Science Over the Edge

A Mix of News, Events, History and Gossip

Applet credit: Ed Hobbs

July 1999

In the News:

Loch Ness Monster Sighting Goes Hi-Tech - On June 5th a couple spotted what they thought looked like an unknown creature swimming across the Loch Ness in Scotland. What makes the story even stranger is that the couple, Nora and Mike Jones were sitting in Galveston, Texas at the time. The two spotted what appeared to be a head and neck moving across the water while watching the Loch Ness Live webcam . According to postings on the Loch Ness Live website they saw the creature twice in two days. "We saw a head and neck appear in front of the castle and it was traveling fairly fast, with a V-shaped wake behind it," stated Nora, according to Loch Ness Live.

To learn more about the history of the Loch Ness monster, click here. To try your own luck at seeing Nessie on the webcam go to www.lochness.scotland.net.

Mummy Festival - Egypt is preparing to open tombs in a four mile strip in the country's western desert that may contain as many as 10,000 mummies . The Necropolis is located near the village of Bawiti. So far the archaeological team at the site has recovered 105 mummies buried in four tombs. According to scientists the large number of mummies and the class differences between them should give researchers a better chance at understanding everyday daily life in ancient Egypt.

Holyland Shroud - Pollen and plant imprints found by Israeli researchers seem to support the idea that the Shroud of Turin, sometimes claimed to be the burial shroud of Christ, originated in the middle-east. The shroud which carries the imprint of a crucified man, was brought to France by a crusader and has been enshrined in a cathedral in Italy since 1578. In 1988 tests on two scraps from the cloth established it's origin at between 1260 and 1390 A.D., but some have argued that contamination might have affected the testing. The church has never claimed the Shroud as a holy relic.

Moon Tail - Astronomers have discovered that the Earth's moon has comet-like sodium-gas "tail" that stretches behind the planet for over a half a million miles. The discovery was made while a Boston University team was trying to photograph the Leonid meteor storm last November with an ultra sensitive camera. While the tail exists all the times it apparently at its brightest during meteor storms when micrometeors are striking the moons surface.

Two-Headed Pig Comes Home - A two-headed pig that was stolen from a museum in Wisconsin has been returned. The still-born piglet, which was stored in a bottle of formaldehyde solution, was a favorite exhibit at the MacKenzie Environmental Education Center. It was stolen on May 20th. The animal was found in a park after a phone tip alerted the local Sheriff's office.

In History:

Roswell Anniversary - On July 8th, 1947, the U.S. Army reported that it had recovered a "flying disc" from a crash site near Roswell, New Mexico. Although the next day it retracted the statement claiming the object was really a weather balloon, rumors that the government has a flying saucer, complete with alien crew, persists even today. To read more about the Roswell Incident, click here!

In the Sky:

Compact Trio - On July 15th watch the sky an hour after sunset looking toward the west. You will see the crescent moon, the planet Venus and the star Regulus close together in the sky. They all will fit within the field of your binoculars to give you a spectacular view.

Observed:

What's next? A Loch Ness Monster Opera? - One of the events scheduled at the Roswell UFO Encounter '99 festival at Roswell, New Mexico, this month is a production of Roswell, the Musical which producers say will allow audiences to "Relive the events of 1947 with this live theater production."

On the Tube:

Deadly Shadow of Vesuvius - One does not have to look far beyond the shattered remnants of the Roman city of Pompeii to understand the risk that the volcano Vesuvius presents today. Vesuvius has remained dormant since 1944, but geological evidence suggests that Vesuvius is on the move again. PBS's NOVA will look at new scientific measurements of this infamous volcano, at the threat posed by a new eruption, and at the historical day of August 24, 79AD, when Pompeii died. Airs July 6th 8PM ET.

Secrets of the Great Wall - It is the only man-made object visible from the moon and the greatest defensive structure ever designed and built. The Great Wall of China dominated the landscape and the culture of that country for three millennia. Follow its complex route as the Wall crosses deserts, mountains and grasslands, and watch as computer graphics rebuild the Wall to its former glory. Airs on the Discovery Channel Monday, July 5, at 9 PM. and midnight; Saturday, July 10, at 6 PM.; Saturday, July 17, at 9 PM. and 1 AM.; and Saturday, July 24, at 5 PM. ET/PT.

LGM:

Science over the Edge Archives

LGM Archive 1998, 1999.