Teen Skepchick’s Reality Checks 3.31

The First Rock from the Sun edition

NASA snatches first-of-its-kind photo of Mercury. “Prior to MESSENGER’s arrival at Mercury, only half the planet had ever been seen in any detail. (Mercury’s size and proximity to the sun complicate Earth-based observation of the planet.) The spacecraft filled in a number of cartographic gaps in a series of Mercury flybys prior to entering orbit, but even those maneuvers left some terrain uncharted. In MESSENGER’s first photo from orbit, for instance, the lower center of the photograph covers a large swath of previously uncharted surface.” (via Scientific American)

Great science books for high school students. (via The Loom)

Ignorance of the scientific method may not be at the root of climate science denial. (via DeSmogBlog)

Babies arguing. Trust me. Just watch. (via Feministing)

Photo credit: NASA