Science - SweetLightning

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Science

A collection of 10 posts

Visually-spectacular night launch of the Ariadne 6 rocket on August 12th. A tower of flame lights up clouds of vapour. Can this really help the environment?

Sentinel 5 ... Away!

The new spectroscopic instrument Sentinel-5A launched on August 12, 2025. It's ready to help us understand what's going on in our atmosphere.

Science Is Not Enough

Science Is Not Enough

The gap between peer-reviewed certainty and public indifference creates problems.

Two-axis graph, showing % of net energy out as a function of EROI. EROI starting at 50 and declining precipitously below EROI of about 5

Paid-members only

EROI and The Net Energy Cliff

Black and white picture of very large cylindrical blast furnace in Pittsburgh Steel Company Monessen works

Steel

Steel is one of the pillars of modern civilization but its production emits far more CO2 than the aviation industry. Material substitutes for steel simply don’t exist on the kind of scale needed. Reducing the carbon impact of steel production faces major technical and economic challenges.

Flyby

You take a good, hard look at Sagan's "pale blue dot." You learn surprising things.

Hydrogen Economy - hype or hope?

Satellites are Pooka spotters in a global crisis

Satellites are Pooka spotters in a global crisis

10 things you need to know about methane satellites

Paid-members only

10 things you need to know about methane satellites

Penguins emit laughing gas

Penguins emit laughing gas

A hoax