“…and then it explodes into this enormous collage…” If you haven’t seen/heard this yet, I promise you, it will persist and linger amongst your neural nets for a long, long time…Ode to the Brain is the coolest, nerdiest music video…ever.
Coolest, Nerdiest Music Video Ever: 'Ode to the Brain' [VIDEO] Read More 👉
In what would be the microbiological equivalent of discovering buried treasure, a team of Antarctic bioscientists, led by Jenny Blamey of the Biosciences Foundation of Santiago, Chile, recently discovered a trove of some 300 microorganisms, 70% of which are previously unknown to science.
Antarctic Science Team Discovers Hundreds of 'Extreme Microbes' Read More 👉
medical ethicist Dr. Harvey Fineberg gives a compelling — and even a bit unsettling — talk on the evolutionary future of the Human race. Dr F presents his audience with three possible choices that we humans can make: we can stop evolving altogether, we can continue to evolve naturally, or, we can take control of our biological evolution through genetic modification and make ourselves “better”.
Human Race Faces Three Paths Forward – TED Talk {VIDEO} Read More 👉
Slated to be shuttered indefinitely (or sold for parts) later this year, the nation’s largest particle collider — the Tevatron — may have detected traces of a previously unknown specie of particle that could potentially alter Quantum Theory.
Fermilab Collider's 'Last Smash' May Have Found Unknown Particle Read More 👉
As it is Earth Day, my natural inclination is to look at the current state of Nature….specifically, the status of certain animal species that are either holding on, currently threatened, or “on the brink”….here are just four such cases (wolves, tigers, bats and penguins)…
Endangered Animal Watch (Update): Wolves, Tigers, Bats & Penguins Read More 👉
” Climate change poses an immediate and grave threat, driving ill health and increasing the risk of conflict, such that each feeds on the other.” asserts a new report in the British Medical Journal by a group of UK defense, medical and public health officials.
Climate Change, Conflict & Ill Health Linked, Pose 'Grave Threat' Read More 👉
Following some strange migratory pattern of its own design, and emitting a plaintive call-song that is never answered, a solitary whale roams the depths of the northeastern Pacific Ocean. The call-song has been tracked through NOAA’s underwater, sound surveillance system since 1989, when a research team out of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute noticed “whale-like” sounds occurring in the 51.75 Hertz band of the radio spectrum. Amongst the scientists who have faithfully tracked the song since, the mystery whale is known as ’52 Hertz’, but popularly, “she” is known as Alice.
Lonesome Whale of the Pacific, 'Alice', May Be One of A Kind Read More 👉
Between 2005 and 2009, oil and natural gas companies operating in 14 states injected hundreds of millions of gallons of toxic and/or carcinogenic chemical into natural gas wells, according to a recent investigation conducted by three House Democrats* and made public on Saturday.
Gov Study Confirms Toxic Chemicals Pumped into Wells During 'Fracking' Read More 👉
UC Berkeley Researchers Jones and Kammen, working at the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL) have conducted a landmark GHG emission analysis of U.S. households, and which also provides a tool for more effective consumer and governmental policy decision-making. The “tool” here is the “carbon calculator” made available for free on the Cool Climate Network website.
Where and How? New Carbon Footprint Study Shows Location, Lifestyle Matter Read More 👉
After a month of partial and failed fixes to three of the Dai-ichi Fukushima nuclear plants, the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan (NISA) has just now raised the level of severity to ‘7’ — the same rating ascribed to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Its previous rating of the disaster’s severity had been ‘5’.
Japan's Nuclear Agency Raises Crisis Severity Rating to 'Chernobyl Level' Read More 👉
Despite the huge loss of life following the Tonoku earthquake and consequent tsunami, the losses would have been even greater were it not for an earthquake early warning system set in place by the government of Japan following the devastating Kobe quake in the mid 1990’s.
A similar early warning system has been underway for nearly ten years in California, but remains incomplete.
Completion of Earthquake Early Warning System Urged for U.S. West Coast Read More 👉
A form of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) has been identified as the likely cause of death in two mountain gorillas, an infant and adult female, following an outbreak of respiratory disease that hit Rwanda in 2009. The source of the virus is unknown and an unknown number of other gorillas may be carrying the virus. Due to the genetic compatibility of humans and gorillas, wildlife biologists have long feared and predicted the spread of human diseases into this critically endangered population. Now, it appears, their worst fears may have come true.
Human Virus Linked to Deaths of Two Mountain Gorillas Read More 👉
The Topic: Radiation Exposure.
The Question: How do scientists know what kind of (and how much) radiation exposure we do or do not face?
How Scientists Track Global Radiation Spread Read More 👉
Chemotherapy — the therapeutic introduction of chemical toxins to cancerous tissue — can lose its effectiveness relatively quickly. Due primarily to a strongly conserved, pumping mechanism, known as cell efflux, chemo-resistant tumor cells are able to rapidly pump the anti-tumor chemicals out of the cell, rendering the chemotherapy much less effective. Pumped-out chemotoxins end up building up in extracellular tissue and sometimes killing healthy cells. This add both to the pain, and cost, of chemo.
But the key to enhancing the therapy lies in the chemistry and the geometry of simple carbon crystals known as nanodiamonds.
Nano-Diamonds Boost Anti-Tumor Treatment Read More 👉
On Friday, March 18, four major medical and scientific organizations*, including The Endocrine Society, and the Society of Nuclear Medicine, issued a joint public statement concerning the real risks from the recent, ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan.
'No Radiation Emergency in U.S.', Declares Major Medical Science Group Statement Read More 👉
In a forceful, March 16 statement on behalf of the Union of Concerned Scientist to the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Chief Scientist Dr. Edwin Lyman states:
“The NRC and the industry cannot hide this time behind the ‘it can’t happen here’ excuse. We have 23 plants of the same design. We have plants that are just as old. We have had station blackouts.”
astrologer has also predicted that such a close perigee would/must somehow perturb the earth’s (tectonic) integrity so much that it will trigger major earthquakes and even volcanoes (not simply severe storms). Although he is not clear on the exact lunar-geo-mechanisms that would produce these quakes, never-the-less this lunar-induced disaster scenario quickly set the Web abuzz with yet another wave of doom-and-gloom “apocalypticism.”
Timing is everything.
Did the Impending 'Super Moon' Cause Japan's Earthquake? Read More 👉
NASA astrobiologist Richard Hoover, claims to have found ancient bacteria fossils in a rare class of meteorite — called CI1 carbonaceous chondrites — and will surely set the astrophysics/cosmology community (and the world) abuzz with excitement and controversy.
(Updated) Ancient Alien Bacteria Discovered in Meteorites? Read More 👉
Artificial intelligence has taken a big leap forward: two roboticists (Lipson and Zagal), working at the University of Chile, Santiago, have created what they claim is the first robot to possess “metacognition” — a form of self-awareness which involves the ability to observe ones’ own thought processes and thus alter one’s behavior accordingly.
Robots Achieve Self-Awareness, May Also Develop 'Mental Problems' Read More 👉
If many of these plankton blooms are trending earlier each year, then the seasonal return/growth of the fish population in these areas is gradually becoming “out of sync” with the primary producers in this region. This may mean insufficient food supply to maintain robust fish populations.
Arctic Plankton Blooms Arriving Earlier, Fish May Be Imperiled Read More 👉
The scientists used a general circulation model known as ModelE (developed at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York). The model calculates ocean-atmosphere coupling effects in addition to allowing varying aerosol inputs.
The initial input for the simulation was 5 teragrams (megatons) of black carbon particles injected into Earth’s upper troposphere. This is the estimated result of the surface detonation of 100 Hiroshima-size bombs (each equivalent to 15K tons of TNT).
Limited Nuclear War Could Halt Global Warming, Short Term, NASA Predicts Read More 👉
Last August, Planetsave reported on voluntary changes made by maga-wholesaler Costco to its seafood procurement practices. Most notably, in response to a letter from concerned share-holders, Costco ceased the sale of seven types of fish currently at risk of collapsing from over-fishing (the Atlantic cod, Atlantic halibut, Chilean sea bass, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, and
Costco Expands Sustainable Seafood Policy – Sales of 12 'Red-List' Fish Will Cease Read More 👉
In 2006, Arctic hunters shot and killed a strange-looking, white bear. It was strange because the bear had large patches of brown fur in its coat. Subsequent genetic analysis showed that it was in fact a cross between a polar bear and a grizzly bear (making it a “grolar” or “pizzly” bear). Apparently, more grizzlies
'Grolar' Bears & 'Narluga' Whales? – Arctic Warming May Promote Hybrid Animals [VIDEO] Read More 👉
It is the fundamental structural element of all living things. It is a key component of many energy sources, and, it is a crucial player in our planet’s climate system. The natural cycling of this element — Carbon (C) — between earth, atmosphere and ocean maintains the habitable conditions that all Life depends upon. Much
In Search of Missing Carbon & Life – 'Deep Earth' Mission Planned Read More 👉
Reporting her results from a fifth Gulf of Mexico expedition ending this past December, University of Georgia marine scientist Samantha Joye has been to the bottom and back, and her findings are anything but optimistic. Her team has found numerous expanses of oil and soot covered sea floor that were “chemically finger-printed” as deriving from
Newest Gulf Report: Oil, Soot and Dead Animals on Sea Floor Read More 👉
Yasuni National Park, located 250 km inland along the Eastern most border of Ecuador, is a world record holder in biodiversity richness: The roughly 10,000 km² forest is home to 139 species of amphibians (besting Columbia’s Leticia Park with its 98 species) and an estimated 100,000 species of insects. This latter figure represents the highest
Saving Yasuni Forest, "Megadiversity" Hotspot, Faces Funding Challenge Read More 👉
…And with it, our chance to beat the Europeans to the quantum punch: the confirmation of the Higgs Boson — the mysterious particle that bestows mass unto all other particles. It’s one of physic’s biggest “prizes”, but, it seems that our Dept. of Energy couldn’t come up with the extra 35 million to keep the
Quest for 'God Particle' Will End for Fermilab this Fall Read More 👉
In what appears to be a major, positive stride for environmental quality preservation, congressional investigators submitted a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency charging that hydraulic fracturing — known as ‘fracking’ — violates the Safe Drinking Water Act. Amassing data from a dozen states for the period 2005 – 2009, investigators assert that tens of
'Fracking' Violates Safe Drinking Water Act, Congressional Letter Charges Read More 👉
…oh, and don’t forget the Mayan prophecy (does anyone actually know how to read or speak ancient Mayan?)…No need to spare anything too arcane, it’s surely all bad news anyways. I was reading an article about an airport in Florida that had to temporarily shutdown so as to change its navigational signs due to the
'Pole Flips', Earth Wobbles, Bird Deaths and 'End Times' [VIDEO] Read More 👉
In the constant interplay between Humans and Nature, everything is a trade-off. As our scientists begin to consider an intervention approach to climate change and conducting large-scale experiments, this trade-off is coming into sharper resolution. Case in point: iron ocean fertilization (or “seeding”), a geoengineering strategy making the news in recent years. Iron fertilization also
Iron 'Seeding' of Ocean May Promote Toxic Plankton Read More 👉
The speed of Light, denoted as ‘c’ in physics equations like Einstein’s famous E=mc², is approximately 186,282 miles per second, which equals over 6 trillion miles traveled in one year (i.e., one light year). It represents the limiting speed at which “information” may by transmitted. Being able to manipulate this speed may hold the key
Quantum Breakthrough: Tiny Optical Device Slows Light Read More 👉
In what is perhaps the most absurd illustration of the inflexibility of bureaucracy, or, perhaps a most curious example of anthropomorphism… Exhibit A: a domestic, short-haired feline, named Sal Esposito, received a summons to report for jury duty earlier this month. Long-time Boston, Massachusetts residents Anna and Guy Esposito believe that this mix-up stems from
Cat Summoned for Jury Duty, Not Excused Read More 👉
A transgenic chicken has been developed that blocks transmission of the avian flu to other chickens. The new technique — some aspects of which are not clear even to the geneticists developing it — holds out great promise for preventing human illness as well as unnecessary animal deaths. But nothing is quite that simple when
Breakthrough: Transgenic Chicken Blocks H5NI Flu Spread Read More 👉
A recent analysis of catch data calls into question the accuracy of previous surveys of marine ecosystem health. Without accurate data, environmental policy makers may be unable to determine if current reforms to fisheries management are working, and further, if their picture of our oceans’ health is even roughly accurate. The new analysis was conducted
Ocean Health Data May Be Flawed – New Analysis Sparks Debate Read More 👉
Sometimes old knowledge makes for “new” news, even viral news. Case in point:sky-watchers have known for more than two millennia that the Earth has a irregular wobble in its orbit — what’s known as precession — which over time makes its orientation to the constellations, and to our sun, change. This precessional change means that,
Good News for Scorpios – Earth's Wobble Now Makes You a Libra Read More 👉
In concluding the International Year of Biodiversity, the good news is that manatees are still with us, the bad news is that manatee deaths in U.S. waters continue to climb. In 2009, there were 429 reported manatee deaths, which was about double the number from 2008. As of December 2010, however, manatee deaths totaled 699.
U.S. Manatee Deaths Hit Record Level in 2010 Read More 👉
Imagine a big slice of your favorite pie. Imagine eating all of it. Your mouth automatically begins salivating, your taste buds begin firing up. Now, imagine eating more pie until you are full…A short while later, you find yourself confronted with the real pie. You might think that this is going to be a problem,
Want to Eat Less? Just Imagine Eating More Read More 👉
Seems like you can’t swing a dead…um, strike that. It’s hard to miss the wave of news coverage of late concerning the mysterious die-offs of flocks of birds (in two Southern U.S. states). And then there’s that slightly earlier, mass fish kill (all one species), not far away, coming just a short time before the
Sudden Fish Kills, Bird Die-offs, and Other "Fortean" Events Read More 👉
As we near 2011, I know I must try to prepare myself for 2012, and the (next) wave of apocalyptic doom-saying that, according to the ‘fin-de-cyclists’, was predicted by the ancient Mayan mathematicians over 3 thousand years ago. Of course, they never predicted an End, per se, it’s just that they only extended their 260
Has the ‘Human Epoch’ Begun and is a Mass Extinction Near? Read More 👉
Remember AIDS awareness ads like the one above? Newspaper articles and PSAs were appearing with increasing frequency in newspapers and magazines in the early 1990’s. But that trend has been dramatically reversed, according to recent findings. In a survey of newspaper (broadsheet) content conducted by the Trends in Sustainability (TIS) Project, coverage of AIDS-related issues
AIDS News Coverage Losing Out to Climate Change, Study Finds Read More 👉
(Yet another environmental toxin in unacceptably high concentrations….) An analysis of 35 U.S. cities’ tap water has found that 31 one of these water sources contain exceedingly high levels of hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen.The study is the first of its kind ever to be released to the public and comes, fortuitously, as the EPA
High Carcinogenic Chromium Levels Found in Many Cities' Tap Water Read More 👉
Psychologist have long-recognized a general intelligence factor, known as ‘g‘, that correlates individual performance on cognitive tasks (how a person does on one test strongly predicts his/her performance on another test), and they have even studied how average intelligence of group members predicts group performance, but the idea that groups might have their own collective
‘Group Intelligence Factor’ Revealed, Social Sensitivity is Key Read More 👉
What might appear at first to be a rather psychedelic rendering of the Target (department store) logo, above, is actually a map of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) showing the location of collisions, or “energy transfers”, between our cosmic “aeon” and…the one that came before. That’s right. Each ring is a record, preserved as a
Discovery of Cosmic 'Rings' – An Echo from Before the Bang? Read More 👉
Counting the number of stars in the known universe would seem to be a monstrous task akin to counting the number of grains of sand on all the world’s beaches. Of course, no one literally “counts” each and every star, or grain of sand. To enumerate such vast quantities, science must rely on its best
Cosmic News: Lots More Stars than "Billions and Billions" Read More 👉
It seems we always take the most basic things for granted. With regards to adequate water, air, and soil (things we assume will always be there) we are gradually becoming more mindful of them, and their limits. But how many of us are worried about phosphorus (P) running out? Well, lately, more and more agricultural
Running Out of P ? – World Nearing Peak Phosphorus Read More 👉
Methane (CH4) is the main constituent of natural gas, and is the result of natural decomposition processes. Although its lifetime in the atmosphere as a free gas is much shorter than CO2, it is 23 times more potent in terms of its heat trapping ability. This past month, there has been a flurry of news,
Methane: The 'Sleeper' Agent of Climate Change Read More 👉
Every known particle or atom of “normal” matter in the measurable universe has its own corresponding antiparticle which is in every way like the normal particle except for its charge (opposite of the normal particle) and parity (its left or right orientation). Mathematically, such antimatter particles can be described as moving backward in time.* When
Physicists Trap Antimatter for First Time Read More 👉
Once, when I was in school, I was playing with a salt shaker and began wondering just where the salt came from and how it got here from wherever it was mined, processed, packaged and finally transported to my cafeteria table. I thought at the time that it would make an interesting book (that I
Where Was it Made? SourceMap Tracks the World’s Goods [VIDEO] Read More 👉
