure out what your environmental footprint is.

Take the quiz and test your knowledge on environmental facts, like whether buying a brand new, gas-powered car is better than driving a well-maintained old car, the environmental impact of replacing just one incandescent lightbulb for a fluorescent, and just how environmentally-unfriendly air travel really is.

After testing your knowledge, calculate your actual ecological footprint or check out your impact on bio-diversity. See how you measure up on food habits, trash generation, and energy consumption.

The results may surprise you - I know they surprised me. Though I live in an apartment building, eat little meat, and don’t own a car, my footprint is a whopping 8.52 global hectares. Learn what you can do to treat your world even better and hopefully, many generations to come will be able to enjoy the beautiful green environs that we all love.

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Tags: Science by Erin
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The sky will light up 2008, bringing nighttime observers some truly enjoyable astronomical events. This year, we’re going to witness a total solar eclipse, two pairings of the sky’s brightest planets, and a total lunar eclipse. Talk about phenomenal.

You can check out star cluster occulations and in August, you might be able to spot the annual Perseid meteor shower. Space.com’s Night Sky column will let you in on upcoming events just in time to whip out your telescope all year round, including the following:

• February 1 - Venus-Jupiter conjunction, Part 1: The two brightest planets in the sky will meet on the morning of Feb 1, and will be best seen about 45 minutes before sunrise. Three days later, the crescent moon will join the two, creating a beautiful sight.
• February 20 & 21 - Total eclipse of the moon: Though less than 6 months after the last total lunar eclipse, much of North America will be able to see this one from their own back yard. It will last for about 50 minutes, and promises to be spectacular.
• August 1 - Total solar eclipse: Though only viewable from distant locations like Siberia, this total eclipse will cause Earth’s sun to be blocked for a total of 2.3 minutes.
• August 16 - Partial lunar eclipse: Believe it or not, our moon will eclipse yet again, though only partially, this time giving our global neighbors in Europe, Africa, and Asia a good view.

Clearly, if you love the night sky, 2008 is a going to be a great year.

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Scientists at NASA are excited by the new images and information they’ve received about Mercury. Thanks to the MESSENGER probe, scientists got their first good look at Mercury in over 30 years.

At a total price tag of nearly $450 million for the entire mission, the MESSENGER probe was sent into space in August of 2004. The probe is schedule to travel nearly five billion miles in total.

This close-up flyby of Mercury is one of three close-ups scheduled for the MESSENGER probe. The second pass is schedule for October, while the third pass is to be made in September of 2009.

The MESSENGER probe flew by Mercury at just under 125 miles from the planet’s surface. The probe photographed much of the never before seen terrain of Mercury. In total, over one thousand images and countless analytic readers where taken as the probe flew by the planet.

The last time NASA was able to get a good look at Mercury was in 1975 thanks to Mariner 10. These new photographs and information have NASA scientists understandably excited.

“I just can’t wait,” exclaimed Mark Robinson, a scientist close to the MESSENGER project. “I want to see what’s around the corner.”

Photo credit: NASA

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You know that no two snowflakes are alike and that your fingerprint is unique. But did you know that the iris of your eye is also unlike any other in the world? Researchers are working on technology that can recognize the unique pattern of your iris. This could mean that one day you’ll only need to look at your front door or your computer to open it up or turn it on. [Read more →]

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Want to reduce your carbon footprint and save money on fuel? Consider biodiesel, an alternative fuel derived from vegetable oil. Biodiesel has a minimal byproduct which is good for the earth when recycled in composting.There are places that you can go to buy bio-diesel fuel for your vehicle; Biodiesel.org has a guide for consumers interested in this option. But you don’t have to go far to get this fuel. In fact, you don’t have to leave your own home. Bio-Diesel Kits are now available to make making this fuel at home a viable option. The kits are a little pricey–between $1,500 and $5.000. However, they save you money in the long run and save the earth for generations to come. You can learn more about the process of making bio-diesel fuel here.

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The Women and Technology Summit is taking place at the Hyatt Regency in Santa Clara, California from September 26-29, 2007.

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Tags: Computers, Science by Kori Ellis
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