Planetsave

Butterflies Moving North with the Changing Climate

Nathan — Fri, 25 May 2012 06:30:29 +0000

A new study by the University of York has shown how a butterfly species changed its diet and spread northwards in response to the changing climate.

The study found that warmer summers have allowed the Brown Argus Butterfly to complete its lifecycle by using wild Geranium plants, rather than the Rockrose plants they [...]

Organic Carbon In Meteorites Is From Mars

Nathan — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:39:16 +0000

Organic carbon, which is molecules containing long chains of carbon and hydrogen have previously been found on meteorites from Mars, but researchers have disagreed about where it was from and how it was formed. On Earth these molecules are the building blocks of life.

Newly released research strongly suggests that this organic carbon [...]

Global Carbon Emissions Hit Record in 2011

Joshua S Hill — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:08:40 +0000

The global levels of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil-fuel combustion reached a record high of 31.6 gigatonnes (Gt) in 2011, only 1 Gt beneath the necessary levels required to keep global temperatures to a 2°C increase.

The figures are part of the preliminary estimates provided by the International Energy Agency (IEA) released Thursday.

Global carbon [...]

Massive Tomb With More Than 80 Mummies Discovered In Peru

Nathan — Thu, 24 May 2012 23:02:49 +0000

A massive tomb containing 80 individuals of differing ages has just been discovered at Pachacamac, which is located on the Pacific coast about 30 km from Lima.

Pachacamac is one of the largest Prehispanic sites in South America. The newly discovered tomb there is estimated to be 1000 years old.

The discovery [...]

Solar Power Breakthrough: New Inexpensive, Environmentally Friendly Solar Cell

Nathan — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:20:30 +0000

A new solar cell that is cheap, environmentally friendly, and durable has been developed by researchers from Northwestern University.

The solar cell is the first to solve the problem of the Grätzel cell, a low-cost, environmentally friendly solar cell that has one significant disadvantage — it leaks and causes corrosion of [...]

Top 10 Newly Discovered Species of 2011

Nathan — Thu, 24 May 2012 08:58:27 +0000

Every year, the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University and a committee of international scientists compile a list of their picks for the top 10 newly described species. The annual top 10 new species list has just been released for 2011.

This year’s list includes: a new type of [...]

NanoMedicine: A Pioneering Study Finds Use of ‘Quantum Dots’ Safe in Living Primates

Michael Ricciardi — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:05:05 +0000

Despite many recent and remarkable successes in the field of biomedicine using nanotechnology to image, detect, treat and even cure diseases like cancer (in mice and humans), there have been lingering doubts among health professionals as to the safety of using nanoparticles (such as nanodiamonds) in medical applications.

To be sure, some earlier [...]

New Sensory Organ Discovered In Rorqual Whales

Nathan — Thu, 24 May 2012 01:21:31 +0000

A new sensory organ has been discovered in rorqual whales. The discovery may help explain the great success of their ‘lunge-feeding method’.

Rorqual whales are a subgroup of baleen whales that includes blue, fin, minke, and humpback whales. They are known for their enormous size, and an accordion-like layer of blubber extending from [...]

Wind-Driven Mars ‘Tumbleweed’ Rover Being Developed

Nathan — Wed, 23 May 2012 20:00:30 +0000

New research from North Carolina State University has shown the ‘tumbleweed’ Mars rover design to be an effective one.

“There is quite a bit of interest within NASA to pursue the tumbleweed rover design, but one of the questions regarding the concept is how it might perform on the rocky surface of Mars,” [...]

Skin Cells Turned into Healthy Heart Muscle in a Patient, for First Time

Nathan — Wed, 23 May 2012 07:00:02 +0000

For the first time, researchers have successfully taken skin cells from a heart failure patient and reprogrammed them to be new heart muscle cells that can integrate into the existing heart.

The research, just published in the European Heart Journal, will make it possible to treat heart failure by using the [...]

Baseline Measurements of Carbon in Arctic Ocean

Joshua S Hill — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:14:36 +0000

Scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have concluded a study to measure levels of carbon at various levels in the Arctic Ocean, providing a baseline for further understanding.

The study was recently published in the journal Biogeosciences. It provides data that will help researchers in the future as they try to [...]

Oklahoma City Exploring New Methods of Transportation

Chris Keenan — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:27:03 +0000

Although it has taken more than twenty years, Oklahoma City is making progress in its attempts to offer its citizens a variety of ways to get around town. It has been almost seventy years since the last streetcar was in operation, and automobiles have naturally become the dominant method of [...]

Empowering Support for Federal Investment in Bike/Ped Planning

Cynthia Shahan — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:04:39 +0000

Princeton Survey

The Streetsblog DC recently published a story on a telephone poll of 1,003 Americans, which was commissioned by the advocacy group America Bikes and conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates. The results were “unequivocal: 83 percent said that federal bike-ped funding should increase, or at the [...]

Toxic Mercury Is Accumulating in the Arctic

Nathan — Tue, 22 May 2012 06:50:31 +0000

Researchers at Harvard have found that the accumulation of toxic mercury in the Arctic is being caused both by atmospheric processes and by circumpolar rivers depositing it there.

The atmospheric source has been known for some time, but it turns out twice as much mercury is being brought into Arctic ecosystems [...]

Damage from Chemical Exposure Passed Down for Generations

Nathan — Tue, 22 May 2012 05:22:15 +0000

New research has shown that exposure to commonly used chemicals causes changes in rats that are passed down through multiple generations.

“We are now in the third human generation since the start of the chemical revolution, since humans have been exposed to these kinds of toxins,” says David Crews, co-author of [...]

Methane Seeping Up from New Sources in Alaska

Joshua S Hill — Tue, 22 May 2012 04:02:50 +0000

Researchers from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks have found large measures of geologic methane seeping up the edges of the thawing permafrost and receding glaciers in Alaska and Greenland.

The retreat of Arctic permafrost and glaciers often reveal previously frozen organic matter like dead plants or animals, which subsequently decays and releases methane, [...]

Squid Ink Pigment Found in 160-Million-Year-Old Fossil, Oldest Pigment Ever Found

Nathan — Mon, 21 May 2012 22:40:42 +0000

The oldest pigment ever discovered has been found in 160-million-year-old fossilized giant squid ink sacs.

The pigment, melanin, has been found to be nearly identical to the melanin in modern-day cuttlefish.

It’s extremely rare to be able to identify an organic compound that is hundreds of millions of years old. These [...]

Earth’s Water Cycle Is Intensifying, Dry Is Getting Drier and Wet Is Getting Wetter

Nathan — Mon, 21 May 2012 21:46:18 +0000

The Earth’s water cycle is intensifying, leading to more evaporation in dry climates and more rain in wet climates.

“A clear change in salinity has been detected in the world’s oceans, signalling shifts and an acceleration in the global rainfall and evaporation cycle.”

A new study just published in the journal [...]

Lyrid Meteor Shower Seen from the International Space Station (VIDEO)

Nathan — Mon, 21 May 2012 20:50:41 +0000

The Lyrid meteor shower that peaked on April 21, 2012, is caught here on film by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station. The footage captures the sight of the meteors burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere.

The image above is a screen capture of the video below taken on April [...]

Americans More Willing to Pay for National Clean Energy Standard

Joshua S Hill — Mon, 21 May 2012 11:02:40 +0000

Over the past few years, U.S. Democrats and Republicans have proposed mandating clean power generation in the electricity sector, and according to a study conducted by Yale and Harvard researchers, the average U.S. citizen is willing to pay 13 percent more for a National Clean Energy Standard (NCES).

The researchers conducted a nationally [...]

SpaceX Aborts Falcon 9 Launch Attempt

Nathan — Mon, 21 May 2012 10:17:08 +0000

SpaceX aborted the launch of its Falcon 9 spaceship at the last second on May 19, right after its computers detected higher-than-it-considered-safe pressure readings in engine 5. The launch was stopped exactly one half second before liftoff.

The next launch attempt will likely happen on either May 22nd or 23rd, when [...]

Pollution in Thunderstorms is Warming the Atmosphere

Nathan — Mon, 21 May 2012 09:57:47 +0000

Summer thunderstorm clouds strengthened by pollution are warming the atmosphere, says a new study by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.

The study, just published in Geophysical Research Letters says that anvil-shaped thunderclouds, strengthened by pollution, are spreading out high in the atmosphere and trapping more heat.

“Global climate [...]

Songbird’s Learning Processes Give Insight Into Motor Control of Humans

Nathan — Mon, 21 May 2012 09:50:19 +0000

Male songbirds learn their songs by a process of trial and error, singing over and over while making subtle corrections. The male Bengalese finch begins this process at around 40 days old, and finishes around day 90, just as it reaches sexual maturity.

To accomplish this, the bird must receive and [...]

6.0 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Italy, At Least 6 Dead

Nathan — Sun, 20 May 2012 09:23:16 +0000

A powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck northern Italy just after 4am today. The epicenter was about 22 miles north of Bologna.

It was felt throughout northern Italy, and aftershocks have been continuing.

At least 6 people are reported dead, with at least another 60 reported injured.

The same area had previously been struck [...]

Newfound Planet Being Turned to Dust by Its Sun

Nathan — Sun, 20 May 2012 07:52:09 +0000

A newly discovered exoplanet appears to be evaporating from the heat of its parent star, according to new research by MIT and NASA.

The planet appears to be followed by a long trail of debris. The planet is about the size of mercury, and the researchers estimate that it will completely [...]

Consumed (Movie Trailer)

Zachary Shahan — Sat, 19 May 2012 22:48:27 +0000

I saw this last year when it was published but I apparently didn’t post on it here on Planetsave (surprisingly). But one of the creators of the film, Richard Heap of Slackjaw Film, recently contacted me about the movie, so I’m sharing it now.

The film is called ”Consumed – Inside the Belly [...]

Cell Phone Addiction (Infographic)

Zachary Shahan — Sat, 19 May 2012 22:38:05 +0000

Someone recently shared a rather interesting infographic with me — it’s titled “Your Cell Phone Is Killing You” and makes some pretty interesting points and includes a lot of interesting facts. Take a look:

Climate Reality Project Takes Over Infamous Heartland Institute Billboard Spot in Chicago

Zachary Shahan — Sat, 19 May 2012 16:30:57 +0000

The Climate Reality Project has put up some excellent billboards essentially in response to the horrible Heartland Institute billboards that cost the organization numerous sponsors and the little respect it had. The Climate Reality Project’s billboards will be put up all around the area of the Heartland Institute’s upcoming climate change conference, too. [...]

Asteroids ‘Potentially Hazardous’ to the Earth More Common Than Thought

Nathan — Sat, 19 May 2012 06:50:45 +0000

Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are about twice as common as originally thought, according to new research by NASA.

PHAs are a subsection of the more common near-Earth asteroids. But they follow an orbit very similar to the Earth’s, coming within five million miles. And they are large enough to survive passing [...]

Ecological Chains Worldwide Being Damaged

Nathan — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:33:06 +0000

Subtle ecological chains worldwide are being damaged by human influence, leading to significant losses of population in different ecosystems.

One of the longest ecological chains ever found has just been discovered in the remote Palmyra Atoll, in the Pacific Ocean. This area is useful to science because there are relatively untouched [...]

New National Standards Put Climate Change in the Classroom (in a Good Way)

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:22:27 +0000

In this guest post below, Juanita Constible of The Climate Reality Project shares some pretty stupendous news with us. New national standards for science in K-12 schools include the topic of climate change. Here’s more from Juanita:

As a scientist, I know how important it is for our kids to get [...]

Rhino Crisis Round Up: Rhino Killer Shot Dead in India & More

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:37:34 +0000

Kaziranga National Park’s greater one-horned rhinos are safer today, following an exchange of gunfire between authorities and armed rhino killers, which left one of the assailants dead.

According to India Blooms news, the incident occurred near the Bagori range of the park. Police also recovered a .303 rifle [...]

Climate Science Weekly Research Roundup

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:16:26 +0000

Ari Jokimäki recently published one of his regular roundups of climate science research news. Since you probably haven’t seen many (or any) of these stories in the mainstream media, I’m reposting the roundup here in full. The post is from AGW Observer (via Skeptical Science). Enjoy!

by Ari Jokimäki

[...]

1,000-Year Australasian Temperature Reconstruction

Joshua S Hill — Fri, 18 May 2012 04:53:58 +0000

A first of its kind study has been performed on 27 natural climate records to produce the first large-scale temperature reconstruction for the Australasian region over the past 1,000 years.

Led by researchers from the University of Melbourne, researchers used a range of natural indicators including tree rings, corals, and ice cores to [...]

Triple Threat Produced 2010 Queensland Floods — Ocean Warming, La Niña, Cyclone

Joshua S Hill — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:49:59 +0000

The factors behind the devastating Queensland floods of December 2010 are threefold, according to a new study that found that not only did Cyclone Tasha and La Niña contribute to the inundation, but so did record-high sea-surface temperatures off northern Australia.

Original estimates suggested that La Niña and the cyclone were enough to [...]

Prehistoric Turtle Big Enough to Eat Crocodiles Discovered

Nathan — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:40:46 +0000

A prehistoric turtle big enough to eat crocodiles has been discovered in Columbia. The turtle lived about 60 million years ago, and was about the size of a small car.

The fossils were discovered in a coal mine in northern Colombia, in 2005. And the turtle has, thus, been named Carbonemys [...]

View the Retreat of Alaska’s Columbia Glacier

Joshua S Hill — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:40:39 +0000

The Columbia Glacier in Alaska descends from an ice field 3,050 metres above sea level down the flanks of the Chugach Mountains and into a narrow inlet that eventually leads into Prince William Sound in the southeast of the state. And it is one of the most rapidly changing glaciers in the world.

[...]

Space-based Solar Power Systems a Step Closer to Reality

Andrew — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:31:19 +0000

Engineering researchers at the University of Strathclyde’s Institute for Energy & Environment are advancing in their part of a multinational project quest to build a space-based solar energy system that could one day be capable of supplying clean, renewable electricity at scales sufficient to power towns and cities anywhere in [...]

Phineas Gage’s Brain Imaged For the First Time

Nathan — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:24:24 +0000

Phineas Gage, famous for having a 13-pound, 3-foot-7-inch packing rod blasted through his skull and surviving, is the subject of a new study just published in the journal PLoS ONE.

Using brain-imaging data that had been lost to science for a decade, researchers studied the damage that was done to the white [...]

Super Flares 10,000 Times Stronger Than Any Observed on Our Sun Occur on Similar Stars

Nathan — Thu, 17 May 2012 04:12:01 +0000

Solar flares 10,000 times stronger than any ever observed on our sun can be released by stars similar to ours, according to new research.

Just one solar flare of that magnitude would greatly damage the ozone layer, and cause mass extinctions.

The research was done by using NASA’s [...]

Earliest Galaxies Were More Suitable for Life Than Originally Thought

Nathan — Thu, 17 May 2012 01:46:18 +0000

The earliest galaxies in the universe, those that formed more than 12 billion years ago, had much higher levels of the heavy elements needed for life, as we know it, than originally thought, according to new research.

Accepted theory speculates that for several thousand years after the ‘Big Bang’ that occurred [...]

April Global Temperatures 5th Warmest on Record (Land Temperatures 2nd Warmest), NOAA Reports

Zachary Shahan — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:31:58 +0000

NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center just released preliminary April 2012 temperature and weather statistics this week. As noted in the title, it was the 5th warmest April on record globally and land temperatures were the second warmest on record, according to NOAA.

In addition, it was “the 326th consecutive month with [...]

Pollution May Be the Cause of Earth’s Expanding Tropical Belt

Nathan — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:50:36 +0000

Manmade pollutants, such as black carbon and tropospheric ozone, are most likely what’s causing the tropical belt expansion northward, a new study says.

In the Southern Hemisphere, depletion of stratospheric ozone has previously been shown to be the cause of tropical expansion. But, in the Northern Hemisphere, the main cause appears to be [...]

Elephant Seals Dive More Than a Mile Deep, New Study Reveals

Nathan — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:12:46 +0000

A new study focused on the annual migrations of elephant seals has just been published in the journal PLoS. More than 300 individuals were tracked, using satellite tags measuring a wide range of different data.

“This work is unprecedented in terms of the number of animals tracked. For the first time we [...]

Russia Releases Highest Resolution Satellite Images of Planet Earth Ever (VIDEO)

Michael Ricciardi — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:02:55 +0000

That’s the claim, anyway, and most certainly, the images are astoundingly clear and detailed, if a bit oddly hued.

The image, released by the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) last week, was taken by the Elecktro-L weather satellite. The satellite is in geostationary orbit about 22,000 miles (36,000km) above the Indian [...]

Treating Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with Acupuncture Is Very Effective

Cynthia Shahan — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:24:13 +0000

A recent study published in Archives of Internal Medicine is concluding what many practitioners of acupuncture already believe is possible and even have experience with — treating common respiratory problems is one of the easy successes of acupuncture.

However, with more complex syndromes such as this, one will find a normalizing effect. Acupuncture is able to promote homeostasis in one’s body — reversing [...]

150-Million-Year-Old Pliosaur Had Arthritis

Nathan — Wed, 16 May 2012 07:35:06 +0000

A 150-million-year-old pliosaur jaw has been found to have signs of arthritis. This is the first time a degenerative disease like arthritis has been found in Jurassic reptiles.

Pliosaurs were a type of sea reptile living during the Jurassic period, 150 million years ago. Around 8 meters long, with 2-meter jaws, they [...]

Endangered Beluga Whales Threatened by Oil Exploration in Alaska’s Cook Inlet

Nathan — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:14:19 +0000

A new lawsuit is challenging petroleum exploration in Alaska’s Cook Inlet, claiming that the seismic testing will do harm to the endangered beluga whales that live there.

The Native Village of Chickaloon, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Center for Biological Diversity, and Center for Water Advocacy are the plaintiffs in the [...]

Need 2 Earths by 2030 If We Don’t Change, Study Finds

Nathan — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:58:49 +0000

The world is living far beyond its resources according to a new report by the conservation group WWF. So much so that at current levels of consumption the earth would need to be 50 percent larger, and by projected levels of consumption in 2030, two times the size it is now.

[...]

First Record of Insect Pollination Found in Amber 100 Million Years Old

Nathan — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:26:11 +0000

The oldest ever record of insect pollination has been found in amber deposits that are 110-105 million years old.

Several species of insects covered in pollen were found in two pieces of amber, becoming the oldest ever record of the pollen transporting relationship between flowering plants and insects.

More than 80% [...]