‘Blood Oath’ Sealed Stanford Deal, Court Is Told - NYTimes.com [via claudio]

The ceremony between R. Allen Stanford and Leroy King, the chief regulator of his Antigua bank, promoted a scheme to hide a multibillion-dollar fraud, according to court papers.

Sheep Grazing A "Best Practice" For Maintaining Ground-Level Solar Arrays : TreeHugger

Sheep grazing amidst a solar panel array. Image credit:JMP.blog Grazing sheep are a practical means of controlling weeds and grasses that otherwise would block the sun from ground-level solar arrays. The practice, begun in Europe, may well become a

California Garage Sale: State Holds Giant Garage Sale To Raise Funds

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Bargain-hunters snatched up watches confiscated from criminals, surplus prison shirts and antique pianos salvaged from parks on the first day of a statewide garage sale to scrape together cash for California. The two-day sale kicked off Friday at a Sacramento warehouse, with hundreds lining up for deals on cars, computers and collectibles.

Crows Are Brilliant. Especially When They Make Their Own Tools (Video) : TreeHugger
Photo via SqueakyMarmot Crows are one of my most favorite animals, in no small part because they're completely underestimated. Oh sure parrots get all the attention for their braininess, plus they have that whole longevity and lovely plumage going

 

Some Buildings Not Living Up to Green Label - NYTimes.com

Builders covet a green certification, but many buildings do not save as much energy as their designs predicted.

Novelties - A Tiny Monitor With a Huge Task - Tracking Cancer - NYTimes.com

Developed by a team at M.I.T., an implantable device may one day be used to track cancer growth in humans.

Economic View - An Echo Chamber of Boom and Bust - NYTimes.com

How a worldwide “social epidemic” of ideas is supporting renewed confidence in the economy.

Findings - Guilt and Atonement on the Path to Adulthood - NYTimes.com

Mom was right. That “sinking feeling in the tummy” helps after all, researchers concluded.

Men at Work - Mike Judge Finds Humor in Missteps - NYTimes.com

Mike Judge, a labor theorist, returns to the workplace, but this time it is the boss who is the object of sympathy.

YouTube - Extract Trailer (2009)
Plot:Joel, the owner of an Extract plant, tries to contend with myriad personal and professional problems, such as his potentially unfaithful wife and employ...

 

Breathalyzer test detects lung cancer: study

Scientists in Israel have devised a portable breath tester that detects lung cancer with 86 percent accuracy, according to a study released Sunday.

 

Climate trouble may be bubbling up in far north

(AP) -- Only a squawk from a sandhill crane broke the Arctic silence - and a low gurgle of bubbles, a watery whisper of trouble repeated in countless spots around the polar world.

 

Tick saliva could hold cancer cure: Brazilian scientists

It may be one of nature's repulsive little blood-sucking parasites, but the humble tick could yield a future cure for cancers of the skin, liver and pancreas, Brazilian researchers have discovered.

 

Flickr Photo Download: kennedys

Flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world. Show off your favorite photos and videos to the world, securely and privately show content to your friends and family, or blog the photos and videos you take with a cameraphone.

 

New Architecture of Phase Change

Daily Herald | Wind farms can appear sinister to the weatherman
daily herald is suburban chicago's largest daily newspaper. the daily herald provides a local perspective with local content such as the northwest suburbs most comprehensive news on the web. your source for updated news from local to national.

 

Revealed: picture of a Victorian medical miracle - Science, News - The Independent

For 30 years, the old black-and-white portrait of a handsome man holding a metal stake had stood in anonymity in the photographic display case of Jack and Beverly Wilgus, a Massachusetts couple who had built up a small library of old daguerreotypes in their spare time.

 

YouTube - Former Ku Klux Klan leader Johnny Lee Clary

Former Ku Klux Klan leader Johnny Lee Clary on moving from hate to tolerance - Enough Rope

 

Portions Of Iraq Drying Up Completely : TreeHugger

Image credit:USA Today, Iraq lashed by sandstorms and battling drought Certainly the headline is a bit of hyperbole; but, the underlying point should not be lost. The human impact of climate change, combined with the demands of a burgeoning

 

YouTube - Buffalo - Shylock (Volcanic Rock)

classic Autralian hard rock music from a classic 70s band

 

Blowpipes thwart Borneo’s biofuel kings - Times Online

HUNDREDS of Borneo tribes men armed with blowpipes are blockading roads in
protest against companies they accuse of destroying their rainforests to
grow oil palms for “green” biofuel, cooking oil, soap and margarine.

 

Roads are ruining the rainforests - opinion - 30 August 2009 - New Scientist
There's only one sure way to save vanishing tropical forests – stop slicing into them with highways of destruction, says biologist William Laurance

 

Mobile phone towers a threat to honey bees: study

The electromagnetic waves emitted by mobile phone towers and cellphones can pose a threat to honey bees, a study published in India has concluded.

 

Hydroponic Ferris Wheel Optimizes Growth: The OmegaGarden (Video) : TreeHugger

Image Credit: OmegaGarden When I wrote about marijuana as a possible gateway to farming, I noted that much of the hydroponic supply market seems to be marketed toward, shall we say, recreational growers of certain herbs - and often

 

Essay - Finding a Scapegoat When Epidemics Strike - NYTimes.com

In every pandemic, the chain of causation is intricate.

 

No Mochaccinos, No Problem for Marines of Echo Company | Danger Room | Wired.com

MIANPOSHTEH, Afghanistan -- By any rational measure, the Marines of Echo company should be miserable. During the day, they trudge through the mud until they

 

Depression's Evolutionary Roots: Scientific American

Two scientists suggest that depression is not a malfunction, but a mental adaptation that brings certain cognitive advantages

Technology Review: TR35

From MIT. Information on Emerging Technologies & impact on business & society

 

An Environmentally Friendly Mosquito Repellent? - Dot Earth Blog - NYTimes.com

Researchers report that they have identified a compound that blocks the ability of mosquitoes to detect carbon dioxide. It is the carbon dioxide we exhale that draws mosquitoes to us.

 

Has northern-hemisphere pollution affected Australian rainfall?

New research announced at the International Water in a Changing Climate Science Conference in Melbourne 24-28 August, implicates pollution from Asia, Europe and North America as a contributor to recent Australian rainfall changes. Australian scientists using a climate model that includes a treatment ...

 

People vary widely in ability to eliminate arsenic from the body
Large variations exist in peoples' ability to eliminate arsenic from the body, according to a new study that questions existing standards for evaluating the human health risks from the potentially toxic substance. The study found that some people eliminate more than 90 percent of the arsenic consumed ...

 

2030: A Perfect Storm of food, water and energy shortages?

The world's population is growing, food supplies are diminishing, water supplies are becoming more scarce, the ice caps are melting, prices are rising - things, one could argue, are looking bleak. And it looks like they'll be looking bleaker.

 

There Are More Slaves Today Than at Any Time in Human History | | AlterNet

One writer spent four years inside the world of modern-day slavery; an industry that produces huge profits and countless wasted lives.

 

YouTube - Rasputin-Boney M.

There lived a certain man in Russia long agoHe was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glowMost people looked at him with terror and with fearBut to Moscow...

 

Asia Times Online :: Central Asian News and current affairs, Russia, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan

Asia Times Online. The Asia News Hub providing the latest news and analysis regarding economics, events and trends in business, economy and politics throughout Asia.

 

Study: Small fluctuations in solar activity, large influence on the climate

(PhysOrg.com) -- Subtle connections between the 11-year solar cycle, the stratosphere, and the tropical Pacific Ocean work in sync to generate periodic weather patterns that affect much of the globe, according to research appearing this week in the journal Science. The study can help scientists get ...

 

43 percent: New solar power world record
(PhysOrg.com) -- Australian and US solar cell researchers have achieved the highest efficiency for solar power, setting a new world record of 43 per cent of sunlight converted into electricity.

 

Mice living in sandy hills quickly evolved lighter coloration

In a vivid illustration of natural selection at work, scientists at Harvard University have found that deer mice living in Nebraska's Sand Hills quickly evolved lighter coloration after glaciers deposited sand dunes atop what had been much darker soil. The work is described this week in the journal ...

 

Invasive mussel may inspire new adhesive

(PhysOrg.com) -- The green mussel is known for being a notoriously invasive fouling species, but scientists have just discovered that it also has a very powerful form of adhesion in its foot, according to a recent article in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The stickiness of the mussel's foot could ...

 

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Why You Should Have a Waterfall in Your Living Room | GreenerDesign.com Suppose you lived in a hot and muggy climate and wanted to build a new house that was comfortable and energy efficient. One solution to dehumidify it? A waterfall with a special ingredient. Read on for the science behind this phenomenon and a real-world

Logan Utah Wastewater Lagoons To Be Transformed Into Algae Biofuel and Fertilizer Producing Facility : TreeHugger
Logan Utah, Environmental Department operated regional wastewater treatment plant - 460 acres of lagoons, and 240 acres of wetlands. Image credit:Logan UT Environment Department. For years I've been reading press releases about impractical-sounding inventions for growing algae in arrays

 Technology Review: TR35

From MIT. Information on Emerging Technologies & impact on business & society

 

Technology Review: Blogs: TR Editors' blog: First Complete Image of a Molecule, Atom by Atom

From MIT. Information on Emerging Technologies & impact on business & society

 

Deskbound, Romancing the Brick - NYTimes.com
Society may not prize manual labor, but that may be where the jobs are.

 

Homeowners Shopping for Solar Panels Find Prices Have Dropped - NYTimes.com

More factories that make the material used in solar panels have opened, and the global demand for them has fallen.

 

Observatory - Three Genes Determine the Nature of a Dog’s Coat - NYTimes.com

All the variations of coat in dog breeds are determined by three genes, researches have found.

 

New Culprit Seen in Ozone Depletion - NYTimes.com

Government scientists who study the depletion of Earth’s protective ozone layer are pointing to a previously unheralded suspect: nitrous oxide.

 

Abroad - German Viewers Love Their Detectives on ‘Tatort’ - NYTimes.com

“Tatort,” a popular police drama that has been broadcast in Germany since 1970, is a kind of microcosm of the German Federal Republic.

 

Skin Deep - Black Hair, Still Tangled in Politics - NYTimes.com

Getting “good hair” often means transforming one’s tightly coiled roots; but it is also more freighted, for many African-American women and some men, than simply a choice about grooming.

Stop Dump Site 41! | Protect our water!

Cob House Built For Less Than $3,000 : TreeHugger

Kent at Tiny House Blog notes that 'you can build your own cob house with little money, but with lots of time and enthusiasm.' He shows us 24 year-old Ziggy's cob (a mixture of straw, clay, and sand similar

Op-Ed Contributor - A Farm on Every Floor - NYTimes.com

With climate change and population growth threatening the viability of traditional farming, the time is right for the world to build the first vertical farm in an urban center.

Tribe Helps Rid Puget Sound of Fishing Nets - NYTimes.com

The Nisqually tribe is part of a $4.6 million stimulus-financed effort to remove fishing nets that were often lost or discarded decades ago but still kill fish and other animals.

Bureau of the Public Debt, Doling Out America’s I.O.U.’s - NYTimes.com
Van Zeck has been helping manage the government’s credit line since 1971. This year, he’s been a busy man.

Books of The Times - Xianhui Yang’s ‘Woman From Shanghai’ - Survivors’ Stories From China - Review - NYTimes.com

Xianhui Yang’s newly translated collection of firsthand accounts is about what might be called the Gulag Archipelago of China.

The City Submerged - Josh Neufeld Tells Katrina Stories in a Graphic Novel - NYTimes.com

The magnitude of Hurricane Katrina is depicted on a personal level in the new graphic novel.

Genomic study yields plausible cause of colony collapse disorder

Researchers report this week that they have found a surprising but reliable marker of colony collapse disorder, a baffling malady that in 2007-2008 killed off more than a third of commercial honey bees in the U.S.

U.S. Crop Yields Could Wilt in Heat

(PhysOrg.com) -- Yields of three of the most important crops produced in the United States - corn, soybeans and cotton - are predicted to fall off a cliff if temperatures rise due to climate change.

Autonomous underwater robot reduces ship fuel consumption (w/ Video)

As the U.S. Navy minimizes its dependence on foreign oil, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is a front runner in supporting and bringing forth innovative solutions to fuel consumption challenges.

Research pinpoints conditions favorable for freak waves
(PhysOrg.com) -- Stories of ships mysteriously sent to watery graves by sudden, giant waves have long puzzled scientists and sailors. New research by Assistant Professor of Geosciences Tim Janssen suggests that changes in water depth and currents, which are common in coastal areas, may significantly ...

YouTube - TRAILER: Michael Moore's 'Capitalism: A Love Story'

'CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY' - In Theaters October 2nd "It's a crime story. But it's also a war story about class warfare. And a vampire movie, with the u...

Mysterious Tubular Clouds Defy Explanation | Wired Science | Wired.com

These long, crazy-looking clouds can grow to be 600 miles long and can move at up to 35 miles per hour, causing problems for aircraft even on windless

The Boy Who Heard Too Much : Rolling Stone

It began, as it always did, with a phone call to 911. Now listen here, the caller demanded, his...

‘Air shower’ set to cut water use by 30 per cent (Media Release)

As Australians become increasingly alert to the importance of using water wisely in the home, CSIRO researchers have found a way to use a third less water when you shower – by adding air.

Flickr Photo Download: Best Billboard Ever

Flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world. Show off your favorite photos and videos to the world, securely and privately show content to your friends and family, or blog the photos and videos you take with a cameraphone.

Venezuela's "continuous" lightning storm - Boing Boing

Prank: humans "on display" at zoo - Boing Boing

Academic Earth - Video lectures from the world's top scholars

- Video lectures from the world's top scholars

Shorpy Photo Archive | Best Pix on the Net

High-resolution vintage photo archive with thousands of HD images.

Smarthistory: a multimedia web-book about art and art history

Inhabitat » World’s Tallest Wooden Building Planned for Norway
A Green Design Blog, Sustainable Design Blog, Future-forward design for the world you inhabit - your daily source for innovations in sustainable architecture and green design for the home.

Tiger Slaying, Dismemberment at Sumatra Zoo Draws Condemnation - Bloomberg.com

The killing and dismembering of a
tiger in an Indonesian zoo by poachers was condemned today by
the Zoological Society of London, which called for tougher
enforcement against trading in wildlife parts.

Acacia Trees Could Solve Africa's Soil Problems, Be the Future for Farms : TreeHugger

Photo via NeilsPhotography 'The future of trees is on farms,' said Dennis Garrity, Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre, or ICRAF, which is one of many participating organization in a gathering of over 800 experts to discuss how

Technology Review: Biotech Bacteria Could Help Diabetics

Genetically engineered gut bacteria trigger insulin production in mice.

Scientists Make Temperature-Regulating Coffee Mug

(PhysOrg.com) -- A well-insulated mug may keep your coffee somewhat warm, but now scientists have designed a high-tech mug that can keep drinks hot or cold at the perfect temperature for up to half an hour.

Old American Dams Quietly Become a Multibillion-Dollar Threat | Wired Science | Wired.com

Last week, a Siberian hydroelectric dam failed when an explosion rocked the site's turbine room, killing dozens and taking 6,000 megawatts of electricity

Bacteria Desalinate Water, Generate Power: Discovery News
Bacteria can be used to turn dirty salt water into electricity and drinkable water, according to new research from scientists at Penn State University and Tsinghua University.

Tiny Five-Stroke Engine Promises Big Fuel Economy | Autopia | Wired.com

The four-stroke engine has dominated internal combustion ruled the roost for more than a century, but a British engineering firm is ready to topple that

Nile Delta Poised to Be Sunk by Sea Level Rise - Groundwater Salinity Already a Growing Problem : TreeHugger

photo: Kristina via flickr Bangladesh may be the poster-child of global warming's perfect storm -- high population density, low-lying land, and an utter lack of funds for mitigation and adaptation -- but a great new piece in The Guardian

Technology Review: A Step Forward for Microbial Machines

A novel approach to genetic engineering could aid in the creation of fuel-producing bacteria--and edge closer to artificial life.

After a 30-Year Run, Rise of the Super-Rich Hits a Wall - NYTimes.com

Over the last two years, the rich became poorer, and they may not return to their old levels of wealth anytime soon.

Observatory - Snorkel Genes Help Deepwater Rice Survive - NYTimes.com
Deepwater rice varieties have a special ability to grow elongated, hollow stems that act as a snorkel of sorts when the paddy floods.

By Degrees - Environmental Groups in Brazil Pay Farmers Not to Clear Rain Forest - Series - NYTimes.com

Environmental groups are offering money in an effort to prevent farmers from cutting down rain forest.

Parasites persuade immune cells to invite them in for dinner, says new research

The parasites that cause leishmaniasis use a quirky trick to convince the immune system to effectively invite them into cells for dinner, according to a new study published today in PLoS Pathogens. The researchers, from Imperial College London, say their findings improve understanding of the way Leishmania ...

Hello wearable kidney, goodbye dialysis machine

Researchers are developing a Wearable Artificial Kidney for dialysis patients, reports an upcoming paper in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). 'Our vision of a technological breakthrough has materialized in the form of a Wearable Artificial Kidney, which provides continuous ...

Boost for Methanol? New solid catalyst for the direct low-temperature oxidation of methane to methanol

(PhysOrg.com) -- As a possible energy source for fuel cells or a substitute for gasoline, methanol is increasingly drawing attention beyond its importance as a feedstock for chemical industry. It can be stored much more efficiently and cheaply than hydrogen and could be distributed by way of the existing ...

Study Demonstrates How We Support Our False Beliefs

(PhysOrg.com) -- In a study published in the most recent issue of the journal Sociological Inquiry, sociologists from four major research institutions focus on one of the most curious aspects of the 2004 presidential election: the strength and resilience of the belief among many Americans that Saddam ...

BBC - Earth News - Bizarre newt uses ribs as weapons
Scientists discover how one amphibian deters attackers by unsheathing its bare rib bones, using them as poisonous spears.

Brutal Roman Naval Battle Rocks New York | Raw File | Wired.com

<< previous image | next image >> Even before the second verse of Black Sabbath's

Purchasing power: An alternative Big Mac index | The Economist

How many minutes to earn the price of a Big Mac?

Decaying Soviet Infrastructure Shows Its Era - NYTimes.com

The failure of the Sayano-Shushenskaya dam in Siberia and the workers killed in that accident raise a larger question: Are there more tragic breakdowns ahead?

Russia's President calls widespread alchohol abuse a 'national disaster'

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday called time on the country's vodka tipplers, saying alcoholism

Slumdog engineers knocking on multinational doors - The Globe and Mail
Canadian project in Ghana connecting slum-dwelling metal workers to foreign investors

Texting may rewire young brains - The Globe and Mail

Sending text messages trains young people to be speedy yet sloppy, say researchers

Flying By The Skin of Your Teeth Could Be Key To Greening Aviation Industry : TreeHugger

Your teeth are only as strong as glass, but they can withstand years of you crunching on granola bars. How is this? The key is that teeth form microscopic cracks jig-jagged in shape, instead of big ones, in order to

Slipstream - PureGreen 24 Aims to Kill Germs, and Consumer Resistance - NYTimes.com

A product that uses ionized silver is aiming to erase consumer skepticism about new disinfectants.

Debating Just How Much Atrazine Is Safe in Your Water Glass - Series - NYTimes.com

New research suggests that atrazine may be dangerous at lower concentrations than previously thought, particularly for fetuses.

Romantic, candle-lit dinners: An unrecognized source of indoor air pollution

Burning candles made from paraffin wax -- the most common kind used to infuse rooms with romantic ambiance, warmth, light, and fragrance -- is an unrecognized source of exposure to indoor air pollution, including the known human carcinogens, scientists reported here today. Levels can build up in closed ...

An Emptied Flask Makes for Empty Promises | Wired Science | Wired.com
After four vodka tonics, you might feel determined to conquer fear and finally tell your married co-worker that you've been in love with her for years. But

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High-Speed Robot Hand Demonstrates Dexterity and Skillful Manipulation | Hizook

Developing World's Parasites, Disease Hit U.S. - WSJ.com

Parasitic infections are appearing more frequently in certain poor regions of the U.S., researchers said.

Unleashing The Power In Beer

Brewing beer creates tons of leftover used grains. But that waste can be turned into fuel, as developers have shown.

Matinicus Journal - On Matinicus Island in Maine, Tensions Over Ailing Lobster Industry - NYTimes.com
Struggling to stay afloat, lobstermen on an island off the coast of Maine are seeking a residents-only lobstering zone.

Faked Photographs - Look, and Then Look Again - NYTimes.com

The dubious arts of splicing, posing and wholesale erasing in the iconic photography of history.

Ancient Man Hurt Coasts, Paper Says - NYTimes.com

Two anthropologists see evidence of sometimes serious coastal damage by early inhabitants.

Beetles, wildfire: Double threat in warming world

(AP) -- A veil of smoke settled over the forest in the shadow of the St. Elias Mountains, in a wilderness whose spruce trees stood tall and gray, a deathly gray even in the greenest heart of a Yukon summer.

Homeless Man Leaves Behind Surprise: $4 Million : NPR

Richard Leroy Walters, a homeless man who lived in Phoenix, died two years ago. What people didn't know was that he was a millionaire. In his will, he left money for nonprofits &mdash; including NPR &mdash; and a nurse who befriended him 13 years ago. Rita Belle talks about their unlikely friendship.