Big Diamonds Bring Scientists A Message From Superdeep Earth02:35
Evan Smith wanted to get his hands on the world's biggest diamonds — the kind that sit atop royal scepters, and the ones that are always the target of elaborate movie heists.But this wasn't for some nefarious get-rich-quick scheme. It was for science.Big diamonds like this one can contain tiny bits of metal from far underground, visible as black spots inside the gem. (Gemological Institute of America)"The most valuable, the most prized, of all gemstones are coincidentally some of the most scient..>> view originalScience|Polar Bears' Path to Decline Runs Through Alaskan Village
An Imperfect SymbolThe largest of the bear subspecies and a powerful apex predator, the charismatic polar bear became the poster animal for climate change.Al Gore’s 2006 film, “An Inconvenient Truth,” which depicted a lone polar bear struggling in a virtually iceless Arctic sea, tied the bears to climate change in many people’s minds. And the federal government’s 2008 decision to list polar bears as threatened under the Endangered Species Act — a designation based in part on the future danger p..>> view originalEagle-eyed teams tally birds for annual 1-day Audubon count
Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle A double-crested cormorant is spotted fishing during the Audubon Society’s bird survey in Berkeley. A double-crested cormorant is spotted fishing during the Audubon Society’s bird survey in Berkeley. Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle A black-crowned night heron is spotted dur..>> view originalNew research on giraffe biology, dwindling population size gives zoos a tall order - Omaha World
A pair of scientific discoveries have forced zoos to rethink how they handle giraffes.Earlier this month the International Union for Conservation of Nature reclassified giraffes on its Red List of Threatened Species, changing their status from “Least Concerned” to “Threatened,” one designation away from “Endangered.”In announcing the change, the group said the world’s tallest land mammal has seen an almost 40 percent population decline over the past 30 years. “To read that they’re down to 97,00..>> view originalAstronomers spot 'planet-eating' star similar to our sun
December 18, 2016 —As the latest Star Wars installment draws crowds to movie theaters this weekend, scientists are talking about a real Death Star, of sorts, about 300 light-years away.Using a 3.6-meter telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile, a team of researchers have been studying a star very similar to our sun. But unlike our friendly neighborhood star, however, this one is known to have destroyed some of its own planets, in a possible preview of what the future might hold for some p..>> view originalWhat Could a Trump Administration Mean for the Environment?
As Donald Trump continues to announce administration roles, environmental experts and advocates are sounding the alarm over what they say are "extreme" selections that will put the government at odds with science and the health of the Earth. "I think what we're seeing is the most hard-right ideological, fossil fuel-oriented Cabinet appointments we've ever seen," David Goldston, Director of Government Affairs at the Natural Resources Defense Council told NBC News. Trump's selection of Oklah..>> view originalRainbow snake, tiny frog among new Mekong species
A rainbow-headed snake, a tiny frog and a lizard with dragon-like horns are among more than 150 new species confirmed by scientists last year in the ecologically diverse but threatened Mekong region, researchers said on Monday. Winding its way from the ...>> view originalNASA insiders wonder if Trump will advance plans to send humans to the Red Planet
Two weeks after a presidential election that could have vaulted him to the head of NASA, John Grunsfeld reached across his peanut curry at a small restaurant on the far west side of Manhattan, grabbed my notebook and sketched out a plan for a trip to Mars. Grunsfeld, astronomer, astronaut and former associate administrator of NASA, was in town to promote a National Geographic TV series about Martian exploration. On his shirt was a picture of a space shuttle and the Hubble Space Telescope. We’ve..>> view original
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Big Diamonds Bring Scientists A Message From Superdeep Earth02:35 and other top stories.
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