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Might we find life on Venus?

Sep 25, 2020 09:37

On September 17 a group of scientists using Earth-based telescopes announced that they had detected phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus. On Earth, phosphine is almost always produced by microbial activity. While geological processes are known that can, in principle, produce phosphine, the concentrations of the gas found on Venus, while small, were nevertheless much too high to be attributable to such sources. So how could the phosphine have gotten there? The simplest explanation is life.
The tipping points at the heart of climate crisis

Sep 24, 2020 15:25

We have known for years that many parts of the climate have so-called tipping points. That means a gentle push, like a slow and steady warming, can cause them to change in a big way that is wholly disproportionate to the trigger. If we hit one of these tipping points, we may not have any practical way to stop the unfolding consequences.
'Nature is unraveling': New WWF report reveals 'alarming' 68% plummet in wildlife populations worldwide since 1970

Sep 14, 2020 09:10

In the midst of a global pandemic, it is now more important than ever to take unprecedented and coordinated global action to halt and start to reverse the loss of biodiversity.
Hunger: The other way COVID will kill

Sep 14, 2020 09:03

An outbreak of coronavirus pandemic-related nationalism — with countries blaming one another for the spread of the disease — has produced an escalating wave of trade barriers that has amplified the trouble on the roads. Rwanda has refused to allow Tanzanian truck drivers to haul goods into the country, forcing a time-consuming change of driver at the border.
Imam Hussein, martyred for justice

Aug 30, 2020 10:27

Imam Hussein (PBUH), the third Shias' Imam, and his 72 companions were martyred in the Battle of Karbala in southern Iraq in 680 AD after fighting courageously for justice against the much larger army of the Umayyad caliph, Yazid I.
Some trees may social distance to avoid disease

Jul 10, 2020 08:57

It seems wind plays a crucial role in helping many trees maintain their distance. The boundaries carved by bouts between branches may improve the plants’ access to resources, such as light. Gaps in the treetops might even curb the spread of leaf-munching insects, parasitic vines, or infectious disease.
Global wake-up call

Jul 05, 2020 10:18

The coronavirus pandemic, as horrible as it is, must be a wake-up call that prompts all political leaders to understand that our assumptions and approaches have to change, and that division is a danger to everyone. This understanding could lead people to recognize that the only way to address global fragilities is through much more robust mechanisms of global governance with international cooperation.
Global COVID-19 cases surpass 10.3mn, 505K dead

Jun 30, 2020 11:12

The number of coronavirus infections worldwide has surpassed the 10.3 million mark, and 505,518 related deaths have occurred, according to the latest data tracked by John Hopkins University’s COVID-19 resource center.
Human-derived mercury shown to pollute the world’s deepest ocean trenches

Jun 28, 2020 09:38

Scientists have found that man-made mercury pollution has reached the bottom of the deepest part of the ocean — the Marianas Trench. This has significant implications for how mercury affects the marine environment, and how it may be concentrated in the food chain. According to Phys.org, the findings, which come from two independent research groups, are presented at the Goldschmidt geochemistry conference.
WHO reports largest single-day increase in confirmed coronavirus cases

Jun 25, 2020 09:59

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced this week that Sunday saw the highest number of new cases of coronavirus across the globe since the pandemic began. More than 183,000 new cases were reported within a 24-hour time period around the world, WHO said, with Brazil tracking the highest amount during that time, counting 54,771 new cases. The United States had the second-highest single-day increase, according to WHO statistics, with 36,617 new cases during that period.