Science

This week’s science picture

A plume of smoke wafting from a forest fire in western Colorado, taken by astronauts aboard the ISS.

This week’s science picture

From space, Earth is a sensational sight often hard to grasp because seeing where all of human history has occurred, can be quite emotional and very impactful. As time goes by, visible signs of climate change start to appear. Those on land may notice air pollution, deforestation, or even rises in temperature and sea level. However astronauts are the only ones to bear witness to the mighty destruction of Earth, macroscopically.

According the Michael Lopez-Alegria (former astronaut 1995-2007) they can see the effects of human presence on the planet. For example a different hue to the air indicates air pollution and contamination. Deforestation is also recognisable and so is the decimation of our water reservoir, as bodies of water noticeably becoming smaller. Capturing these photos from space allows astronauts to raise awareness of the fragility of the planet and its ecosystem, to those of us safe at home.

From Issue 1625

5th Feb 2016

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

Read more

How the Supreme Court ruling on gender is impacting queer people at Imperial

News

How the Supreme Court ruling on gender is impacting queer people at Imperial

Last month, the UK Supreme Court (UKSC) ruled that for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010 (EA 2010), the definition of a woman is based on biological sex.  The case brought before the court, For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers, asked if transgender women should be included

By Oscar Mitcham and Isabella Duchovny
College opens Imperial Global India in Bengaluru

News

College opens Imperial Global India in Bengaluru

Imperial College London has launched its fourth global hub in Bengaluru. The hub will host research programmes with Indian partners, focusing on some of “the world’s most pressing challenges in areas such as climate change and sustainability, food and water security, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).” Launched at the Science

By Mohammad Majlisi