Archive for 'Wired'
DNA Reveals New Hominid Ancestor
Posted on 24. Mar, 2010 by Bruce Bower, Science News.
A new member of the human evolutionary family has been proposed for the first time based on an ancient genetic sequence, not fossil bones. Even more surprising, this novel and still mysterious hominid, if confirmed, would have lived near Stone Age Neandertals and Homo sapiens. “It was a shock to find DNA from a new type [...]
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Chemical From Plastic Water Bottles Found Throughout Oceans
Posted on 24. Mar, 2010 by Brandon Keim.
A survey of 200 sites in 20 countries around the world has found that bisphenol A, a synthetic compound that mimics estrogen and is linked to developmental disorders, is ubiquitous in Earth’s oceans. Bisphenol A, or BPA, is found mostly in shatter-proof plastics and epoxy resins. Most people have trace amounts in their bodies, likely absorbed [...]
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It’s True: Hot Water Really Can Freeze Faster Than Cold Water
Posted on 24. Mar, 2010 by Laura Sanders, Science News.
Hot water really can freeze faster than cold water, a new study finds. Sometimes. Under extremely specific conditions. With carefully chosen samples of water. New experiments provide support for a special case of the counterintuitive Mpemba effect, which holds that water at a higher temperature turns to ice faster than cooler water. The Mpemba effect is named [...]
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Climate Hackers Want to Write Their Own Rules
Posted on 24. Mar, 2010 by Alexis Madrigal.
This week, 200 scientists will gather in an attempt to determine how research into the possibilities of geoengineering the planet to combat climate change should proceed. They say it’s necessary because of the riskiness and scale of the experiments that could be undertaken — and the moral implications of their work to intentionally alter the Earth’s [...]
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6 Ways We’re Already Geoengineering Earth
Posted on 24. Mar, 2010 by Brandon Keim.
<< previous image | next image >> Scientists and policymakers are meeting this week to discuss whether geoengineering to fight climate change can be safe in the future, but make no mistake about it: We’re already geoengineering Earth on a massive scale. From diverting a third of Earth’s available fresh water to planting and grazing two-fifths of [...]

















