Category: Uncategorized

  • We May All Be Martians

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    Daniela
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    Christie Hsu reports on new evidence that life may have come to earth from Mars: We may all be Martians, according to scientists who recently discovered more evidence that life on Earth may have started on Mars. “In addition, recent studies show that these conditions, suitable for the origin of life, may still exist on…

  • Scientists Detect Magmatic Water on Surface of Moon

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    Daniela
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    Earth Sky Science News reports scientists have detected magmatic water — water that originates from deep within the Moon’s interior — on the surface of the Moon. These findings, published in the August 25 issue of Nature Geoscience, represent the first such remote detection of this type of lunar water, and were arrived at using…

  • Seven Environmental Principles from Star Trek

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    Daniela
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    Amy Larkin at The Guardian may be an even bigger Star Trek fan than I am.  She lays out seven principles from the series that are still relevant today.  Here’s a couple: On biodiversity Dr. Miranda Jones: I understand, Mr. Spock. The glory of creation is in its infinite diversity. Mr. Spock: And the ways our differences combine,…

  • The Forgotten Genius Of Bayard Rustin

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    Daniela
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    Originally posted on The Dish: by Brendan James https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFJDlzm5zDM Laura Williams welcomes more attention for a lesser-known hero of the Civil Rights Movement: He helped organize and participated in the first freedom ride, 1947’s “Journey of Reconciliation” (for which he and several other participants were jailed and put in a chain gang). In the 1950s, he…

  • Blind Dog Fetching Toy

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    Daniela
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    Am I the only one this video made cry?  

  • Midcentury Map of American Folklore

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    Daniela
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    This map, by social realist artist William Gropper, was created to showcase the diversity of national myths and folk stories and was distributed abroad through the U.S. Department of State starting in 1946. (You can see it up close by clicking on the image below to arrive at a zoomable version, or by navigating to…

  • Saudi Arabian Food Chain Contaminated with GM Ingredients

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    Daniela
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    Yet another reason to distrust assurances from the purveyors of genetically modified food.  RT News provides information about the contamination of the Saudi Arabian food chain with GM ingredients: The Saudi Arabian food chain has been widely contaminated with GM ingredients, according to a new study. The findings include controversial StarLink maize banned for human…

  • Golden Rice: Spending Millions to Reinvent the Wheel

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    Daniela
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    Beth Hoffman’s article in Forbes mirrors my sentiments exactly.  In response to a commenter, she asks: The question is – after 30 years of research, how much has actually been spent creating a product like Golden Rice? How many billions of vitamin A supplements could have been purchased and passed out already – saving the…

  • Solar Powered Sea Slugs

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    Daniela
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    The Oxford University Press always has interesting articles, with odd little tidbits of information.  For instance here’s one on “crawling leaves” by Sonia Cruz: ‘Crawling leaves’ or ‘solar-powered sea slugs’ are common terms used to name some species of sacoglossan sea slugs capable of performing photosynthesis, a process usually associated with plants. These sea slugs…

  • Stunning Photos from NASA’s Sptizer Telescope

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    Daniela
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    Wired celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Spitzer Star Telescope by sharing some of the extraordinary images it has produced: For 10 years, NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope has been helping scientists on Earth learn more about the mysterious objects hiding in our star-studded skies. On August 25, 2003, the telescope — carrying a relatively small, 0.85-meter beryllium…