Trash . . . . . In Space?

Space is where our future is - Trips to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Most people would think that aside from a few meteors, asteroids, planets, comets and stars there is little else to stand in our way. But, over the last 55 years as humans have been venturing out in space they have left so many debris that scientists are now concerned that if we don't do something to clean it up, we may all be in mortal danger....

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Quick Thinking Beachgoers Saves 30 Beached Dolphins

Usually when marine mammals like dolphins and whales get stranded on beaches, people wait for experts to come and help rescue them. What usually ends up happening is that many die because of the time delay. Beachgoers in Brazil were not taking that chance - Instead, they quickly sprang to action and saved a pod of unfortunate dolphins that recently showed up along a sandy beach....

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Rising Sea Levels May Force Residents Of Kiribati To Relocate

While for most of us the threat of rising sea levels caused by global warming is just a topic of discussion, for the people who live on the island of Kiribati it could be a life-threatening situation - One that could submerge their tiny nation forever. While that may not be anywhere in the near future, their progressive President is taking no chances. He already has a back-up plan in mind - Relocating his people to a different country!...

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Asia's Atlas Is A Giant Among Moths

When we think of moths, the image of the dull-looking brown cloth moth, notorious for gnawing through our finest outfits, is usually what pops up in our minds. However, turns out that there are about 16,000 species of these insects, nearly ten times as many as their prettier cousin, the butterfly....

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Urban Farming May Finally Become A Reality

According to the experts at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, world population will balloon to over 9.1 million people, by the year 2050. While feeding everybody is bound to be a challenge, it will be even more so, given that over 70 percent of them will be residing in urban areas. While urban farming inside specially created greenhouses has been suggested for many years, it has never been close to becoming a reality - Until now....

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Power Felt Converts Wasted Heat Energy Into Electricity

While we never think about it, heat energy is constantly being emitted - by you, your pets, your iPod, Television, car and any other gadget you fire up. What's worse is that it is all being totally wasted. Now, a research team from North Carolina's Wake University has come up with a fabric that will not only capture this energy, but also, convert it, into usable electricity....

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Are The World's Smallest And Largest Lizards Both Victims of Island Dwarfism?

Last week, a team of German scientists announced the discovery of four new species of miniature reptiles. Found on the island of Madagascar, the lizards, which varied in length from 29 millimeters to just over an inch, are the tiniest ones found yet. Prior to this the honor belonged to dwarf gecko Sphaerodactylus ariasae which, at a total length of 1.3 inches now appears to be almost gigantic in comparison....

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These Fungi Loves Plastic!

Even as we humans keep polluting the world, nature somehow keeps finding a way to help rectify our mistakes. First, there is the molecule that helps reduce global warming. Now, a team of Yale undergraduates may have stumbled something equally amazing - Plastic eating fungi....

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New Zealand's Struggle To Save Beached Whales Ends With Mixed Results

On Monday, January 23rd, a pilot flying over New Zealand saw what is unfortunately starting to become a common sight - A large pod of stranded whales struggling to survive, at the base of Farewell Spit in Golden Bay, located in the country's South Island. Since then, over two hundred volunteers have been working day and night, to keep the mammals warm, and help them refloat. The saga finally ended on Wednesday morning, with mixed results....

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Can This 'Miraculous' Molecule Help Reverse Global Warming?

It seems that we may have a new ally in our quest to reduce global warming - A molecule that goes by the name of Criegee biradica or Criegee Intermediate. If experts are to be believed, this newly discovered oxidizer that is present in our atmosphere has the potential to cool down the Earth and help offset global warming....

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'WakaWaka' Lamps Bring Light To Africa

It is quite ironic that while we are able to send a man to the moon, we are unable to provide something as basic as electricity to everybody in the world. Sadly though, that is the case. An astounding 1.6 billion people or over 20% of the world's population have no power but instead, rely on rudimentary forms of light, like kerosene lamps that are not only inefficient, but also, dangerous and toxic....

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Self-Cleaning Jeans Could Be In Your Future!

Imagine if 'doing' laundry meant wearing your dirty clothes and lounging in the sun. If researchers from China's Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Hubei University of Nationalities have their way, that may actually be a reality, in the not so distant future....

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Can You Spot The Endangered Animals?

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is an international non-profit organization that is constantly trying to remind us to do the right thing to save the Earth - whether it be by protecting endangered wildlife and environments, reversing global warming or, using our limited natural resources in a sustainable manner....

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Scientists Discover First Ever 'Soldier' Bee

Honeybee hive hierarchy is well documented - The queen bee gives birth to every bee in the hive, drones mate with the queen and immediately die or get kicked out, while worker bees ensure that the hive functions like clockwork. Now it seems, that South American honeybees have added an additional role - that of a soldier bee....

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Caterpillars Spin 'Tougher Than Steel' Silk

Recreating spider silk, the flexible yet tough as steel strands of protein, spun by the arachnids, has been the holy grail of material scientists for many years now. However, making it in bulk has been a little elusive, thanks to the fact that spiders are very territorial and devour each other if placed in very close quarters...

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New Zealand's Oiled Penguins Released Back Into The Ocean

On Wednesday, December 7th, some lucky Tauranga students got to participate in the release of 49 Little Blue Penguins back to the ocean. These tiny flightless birds were the fourth batch of penguins to be released from the group 343 oiled birds, rescued and nursed back to health, following what was one of New Zealand's worst pollution disasters....

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Sweden's Ice Hotel Is Open For Business

Looking for something offbeat to do this Christmas vacation? How about the Ice Hotel? Located in the village of Jukkasjarvi, 200 km north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden, it is as the name indicates, built entirely from ice blocks lugged in from the nearby Torne River....

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Namib Beetle Inspires Award-Winning Invention

A young Australian is $15,000 USD richer and the proud winner of this year's prestigious James Dyson award, thanks to an invention that was inspired by the small Namib beetle, that resides in one of the world's most arid regions - The Namib Desert....

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'Mini(Mize)' Your Paper Usage With This Mini Printer

While the notion of a 'paperless' society has been floating around ever since the first computer was invented, the reality is far from that. Though we all try to consume our media on-line, there are times when we just have to print things out - And now, thanks to this handy dandy 'Little Printer', we may not feel as guilty about doing so....

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