Quantum-Dot Leap: Science News Online, June 3, 2006
If the mysterious multiple-exciton effect pans out in practical devices, solar cell efficiencies could soar, scientists say. Both the Los Alamos and NREL teams calculate a maximum of 42 percent conversion of solar power to usable electricity. Conventional cells, by contrast, operate at 15 to 20 percent efficiency.
Category: Enviroment
NOAA Ocean Explorer: Submarine Ring of Fire 2006
NOAA Ocean Explorer: Submarine Ring of Fire 2006
The 2006 Submarine Ring of Fire expedition is the third in a series of explorations of the submarine volcanoes lying along the Mariana Arc, extending from south of the island of Guam northward more than 800 nautical miles (1450 km). We discovered some amazing places in 2004, including an erupting volcano (NW Rota-1), liquid CO2 venting (NW Eifuku), the shallowest yet discovered “black smoker” chimneys (East Diamante) Click on the link for links to their videos.
In EU, front lines in food war
In EU, front lines in food war – International Herald Tribune
Greece and a few other EU countries that have banned genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are on the front lines of a war over the future of such food in Europe, the only large swath of the world that does not already grow or purchase such crops. Last Friday, the Polish president signed into law a similar ban, following Austria some months back.
Facing international pressure and a lawsuit at the World Trade Organization, the EU said this year that all member states must open their doors to GMOs, preparing practical and legal regulations to ensure safety for health and the environment. But five countries have imposed eight different types of ban. Many others use their votes in Europe's Council of Ministers to block the crops from entering.
Furthermore, the battle pits the United States and Canada, which produce the vast majority of such seeds and crops, against their closest European allies. The United States is not shy about enlisting its diplomats to push European countries to admit GMOs, according to European politicians. European consumers and farmers generally do not want them, leaving the EU trying to steer a Solomonic course between competing and conflicting interests.
Bird gets the Bird
While there is some conjecture that the 1st dinosaurs has feathers, this Great Blue Heron as he flew down and snatched this duckling right out from under it's mother's clutch. She was helpless to stop him. Note the bewildered mother at bottom of frame. I watched the heron as he flew down a ways, then he promptly swallowed the duckling.
Rising Ocean Temperatures Threaten Florida’s Coral Reef
Rising Ocean Temperatures Threaten Florida's Coral Reef – New York Times
"Last year was a particularly bad outbreak," said Tyler Smith, a coral biologist at the University of the Virgin Islands. "We lost anywhere from 70 to 100 percent of our coral to bleaching."
Florida was somewhat spared in that outbreak, only because the mighty swirl of Hurricane Wilma dragged cooler, life-saving water into the region.
Not all the news is bad. Mr. Donahue said that, with rising temperatures, scientists have seen fresh stands of elkhorn and staghorn off Broward County, Fla., far north of the Keys, in waters where such coral would have never been seen two decades ago.
Killer Whale Crushes Kayaker
This video has made the rounds, but it’s still worth noting that it was actaully a Korean-language version of a commercial for Powerade energy drink (a product of the Coca-Cola Company).
It is debunked as-real at the Myth Buster Gold Standard site of Snopes.com here
Shark Defense
These guys have developed chemical Shark Repllants and just won the World Wildlife Funds Contest for Smart Gear, from among 80 entries with magnets to repel sharks from Long Line Trawler’s fish hooks.
Sharks are known to be able to detect magnetic fields – they use this sense to detect Earth’s magnetic field and orient around the ocean. It appras that they wil also avoid artificial magnetic fields that would clutter their orientation.
Every year thousands of sharks die after becoming snared on hooks set by commercial fisheries to catch tuna and swordfish and this has literally pushed some shark species to the brink of extinction. According to the WWF, 89% of hammerhead sharks and 80% of thresher and white sharks have disappeared from the Northeast Atlantic Ocean in the last 18 years, largely due to bycatch.
Record 385-pound lemon shark on fly tackle
! Education – News and Articles
Capt. Mike Delph, left, Key West, Fla., USA and Dr. Martin Arostegui, right, of Coral Gables, Fla., hold a 385-pound lemon shark before releasing it back in Florida Bay waters. The International Game Fish Association certified the catch as a world record, Tuesday, May 16, 2006 saying it is also the largest documented fish caught on fly tackle replacing a 356 lb. goliath grouper (jew fish) caught in 1967.
2,000-year-old seed has roots in King Herod’s palace
The seed from which it sprouted 14 months ago was found in archeological excavations of King Herod’s palace on Mount Masada. Lying dormant for 2,000 years, it is the oldest seed to ever produce a viable tree. And this is no ordinary date palm, but the extinct Judean form considered uniquely medicinal.
In ancient times, the value of the male trees cannot be overestimated. Loss of the male flowers would prevent pollination and cut off all fruit production. For cultures dependent on that harvest, this loss meant famine.
When conquering armies invaded date palm-dependent lands, they often cut down the male palm trees to interrupt the food supply. It was similar to the Romans sowing salt in the fields of Carthage. It took many years, if not decades, for the male palms to regrow and produce enough pollen to fertilize the existing female palms. In the interim, locals would be preoccupied with finding enough food rather than fighting their conquerors.
Click on image to see immature date clusters protected from birds and sunburn with paper(Tanx to Natalia Collier for this find.)
Ships’ logs give clues to Earth’s magnetic decline
New Scientist Breaking News – Earth's magnetic decline
Every 300,000 years on average, the north and south poles of the Earth's magnetic field swap places. The field must weaken and go to zero before it can reverse itself. The last such reversal occurred roughly 780,000 years ago, so we are long overdue for another magnetic flip. Once it begins, the process of reversing takes less than 5000 years, experts believe.
If the field does flip 2000 years from now, the Northern Lights will be visible all over the planet during the transition, and solar radiation at ground level will be much more intense, with no field to deflect it.
There is no need to worry, though, argues Gubbins, as our ancestors have lived through quite a few of these transitions already