Sea temperature patterns predict extreme heat waves up to 50 days in advance; exceptional tales of precision puzzling; mind-bending maps show who we would wave to at the opposite end of the horizon; Paul Allen announces $100 million to explore bioscience frontiers; an unparalleled view of springtime in the South Atlantic; and 12 amazing modern maps were all among this week’s top stories.
12 Amazing Modern Maps
We’ve seen some truly amazing stories of late about impressively sophisticated mapping techniques: a new map of the ocean floor based on Earth’s gravity field; entire buildings 3-D mapped in real time with mobile devices; citizen scientists use drones to map flooding; a spectacular new image of the Milky Way at submillimeter wavelengths; volunteer engineers, designers and data scientists help map Zika; three spacecraft map Mars gravity…
Springtime in the South Atlantic
The springtime phytoplankton communities shown in this image were spotted between the Falkland Islands to the west and South Georgia Island to the east. Over the last decade, NASA launched a series of satellites that offer an unparalleled view of Earth from space.
Paul G. Allen Announces $100 Million to Launch Group to Explore, Fund Bioscience Frontiers
Philanthropist and entrepreneur Paul G. Allen announced an initial commitment of $100 million to create The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, whose purpose will be to explore the landscape of bioscience and fund ideas at the frontier of knowledge to advance science and make the world better. As part of the launch, the Frontiers Group announces its first cohort of funded projects.
Beyond the Sea: If We Could See Across the Ocean
Did you know that if you are gazing across the water from a beach on the U.S. east coast, you’re more likely to be looking out over South America or Africa than Europe? What’s really across the ocean when you look straight out may not be the place you believe should be there. A cartographer has created a mind-bending collection of maps to show who we would actually be waving to if we could spot land at the opposite end of the horizon.
7 Exceptional Tales of Precision Puzzling
Who doesn’t like puzzles — mathematics puzzles, mental challenges, scientific theories, crosswords, logic puzzles, online games, configurational entropy … Here are a few recent examples of how researchers are succeeding in unraveling amazing challenges.
Sea Temperature Patterns Predict Extreme Heat Waves up to 50 Days in Advance
In May 2012, the NWS Climate Prediction Center forecasted normal summer temperatures in the Northeast and Midwest U.S. and a 33 to 40 percent chance of above-normal temperatures for the Southeast. Instead, the regions experienced three separate, record-breaking heat events that resulted in more than 100 deaths. Researchers have identified sea surface temperature patterns that help predict extreme heat waves up to 50 days in advance.
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