MicroHawk's NewsScan

Deepak Chopra: From Quanta to Qualia: What Nature Is Really Telling Us

A second article in a series exploring mind and consciousness -- the "elephant in the room" of quantum physics -- by Deepak Chopra, Menas Kafatos and Rudolph Tanzi...

What would it take to make the universe a living thing? What would it take to make it human once again, a secure home for us instead of a cold, meaningless place? What would it take to give God a future? As disconnected as these questions may seem, they are on the minds of some farseeing thinkers. And the deeper one looks, the more it appears that all three issues -- a living universe, a human universe and a universe that holds a place for God -- start to merge. If they actually do merge, nothing will ever be the same again. Not just science but everyday existence will be completely overturned.

via www.huffingtonpost.com

 

Read the first post in the discussion, From Quanta to Qualia: The Mystery of Reality

Relationship of Landslides and Tectonics

When do mountain landslides occur? Mountain ranges are formed with sharp and steep ridges due to tectonics. When do they become unstable? Some of the steepest mountain slopes in the world got that way because of the interplay between terrain uplift associated with plate tectonics and powerful streams cutting into hillsides, leading to erosion in the form of large landslides. The work, presented May 27 in Nature Geoscience, shows that once the angle of a slope exceeds 30 degrees — whether from uplift, a rushing stream carving away the bottom of the slope or a combination of the two — landslide erosion increases significantly until the hillside stabilizes.

Read more at www.enn.com

Who and where are the science journalists? - SciDev.Net

The truth is, we have no idea. There are a couple of studies that have surveyed science journalists, but only in the developed world. Without global information, initiatives that aim to strengthen science journalism in the developing world lack guidance on where, and how, they could make the greatest impact.

Now, a worldwide survey is underway to help answer these questions. The first phase was conducted by Martin Bauer and Susan Howard at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) during the World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ) in London two years ago.

via www.scidev.net

USGS: Elevated Nitrogen and Phosphorus Still Widespread in Much of the Nation’s Streams and Groundwater

Elevated concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, nutrients that can negatively impact aquatic ecosystems and human health, have remained the same or increased in many streams and aquifers across the Nation since the early 1990’s, according to a new national study by the U.S. Geological Survey.

“This USGS report provides the most comprehensive national-scale assessment to date of nitrogen and phosphorus in our streams and groundwater,” said Marcia McNutt, USGS Director. “For years we have known that these same nutrients in high concentrations have resulted in ‘dead zones’ when they reach our estuaries, such as during the spring at the mouth of the Mississippi, and now we have improved science-based explanations of when, where, and how elevated concentrations reach our streams and aquifers and affect aquatic life and the quality of our drinking water.”

via www.usgs.gov

USGS Release: Glaciers Retreating in Asia (8/25/2010)

Read the whole press release here.

Many of Asia’s glaciers are retreating as a result of climate change.

This retreat impacts water supplies to millions of people, increases the likelihood of outburst floods that threaten life and property in nearby areas, and contributes to sea-level rise.

The U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with 39 international scientists, published a report on the status of glaciers throughout all of Asia, including Russia, China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan.

“Of particular interest are the Himalaya, where glacier behavior impacts the quality of life of tens of millions of people,” said USGS scientist Jane Ferrigno. “Glaciers in the Himalaya are a major source of fresh water and supply meltwater to all of the rivers in northern India.”

As glaciers become smaller, water runoff decreases, which is especially important during the dry season when other water sources are limited. Climate change also brings warmer temperatures and earlier water runoff from glaciers, and this combined with spring and summer rains can result in flood conditions. The overall glacier retreat and additional melt can increase the amount of water dammed in the vicinity of a glacier, and the added pressure enhances the likelihood of disastrous outburst flooding.

via www.usgs.gov

Small debris-free plateau glacier with glacier lakes at Gangrinchemzoe Pass at 5,200 m, south of the main Himalayan divide, Bhutan. Image courtesy of Shuji Iwata, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan. [USGS]

[Download this and other images from report at USGS here.]

Homepage for the entire report: USGS Professional Paper 1386 - Satellite Image Atlas of Glaciers of the World.

Protect nature for world economic security, warns UN biodiversity chief | The Guardian

Great article in The Guardian on the relationship between protection of nature to economic and cultural survival. Read the whole article here and see more links below the excerpt.

Britain and other countries face a collapse of their economies and loss of culture if they do not protect the environment better, the world's leading champion of nature has warned."What we are seeing today is a total disaster," said Ahmed Djoghlaf, the secretary-general of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

"No country has met its targets to protect nature. We are losing biodiversity at an unprecedented rate. If current levels [of destruction] go on we will reach a tipping point very soon. The future of the planet now depends on governments taking action in the next few years.

"Industrialisation, population growth, the spread of cities and farms and climate change are all now threatening the fundamentals of life itself, said Djoghlaf, in London before a key UN meeting where governments are expected to sign up to a more ambitious agreement to protect nature.

via www.guardian.co.uk

Audio: Environment editor John Vidal speaks to Ahmed Djoghlaf, secretary general of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity

Convention on Biological Diversity : News and information about the Convention.

Center for Biological Diversity: The CBD works through science, law and creative media to secure a future for all species, great or small, hovering on the brink of extinction.