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Photo courtesy: discovermagazine
1. Water is everywhere—there are 332,500,000 cubic miles of it on the earth’s surface. But less than 1% of it is fresh and accessible, even when you include bottled water.
2. And “fresh” can be a relative term. Before 2009, federal regulators did not require water bottlers to remove E. coli.
3. Actually, E. coli doesn’t sound so bad. In 1999 the Natural Resources Defense Council found that one brand of spring water came from a well in an industrial parking lot near a hazardous waste dump.
4. Cheers! The new Water Recovery System on the International Space Station recycles 93% of astronauts’ perspiration and urine, turning it back into drinking water.
5. Kurdish villages in northern Iraq are using a portable version of the NASA system to purify water from streams and rivers, courtesy of the relief group Concern for Kids.
6. Ice is a lattice of tetrahedrally bonded molecules that contain a lot of empty space. That’s why it floats.
7. Even after ice melts, some of those tetrahedrons almost always remain, like tiny ice cubes 100 molecules wide. So every glass of water, no matter what its temperature, comes on the rocks.
8. You can make your own water by mixing hydrogen and oxygen in a container and adding a spark. Unfortunately, that is the formula that helped destroy the Hindenburg.
9. Scientists have a less explosive recipe for extracting energy from hydrogen and oxygen. Strip away electrons from some hydrogen molecules, add oxygen molecules with too many electrons, and bingo! You get an electric current. That’s what happens in a fuel cell.
10. Good gardeners know not to water plants during the day. Droplets clinging to the leaves can act as little magnifying glasses, focusing sunlight and causing the plants to burn.
11. Hair on your skin can hold water droplets too. A hairy leg may get sunburned more quickly than a shaved one.
12. Vicious cycle: Water in the stratosphere contributes to the current warming of the earth’s atmosphere. That in turn may increase the severity of tropical cyclones, which throw more water into the stratosphere. That’s the theory, anyway.
13. The slower rate of warming in the past decade might be due to a 10% drop in stratospheric water. Cause: unknown.
14. Although many doctors tell patients to drink eight glasses of water a day, there is no scientific evidence to support this advice.
15. The misinformation might have come from a 1945 report recommending that Americans consume about “1 milliliter of water for each calorie of food,” which amounts to 8 or 10 cups a day. But the report added that much of that water comes from food—a nuance many people apparently missed.
16. Call waterholics anonymous: Drinking significantly more water than is needed can cause “water intoxication” and lead to fatal cerebral and pulmonary edema. Amateur marathon runners have died this way.
17. Scientists at Oregon State University have identified vast reservoirs of water beneath the ocean floor. In fact, there may be more water under the oceans than in them.
18. Without water, ocean crust would not sink back into the earth’s mantle. There would be no plate tectonics, and our planet would probably be a lot like Venus: hellish and inert.
19. At the other end of the wetness scale, planet GJ 1214b, which orbits a red dwarf star, may be almost entirely water.
20. Recent evidence suggests that when the solar system formed 4.5 billion years ago, comets had liquid cores. If so, life may have started in a comet.
Via discovermagazine
In Russia the keen eyesight of the pigeon is put to a very practical use. At one factory in Moscow, they are used to sort ball-bearings. After four or five weeks of special training, the birds inspect the ball-bearings as they pass on a conveyor. If any show the least blemish, the pigeons peck a special plate which operates a reject sign. The faulty bearing is removed and the birds is rewarded with a few millet seeds.
The Russians claims the pigeons are so expert that they can even detect a fingerprint on a bearing and can inspect 4,000 an hour.
Photo courtesy: Russia-Info Centre
Kaliningrad archaeologists have come across a remarkable find in the famous Fort 5 of old Konigsberg.
It is a plank made of amber; and, most probably is directly related to the world-famous Amber Room.
The panel is 20 cm long and 10 cm wide. It is decorated with an ornament of antique style. Most likely, the panel is a detail of the palace decking.
The Amber Room before WWII. Photo courtesy: Wikipedia
The Amber Room was (and has been restored to) a complete chamber decoration of amber panels backed with gold leaf and mirrors. Due to its singular beauty, it was sometimes dubbed the "Eighth Wonder of the World".
The Amber Room was created by German and Danish masters for the Prussian King Frederic I. Its furnishing was mainly made of amber. The masterpiece consisted of amber panels, ornaments and pictures. Subsequently the Prussian King presented the room to the Russian Emperor Peter I. The room contained 6 tons of amber.
During WWII, German soldiers looted the Amber Room; and, took the treasures to Königsberg. Knowledge of the Amber Room's location was lost during the chaos of the war and its aftermath.
The proposed highway would cut the Serengeti in half. Photo courtesy: Wildlife Extra
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) have both stepped into the growing controversy over the proposed Serengeti Highway (Published in Wildlife Extra in June). Both renowned establishments are requesting that the Government of Tanzania reconsider the proposed construction of a commercial road through the world's best known wildlife sanctuary - Serengeti National Park - and recommend that alternative routes be used that can meet the transportation needs of the region without disrupting the greatest remaining migration of large land animals in the world.
At issue is the proposed Arusha-Musoma highway, slated for construction in 2012. According to the proposed route, the highway would bisect the northern portion of the park and jeopardize the annual migration of wildebeest and zebra, a spectacle comprising nearly two million animals. The Serengeti is a World Heritage Site and is universally regarded as one of world's great natural wonders.
"The Serengeti is the site of one of the last great ungulate migrations left on Earth, the pre-eminent symbol of wild nature for millions of visitors and TV viewers, and a hugely important source of income for the people of Tanzania through ecotourism," said Dr. James Deutsch, Executive Director of the WCS's Africa Program. "To threaten this natural marvel with a road would be a tragedy. We implore the Tanzanian government-known around the world for its commitment to conservation-to reconsider this proposal and explore other options."
"A commercial road would not only result in wildlife collisions and human injuries, but would serve to fragment the landscape and undermine the ecosystem in a variety of ways," said Prof. Jonathan Baillie, Director of Conservation Programmes for ZSL, which partners with WCS in the long-term monitoring and conservation of Serengeti's cheetahs. "To diminish this natural wonder would be a terrible loss for Tanzania and all future generations."
The red line shows the proposed route of the new highway; and, the green line is an alternative route. Photo courtesy: Wildlife Extra
WCS and ZSL are two of numerous organizations - including the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) - in growing opposition to the proposed road. Supporters of the proposed road point to the need for linkage between the districts of Serengeti and Loliondo, one of the poorest regions of Tanzania, and the national road system, as well as a need for increased transport infrastructure between the coast and the hinterland. However it is possible to achieve these objectives without bisecting the Serengeti. Conservationists predict that building the road through Serengeti National Park would not only result in a catastrophic decrease in numbers of wildebeest, zebra, and other species as a result of the interruption of the migration. It could also potentially cut Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve off from the migration, jeopardizing that country's most important tourism destination.
WCS, ZSL, and other conservation groups acknowledge and support Tanzania's need for infrastructure development, specifically to benefit the country's industries and agricultural markets. An alternative southern route, they assert, would better meet these objectives, and provide more benefits for more people while maintaining the integrity of Tanzania's foremost wildlife attraction and the tourism dollars it generates.
"We recognize that there is an obvious need for infrastructure development in Tanzania," said Markus Borner, Africa Program Director for FZS which has worked in the Serengeti since the 1950s. "A far better option than the current proposal is placing a road to the south of the park. Such a road would be both cheaper to construct and would serve a much larger number of people without interrupting the migration and jeopardizing the iconic status of the Serengeti National Park."
There is an online petition that you can join in protest to the proposed highway.
Via Wildlife Extra
It sounds like a contradiction in terms; but, scientists have created 'dry water'.
Each particle of dry water contains a water droplet surrounded by a sandy silica coating. In fact, 95% of dry water is 'wet' water. One of its key properties is a powerful ability to absorb gases.
A sample of 'dry water' which looks like powdered sugar and is expected to make a big commercial splash. Photo courtesy: MailOnline
Scientists believe dry water could be used to combat global warming by soaking up and trapping the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.
Tests show that it is more than three times better at absorbing carbon dioxide as ordinary water. Dry water may also prove useful for storing methane and expanding the energy source potential of the natural gas.
Dr Ben Carter, from the University of Liverpool, presented his research on dry water at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston. He said: "There's nothing else quite like it. Hopefully, we may see dry water making waves in the future."
Another application demonstrated by Dr. Carter's team was using dry water as a catalyst to speed up reactions between hydrogen and maleic acid. This produces succinic acid, a key raw material widely used to make drugs, food ingredients, and consumer products.
Usually hydrogen and maleic acid have to be stirred together to make succinic acid; but, this is not necessary when using dry water particles containing maleic acid. This makes the process greener and more energy efficient.
"If you can remove the need to stir your reactions; then, potentially you're making considerable energy savings," said Dr. Carter. The technology could be adapted to create 'dry' powder emulsions, mixtures of two or more unblendable liquids such as oil and water, the researchers believe.
Dry emulsions could make it safer and easier to store and transport potentially harmful liquids.
Via MailOnline
Very strange looking Thompson's gazelle. Photo copyright Paolo Torchio
If it were April 1st, everyone would have just had a good laugh at the photo and commented on the wonderful Photoshop job done by the hoaxers. These two images appear to show a Thompson's gazelle that has been bred by crossing a gazelle with a goat or some other equally hairy creature. However, the folks at Wildlife Extra were immediately suspicious of the authenticity of the pictures as they seem just too extraordinary.
The photographer, Paolo Torchio, (click here to go to his website) was born in Italy; but, moved to Kenya 20 years ago, where he has made his name as a photographer and a conservationist. Photo credit Paolo Torchio.
They carefully looked at the images; and, have determined that there are no signs of any alterations that they could detect. However, probably the most compelling reason to believe that they are real is that Paolo Torchio, who took the photos, is a well-known and well-respected photographer.
Sometimes nature does create oddities and this gazelle would appear to be one of them. Two-headed snakes, while very unusual, are occasionally seen; and, there are well-documented cases of animals with extra legs, heads, eyes and other unusual mutations. Not surprisingly, they are more common where there are some environmental causes, often caused by humans, such as mercury poisoning. Wildlife Extra concludes that this gazelle is just an unusual one; and, that Mr. Torchio had one of those rarest of moments that every photographer strives for, a slice of luck.
Via Wildlife Extra
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
Two satellite images provided by NASA and taken on July 28 and Aug. 5, show the Petermann Glacier in Northern Greenland. A giant ice island, seen in image at right, has broken off the Petermann Glacier. The floating ice sheet covers 100 square miles (260 sq. kilometres) - more than four times the size of Manhattan Photo: AFP/NASA
The University of St. Andrews team said 106 sq. mi. broke away from the Petermann Glacier at the beginning of August.
The massive ice island is is the largest single area loss observed for Greenland and suggests the effect of rising temperatures is affecting the Arctic faster than anticipated.
The finding immediately raises fears about the long term effect on rising sea levels and ultimately ‘positive feedbacks’ as water absorbs more heat than ice, therefore speeding up the warming effect.
Dr. Richard Bates, who is monitoring the ice alongside researchers from America, said the expedition had expected to find evidence of melting this year after “abnormally high” temperatures in the area. Climate change experts say that globally it has been the warmest six months since records began.
But he was “amazed to see an area of ice three times the size of Manhattan Island had broken off.
“It is not a freak event and is certainly a manifestation of warming. This year marks yet another record breaking melt year in Greenland; temperatures and melt across the entire ice sheet have exceeded those in 2007 and of historical records.”
The Petermann glacier, one of the largest glaciers in the northern hemisphere, has now retreated to a level not seen since 1962.
Dr. Bates and his team are currently in Greenland trying to determine whether the breakup has led to a further acceleration and thinning of ice.
The geophysicists uses time-lapse cameras overlooking the glacier from the top of its towering 900 m cliffs, as well as risking their lives trying to get as close as possible to the icebergs.
“It is very difficult logistically and expensive to get back,” he said. “The idea at present is to try and sail to close to the glacier with helicopter support on the passage up there; and, then for getting around when there. It could be a bit tricky doing this as it’s not only a long way; but, there will be ever-increasing ice to negotiate on the way north,” he said.
The new research comes as scientists from Pennsylvania State University warned that temperature rise of between 2C and 7C would cause the entire ice mass of Greenland to melt, resulting in 23 ft rise in sea level.
Via Telegraph
Controversy: Dundee Paradise, the first cloned calf born in Britain. Photo courtesy: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1303317/Now-theyre-cloning-cows-cattle-dead.html
Cattle destined for the food chain in the U.S. are being cloned from dead animals.
Technicians take samples from slaughtered cows to assess meat quality; and, cells from the best are used to grow clones.
Researchers across the Atlantic said that Britain would have to put its reservations aside and adopt the controversial 'resurrection' practice or fall behind the rest of the world in food production.
The development comes after it emerged that three animals descended from cloned cows have found their way into the food chain in Britain with dozens more living on farms across the country.
All were descended from embryos of a cloned 'supercalf' that was created in the United States, where official regulators have said that cloned meat and milk is as safe as normal produce.
American scientists are far ahead of Britain on animal cloning and are replicating exceptional animals as breeding stock with the aim of improving the quality of beef, dairy and pig herds.
They use a range of techniques to make this assessment including productivity, longevity or meat quality, which cannot be done until the animal has been slaughtered.
The 'resurrection' technique is being carried out by leading animal cloning company J. R. Simplot. Brady Hicks of the Idaho-based firm said: "the animals are hanging on a rail ready to go to the meat counter.
"We identify carcasses that have certain characteristics that we want; but, it's too late to reproduce the genetics of the animal. But through cloning we can resurrect that animal."
In America cloned meat has entered the food chain on a small scale. There are roughly 1,000 clones among 100 million cattle, and farmers are still working out if it is economically viable.
Despite the ruling by the U.S. Food and Drug administration that meat and milk from cloned animals is safe to eat, supermarkets in the U.S. such as Whole Foods have placed a blanket ban on any cloned products.
Photo courtesy: MailOnline
Awhile ago, I wrote about genetically-engineered pork being grown in US labs. It appears that things are going well for Dr. Frank N. Stein as this article from MailOnline shows.
However, Mark Walton, president of the leading American animal cloning company ViaGen, said that the use of cloning in agriculture will eventually become the norm across the world.
"If I were a European farmer and my competitors in the U.S., China and South America were using the technology, I'd be concerned about losing all access to it," he said.
There is no evidence that meat from a clone or its offspring can cause any harm to health; although, the European Food Safety authority has flagged up a need for more research on this.
Opposition in Britain centres on whether the process is ethical and concerns that cloning can lead to animal suffering. There is evidence of miscarriages, early deaths, deformed organs and gigantism, where the young grow so large they have to be delivered by caesarean.
Artificial meat grown in the laboratory could be on supermarket shelves in just a decade, experts believe.
Produced in huge vats from muscle cells, the fake pork chops, sirloin steak and sausages would be kinder to the environment and to livestock than the real thing, say scientists. But it remains to be seen whether the fake meat, said to have the texture of a scallop, will be popular with the public.
The method invented by Dutch government-funded scientists involves incubating muscle cells extracted from pigs in a protein 'broth'.
The cells multiply and create a sticky tissue with the consistency of an undercooked egg. this is bulked up by passing an electrical current through it.
The fledgling technology is highlighted in a discussion paper in the journal Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society B.
Via MailOnline
Photo courtesy: discovermagazine
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