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First winged mammals from the Jurassic period discovered![]() Chicago IL (SPX) Aug 17, 2017 Two 160 million-year-old mammal fossils discovered in China show that the forerunners of mammals in the Jurassic Period evolved to glide and live in trees. With long limbs, long hand and foot fingers, and wing-like membranes for tree-to-tree gliding, Maiopatagium furculiferum and Vilevolodon diplomylos are the oldest known gliders in the long history of early mammals. The new discoveries suggest that the volant, or flying, way of life evolved among mammalian ancestors 100 million years earlier tha ... read more |
Portugal arsonists feed wildfire destructionLisbon (AFP) Aug 16, 2017 Portugal's police said Wednesday they had arrested 61 suspected arsonists so far this year, with fires on the rise and figures showing the largest number of people killed in forest blazes since 2003. ... more
Sierra Leone mourns 100 children among dead in massive floodingFreetown (AFP) Aug 16, 2017 Sierra Leone began a week of mourning Wednesday as it emerged that 105 children were among more than 300 people who perished in mudslides and torrential flooding, in one of the country's worst natural disasters. ... more
Libyan marine rescue zone aims to 'organise' NGOs: navyTripoli (AFP) Aug 16, 2017 Libya is not "preventing" NGOs from carrying out migrant rescue operations off its coast, but has set up a coastal search and rescue zone to "organise" their work, its navy said Wednesday. ... more
Treaty to curb mercury exposure takes effectParis (AFP) Aug 16, 2017 A 128-nation treaty to curb exposure to the dangerous heavy metal mercury entered into force Wednesday, the United Nations announced on the convention's website. ... more |
Hurricane left millions of tons of debris in Jamaica: UN
Typhoon Kalmaegi hits Vietnam after killing 140 in Philippines Vietnam evacuates thousands from coast ahead of Typhoon Kalmaegi Philippine death toll tops 140 as typhoon heads towards Vietnam CORRECTED: Philippine death toll tops 140 as typhoon heads towards Vietnam Camels replace cows as Kenya battles drought Jamaica still 'digging out' from hurricane, but Red Cross hopes toll stays low Death toll tops 100 as Philippines digs out after typhoon Typhoon death toll soars past 90 in the Philippines Typhoon death toll climbs to 66 in the Philippines |
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| Previous Issues | Aug 16 | Aug 15 | Aug 14 | Aug 11 | Aug 10 |
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Day to night and back again: Earth's ionosphere during the total solar eclipseGreenbelt MD (SPX) Aug 14, 2017 On Aug. 21, 2017, the Moon will slide in front of the Sun and for a brief moment, day will melt into a dusky night. Moving across the country, the Moon's shadow will block the Sun's light, and weath ... more
Experiments cast doubt on how the Earth was formedWashington DC (SPX) Aug 16, 2017 New geochemical research indicates that existing theories of the formation of the Earth may be mistaken. The results of experiments to show how zinc (Zn) relates to sulphur (S) under the conditions ... more
Solar eclipses baffle, captivate humans throughout historyWashington (UPI) Aug 15, 2017 On August 21, a wide swath of the United States will witness a total solar eclipse, and the rest of the country will see at least a partial eclipse. ... more
Meadow of dancing brittle stars shows evolution at workCambridge, UK (SPX) Aug 17, 2017 Researchers have described a new species of brittle star, which are closely related to starfish, and showed how these sea creatures evolved in response to the rise of shell-crushing predators during ... more
Ancient ocean deoxygenation provides an urgent warningTallahassee FL (SPX) Aug 17, 2017 A 94-million-year-old climate change event that severely imperiled marine organisms may provide some unnerving insights into long-term trends in our modern oceans, according to a Florida State Unive ... more
Climate change shifts timing of European floodsVienna, Austria (SPX) Aug 17, 2017 A study conducted by TU Wien and 30 European partners shows that the timing of the floods has shifted across much of Europe, dramatically in some areas. When a major flood event occurs it is often a ... more |
![]() Incomplete drought recovery may be the new normal
Ancient fish fossil reveals human-like jaw structureWashington (UPI) Aug 16, 2017 Australian scientists have discovered a 400-million-year-old fish fossil featuring a human-like jaw structure. Paleontologists believe the ancient fish species' jaw bones represent an evolutionary antecedent of the human jaw. ... more
Melting of Greenland glacier to speed up: studyMiami (AFP) Aug 16, 2017 The Greenland ice sheet is likely to melt faster in the years to come, despite a recent slowdown, researchers said Wednesday after making a new discovery about the way glaciers move. ... more
Storms felled record number of trees in Poland: officialsWarsaw, Poland (AFP) Aug 16, 2017 It will take two years to clear the tens of thousands of trees smashed by the weekend storms that devastated Poland's forests, the country's forest service said Wednesday. ... more
Japan launches study into suspected Chinese coral poachingTokyo (AFP) Aug 16, 2017 Japan on Wednesday launched a study into whether precious coral was being illegally poached by Chinese fishermen off its shores to be sold for use in jewellery. ... more |
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Freetown (AFP) Aug 16, 2017
Sierra Leone began a week of mourning Wednesday as it emerged that 105 children were among more than 300 people who perished in mudslides and torrential flooding, in one of the country's worst natural disasters.
With 600 people still missing in Freetown, President Ernest Bai Koroma described the humanitarian challenge ahead as "overwhelming".
He said flags would fly at half-mast and call ... more Tripoli (AFP) Aug 16, 2017Libyan marine rescue zone aims to 'organise' NGOs: navy Washington (UPI) Aug 14, 2017Urban flooding on the rise, as countryside dries up New Delhi (AFP) Aug 12, 2017Hunter fells elephant that killed 15 in India |
Salt Lake City UT (SPX) Aug 16, 2017
Researchers at BYU are the first to 3D-print a viable microfluidic device small enough to be effective at a scale much less than 100 micrometers. Microfluidic devices are tiny chips that can sort out disease biomarkers, cells and other small structures in samples like blood by using microscopic channels incorporated into the devices.
The accomplishment, which is a major breakthrough toward ... more Houston TX (SPX) Aug 16, 20172-faced 2-D material is a first at Rice Huntsville AL (SPX) Aug 16, 2017Archinaut Project conducts first large-scale 3D build in space-like environment Thuwal, Saudi Arabia (SPX) Aug 16, 2017Fewer defects from a 2-D approach |
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Pasadena CA (JPL) Aug 14, 2017
This past week marks the 25th anniversary of the launch of a revolutionary ocean research vessel - a space "ship." As the NASA/CNES Topex-Poseidon satellite ascended into orbit, it ushered in a new era of oceanography with the first highly accurate, global measurements of sea levels.
That mission and its three successors, all named Jason, have continuously mapped global ocean currents and ... more Cape Cod MA (SPX) Aug 16, 2017New technique offers clues to measure the deoxygenation of the ocean Cambridge, UK (SPX) Aug 17, 2017Meadow of dancing brittle stars shows evolution at work Tallahassee FL (SPX) Aug 17, 2017Ancient ocean deoxygenation provides an urgent warning |
Miami (AFP) Aug 16, 2017
The Greenland ice sheet is likely to melt faster in the years to come, despite a recent slowdown, researchers said Wednesday after making a new discovery about the way glaciers move.
Greenland contains enough ice to make the sea level mount 23 feet (seven meters) if it were to melt completely.
The findings in the journal Science Advances show that ice in Greenland moves more quickly ove ... more Boulder CO (SPX) Aug 09, 2017Not all glaciers in Antarctica have been affected by climate change Boulder CO (SPX) Aug 09, 2017Extreme melt season leads to decade-long ecosystem changes in Antarctic polar desert Newcastle UK (SPX) Aug 09, 2017Researchers crack the 'Karakoram anomaly' |
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Santa Barbara CA (SPX) Aug 16, 2017
Covering 70 percent of Earth's surface, the world's oceans are vast and deep. So vast, in fact, that nearly every coastal country has the potential to meet its own domestic seafood needs through aquaculture. In fact, each country could do so using a tiny fraction of its ocean territory.
So finds a study led by scientists from UC Santa Barbara and including researchers from the Nature Conse ... more Waterloo, UK (SPX) Aug 16, 2017Efforts to reduce pollution from agriculture paying off slowly Exeter UK (SPX) Aug 16, 2017'Inefficient' sailing fleet keeps oyster fishery alive Paris (AFP) Aug 14, 2017Can offshore fish farming feed a hungry world? |
Kathmandu (AFP) Aug 14, 2017 At least 165 people have died and thousands have fled their homes as monsoon floods swept across Nepal, India and Bangladesh, officials said Monday, warning the toll could rise as the extent of the damage becomes clear.
Three days of relentless downpours sparked flash floods and landslides that have killed at least 70 people in Nepal, 73 across northern and eastern India and 22 in Bangladesh ... more Vienna, Austria (SPX) Aug 17, 2017Climate change shifts timing of European floods Miami (AFP) Aug 15, 2017Hurricane Gert churns up dangerous swells on US east coast Saptari, Nepal (AFP) Aug 15, 2017At least 221 dead in India, Bangladesh, Nepal floods |
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New Delhi (AFP) Aug 12, 2017
The Dalai Lama has cancelled a trip next week to Botswana because of "exhaustion" after Beijing expressed anger at the African country for allowing the visit.
The 82-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader, who lives in exile in India, was to speak at a three day conference in Botswana's capital Gaborone, which begins on August 17.
An official statement released late Friday said the Dalai Lama ... more Maiduguri, Nigeria (AFP) Aug 12, 2017UN says Nigeria relations 'intact' after unauthorised raid Kano, Nigeria (AFP) Aug 11, 2017Nigerian forces in 'unauthorised search' of UN camp Nairobi (AFP) Aug 10, 2017Kenyan opposition demands Odinga be 'declared president' |
Washington DC (SPX) Aug 16, 2017
The discovery in Kenya of a remarkably complete fossil ape skull reveals what the common ancestor of all living apes and humans may have looked like. The find, announced in the scientific journal Nature on August 10th, belongs to an infant that lived about 13 million years ago. The research was done by an international team led by Isaiah Nengo of Stony Brook University-affiliated Turkana Basin I ... more Brisbane, Australia (SPX) Aug 16, 2017Arrival of modern humans in Southeast Asia questioned Washington (UPI) Aug 9, 2017Ancient infant skull yields insights into human-ape lineage Salt Lake City UT (SPX) Aug 09, 2017New look at archaic DNA rewrites human evolution story |
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Washington (UPI) Aug 14, 2017
A new heat map published by the European Space Agency offers a colorful, bird's-eye-view of last week's heatwave in Southern Europe.
As showcased by the swath of organs and red hues blanketing much of the Mediterranean, much of Southern Europe experienced highs near 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
During the string of extreme highs, ESA's Earth-observing and weather satellites helped tra ... more Washington DC (SPX) Aug 17, 2017Incomplete drought recovery may be the new normal Seoul (AFP) Aug 9, 2017UNEP chief urges China to do more on climate Beijing (SPX) Aug 09, 2017Warm periods in the 20th century are not unprecedented during the last 2,000 years |
Edwards AFB CA (SPX) Aug 17, 2017
A group of NASA and National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists are teaming up this month for an airborne mission focused on studying severe storm processes and intensification. The Hand-On Project Experience (HOPE) Eastern Pacific Origins and Characteristics of Hurricanes (EPOCH) field campaign will utilize NASA's Global Hawk autonomous aircraft to study storms in the Northern ... more Toulouse, France (SPX) Aug 14, 2017Airbus completes MetOp-C platform/payload coupling Washington DC (SPX) Aug 16, 2017Ozone treaty taking a bite out of US greenhouse gas emissions Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Aug 14, 2017Successful filming of fastest aurora flickering |
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Tempe AZ (SPX) Aug 16, 2017
A loss of oxygen in global ocean seawater 94 million years ago led to a mass extinction of marine life that lasted for roughly half a million years. Scientists have found several potential explanations for how the loss of oxygen happened. These could include enhanced volcanic activity, increased nutrients reaching the ocean, rising sea levels, and warming sea and surface temperatures. But to poi ... more Chicago IL (SPX) Aug 17, 2017First winged mammals from the Jurassic period discovered Washington DC (SPX) Aug 16, 2017Experiments cast doubt on how the Earth was formed Washington (UPI) Aug 16, 2017Ancient fish fossil reveals human-like jaw structure |
Lincoln UK (SPX) Jul 24, 2017
Plans to create 100 new 'smart' cities in India to support the country's rapidly growing urban population could have a significant detrimental impact on the environment unless greater emphasis is placed on providing new supporting infrastructure and utilities, according to a major new study.
Professor Hugh Byrd, a specialist in urban planning from the University of Lincoln, UK, conducted a ... more University Park PA (SPX) Jul 25, 2017Allowable 'carbon budget' most likely overestimated Edinburgh UK (SPX) Jul 24, 2017Sparkling springs aid quest for underground heat energy sources Washington (AFP) July 7, 2017Google's 'moonshot' factory spins off geothermal unit |
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Washington DC (SPX) Aug 16, 2017
Scientists working toward the elusive lithium-air battery discovered an unexpected approach to capturing and storing carbon dioxide away from the atmosphere. Using a design intended for a lithium-CO2 battery, researchers in Japan and China have developed a way to isolate solid carbon dust from gaseous carbon dioxide, with the potential to also separate out oxygen gas through the same method. The ... more Plainsboro NJ (SPX) Aug 16, 2017Updated computer code improves prediction of particle motion in plasma experiments Binghamton NY (SPX) Aug 09, 2017Saliva-powered battery could be helpful in extreme conditions Houston TX (SPX) Aug 07, 2017Rice develops dual-surface graphene electrode to split water into hydrogen and oxygen |
Dhaka (AFP) Aug 13, 2017 Bangladeshi conservationists introduced two rare river-dwelling crocodiles to potential mates Sunday in a last-ditch attempt to save the critically-endangered species from extinction.
A 36-year-old female gharial - a fish-eating crocodile once native to rivers across the Indian subcontinent - was brought from a zoo in northeast Bangladesh to the capital Dhaka, where it is hoped she will ma ... more Mexico City (AFP) July 19, 2017Star chefs in Mexico to defend biodiversity Washington (UPI) Jul 17, 2017Bacteria passed from mom to offspring is most beneficial, study shows Niamey (AFP) July 13, 2017Villagers in Niger 'massacre' 27 hippos |
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Beijing (AFP) Aug 16, 2017
China on Wednesday denied violations of religious freedom after the United States accused Beijing of persecuting Christians, Muslims, Falun Gong members and Tibetan Buddhists in an annual report.
"All Chinese people of all ethnic groups and all regions are fully entitled to religious belief. The so-called report ignores facts," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular pres ... more Hong Kong (AFP) Aug 16, 2017Hong Kong activists defiant in face of possible jail term Shenyang, China (AFP) July 15, 2017Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo's ashes buried at sea Hong Kong (AFP) Aug 11, 2017Anger over calls to limit air-con for Hong Kong maids |
Warsaw, Poland (AFP) Aug 16, 2017
It will take two years to clear the tens of thousands of trees smashed by the weekend storms that devastated Poland's forests, the country's forest service said Wednesday.
"We're dealing with what is undoubtedly the worst disaster in the history of Polish - and perhaps even European - forestry," Poland's chief forester, Konrad Tomaszewski, told reporters.
The storms that hit Poland ove ... more Brasilia (AFP) Aug 16, 2017Brazilian tribes celebrate court ruling on land rights Sydney, Australia (SPX) Aug 09, 2017Drought-affected trees die from hydraulic failure and carbon starvation Jena, Germany (SPX) Aug 07, 2017Humans have been altering tropical forests for at least 45,000 years |
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