• Technology

    Nuclear Moon Bases

    By Abby Seiff Posted on 11.20.2008 25 Comments

    When lunar astronauts flick on their televisions after a long day of prospecting, they’ll have a trashcan-size nuclear reactor to thank for their nightly dose of prime time. NASA, looking past the already daunting task of simply getting humans to the moon by 2020, recently started considering proposals for ways to power lunar habitats. Batteries and fuel cells provide only short-term solutions. Solar power would be limited where a single night lasts as long as 354 hours. So space-agency officials have started making plans to go nuclear.

  • The Environment

    Deserts in the Ocean

    By Paul Adams Posted on 10.13.2008 15 Comments

    Dear EarthTalk: What are these "ocean deserts" I've been hearing about? Also didn't I read that there was a huge mass of plastic bottles floating around somewhere on the ocean surface? -- Wally Mattson, Eugene, OR



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