The contribution of genetic and environmental factors to IQ, “hyperactivity,” height, and weight, varies considerably by geographic region, according to a new study. The research was done by the Twins Early Development Study at King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry and involved the study of data from 6700 different families and 45 different childhood […]
Nature Versus Nurture, Depends On Where You Live Read More 👉
NASA has narrowed down the potential landing sites for its rover, Curiosity. It has decided to land closer to its destination for science operations, but also closer to the foot of a mountain slope, which may create problems. The rover Curiosity is scheduled to land on Mars in August, and look for signs of
NASA's Mars Rover Curiosity Aiming For Landing Closer To Prime Exploration Site Read More 👉
The ocean warming that has occurred over the past 50 years is primarily caused by humans, new research shows. The new research, from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, shows that the observed ocean warming over the last 50 years is only consistent with climate models when the models include the influence of increasing greenhouse
Humans Are The Primary Cause Of Ocean Warming, Study Shows Read More 👉
An undersea volcano located 250 miles off the coast of Oregon gave off clear warning signals just hours before erupting last year, according to researchers from Oregon State University. The research is from the same team that correctly predicted the eruption of the same volcano, years in advance, before its 2011 eruption. The researchers had
Underwater Volcano Gave Clear Signals Before Eruption Read More 👉
I meant to post this video of a surfing and skateboarding and snowboarding dog a long time ago. Unfortunately, I never got to it. But a friend recently shared the video with me on email, so I’m now finally getting around to it! If you haven’t seen this yet, or even if you have,
Surfin' Dog (& Beach Boys) Read More 👉
Our good friend Kristen Farquhar has released her latest Environmental Music Film (EMF). It’s on the topic of mountaintop women and mountaintop removal coal mining. Here it is, followed by the description from the YouTube page: “Appalachian women and men unite to stop mountaintop removal. The history of the divine feminine is brought to
Environmental Music Film: Mountaintop Women Read More 👉
When popular radio presenter Peter John Jaban decided to return home to the Malaysian state of Sarawak, he was aware of the risks that he was taking. Jaban had previously received death threats, though had maintained that “no matter what they do, I will continue my work.” Speaking to the 7.30 Report on April 14, 2011, Jaban described his
The Cost of Free Speech in Sarawak Read More 👉
I recently had the pleasure of attending a panel discussion on Climate Change here in Chicago which featured WGN’s popular Chief Meteorologist, Tom Skilling, and University of Illinois Atmospheric Science Professor Don Wuebbles. Dr. Wuebbles is a heavyweight in the field. He has a seemingly endless CV, which includes being the lead author on
Achieving a state of so-called ‘carbon neutrality’ has long been the Holy Grail for individuals, businesses, and even nations that have an eye fixed on the threat posed by global climate change. It’s a phrase that evokes the idea of a balanced equation, where the emissions we produce can be, in one way or another,
Offsetting and Feedback: Do the Books Balance? Read More 👉
I saw this posted on Climate Central a few days ago and passed on reposting it. But, with Miami’s big win in Boston and the 7th game in the series happening tonight (go, Miami!), I finally thought I’d repost this one. It’s a great analogy and drives home a very important point. Check it out
How Biodiversity Loss is Like LeBron James & The Miami Heat Read More 👉
A new DNA analysis of the Martian-like landscape on top of some South American volcanoes has found communities of bacteria, fungi, and archaea. These organisms are not just capable of surviving there, but also deriving their energy in ways not currently known, perhaps from volcanic gases, the researchers think. “We haven’t formally identified or characterized
Microbes Capable Of Surviving On Mars Found Read More 👉
NOAA recently released its latest data on US temperatures. The highlights (i.e. lowlights)? The lower 48 states “experienced record warm year-to-date and twelve-month periods,” 2012 was the hottest Spring on record, and May was the second hottest on record. Additionally, we just wrapped up the hottest 12-month period on record. And the Spring’s record high
NOAA: Hottest Year On Record In US So Far, & New Hottest 12-Month Period Read More 👉
The city of Atlanta, where one of our core Important Media employees lives, recently hosted a big bike parade. Atlanta isn’t knowing for its bicycles, but the parade looked pretty sweet and well attended, so it seemed like a good idea to share some photos here to encourage others to host such parades. A big
Atlanta Bike Parade (10 Friday Photos, +1 Since It's a Day Late) Read More 👉
A massive phytoplankton bloom has been found underneath of the Arctic pack ice in the Chukchi Sea. The “impossible” discovery will require a completely new understanding of Arctic ecosystems, and is a clear signal of the changing climate in the Arctic. The discovery was made during NASA’s 2011 ICESCAPE expedition. To thrive, phytoplankton need light
Massive Phytoplankton Bloom Found Underneath The Arctic Pack Ice (Video) Read More 👉
Last September experiments done as part of the OPERA collaboration recorded faster-than-light travel by neutrinos. But new experiments done to test this finding have shown neutrinos traveling at the speed of light, not faster. The four experiments used to test this were the Borexino, ICARUS, LVD, and OPERA experiments, all of which measured a neutrino
Neutrinos Not Faster Than Light, New Experiments Confirm Read More 👉
This week, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia declared June 5th, 2012, as the beginning of the International Year of the Rhino. Indonesia is home to Critically Endangered Javan and Sumatran rhinos. Both species are teetering at the edge of extinction, with only around 40 Javan rhinos and fewer than 200 Sumatran rhinos still surviving.
Rhino Crisis Round Up: 2012 Declared Year of the Rhino & More Read More 👉
Colbert, at it again, makes a good long joke out of climate change skepticism and American stupidity a bit following news of the Earth being at 400 ppm of carbon. Of course, as part of that, he also tackles the GOP’s very real efforts to address global warming and climate change… by attacking the
Colbert Nails Climate Change Skepticism & GOP Read More 👉
Thirty percent of the threatened species in the world are in that situation because of consumption in the developed world, according to new research from the University of Sydney. The researchers mapped the global economy to track the trade of goods that are implicated in biodiversity loss, such as coffee, cocoa, and lumber. “Our
Global Trade Is Causing Many Species Extinctions Read More 👉
Parasitic mites appear to be the cause of the deformed wing virus spreading throughout bee colonies, according to new research from the University of Sheffield. The virus is thought to be one of many factors contributing to the collapse of honey bee populations worldwide. It’s probable that the virus has contributed to the deaths
Honey Bees Infected With Highly Contagious Virus By Mites Read More 👉
West Virginia is one of the nation’s biggest coal-producing states. But both the production and treatment of coal produce major health risks for our local residents. Many residents in West Virginia are adversely effected by the coal industry and have been protesting for decades, especially against mountaintop removal coal mining.
Nick Rahall (WV) Has Peaceful Protesters Arrested in D.C. Read More 👉
New cases of untreatable gonorrhoea have been found in Australia, France, Japan, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that with resistance to the last antibiotic effective against gonorrhoea growing, millions of people will be left with no treatment options. “Gonorrhoea is becoming a major public health challenge, due
Untreatable Gonorrhea Spreading Worldwide, World Health Organization Warns Read More 👉
The Rio+20 sustainable development conference beginning on June 20th must achieve concrete decisions and agreements regarding clean energy, poverty, and more sustainable and fair use of resources, says the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. “Rio+20 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make real progress towards the sustainable economy of the future,” Mr. Ban told a
Giant insects with wingspans of more than two feet used to rule the skies from 300-150 million years ago. New research is suggesting that they were killed off by the emergence of birds, not by declining oxygen levels as had previously been believed. When birds first appeared 150 million years ago, insect sizes shrunk
Bird Ancestors Caused The Extinction Of Prehistoric Giant Insects Read More 👉
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory filmed the last Venus transit for the next one hundred years from space on June 5th. The next time Venus transits the sun won’t be until 2117. The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is a NASA mission to study the Earth-Sun connection as it relates to life and society on the Earth.
Venus Transit 2012 Filmed From Space (VIDEO) Read More 👉
Using a new technique to more accurately estimate the weights of some dinosaurs, researchers have found that some dinosaurs were not nearly as heavy as previously thought. Biologists from the University of Manchester used lasers to measure the minimum amount of skin necessary to wrap around the skeletons of modern-day animals such as polar
Dinosaurs Didn't Weigh Nearly As Much As Previously Thought Read More 👉
An atom has been split into halves, separated, and then put back together, in new research from the University of Bonn. The word “atom” literally means “indivisible,” yet quantum mechanics allows an atom to be split and put back together in a way similar to rays of light. The researchers are doing this work because
Atom Split Into Two And Then Put Back Together Using Quantum Mechanics Read More 👉
In the last few decades, shrubs in the Arctic tundra have transformed themselves into trees as a result of the warming Arctic climate, at a speed and magnitude that is far greater than scientists had ever anticipated. If this continues and is replicated across the whole of the Arctic tundra, it would significantly accelerate global
Warming Turns Tundra to Forest (Which Increases Warming) Read More 👉
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), an American Spy Agency, is giving two of its powerful space telescopes to NASA. Apparently because they are “surplus” telescopes.
NASA Given Two Powerful Space Telescopes By Spy Agency Read More 👉
It is ironic to me that much recent print and media coverage has been given to very scientific-minded folks dispelling the myth known as the Mayan 2012 Apocalypse (based upon a simplistic and narrow reading of the Maya Astronomical Calendar)…. While, in this same year, we have seen an increase in science-based warnings of
Quantum computers are still years away from becoming a reality, but a group of theorists has already developed an algorithm for them to simulate all the possible interactions when two elementary particles collide. Currently this type of research requires years of effort and massive, expensive particle accelerators. Building quantum computers will require technology we currently
Quantum Computers Will Be Capable Of Simulating Particle Collisions Read More 👉
A small cosmetics jar linked to Amelia Earhart has been found on an uninhabited island in the southwestern Pacific republic of Kiribati. This supports the theory that she landed and later died on the island. The jar was found broken into five pieces by researchers from The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, a
Amelia Earhart's Fate May Be Solved Read More 👉
Eating dark chocolate every day reduces the likelihood of having heart attacks and strokes in people with metabolic syndrome, according to a new study. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of factors that make you more likely to develop heart disease and diabetes. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Dark chocolate (at
Dark Chocolate Prevents Heart Attacks And Strokes Read More 👉
Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have recently measured levels of CO2 in the atmosphere at 400 parts per million. This is the first time in 800,000 years this has happened on planet Earth.
By Will Bates This is huge. Two weeks ago we joined a diverse coalition to launch an all-out offensive to end fossil fuel subsidies, and we weren’t quite sure how it would turn out. Well, we’ve currently got 958,422 signatures on our combined global petition — almost a million people strong! Will you help
Global rates of cancer are set to increase more than 75% by 2030, according to a newly released study. The largest rise is predicted to be in the developing world, with increases of over 90% in some countries. This is expected to be largely from dietary and environmental changes occurring there as they transition
Cancer Rates Likely To Double In Next 15+ Years, Study Says Read More 👉
“This photo illustration depicts a view of the night sky just before the predicted merger between our Milky Way galaxy and the neighboring Andromeda galaxy. About 3.75 billion years from now, Andromeda’s disk fills the field of view and its gravity begins to create tidal distortions in the Milky Way. The view is inspired
Galactic Collision, The Milky Way Is Going To Collide With The Andromeda Galaxy Read More 👉
NASA is preparing to launch a new satellite, the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), which will study everything from black holes to the sun. “We will see the hottest, densest and most energetic objects with a fundamentally new, high-energy X-ray telescope that can obtain much deeper and crisper images than before,” said Fiona Harrison,
NASA Launching NuSTAR Satellite to Study Black Holes Read More 👉
A new study has found that more than one-third of US states in the southern Great Plains could run out of groundwater within the next 30 years. Of course, running out of groundwater is never good, but this could be especially bad news for human populations and especially the US since this is a key
Key US Agricultural Regions Could Run Out Of Groundwater In 30 Years Read More 👉
Researchers have recently developed a technique to build complex nano-structures out of short synthetic strands of DNA. Referred to as single-stranded tiles (SST), the short strands of DNA are interlocking building blocks similar to LEGOs®. They can be programmed to arrange themselves in very precisely designed shapes, such as numbers, letters, and shapes. The
DNA Manipulated By Nano-Machines To Shape Words Read More 👉
New evidence is suggesting that the emergence of birds was from a drastic change in how dinosaurs developed. Rather than spending years to reach sexual maturity, they drastically shortened their development, essentially remaining juvenile dinosaurs their whole lifespan. Some species of birds take as little as 12 weeks to reach maturity, as opposed to the
Birds Evolved From Dinosaurs By Remaining 'Juveniles' Read More 👉
Super-volcanos form and erupt much more quickly than previously thought, according to a new study from researchers at Vanderbilt University. Super-volcanos and super-eruptions are referred to as super because of their massive scale, more than 100 times the size of an eruption like Mount St. Helens. They release tremendous amounts of gas, ash, and
Super-Volcanos Form Very Quickly, New Study Finds Read More 👉
A new study has provided evidence that climate change was a leading cause of the great Indus or Harappan civilization collapsing 4000 years ago. The study also resolves the debate on the source and identity of the Sarasvati, the sacred river of Hindu mythology. At its height, the Indus civilization contained up to 10%
Ancient Harappan Civilization Collapsed Because of Changes in the Climate Read More 👉
Over the course of the year, the global wind energy market has seen massive growth of around 20.6%, according to a report by GlobalData. Whilst the growth of major wind power markets in places such as the US, Spain, France, and India are expected to slow down in coming years, it seems likely that emerging
Offshore Wind Market Growth Expected to Reach Worldwide Market Read More 👉
The good folks over at Mitsubishi i are sponsoring a cool giveaway for Planetsave readers. You have a chance to win: a $200 Whole Foods Gift Certificate, some Flip & Tumble Reusable Bags, and a Pure Balance Water Bottle.
Chance to Win a $200 Whole Foods Gift Certificate & More, Courtesy Mitsubishi i Read More 👉
Recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA ) findings have raised awareness of potentially harmful levels of water contamination that may be the result of hydraulic fracturing. Lawsuits from individuals who believe their water has been contaminated by hydraulic fracturing are coming in all across the country and support for stricter regulations is growing. Just
EPA Findings Point to Water Contamination from Hydraulic Fracturing Read More 👉
Considering that we didn’t start getting satellites up into the atmosphere until the 1970s, it comes as no surprise that recently discovered photographs from the 1930s depicting Greenland’s glaciers are viewed as a precious scientific resource. Rediscovered in a castle just outside of Copenhagen, Denmark, the photographs below spawn from 1930s aerial surveys of
Long Lost Photos Reveal Precious Data About Greenland's Glacier History Read More 👉
Researchers have built and imaged the smallest possible five-ringed structure. It is about 100,000 times thinner than a human hair and looks like the Olympic rings.
Olympic Molecule Built, Smallest Possible 5-Ringed Structure Read More 👉
New research has revealed that it took the Earth over 10 million years to recover from its greatest mass extinction. All life on the planet was nearly wiped out 250 million years ago, only 10 percent of plants and animals survived. It’s currently a matter of debate how quickly life recovered from this massive loss
Earth Took 10 Million Years To Recover From Its Greatest Mass Extinction Read More 👉
