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Hank Campbell

I founded Science 2.0® in 2006 and since then it has become the world's largest independent science communications site, with over 300,000,000 direct readers and reach approaching one billion. Read More »

A 'Missing Link' In Space? Maybe Not, But A Backward-Orbiting Object May Provide A New Origin For Comets Anyway

Sep 06 2008 | comment(s)

When scientific terms become part of the cultural fabric they often lose their meaning. Biology has had its share of modern misunderstandings with 'evolution' becoming colloquial rather than scientific, along with the general term 'theory', which today is used by anyone with a crackpot notion about particle physics, math or the end of the world due to a tunnel in Switzerland.

So it goes. That's why today we have advertising claims like 'the next evolution in cars' and then press releases about the 'missing link' in comets.

Hey, we don't shape the culture, we just try to cut through it. So this time we will talk about the 'missing link' between an Oort cloud and Halley's comet and discuss the 'evolution' of these mysterious space bodies, which will make biologists here irritated. Later on we can use terms like 'genesis' and 'creation' in their place so religious folks can feel slighted also.

Why mention all that? Well, we run out of science terms to use when there is no previous explanation for an object, so we have to fall back on cultural ones in order to convey why something is important. In this instance, a team of scientists has found an unusual object whose backward and tilted orbit around the Sun is just baffling enough that it may tell us about the origins of some comets.

You heard me. Researchers from the Canada-France Ecliptic Plane Survey project have discovered an object that orbits around the Sun -- backwards. And it is tilted at an angle of 104 degrees, almost perpendicular to the orbits of the planets. Take a look:

Yahoo! Buzz For Science

Aug 20 2008 | comment(s)

Yahoo! Buzz, a competitor to social news sites like Digg and Reddit, has been opened up to the entire worldwide community. We've been critical at times of sites like Digg, which are overrun by marketing people and have a secret 'auto-bury' list of sites that aren't tithing properly. It isn't just Digg, Shoutwire and any number of small sites are the same way, but the leader will take the most heat and deservedly so. Sites like ours, that don't need to make money from Digg or artificially pumping up traffic, can take a stand and so we have. Why? Well, it's social media, not who-pays-to-be-seen media. In a world where only people who pay get to be seen, we could never exist because we're the only large science site not owned by a media corporation or the government.

Eco-Tourism Is Big Business But Can Wildlife And Tourism Mix?

Aug 13 2008 | comment(s)

To some on the fringes, the only good planet is one without people. To some pseudo-environmentalists, a good planet is one where theirs is the only SUV. To millions more, nature is a way to escape the rigors of city life and enjoy the outdoors without being intrusive.

Ecotourism is big business these days. Convincing society that nature's beauty should be preserved and enjoyed has convinced more people than ever they should actually enjoy it.

But an examination of Californian forests says that hiking, bird-watching and other low-impact activities are linked to a sharp drop in carnivores like bobcats and coyotes. In other words, if you really care about Mother Earth you should leave nature to conservationists who get paid to monitor wildlife and instead walk around the local mall.

Of snakes and wives

Aug 10 2008 | comment(s)

I guess the residents of Barbados are not as amused as we are about some fame-whoring scientist tripping over a snake they have seen their whole lives and naming it after his spouse. "How dare this man come in here and name a snake after his wife?" said the writer who identified themselves as Margaret Knight. Even Columbus didn't try to name anything after his wife and he discovered a whole bunch of people no one in Europe had ever seen, but that's science - Hedges was first to 'discover' Leptotyphlops carlae was a new species.

It's Official: Sauna Is Good For Your Skin (And It's A Sport)

Aug 09 2008 | comment(s)

Sauna has long been a cottage industry in Finland and the entire Northern hemisphere, with Scandinavians and Russians claiming to have used saunas for cleansing and relaxation for over 2,500 years.

Saunas are the new Prius, with various studies claiming a positive influence on general health.

A recent study(1) conducted in 41 healthy volunteers and presented in Dermatology says that regular sauna also has a positive effect on skin physiology.

Left, Right - Evolution Has Something For Everyone To Attack

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

Quick; who is against evolution the most? Right wing, religious fundamentalists or left-wing academics? Well, you're right. Both sides have something to fear and both sides attack evolution in order to keep their world view intact. The worst thing for a humanities professor who has spent his life dissecting the impact of social learning and culture is to find out there may actually be genetic distinctions that promote inequality. If you're a biologist, it's a strange fear because the exact opposite is true; evolution offers a way for everyone to share genetic commonality.