Back in the days of yore, language translation was a highly specialized profession, critical for coordinating diplomacy or international trade. The first bilingual dictionary book, Vocabularius ex quo, was a German-Latin set of words published in 1467, while clay tablets containing lists of works in Sumerian and Akkadian date back as early as 2300 B.C.Language translation has become easier over the years in many cases thanks to the work of linguists and other anthropologists. The development of ...read more
The avian flu continues to circulate in parts of the world, including the U.S., infecting domestic poultry, cattle, and some humans. A study published in Scientific Advances examines how mass vaccination of poultry against H5 subtypes of avian influenza virus (AIV) — including H5N1 and H5N6 — may help to slow the spread of avian influenza, however, in turn, the vaccination may also lead to the virus evolving faster. Understanding Avian Influenza VirusThe H5 virus is a strain of influenza A ...read more
Climate change has already begun to instigate environment-altering effects around the world, and the latest evidence is cropping up in arctic regions that are emitting increasing amounts of carbon dioxide. Researchers in a new study published in Nature Climate Change, have measured the flow of carbon in the Arctic-boreal zone (ABZ) — consisting of the treeless tundra, boreal forests, and wetlands in northern latitudes — and found that a shifting dynamic is underway.These environments were on ...read more
Human skin isn't the only thing that can change color after facing the cold. Trees and shrubs change colors, too, taking on a special blue tinge after they are sampled and stained. That’s according to a new study in Frontiers in Plant Science, which found strange blue rings in samples of trees and shrubs from the northern treeline in Norway.“Blue rings look like unfinished growth rings, and are associated with cold conditions during the growing season,” said Agata Buchwal, a study author a ...read more
Prepare to be blown away: Astronomers have recorded the most powerful planetary wind thus far — a force that pummels a giant exoplanet with gales faster than the speed of sound.The jet stream sweeps WASP-127b’s equator at over 20,000 miles per hour. That’s about 1,000 times more powerful than the gales that buffet Mt. Washington in New Hampshire — one of the windiest places on Earth. The exoplanet’s winds blow 18 times faster than those on Neptune, which has the strongest winds ever me ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine