Africa
Lake Baikal and More of the Weirdest Lakes of the World
Set deep within the Russian subcontinent, Baikal is the deepest, oldest and most voluminous of all lakes
August 07, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
New Forensics Tool for Catching Elephant Poachers
Good news on the illegal wildlife trade front: a new forensic genetics tool allows scientists to pinpoint where seized illegal ivory originates.
August 07, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Best Vegetarian Foods of the World
Traveling and eating abroad, many diners discover that the world is a vegetarian's oyster
August 03, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Is the Livestock Industry Destroying the Planet?
For the earth's sake, maybe it's time we take a good, hard look at our dietary habits
August 01, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
More Great Books and Where Best to Read Them
A continuation of last week's list of the author's favorite reads
July 27, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Why the Population Time Bomb Hasn’t Finished Exploding
In a five-part exploration of the ever-growing human population, now sitting at 7 billion and expected to hit 9.3 billion by 2050, Los Angeles Times reporter Kenneth R. Weiss, describes how the world may, finally, be on the cusp of diffusing the still-ticking time bomb.
July 24, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Why the Idea of Killing Sharks to Make Waters Safer Is Absurd
The recent fatal shark attack off Western Australia has ignited a debate there over whether the fish should continue to be protected
July 24, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Great Books—and the Best Places to Read Them
Reading while traveling can serve as a sensory supplement to one's surrounding environment. Here's a list of some of my favorite books and where to read them
July 21, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
400 Years Worth of Water Discovered in Sub-Saharan Namibia
Three hundred meters below the arid landscape of northern Namibia researchers have discovered a source of fresh water, enough to match the region's current water demand for up to 400 years.
July 20, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
360-Year-Old Advertisement Extolls Coffee’s Virtues
An advertisement issued by some brilliant London entrepreneurs may well be the first coffee ad ever.
July 18, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Clean Energy Can Come From Dirt
Forget wind, solar and even seaweed. Renewable energy is getting down and dirty...with dirt!
July 13, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Double-Amputee Oscar Pistorius Will Compete In Olympics 400 Meter Race Without Qualifying
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius was born without bones in both of his lower legs and is a double amputee. But he will run in this summer's Olympics, the first amputee to compete in the games' track meets.
July 06, 2012 |
By Sarah Laskow
The Tallest, Strongest and Most Iconic Trees in the World
Its bark is fire resistant. Its fruit is edible. It scoffs at the driest droughts. It shrugs, and another decade has passed. It is the baobab tree, one of the longest-living, strangest looking plants in the world
July 05, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
U.S. & Europe are Hotspots for Deadly Emerging Diseases
“A hot virus from the rainforest lives within a 24 hour plane flight from every city on earth,” Richard Preston wrote in The Hot Zone. It turns out, however, that the places most likely to usher in the next deadly outbreak are in fact the cities of the United States and Western Europe. At least [...]
July 05, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Timbuktu’s Ancient Relics Lay In Ruins At Hands of Militant Group
The tombs and cultural relics of Timbuktu, a key trade and social center of the ancient world, are being destroyed by an armed group known as the Ansar Dine.
July 03, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Hemingway’s Old Man Inspires Shark Oil for HIV Vaccine
Two pharma giants are teaming up to test the latest HIV vaccine, taking a hint from Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, reports Bloomberg. People on the coasts of Norway and Sweden have used shark liver oil for centuries to help heal wounds and treat respiratory and digestive illnesses, according to the American Cancer Society. In Hemingway’s book, which [...]
June 29, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Scientists Confirm that Somali Pirates Are On Holiday Now, Too
Danger Room journalist Richard Wheeler reports that the world may see a brief respite from costly, often lethal Somali piracy as we head into the summer months. The evidence is in a joint New Zealand–Australian study, Climatic controls on piracy in the Horn of Africa Region, 2010—2011. Unlike previous reporting, which proposed that both summer [...]
June 26, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
What’s the Difference Between Clinically Dead, Figuratively Dead and Just Plain Dead?
Hosni Mubarak’s heart has stopped beating and he’s not responding to defibrillation. Mubarak is clinically dead. Wait, no—Mubarak is in a coma and now he’s on life support. Just kidding, Mubarak is almost stable. Uncertainty shrouds the 84-year-old former Egyptian president’s condition like smoke from so many hookahs. But confusion also accompanies the various medical [...]
June 20, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Nastiest Critters Lurking Outside Your Tent
The bite of a Goliath bird-eater is hardly worse than a bee sting to a human---but this beast is among the nastiest things that could skitter across your face in the dark night of the Amazon. Zip up your tent
May 08, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Grueling Travel through Beautiful Places: the Madness of Extreme Races
The Crocodile Trophy mountain biking race is off-road, meaning gravel, rocks, ruts, puddles (potentially containing crocodiles lying in ambush), dust and lots of crashing. If this sounds like a pleasant way to see the northeastern corner of Australia, then sign up
May 03, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
