ScienceIQ.com

The Brave and Cold Ulysses

Deep space is cold. Very cold. That's a problem--especially if you're flying in an old spaceship. And your power supplies are waning. And the fuel lines could freeze at any moment. Oh, and by the way, you've got to keep flying for thirteen more years. It sounds like a science fiction thriller, but this is really happening to the spacecraft Ulysses. ...

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TheBraveandColdUlysses
Physics

When Do We Encounter Ionizing Radiation In Our Daily Lives?

Everyone who lives on this planet is constantly exposed to naturally occurring ionizing radiation (background radiation). This has been true since the dawn of time. The average effective dose ... Continue reading

IonizingRadiation
Astronomy

N81

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has taken a 'family portrait' of young, ultra-bright stars nested in their embryonic cloud of glowing gases. The celestial maternity ward, called N81, is located 200,000 ... Continue reading

N81
Medicine

What Is High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure is a blood pressure reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher. Both numbers are important. About one in every four American adults has high blood pressure. Once high blood pressure ... Continue reading

WhatIsHighBloodPressure
Biology

Butterflies In Your Brain

The idea behind chaos theory is that complex systems have an inherent element of unpredictability. The human brain certainly qualifies as a complex system. It is also a chaotic system. It does not ... Continue reading

ButterfliesInYourBrain

The Rapid Movement of the Soybean Rust Pathogen

SoybeanRustPathogenSoybean rust, caused by the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi, results in soybean yield losses of up to 80%. Rust diseases are named for the orange powdery spores produced in leaf pustules. They are easily airborne from plant to plant.

Although the disease does not occur in the continental U.S.A., projected losses of $7.1 billion per year were estimated in a 1984 economic risk analysis. The first report of the disease was from Japan in 1902. By the 1950s the disease was reported in most Asian countries. It was not until the 1990s that the disease was confirmed in the Western Hemisphere. The first report was from Hawaii in 1994. The disease was first found in South America after 1999 and is now in four countries. The continental U.S. is the only major soybean producing area in the world where soybean rust has not been found.

The rapid spread of P. pachyrhizi and its potential to cause severe yield losses makes this the most destructive foliar disease of soybean and could have a major impact on soybean production in the U.S.A.