Monthly Archive: August 2018
by Emily Jamar – New Mexico is home to many incredible landscapes, but they’re often hidden deep within the desert or around the bend. It’s understood that from rock formations to natural art exhibits, the Land of Enchantment is a scenic dream, but …
Almond growing in California is a $7.6 billion industry that wouldn’t be possible without the 30 billion bees (and hundreds of human beekeepers) who keep the trees pollinated — and whose very existence is in peril. By Jaime Lowe – Will Nissen’s bees …
After a virus was created from mail-order DNA, scientists are sounding the alarm about the genetic tinkering carried out in garages and living rooms. By Emily Baumgaertner – (Leer en español) Across the country, biohackers — hobbyists, amateur geneticists, students and enthusiasts — …
Throughout history, the status and importance of women varied by culture and period. Some groups maintained a highly matriarchal culture during certain times, while at other times they were predominantly patriarchal. Likewise, the roles of women in ancient Egypt and their ability to …
Adam Williams – Architect Marco Casagrade imagines the Tikku serving as office, shop, workshop, hotel-room, and more (Credit: Jenni Gaestgivar/Iltalehti). The Tikku can be erected on a site overnight. With space at a serious premium in many cities, some think that downsizing may be …
Nick Lavars – The team calculated a plastic trash concentration of 671 pieces per square meter (10 sq ft) (Credit: Jennifer Lavars). Sitting in middle of southern Pacific Ocean around 5,000 km, (3,100 mi) from the nearest major population center, you might think that …
A recent study illustrates the connection between consumer demand in the U.S. and increased furniture production in China, which is, in turn, fueling logging in Central Africa. By John C. Cannon – Sustainable logging in Cameroon. (Photo: Brent Stirton/Getty Images) Logging to feed …
Michael Irving – Sandia researchers Michael Chandross (left) and Nic Argibay, overseeing the testing of the platinum-gold alloy that’s now the world’s most durable alloy (Credit: Randy Montoya). Engineers at Sandia National Laboratories, in Albuquerque, have developed what they say is the most durable …
by Frank Jacobs – The geographic distribution of places named after animals provides an indication of the former range of those animals. In Feral, his book proposing a re-wilding of our natural environment, George Monbiot refers to Shifting Baseline Syndrome as …
“Rapa Nui is not a story about collapse.” By Sarah Sloat – Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, is a 63-square-mile spot of land in the Pacific Ocean. In 1995, science writer Jared Diamond popularized the “collapse theory” in a Discover magazine …