Paleolithic passions We’ve known for some time that Homo sapiens sometimes liked a bit of rough trade,such as Neanderthals and Denisovans. But not until now that Denisovans in turn were having hank panky with that much older species, Homo erectus, as El País explains:
Exmoor Eagles Exmoor National Park in Southwest England has just taken a massive stride forward by re-introducing the magnificent white tailed eagle(Haliaetus albicilla) into its majestic landscape. Has to be a hit for tourists and everyone else who wants to see a thriving economy in the region (Bird of prey extinct for over 200 years returns to southern England The Independent via MSN
Cleaner, Greener, Richer One of the tropes you still hear trotted out in the local pub is that green technologies will somehow vitiate economic growth. Rubbish, as this piece from Nature Briefing called The cities getting ‘richer and cleaner’ makes abundantly clear
| Thousands of cities are decoupling economic growth from the burning of fossil fuels. Researchers compared levels of the greenhouse gas nitrogen dioxide (NO2) with information on gross domestic product (GDP) to track the green development trajectories of more than 5,000 of the world’s biggest cities. About 2,000 cities showed improvement in both metrics between 2019 and 2024 — most of them in China. Nature | 6 min read |
Clear New way to Mars We remember discussions about nuclear powered ships powering the way to Mars nearly 60 years ago, following the heady excitement of the Apollo Programme. Then the idea shrivelled and died. Now it’s back, more practicable than ever, according to this article in The Conversation
https://theconversation.com/nasa-bets-big-on-nuclear-engines-to-cut-journey-times-to-mars-28274
Killing Kelp? We’ve always supported valiant efforts now being made to restore the UK’s coastal seaweed orests, even contributing articles to local newspapers and websites to help this worthy cause. Progress has been made, especially in our own area of Sussex. But now sewage and agricultural run off may be starting to slow the general advance, as this piece from the BBC makes clear
Sewage having ‘alarming’ impact on underwater forests in UK rivers – BBC News
Quote of the week
“He trusted to have equalled the Most High, If he opposed; and with ambitious aim Against the throne and monarchy of God Raised impious war.”
Paradise Lost Book 1 40-44
#pollution #environment #paleontology #evolution #space travel #nuclear power #mars #conservation #exmoor #eagle
Learning, Science and Society 