ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 734

How Horror Games Give us the Fright We’re Looking For

Technology





Photo credit:

Zombies Return. Bago Games/Shutterstock

Why play horror-themed videogames designed to shock and scare? As with horror films or novels, they provide a means to indulge in the pleasure of frightening ourselves. Freakish, monstrous characters programmed to challenge and destroy the player gratifies the fear-induced thrill-seeking that drives gamers to immerse themselves in such virtual worlds.

The Chance to Rescue the World’s Oceans From Climate Change is Drifting Away

Environment





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Acehnese fishers are among the quarter of the world’s population who live on the coast, and for whom climate-driven changes to the oceans would make life much harder. Hotli Simanjuntak/EPA/AAP Image

Until recently, you might be forgiven for thinking that the oceans were a trivial component of Earth’s climate system, and that the consequences of change were minimal. After all, only 5% of papers published on climate change involve ocean systems.

NASA’s Reliance on Outsourcing Launches Causes a Dilemma for the Space Agency

Space





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NASA’s Space Launch System is still in development, with its first flight slated for 2018. NASA

The spectacular failure of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket last week underscores a growing problem for NASA: its reliance on private companies and Russia in order to launch many of its crucial missions.

The Trouble With Using Synthetic Rhino Horn to Stop Poaching

Plants and Animals





Photo credit:

Simon_g/Shutterstock

In 2014, one rhino was killed every eight hours. That was in South Africa alone, where most of the world’s rhinos live. At this rate, rhino deaths may overtake births by 2016-2018, making the concept of the rhino’s extinction very real.

Spurred by this grim prospect, governments, businesses and governmental organizations have discussed a wide range of solutions to stop rhino poaching, the key driver of rhino mortality.

SciShow Quiz Show: Weird Facts About Humans

Hank squares off against the host of SciShow Kids, Jessi Knudsen Castaneda, to match wits about chemistry, evolution, and how babies are weird!

https://www.youtube.com/user/scishowkids

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Sources:

http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryforkids/a/Fun-And-Interesting-Chemistry-Facts.htm

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=217331

http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/practical-physics/volume-change-dissolving-salt-water

http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/br.htm

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7917-first-convincing-chimp-fossil-discovered.html#.VWZ-6mRViko

http://sci.waikato.ac.nz/evolution/HumanEvolution.shtml#Trendsinhumanevolution

http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2014/12/ability-consume-alcohol-may-have-shaped-primate-evolution

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/01/0128_040128_orangutanjaw_2.html

http://humanorigins.si.edu/resources/intro-human-evolution

http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/genetics

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0831_050831_chimp_teeth.html

Crow Hitches a Ride on a Bald Eagle

Plants and Animals





Photo credit:

Phoo Chan

Incredible images of an animal very casually hitching a ride on another have been captured – this time, a cheeky crow taking a mid-flight pit stop on the back of a majestic bald eagle.

The photographs were captured by California-based Phoo Chan.

Saber-Toothed Cat Canines Took Years to Grow

Plants and Animals





Photo credit:

Sfocato/Shutterstock

They’re probably one of the most recognizable animals of the ice age, and with their stocky shoulders and huge dagger-like teeth, they were certainly formidable predators. But it seems these animals were not natural-born killers, as new research shows that it took them quite a few years to fully develop their toothy weapons.

California Assembly approves one of the toughest mandatory vaccination laws in the nation

by Patrick McGreevy and Rong-Gong Lin II

California lawmakers on Thursday approved one of the toughest mandatory vaccination requirements in the nation, moving to end exemptions from state immunization laws based on religious or other personal beliefs.

The measure, among the most controversial taken up by the Legislature this year, would require more children who enter day care and school to be vaccinated against diseases including measles and whooping cough.

Those with medical conditions such as allergies and immune-system deficiencies, confirmed by a physician, would be excused from immunization. And parents could still decline to vaccinate children who attend private home-based schools or public independent studies off campus.

It is unclear whether Gov. Jerry Brown will sign the measure, which grew out of concern about low vaccination rates in some communities and an outbreak of measles at Disneyland that ultimately infected more than 150 people.

“The governor believes that vaccinations are profoundly important and a major public health benefit, and any bill that reaches his desk will be closely considered,” Evan Westrup, the governor’s spokesman, said Thursday.

Read the full article by clicking the name of the source located below.

First Trial of Pest-Resistant GM Wheat a Failure, Report Scientists

Plants and Animals





Photo credit:

Cristian Zamfir/Shutterstock

The world's first field trial of genetically modified (GM) wheat that produces its own insect repellent is reported to have been a failure. The publicly funded experiment, run by Rothamsted Research in the U.K, is a significant blow to the researchers, but they're confident that important lessons have been learned and that they can build on the results in future trials.  

Lab-Grown Blood To Be Trialled in the U.K.

Health and Medicine





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wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock

Although donations have increased in number over the past decade, the world is still in short supply of life-saving, clean blood. So if a higher number of donations is not fixing the problem, scientists need to find another solution to keep up with the demand.