‘Hero’ Ants Found to Face Death Alone to Save their Colony
The Temnothorax ant, ready to sacrifice himself. Photo via Wikipedia
It looks like action movie heroes and protagonists of Greek tragedies aren’t the only ones who face death alone to save their people. Scientists have recently discovered that ants will act in a similarly altruistic fashion–when stricken with disease, the ant Temnothorax unifasciatus will abandon the colony to prevent it from spreading, and wait for death alone….Read the full story on TreeHugger
Next in Line for a Bailout: The Nuclear Industry?
Image: Wikipedia Commons
The Obama Administration has been pretty upfront about its support for an energy policy that promotes both clean energy technologies and renewed investment in old technologies such as nuclear, coal and offshore drilling. “I think that on energy there should be a bipartisan agreement that we have to take a both/and approach rather than an either/or approach,” the President said <a href="http://www.whitehouse…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Making High-Tech Aircraft Parts with… Cork
Photo: Wikipedia, GFDL
Is Cork About to Take Off?
Portugal produces a lot of cork: At about 157,000 tonnes/year, it grow over half of the total world supply. Since demand for cork is going down in the wine industry (because of metal screwtops and plastic stoppers), Portugese engineers are looking for other uses for the natural material. One promising – and perhaps unexpected – potential use is in the aviation sector….Read the full story on TreeHugger
Escape From Earth. If Only. (Video)
Photo: Earth in Space — Wikipedia
In encouraging support for earthquake devastated Haiti we had a few comments, including some since been removed by our moderator, that espoused a decided lack of compassion for people in need.
Their tone reminded me of a 1992 sci-fi movie, called variously as Escape from Absolom or No Escape (video below). In short prisoners are dumped on an island and left largely to…Read the full story on TreeHugger
See You in Cochabamba! Evo Morales Plans Bolivian Alternative Climate Summit for April
photo: Wikipedia
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Not wasting any time, Bolvian president Evo Morales has announced that his nation will be hosting an alternative climate summit in the city of Cochabamba on April 20-22, the New York Times reports. Morales is calling on activists, scientists and government officials “who want to …Read the full story on TreeHugger
Man Sentenced in Killing & Eating China’s Last Indo-Chinese Tiger
Photo: Cburnett (Wikipedia)
Threatened by habitat destruction and a lucrative black market trade in skins, bones and other body parts, a little bit of justice for tigers everywhere was meted out last week when villagers who killed and ate China’s last Indochinese tiger were sentenced up to 12 years in prison and fined. …Read the full story on TreeHugger
Prostitutes Offer Free Sex at Climate Summit in Copenhagen
Photo: Wikipedia
On the Lighter Side… What Happens in Copenhagen Stays in digg_url = ‘http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/prostitutes-in-copenhagen-cop15-free-sex-climate-summit.php’;Copenhagen
What will take place in Copenhagen over the next f…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Bridges are for People: 7 Bridges that People Live and Work On
Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy, Wikipedia Commons
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Jeremy at Shareable writes about the glories of bridges: “By definition, a bridge connects one place to another, and thus seems to promise transition and adventure. Time seems to stand still as we make the crossing, wondering what new world might greet u…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Getting The Awful, Yet Practically Essential Lead Out of Gadgets
Lead ingots via Wikipedia
Lead is unfortunately an important component in electronics, especially when it comes to piezoelectronics. We’re mostly familiar with piezoelectricity when it comes to concept devices – things that can generate a charge based on pressure being applied to them. But it is used in a lot of common gadgets, such as phones with touch screens. But the best compounds for piezoelectricity are lead-based, and lead is something we all want to see phased out of electronics…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Nature Can Be Creepy! The Strange, The Odd, and The Gross (Slideshow)
Photo via Wikipedia
Yeesh. Nature can create some frightening things. Like this naked mole rat. Far worse than many of the Halloween decorations you find littering the isles of big box stores, this critter is the stuff of nightmares (or movies…Remind anyone of a naked ROUS?). And this unfortunate mole rat is just the beginning. Check out some of the weirdest, grossest, and most shiver-inducing things our planet has to offer.
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