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Very First Web Page Is Lost
A 'Universal' Flu Vaccine
Portland Rejects Fluoridation
Outdoor Orgy Is Beginning
Gorillas And The Future Of Crop Biotechnology
There are some really cool improvements coming along in several crops that have been developed using the tools of biotechnology - GMOs if you will.
Some of these innovations have consumer health benefits. Some expand ways to encourage greater produce consumption. Some reduce food waste. Some prevent crop losses through disease and reduce the need for copper sprays.
These traits represent an expansion of biotech beyond the major row crops primarily grown for animal feed or for fiber to crops like apples, oranges, tomatoes, pineapples and potatoes. Whether these new options actually make it to consumers depends a great deal on decisions that will be made by gorillas.
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Gorillas And The Future Of Crop Biotechnology
There are some really cool improvements coming along in several crops that have been developed using the tools of biotechnology - GMOs if you will.
Some of these innovations have consumer health benefits. Some expand ways to encourage greater produce consumption. Some reduce food waste. Some prevent crop losses through disease and reduce the need for copper sprays.
These traits represent an expansion of biotech beyond the major row crops primarily grown for animal feed or for fiber to crops like apples, oranges, tomatoes, pineapples and potatoes. Whether these new options actually make it to consumers depends a great deal on decisions that will be made by gorillas.
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Could Roadways Actually Be Good For Wildlife?
You might interpret roadkill as a sign that highways are bad for wildlife, but it's possible these carcasses actually indicate that roadsides are attractive habitats that can support a large number of individuals. That's one interpretation, anyway, of a new study investigating small mammal populations living along highways in central Spain.
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Could Roadways Actually Be Good For Wildlife?
You might interpret roadkill as a sign that highways are bad for wildlife, but it's possible these carcasses actually indicate that roadsides are attractive habitats that can support a large number of individuals. That's one interpretation, anyway, of a new study investigating small mammal populations living along highways in central Spain.
-->Kentucky Windage, For Science: Using Black Holes To Measure The Universe's Rate Of Expansion
Calibration does not always mean fixing a device, it sometimes means adjusting to solve a problem. In the early years of America, the famous Kentucky longrifles that conquered the frontier (and some British) had fixed sights. Since they couldn't be adjusted, frontiersmen - Kentucky was part of "The West" then - would adjust for wind, elevation and range by experience. If their shot was hitting low and left, they aimed high and right. Inference helped them get a better result.
Kentucky Windage, For Science: Using Black Holes To Measure The Universe's Rate Of Expansion
Calibration does not always mean fixing a device, it sometimes means adjusting to solve a problem. In the early years of America, the famous Kentucky longrifles that conquered the frontier (and some British) had fixed sights. Since they couldn't be adjusted, frontiersmen - Kentucky was part of "The West" then - would adjust for wind, elevation and range by experience. If their shot was hitting low and left, they aimed high and right. Inference helped them get a better result.
From – Or To – Japan With Love?
Saffron
In one of my school history books, as I remember, there is a story that saffron was introduced into Europe by a pilgrim from concealing some corms in his staff, to avoid the death penalty if found by the agents of the Sultans who controlled its export. However, the history of saffron, including a 14-week ‘saffron war’, seems much more complicated that this.
From – Or To – Japan With Love?
Saffron
In one of my school history books, as I remember, there is a story that saffron was introduced into Europe by a pilgrim from concealing some corms in his staff, to avoid the death penalty if found by the agents of the Sultans who controlled its export. However, the history of saffron, including a 14-week ‘saffron war’, seems much more complicated that this.
A Green Step For Humanity
Under the headline: "Absolute emissions cap proposed for China", Australia's Business Spectator reports that "According to local Chinese media, the government’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has proposed that China adopt an absolute cap on its greenhouse gas emissions by 2016."
RT (TV-Novosti) asks "Is China Going Green?" and notes that the initiative "must now be approved by the Cabinet before it is enacted."
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A Green Step For Humanity
Under the headline: "Absolute emissions cap proposed for China", Australia's Business Spectator reports that "According to local Chinese media, the government’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has proposed that China adopt an absolute cap on its greenhouse gas emissions by 2016."
RT (TV-Novosti) asks "Is China Going Green?" and notes that the initiative "must now be approved by the Cabinet before it is enacted."
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High Fructose Corn Syrup Addictive Like Cocaine, Says Researcher
Is the obesity epidemic due to the addictive qualities in food or that a lot more food is cheap and plentiful than ever before in history?
A paper presented at the 2013 Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, the annual meeting of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience - Association Canadienne des Neurosciences (CAN-ACN), says the problem is addiction rather than food wealth - the authors claim that high-fructose corn syrup can cause behavioral reactions in rats similar to those produced by drugs of abuse such as cocaine. It's the "Food Addiction" hypothesis that has recently become popular, which posits that we could be addicted to food just like drugs.
High Fructose Corn Syrup Addictive Like Cocaine, Says Researcher
Is the obesity epidemic due to the addictive qualities in food or that a lot more food is cheap and plentiful than ever before in history?
A paper presented at the 2013 Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, the annual meeting of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience - Association Canadienne des Neurosciences (CAN-ACN), says the problem is addiction rather than food wealth - the authors claim that high-fructose corn syrup can cause behavioral reactions in rats similar to those produced by drugs of abuse such as cocaine. It's the "Food Addiction" hypothesis that has recently become popular, which posits that we could be addicted to food just like drugs.
Magnetism Makes Archaeological Sourcing 'High Definition'
Sourcing of ancient artifacts has gotten a new advance.
While at the University of Sheffield in the years 1965–1972, Professor Lord Colin Renfrew developed a technique that matched stone tools made of obsidian, naturally occurring glass, to their volcanic origins based on their chemical fingerprints. It was considered one of the greatest successes in scientific archeology, matching artifacts to specific volcanoes was a significant leap forward in understanding trade, contact, and cultural change in the ancient world.
Magnetism Makes Archaeological Sourcing 'High Definition'
Sourcing of ancient artifacts has gotten a new advance.
While at the University of Sheffield in the years 1965–1972, Professor Lord Colin Renfrew developed a technique that matched stone tools made of obsidian, naturally occurring glass, to their volcanic origins based on their chemical fingerprints. It was considered one of the greatest successes in scientific archeology, matching artifacts to specific volcanoes was a significant leap forward in understanding trade, contact, and cultural change in the ancient world.
Is Hosting The Olympics Good For Local Charities? The Psychology Of Philanthropy
It is often believed that mega-events like the Olympics are good for a city or country. Many of the benefits are implied but they still get a monetary value attached when selling it to the public; 'leadership','world-stage', etc. The hangover that occurs economically afterward often leaves host countries wondering who did the math.
But if you are a small charity relying on corporate donations, it may be a good idea to get behind all of those taxpayers underwriting big occasions. Even smaller events like political conventions, and certainly the Super Bowl, deliver a morale-boost in the form of hometown pride and that translates into corporate largess, says a new paper that refutes beliefs that corporate philanthropy remains stable even during high-profile activities.
Is Hosting The Olympics Good For Local Charities? The Psychology Of Philanthropy
It is often believed that mega-events like the Olympics are good for a city or country. Many of the benefits are implied but they still get a monetary value attached when selling it to the public; 'leadership','world-stage', etc. The hangover that occurs economically afterward often leaves host countries wondering who did the math.
But if you are a small charity relying on corporate donations, it may be a good idea to get behind all of those taxpayers underwriting big occasions. Even smaller events like political conventions, and certainly the Super Bowl, deliver a morale-boost in the form of hometown pride and that translates into corporate largess, says a new paper that refutes beliefs that corporate philanthropy remains stable even during high-profile activities.
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