ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 647
November 4, 2015
The Insane Moment A Hippo Tried To Attack A Boat Tour
Photo credit:
David Jackson/YouTube
No matter how fond your childhood memories of Hungry Hungry Hippos are, never mess with a hippopotamus.
This footage shows the moment a hippo burst out of the water after chasing a speedboat carrying tourists on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe.
Ireland Wants To Legalize Supervised Heroin Use
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Ireland is the latest country to propose the legalization of some drugs. Mukhina Viktoriia/Shutterstock
Decriminalizing drugs is a hot topic these days, with the blue touch-paper having been lit last month by Richard Branson’s leaking of a UN report that criticized the current criminalization policy adopted by most governments.
Doubt Cast On Research Claiming Chimps Can Learn New “Accents”
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The original study claimed that Dutch chimps learned the "Scottish" call for apples. apple2499/Shutterstock
Earlier this year, it was widely reported that chimpanzees could modify their calls to fit in with new groups. This research was centered around the relocation of a group of chimps from a Dutch zoo to one in Scotland, and claimed that over three years the continental apes learned a Scottish brogue.
Ancient Mayan Village Preserved In Volcanic Ash Lets Us Peer Into The Lives Of Ordinary People
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New archaeological evidence found at the village of Ceren in El Salvador suggests that Mayan villagers may have been more independent from their rulers than previously thought. University of Colorado
For centuries, archeologists have been extrapolating from the tantalizing clues left sprinkled throughout the remains of the Mayan empire in order to determine what life might have been like for its inhabitants. The majority of this information has been gleaned from the ruins of palaces, temples and astronomical buildings, all of which have provided an insight into the lives of the Mayan elites.
November 3, 2015
NASA Releases Stunning Half-Hour Ultra HD Video Of The Sun
Photo credit:
NASA
NASA has created its first few ultra-high definition videos, and the results are truly spectacular. Among the items released is a jaw-dropping 30-minute portrait of the Sun, which was put together from data captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO).
NASA Set To Make Huge Announcement On Thursday Regarding Mars’ Atmosphere
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Mars is thought to have lost most of its atmosphere long ago. NASA.
In September, NASA teased us with a “major announcement” regarding Mars, ultimately revealing evidence for the presence of liquid water on the surface of the Red Planet. Now, they're at it again.
Sinai Plane Crash: The Five Most Common Reasons For Airliner Disasters
Photo credit:
Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters
News of any terrible air accident, such as the recent crash of a Russian plane in Egypt that killed 224 people, instantly raises questions about aircraft safety and the threat of terrorism. But until the facts are known, it is unwise to speculate on what might actually have caused a specific crash. What we do know is that there are several causes that are more likely to occur than any other.
1. Pilot Error
Microbes: The Tiny Sentinels That Can Help Us Diagnose Sick Oceans
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Microbes can act as canaries in the coalmine for ocean pollutants such as sewage. Ne0Freedom/Wikimedia Commons
Microbes - bacteria and other single-celled organisms - may be tiny, but they come in huge numbers and we rely on them for clean water, the air we breathe and the food we eat.
They are nature’s powerhouses but they have often been ignored. We previously lacked the capacity to appreciate truly their diversity, from micro-scales right up to entire oceans.
Science Fatigue Keeps Us Clinging To Bad Health Habits
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The apparent seesaw in health journalism causes science fatigue in the public mind. David/Flickr, CC BY
The World Health Organization (WHO) threw the cat among the pigeons last week with a new report linking eating red and processed meat to cancer.
Cold Light: Astronomers Go To The Ends Of The Earth To See Cosmic Carbon
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The edge of the Horsehead nebula, where it touches the empty space outside it, is rich in carbon. NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
The carbon cycle is central to life on Earth. It describes how carbon flows between living organisms, and the ocean, atmosphere and rock of our planet, and is driven by the energy from our sun.
But a carbon cycle also exists for our galaxy, and astronomers are opening new windows into space that let us watch this galactic carbon ecosystem in action.
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