A map showing the Earth’s antipodes — the places where you’d appear on the other side if you dug straight down. Most are in the middle of the ocean. (Credit: imgur)
Almost every child, shovel in hand, is struck by a tempting thought. What if I just kept digging and popped out on the other side of the world? The imagination conjures a muddy face emerging in the middle of a Shaolin temple or some such, China being the nominal “other side of the world” to Americans.
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New study suggests African wild dogs may be doomed by climate change. Photo by Mathias Appel
Things aren’t looking good for Africa’s iconic wildlife. Already, many species are threatened by human activities and habitat loss. Even species once thought to be resilient, like giraffes, are suddenly struggling. Just earlier this week, scientists reported that aardvarks, one of sub-saharan Africa’s most successful and adorable insect-eaters and essential ecosystem engineers—fa ...read more
The Prop M rover. via NASA
Before Curiosity took selfies and Opportunity rolled a marathon, rovers on Mars were more modest. Sojourner, NASA’s first rover, was a microwave-sized robot designed to last just seven days, and more than two decades earlier the Soviet Prop M rovers were tiny little squat boxes that reached the red planet for a ski vacation.
Mars 2 and Mars 3 were twin missions launched to the red planet in 1971,May 19 and May 28 respectively. Both were landers designed su ...read more
A landfill in Strambino, Italy. (Credit: MikeDotta/Shutterstock)
I want to say just one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening?
Plastics.
There was indeed a great future in plastics back in 1967 when “The Graduate” came out, and those words ring true even today as plastic production continues to soar. Try imagining toothbrushes, dashboards, pens, video game controllers, the ephemera of our daily lives, made from wood or metal — plastics are indispensable ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine
