To save the planet, first save elephants
Wiping out all of Africa’s elephants could accelerate Earth’s climate crisis by allowing 7% more damaging greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, scientists say. But conserving forest elephants may reverse
Wiping out all of Africa’s elephants could accelerate Earth’s climate crisis by allowing 7% more damaging greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, scientists say. But conserving forest elephants may reverse
Listening to the earth scientists at the Tallberg Forum speaking about the likely calamities caused by global warming, I had the sensation of entering a parallel universe. It is a universe where an adaptive and inventive human race has grown to over six billion people, created bountiful and rich civilisations built on fossil fuels, and has emerged as the most important specie to geologically alter the planet. Man-made greenhouse gas has placed the earth in a slow cooker. In this parallel universe, the phrase
People in India may not know much about baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1960) in the US, but this generation has provided the majority of the country's leaders in politics, science, business and the arts. They have been credited with building several institutions, and in some ways, with building contemporary America itself. One of their less well-known achievements was to start the physical fitness revolution. Now they are on the verge of starting a similar revolution: one of mental fitness.
Global carmakers and others who fight a feverish technology battle to push hydrogen as affordable and clean fuel in their vehicles may soon have an Indian research team to thank. Scientists led by K. Vijayamohanan Pillai at the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) in Pune have tweaked a material that is at the heart of a hydrogen-based fuel cell in such a way that the electrochemical device is capable of delivering more power for the same set-up.
The Saharan duststorms help sustain life over large regions of the North Atlantic Ocean, according to a latest study. Liverpool University researchers found that plants are able to grow in these regions because of their ability to take advantage of iron minerals in Saharan duststorms. This allows them to use organic or recycled material from dead or decaying plants when nutrients such as phosphorous, which is an essential component of DNA in the ocean are low.
It's almost a point of pride with climatologists. Whenever someplace is hit with a heat wave, drought, killer storm or other extreme weather, scientists trip over themselves to absolve global warming. No particular weather event, goes the mantra, can be blamed on something so general.
Scientific studies increasingly show that plastic is harmful on our bodies, and on environment. Here's why you should minimise its use in daily life SUMMARY OF THE BEST ARTICLES FROM AROUND THE WORLD There is no doubt that plastic does tremendous harm to our bodies and our environment. And the best way to help both is to cut down on its use, says a recent article in Time magazine. But it's not as simple as it sounds. For there is little available in the market today that does not contain plastic in some form.
Polar bears may not be the only Arctic wildlife threatened by global warming. Scientists have discovered that Arctic foxes also struggle as the ice disappears because they rely on the frozen seas to survive the bleak winters. Researchers tracked the movements of 14 young foxes as they faced their first Arctic winter in northern Alaska, where the temperature plunges to minus 30{+0}C and it is dark for 24 hours a day. Only three animals survived the winter, by wandering hundreds of miles across the frozen sea ice looking for seal carcasses left by polar bears.
Look deep into someone's eyes and know what is in their hearts
India is losing its budding scientists to other professions. Latest figures show that few students are taking up pure sciences, despite government's effort and incentives to make science more popular. A latest study, commissioned by Department of Science and Technology revealed that while percentage of students taking up pure sciences remains static at 21, there is an increase of 17 per cent in job opportunities in the field.
If scientists are part of a global community, does that mean there is a uniform pattern in the choices they make? The answer can be both yes and no, going by the results of a recent survey of Indian scientists. Unlike most of their fraternity in the us and Europe, an overwhelming 56 per cent scientists in the country prefer a mixed economy; this is consistent with their support for both