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Astronomers are suggesting that the planet 1214b, an exoplanet that is larger than Earth but smaller than Uranus, is something new. The mass of the world is believed to be mostly water. Surrounded by thick, steamy clouds, 1214b is about 40 light-years away, orbiting a red dwarf star and with a surface temperature of 446 degrees. The planet has many interesting features and could provide a wealth of material for further study and speculation.

Alan Turing, considered by some as the father of computing, was a maths genius and computer scientist who proposed a theory of how tigers got their stripes. Or rather, how animal coat patterns are formed. Recent experimentation shows that Turing’s theory was correct. An animal has certain morphogens that turn off and on at specific times in order to create the correct pattern.

Why flip a coin when you can use science. And ask Schrodinger’s Cat! If you assume live is yes and dead is no, you’ll have quantum physics to thank for helping you make your decision! (via Red Ferret)

David Owen has a new book out called: The Conundrum: How Scientific Innovation, Increased Efficiency, and Good Intentions Can Make Our Energy and Climate Problems Worse. I highly recommend it. Too often we’re led to believe that we’re taking high moral ground by, driving a Prius, say. However, as Owen points out so well, this is illusion. The increased fuel efficiency is typically offset by increased use of the vehicle thereby negating any savings. A similar argument can be made regarding compact fluorescent bulbs. CFLs must be disposed of properly and are more costly to produce therefore they show no real net saving of economic benefit. (via Freakonomics)