In 1976, the biologist Robert E. Gill Jr. came to the southern coast of Alaska to survey the birds preparing for their migrations for the winter. One species in particular, wading birds called bar-tailed godwits, puzzled him deeply. They were too fat. ‘They looked like flying softballs, said Mr. Gill. At the time, scientists knew that bar-tailed godwits spend their winters in places like New Zealand and Australia. To get there, most researchers assumed, the birds took a series of flights down through Asia, stopping along the way to rest and eat. After all, they were land birds, not sea birds that could dive for food in the ocean. But in Alaska, Mr. Gill observed, the bar-tailed godwits were feasting on clams and worms as if they were not going to be able to eat for a very long time. ‘I wondered, why is that bird putting on that much fat? he said. Mr. Gill wondered if the bar-tailed godwit actually stayed in the air for a much longer time than scientists believed. It was a difficult idea to test, because he could not actually follow the birds in flight. For 30 years he managed as […]
It’s a burning question every summer - which sunscreen should you choose? With Memorial Day almost here, Consumer Reports offers some answers, saying that its tests of 12 sprays, lotions, a cream and a pump spray found that four sunscreens ‘outshine the rest’ at providing the best protection. The four that ranked tops - all of them sprays - are Up & Up Sport Continuous (Target); Walgreens Sport Continuous; Banana Boat Sport Performance Continuous and Aveeno Continuous Protection. All four tied in their overall score. Consumer Reports ranked those with the same scores by cost per ounce. CR emphasized that ‘sunscreens that guard against ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B radiation can help prevent sunburn, wrinkles, and certain skin cancers.’ Its tests looked at ‘how well each product blocked UVA and UVB rays and how well their claimed sun-protection factor, or SPF - a measure of UVB protection - lasted on volunteers who soaked in water for 40 or 80 minutes.’ There are no protection factors for UVA radiation on labels, CR said. The top four each ‘provided very good UVA protection and excellent UVB protection, and met their SPF claim even after treated skin […]
SEOUL — North Korea said Tuesday it was severing all ties with South Korea and cutting communications links in protest at claims that it had torpedoed one of Seoul’s warships. The North said it would expel all South Korean personnel from a jointly-run industrial estate at Kaesong north of the border, and ban South Korean ships and planes from its territorial waters and airspace. The state Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said South Korea’s claims that it had sunk the warship were tantamount to a declaration of war. In a statement on the official news agency, it said it was freezing relations and abrogating a non-aggression agreement. The statement further heightened regional tensions sparked by a report last week from a multinational investigation team. The team said there was overwhelming evidence that a North Korean submarine had sunk the South Korean corvette on March 26 with the loss of 46 lives. The US said Pyongyang’s reaction was totally contrary to its self-interest. ‘I think it’s odd,’ State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters. ‘South Korea is one of the most dynamic economies in the world… North Korea is unable to care […]
BEIJING — South Korean President Lee Myung-bak issued a scathing condemnation of the North Korean regime Monday and announced trade restrictions that ratcheted tensions to their highest level in years on the Korean peninsula, which is home to more than 25,000 U.S. troops. The White House said in a statement that it fully backed Lee, and that President Barack Obama ‘has directed his military commanders to coordinate closely with their Republic of Korea counterparts to ensure readiness and to deter future aggression.’ In a national address, Lee said North Korean ships no longer would be allowed in South Korean-controlled waters and that almost all inter-Korean trade was being canceled. The moves followed a South Korean investigation that held North Korea responsible for torpedoing a South Korean warship in March and killing 46 sailors. While most experts say that neither side wants war _ the erratic regime of Kim Jong Il has a nuclear weapons program, and South Korea has U.S. military backing _ there’s no denying the heightened sense of risk. The two countries never signed a peace treaty formally ending hostilities after their 1950-53 war. ‘The tension is very high … but […]
Remote Viewing the Year 2060
