Scientists discover 100 potential new deep-sea species, including mystery creature

Marine researchers on a mission to record life hidden in the world’s oceans have reported they found about 100 potential new species — including one mystery starlike creature. The expedition team focused its investigation on the 500-mile (800-kilometer) long Bounty Trough, a little-explored part of the ocean off the coast of New Zealand, east of… Read More Scientists discover 100 potential new deep-sea species, including mystery creature

Proposal on Anthropocene as new chapter in Earth’s history will go no further

Scientists have voted against a proposal to declare a new geological epoch called the Anthropocene to reflect how profoundly human activity has altered the planet. By Katie Hunt, CNN The proposal was rejected by members of the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy, which is part of the International Union of Geological Sciences, according to three voting members of the… Read More Proposal on Anthropocene as new chapter in Earth’s history will go no further

Pale Blue Dot

And behold / The blue planet steeped in its dream / Of reality, its calculated vision shaking with the only love – James Dickey If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies, you will not find another. The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our… Read More Pale Blue Dot

The world is reducing its reliance on fossil fuels – except for in three key sectors

Oliver Milman Humanity has made some uneven progress in reducing our addiction to fossil fuels – but there remain three areas of our lives in which we are notably not on track to kick the habit over the next 30 years, according to a new analysis. Record levels of investment in clean energy (solar has… Read More The world is reducing its reliance on fossil fuels – except for in three key sectors

The Humbling River

Song by Puscifer Nature, nurture heaven and homeSum of all, and by them, drivenTo conquer every mountain shownBut I’ve never crossed the river Braved the forests, braved the stoneBraved the icy winds and fireBraved and beat them on my ownYet I’m helpless by the river Angel, angel, what have I done?I’ve faced the quakes, the… Read More The Humbling River

Extreme heat is pushing India to the brink of survivability. One solution is also a big part of the problem

By 2050, India will be among the first places where temperatures will cross survivability limits, according to climate experts. And within that time frame, the demand for air conditioners (AC) in the country is also expected to rise nine-fold, outpacing all other appliances, according to a recent report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). The hotter and wealthier India… Read More Extreme heat is pushing India to the brink of survivability. One solution is also a big part of the problem

Life, death and zombie mushrooms: in search of the Amazon’s rarest fungi

The Amazon rainforest brims with some of the world’s most diverse flora and fauna. Countless species of fungi dot the landscape, many still unnamed and awaiting discovery. Rockefeller and Quark carefully collect data by photographing and cataloguing each specimen for submission to the national herbarium in Quito and eventual DNA sequencing. Words and photographs by Rachel Bujalski… Read More Life, death and zombie mushrooms: in search of the Amazon’s rarest fungi