Science

Science

The environmental case for buying a coal mine
ne day, the Swedish energy company Vattenfall decided to divest itself from a particularly dirty form of coal extraction in Germany, so it advertised that its mines were for sale. It would get an offer from a totally unexpected party.
By Baru Ku3 years ago in FYI
The animals that detect disasters
n 2004, a tsunami triggered by a 9.1 magnitude undersea quake off Indonesia decimated coastal communities around the Indian Ocean, killing at least 225,000 people across a dozen countries. The huge death toll was in part caused by the fact that many communities received no warning.
By Udley3 years ago in FYI
The Illinois town that got up and left
In the summer of 1993, the southwestern Illinois town of Valmeyer took the brunt of a massive flood when, not once but twice in a month, the swollen Mississippi River topped its levee system. The village was engulfed in up to 16ft (5m) of floodwater that lingered for months, damaging some 90% of buildings.
By Udley3 years ago in FYI
The Caribbean mangrove forest that defied destruction
On a sweltering summer day in 1994, an ancient mangrove forest on Union Island was ripped apart. A foreign investor had started the foundation work for a hotel, marina and golf course in Ashton lagoon on Union Island, one of the 32 Grenadine islands which dot the clear, blue waters of the southern Caribbean Sea.
By Baru Ku3 years ago in FYI
Can gravity batteries solve our energy storage problems?
As it trudges through the dense rainforests of West and Central Africa, the forest elephant creates a maze of green corridors by grazing and trampling on small trees in its path. Standing at 3m (almost 10ft), this gentle giant is smaller than its better-known counterpart, the savannah elephant, and remains an elusive, solitary creature. The forest elephant causes mayhem amid the rainforest's lush vegetation as it strips bark from saplings, digs for roots in the soil and munches on leaves and berries. But this destruction does more good than harm to the forest: it helps forests to store more carbon in their trees and preserves one of the planet's most vital ecosystems.
By Baru Ku3 years ago in FYI
The unseen man-made 'tracks' on the deep ocean floor
At the base of the Pacific Ocean, hundreds of miles from land, there are some curious marks on the seafloor that no animal could have made. Some of them look like narrow troughs carved into the pale silt. Others could be claw marks, gouged through the ecosystems of the deep by an undersea monster.
By Fra Tusha3 years ago in FYI
The ancient fabric that no one knows how to make
In late 18th-Century Europe, a new fashion led to an international scandal. In fact, an entire social class was accused of appearing in public naked.
By Fra Tusha3 years ago in FYI
The forgotten medieval fruit with a vulgar name
n 2011, archaeologists found something unusual in a Roman toilet. The team were excavating the ancient village of Tasgetium (now Eschenz, Switzerland), ruled by a Celtic king who was personally given the land by Julius Caesar. It was built on the banks of the river Rhine, along what was then an important trade route – and as a result, its remains have been steeped in water ever since. What should have rotted away centuries ago was uncovered in a remarkable state of preservation, protected by the lack of oxygen in the boggy conditions.
By Holy horse3 years ago in FYI
Early life on Mars could have died because of climate change
Scientists have warned for decades of the deadly impacts of human-caused climate change on Earth. And according to a new study, Mars may offer an example of the damage that can occur to life itself because of the greenhouse gas effect.
By k eleanor3 years ago in FYI
The forgotten medieval habit of 'two sleeps'
It was around 23:00 on 13 April 1699, in a small village in the north of England. Nine-year-old Jane Rowth blinked her eyes open and squinted out into the moody evening shadows. She and her mother had just awoken from a short sleep.
By Udley3 years ago in FYI
Duplex Board Strength: What You Need to Know
Introduction The duplex board is a paperboard made from two layers of kraft paper. It is used in packaging and printing applications for its strength and durability. The duplex board can be made stronger by adding fillers to the paperboard. The most common applications of duplex boards are in the packaging and printing industries.
By Jemsfranklin3 years ago in FYI
Why would a bionic submarine sink if it blew up?
The fish bladder is a very attractive thing, certainly not because the chicken casserole with flower gelatin is too delicious, nor because the fame of abalone cucumber and shark's fin belly is too great, simply because it is a bit of an enigma.
By Fester Hammer3 years ago in FYI