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Archives: 2006 | 2005 | 2004
Creationism ping-pong
(12/12/2005)
In a game of political ping-pong, Kansas rejected evolution in 1999, then reinstated it in 2000, and this year has rejected it once again. In a vote of six to four, the Kansas Board of Education approved new education standards that have yet again cast doubts on evolution.
The day the climate changed
(06/12/2005)
Twenty years ago, at an obscure congress held in the Austrian countryside, the relationship between greenhouse gasses and climate change for the first time became an issue of concern for all environmentalists rather than for just a handful of specialists.
What if Kyoto were abandoned? Part II
(21/11/2005)
Will the signatories to Kyoto abandon the international agreement in order to reach another one that, while softer, would be more acceptable to the U.S., China and India? It's not likely since a sizable proportion of the signatories' electorates would never forgive this. But without abandoning Kyoto, they could sweeten the deal. So says one European outlook.
What if Kyoto were abandoned?
(14/11/2005)
Three weeks before the annual UN meeting on the Kyoto Protocol, held in Montreal this year, a heretical idea must be asked: should Kyoto be abandoned?
The Great Book: Chapter 2
(08/11/2005)
First came the map of the human genome, in 2001. But because people are not all alike, and because some get sick while others remain healthy, here is chapter two in the Great Book of Life: the map of human genetic variation.
Amazon disappearing twice as fast
(31/10/2005)
There are advantages to selective cutting, but not in the Amazon, where it has resulted in an underestimation of the state of deforestation.
Refugees by the million
(24/10/2005)
The UN report is overwhelming; and UN experts must be overwhelmed. Their challenge is to define the concept of environmental refugee.
Bird flu comes to Europe while the U.S. prepares for the worst
(18/10/2005)
Avian flu, or bird flu, has shown up in Europe, and the United States is planning for a worst-case scenario: two million dead and eight million hospitalized.
New material for hydrogen storage
(11/10/2005)
Hydrogen is the perfect element to create new forms of energy. It has a low density, it is very common, and its combustion byproduct is water—harmless and environmentally friendly.
Burying a gas
(03/10/2005)
On Monday, September 26, in Montréal, a group of UN scientists put forth the idea of burying CO2 as a way to counter global warming. Where does this idea come from, and how seriously should we take it?
Bird flu: has it started?
(26/09/2005)
Total panic has not set in just yet, but it won’t take much. Since Wednesday, September 21, when the Indonesian health minister mentioned the word “epidemic” (...)
Trees are not carbon sinks
(20/09/2005)
We can’t count on trees to absorb increases in greenhouse gas emissions. According to an article in the August 26 issue of the journal Science, they don’t grow any faster, even if we provide them more CO2.
The diseases of Katrina
(12/09/2005)
Help has arrived, and little by little the chaos is being brought under control. But for flood-stricken Louisiana and Mississippi, the misery is far from over.
New Orleans in a Hole
(05/09/2005)
Yes, the hurricane was unusually strong. Yes, global warming is to blame. But the root causes of the disaster that befell historic New Orleans stem from two other, older factors
Does Vioxx have a future?
(30/08/2005)
Pharmaceutical giant Merck has been ordered to pay 253 million dollars to the widow of a man who died of a heart attack attributed to the pain medication Vioxx. While the company immediately said it would appeal the ruling, this is a bad sign for Vioxx and other drugs of this type.
The anti-Kyoto accord: why and for whom?
(25/08/2005)
In July, the U.S. and five other countries signed an agreement on greenhouse gasses that the signatories claim is better than the Kyoto Protocol. Environmentalists, however, claim that it is an attempt to kill Kyoto. Whatever it is, one thing is sure, greenhouse gas reduction isn’t going to happen tomorrow.
Copycat bumblebees
(08/08/2005)
If you’re a bumblebee and you encounter a new kind of flower, there’s no need to take unnecessary risks. All you have to do is wait and see if your honeybee colleague will take the plunge.
Amazing Brain
(01/08/2005)
There’s a good reason why irony and sarcasm is lost on some people—it involves the highest functions of the brain. And according to Israeli neurologists writing in the May edition of the journal Neuropsychology, irony and sarcasm also imply the existence of a carefully orchestrated sequence of cognitive abilities in specific regions of the brain.
The link between Iraq and the London bombings: the Internet
(25/07/2005)
The dust hadn’t yet settled in the London subway before political commentators were establishing links (...)
A good friend: better than a pill
(18/07/2005)
Even more than family, your friends will help you live longer. The Australian scientists who reached this conclusion were following in the footsteps of other researchers, who have in recent years studied the impact of a good social network on health.
The Revolt of the Cities
(11/07/2005)
While the world wonders whether the meetings between the world’s richest nations (the G8) will result in a real agreement on Africa, ecologists have long since given up the fight. However it is a minor item on the agenda that is causing unexpected activism: cities.
Only 7.5 times larger than Earth
(04/07/2005)
They’re getting smaller and smaller. From planets 10 times larger than Jupiter, we are now down to a planet “only” 7.5 times the size of Earth, a new record for planet hunters.
The reversal of the Gulf Stream
(27/06/2005)
The scenario described in the movie The Day After Tomorrow, in which the Gulf Stream reverses direction, may have begun. Or maybe not. One thing is certain: contrary to the film, if it happens, it will take centuries rather than a few days.
Ozone: hazardous pollution
(20/06/2005)
Beneficial or harmful? Ozone appears to be both at the same time. While the ozone layer high in the atmosphere protects us from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, at ground level, ozone appears to cause heart attacks!
More bad news for biodiversity
(13/06/2005)
If you haven’t yet heard the news, biodiversity is falling, and a recent ecosystems assessment report, backed by the United Nations, confirms it. The report looks back at the previous century and concludes that humans have caused more damage during that time span than in any other period in history.
Shedding light on global dimming
(06/06/2005)
Could a reduction in pollution actually increase global warming? That’s the strange conclusion made by a recent paper on a little-known phenomenon called global dimming.
Voyager 1 reaches the final frontier
(30/05/2005)
Earth finally has her first interstellar traveller: the U.S. probe Voyager 1 has officially crossed the border separating our solar system (...)
Distributed computing: science of the future
(24/05/2005)
A species of ant from Guiana are able to capture large insects many times their own weight by building traps on the plants they inhabit.
The quest for a long life
(16/05/2005)
Some laboratory mice are luckier than others. There are those, for example, who live much longer lives.
Ant Traps
(09/05/2005)
A species of ant from Guiana are able to capture large insects many times their own weight by building traps on the plants they inhabit. In these ants’ world, teamwork is everything.
Ocean Highs and Lows
(02/05/2005)
Studies of glacier ice, sediments, tree rings and a host of other indicators can give us a pretty good idea of past climate trends. Now we have one more indicator—sea level— and it is revealing climatic variations that were unknown before now.
Music to soothe your sleep!
(26/04/2005)
Troubles with insomnia? Waking up in the middle of the night? While sleep is essential to our well-being, people over 50 often have trouble sleeping. Now, scientists say they’ve discovered a miracle cure for insomnia—music!
GMO wars—round one goes to the environmentalists
(14/03/2005)
At first glance, it certainly seems like the pro-GMO side has won: genetically modified crops now make up a significant part of U.S. production (47 million hectares).
Robot wars
(04/03/2005)
Japan has ASIMO, the world-famous humanoid robot. And South Korea now has HUBO, about the same size (1.2 metres), able to walk on two legs—though not yet able to climb stairs—and to interact with humans during exhibitions and science fairs.
CSI: when TV lends science a hand
(25/02/2005)
If you have ever watched the American TV series CSI (Crime Scene Investigation), you may have heard of the “CSI effect.” The series has had such an impact that trial juries now ask much more frequently for the kind of absolute scientific proof they see on TV.
Bonobos threatened with extinction
(14/02/2005)
Our closest animal cousins are falling like flies, decimated by hunting. How can we save the bonobos when we are unable to save thousands of other threatened species?
Chocolate cough syrup
(07/02/2005)
British researchers recently demonstrated that a derivative of chocolate, theobromine, is more effective than current cough syrups.
The mystery of the blue oranges
(31/01/2005)
How to explain the recent rise in incidences of frost in southern Florida? American researchers recently revealed that the answer lies in the conversion of wetlands into farmland.
The ecology of fear
(24/01/2005)
The disappearance of wolves from North America last century greatly affected all ecosystems. At least that is one conclusion that may be drawn from the impact of reintroducing gray wolves back several U.S. national parks, including Yellowstone.
Who will be the Einstein of the 21st century?
(17/01/2005)
Einstein brought physics into the 20th century, but who will bring it into the 21st?
Earthquakes remain hopelessly unpredictable
(11/01/2005)
Geologists have been studying earth’s most high-risk seismic zones for decades, the one off the coast of Sumatra included.
Searching for oil-eating bacteria
(04/01/2005)
Oil wells are not generally thought of as hospitable environments for living things. Nevertheless, certain bacteria thrive there, and a team of French, Australian and Mexican researchers recently discovered two new species that, in theory, could be used to clean up oil spills.
What’s the use of being the best at math?
(28/12/2004)
Last week, Canada, and Québec in particular, was elated to learn that science and math placement tests have ranked its young people among the best in the world in those areas. On the other hand, in the United States, which came in a disastrous 28th place (out of 41), the reaction tended to be “So what?”
Cold fusion still on ice
(22/12/2004) -
After fifteen years, the myth of cold fusion remains just that—a myth. A scientific committee set up by the U.S. government has reviewed the research carried out in recent years and come to the conclusion that there is still no evidence to suggest it is possible.
Seizing the moment
(14/12/2004) -
The present moment and our awareness are not in tune with each other. In fact, we become aware of reality only after it has happened, and the delay is not a small one: a half-second.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder eased by electricity
(01/12/2004) -
Last week, Canada, and Québec in particular, was elated to learn that science and math placement tests have ranked its young people among the best in the world in those areas.
Running into humanity
(01/12/2004) -
Aside from our large brains and the ability to walk upright, another factor that apparently separates humans from apes is our ability to run—and especially to run long distances.
The Far North is melting fast: Arctic inhabitants cry for help!
(27/11/2004) -
Last week’s damning report on global warming and its consequences on the Far North has elicited a resounding cry for help.
The Far North is melting fast
(18/11/2004) -
Whether you live in the White House or you’re a polar bear, you’ve probably had your fill of studies saying that the Arctic is warming at an unprecedented rate—to the point where the ice might be completely gone by 2100.
Little people: a surprise for science—and humans
(09/11/2004) -
It is often said that every discovery of a new human ancestor revolutionizes anthropology. This has never been so true as with the small humans of Flores Island.
To Mars and back in three months
(28/10/2004) -
A carefully controlled plasma beam could send astronauts to Mars and back in three months instead of two years.
The Extinction of Frogs
(28/10/2004) -
It’s continuing. The future of amphibians in general and frogs in particular darkens with every new study.
Saving the elephant
(20/10/2004) -
Just as African elephants have narrowly escaped a lifting of the ban on the ivory trade, geneticists say they are able to trace the origins of an ivory sample from its DNA.
The 2004 Ig Nobel prizes
(13/10/2004) -
They're back! While the rest of the science world is absorbed in terribly serious work, a small group of researchers reminds us that not everything should be taken so literally, whether it be the science of jujubes or suicide provoked by country music!
The South Pole is melting
(06/10/2004) -
Collapsing ice shelves, ice caps cracking beneath the feet of penguins, icebergs drifting away... The Antarctic's glaciers are still melting - at an ever - increasing rate.
When want becomes need
(29/09/2004) -
A woman looks for cigarettes in her purse and realizes that she has no more. In a panic, she upends her bag onto a bench and searches through the contents with yellow fingers.
A Miraculous Catch
(22/09/2004) -
Astronomers of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) caught a big fish with their FORS1 spectograph: the spectrum of a meteor entering the Earth's atmosphere.
Voices from the heavens
(15/09/2004) -
Extraterrestrials have been a hot topic this week: first, there was the rumor that an alien radio signal had at last been detected, and a researcher discusses interstellar mail service.
Faith in nanotechnology
(08/01/2004) -
While most people have no idea what nanotechnology is, they are apparently convinced of its advantages. In the U.S., 80% of the 1500 people who answered...
Alcohol aircraft
(01/09/2004) -
Something that would make ecologists happy is a clean airplane. And the Ipanema, Brazil's first totally alcohol-powered aircraft, is almost off the ground.
The cheats' race
(25/08/2004) -
It bears strange resemblance to an arms race: scientists are trying to perfect new ways to detect athletes who dope...
Cosmic rhythm
(18/08/2004) -
Like the drummer in a band, pulsars keep time in the cosmos. A pulsar is a star that spins very quickly on its axis...
Water on Mars: for how long?
(11/08/2004) -
The latest on Martian water: interpretation of data sent back by the Opportunity rover has convinced some scientist...
Manipulative tumors
(04/08/2004) -
Tumors don't have as easy a time of it as we might think. For instance, they must escape detection by the immune system.
Stephen Hawking's bet falls into a black hole
(28/07/2004) -
On the Website of the journal Nature, this headline: Hawking changes his mind about black holes.
Excelling in everything
(21/07/2004) -
People have been fascinated by the connection between music and science for a long time, and the two may be closer than we had ever imagined.
Feeling no pain
(14/07/2004) -
Here's some news that might be hard on the male ego: thanks to hormones, men actually feel less pain.
Programmed microbes
(07/07/2004) -
Within ten years, engineers may have a new kind of tool to work with: programmed micro-organisms...
Opportunity in a hole
(28/06/2004) -
The Mars rover Opportunity has reached a crucial stage in its mission - perhaps the final task before its batteries run out...
Private space travel
(23/06/2004) -
Is this the end of the State's monopoly on manned space flight? Business people have dreamed about it for years, and this week-on June 21 if all goes well...
Not all scientists are math whizzes
(16/06/2004) -
Even advanced studies, published in high-quality journals, may contain run-of-the-mill errors in calculation.
The advantages of a large blackout
(07/06/2004) -
The blackout that left 50 million Americans and Canadians in the dark in August 2003 had a positive side effect.
Ready or not, Ma, here I come!
(02/06/2004) -
How does a pregnant woman know when it's time to give birth? Mothers may have trouble believing this, but for biologists, it's an enigma.
Global warming: birds are no longer eating
(26/05/2004) -
Yet another example of the complex effects of global warming: certain species of birds apparently avoid eating insects...
Underwater clear cutting
(19/05/2004) -
Loggers travel to remote regions to cut down trees, but few will work under water. So the British Columbia...
War - bad for your brain cells!
(10/05/2004) -
Forget about the mysterious Gulf War Syndrome. Anyone who has taken part in a war...
The end of fatherhood?
(03/05/2004) -
Men of the world, you may soon be out of the picture.
Truth or consequences
(28/04/2004) -
The lie detector, or polygraph, is about to have company as a policing tool.
Water on Mars, but how much?
(21/04/2004) -
It's official: there is water on Mars. All that's left is to estimate how much.
A fair tradeoff: chewing power for brain power
(14/04/2004) -
Humans have paid a price for their bigger brains - less chewing power! Smaller muscles below the skull mean more room for gray matter.
What's the source of your science?
(07/04/2004) -
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recently been accused of misleading the public for producing video advertisements disguised as news reports.
Water on Mars, part 2
(31/03/2004) -
Three days after announcing that there was once salt water on Mars, NASA is still on cloud nine. But was the announcement really news?
Spirit runs the 300 metres
(24/03/2004) -
It took four weeks, but Spirit finally reached its goal, the edge of a crater located 300 metres from its starting point.
The Longevity Gene
(16/03/2004) -
A number of years ago, researchers discovered that severe caloric restriction-in other words, an extremely low-calorie diet...
Splashdown on Mars
(10/03/2004) -
Now we know. There was once water on Mars, as NASA recently announced amidst much fanfare. But didn't we know that already?
The GMO debate
(03/03/2004) -
Ten years into the GMO debate, their efficiency has yet to be proven. This, from both an ecological organization and from politicians who continue to squabble...
Coral reefs : from bad to worse
(03/03/2004) -
The studies on serious threats to coral reefs continue to pile up. The latest points to global warming and warns that if the trend continues...
Bacteria in medical ventilators
(16/02/2004) -
There has been much discussion in recent weeks of bacteria infecting hospital patients...
Thousands of years of pollution
(16/02/2004) -
Archaeologists have long suspected that about 2000 years ago, the Celts operated a mine near the modern city of Dijon.
Influenza in the 21st century
(16/02/2004) -
The deadly Spanish flu of 1918 was a type of avian influenza, or bird flu. But the bird flu of 2004 cannot...
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