Quality, Not Quantity
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“Educating yourself does not mean that you were stupid in the first place; it means that you are intelligent enough to know that there is plenty left to learn.” — Melanie Joy -
David Nevue and Michele McLaughlin perform at Cozy Corner Concerts in Salt Lake City, Utah on May 10th, 2013.
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The Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is the only shorebird that nests in trees. The marbled murrelet’s central California population could go extinct because Steller’s jays are stealing and eating their eggs, but California state biologists hope to save them.
The murrelet breeds from the Aleutian Islands, through southern Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and central California. The bulk of the population breeds in Alaska and B.C. The marbled murrelet is classified as Endangered by the IUCN.
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505-million-year-old fossil found in B.C. park named after Johnny Depp
Edward Scissorhands actor Johnny Depp has been immortalized in the name of a newly discovered fossil species from ancient Canada — a 505-million-year-old marine creature with “scissor-like claws” found by a British researcher in British Columbia’s Kootenay National Park. (more)
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To the naked eye, our sun is an unremarkable ball of heat and light. Under the eye of the Solar Dynamics Observatory, or S.D.O, the Sun’s activity is revealed under various spectrums of light. See incredibly detailed coronal mass ejections, bursts, and solar flares. Let the immense power of the sun immerse and mesmerize you in stunning Ultra High Definition.
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Chris Hadfield: “Shadow play of cloud and mountain at sunset.”
Photo credit: Chris Hadfield
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“Persuade me or prove to me that I am mistaken in thought or deed, and I will gladly change - for it is the truth I seek, and the truth never harmed anyone. Harm comes from persisting in error and clinging to ignorance.” — Marcus Aurelius -
Chris Hadfield, and nearly a million people, performing Is Somebody Singing for his last downlink before coming home in a few days : )
Edit:
“I think education, in general of course, is vital throughout your whole life. Everybody should be a student their whole life. If you’re not learning something then you are just in the process of forgetting things.”
(via tibor-1)
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Here are the 25 biggest cyber attacks in history that were launched as large-scale cyber terrorism and affected whole sovereign nations. Here is a link to a detailed write-up of the cyber attacks.
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“We are just an advanced breed of monkey on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the universe. That makes us something very special.” — Stephen Hawking -
Garden Mantid (Orthodera ministralis) by clusterpod
The Garden Mantis is bright green in color with blue spots on the front legs. The thorax is broad and flat and nearly the same width a the abdomen. The wings cover the whole abdomen. (more)
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Tiger-striped Leaf frog (Phyllomedusa tomopterna) by Stephan RolettoAmazing color in this creature. The dorsum is uniform green. The flanks and inner surfaces of legs, hands, and feet are orange with vertical black stripes. Ventral coloration is white or orange. The iris is silvery or grayish. (more)
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Scientists map global routes of ship-bourne invasive species
byMatt McGrath | BBC News
Scientists have developed the first global model that analyses the routes taken by marine invasive species.
The researchers examined the movements of cargo ships around the world to identify the hot spots where these aquatic aliens might thrive.
Marine species are taken in with ballast water on freighters and wreak havoc in new locations, driving natives to extinction.
The research is published in the Journal Ecology Letters.
There has been a well-documented boom in global shipping over the past 20 years and this has led to growing numbers of species moving via ballast tanks, or by clinging to hulls.
Some ports such as San Francisco and Chesapeake Bay have reportedseveral exotic new species arriving every year. Economic estimates indicate that marine invaders can have huge impacts that last for decades.
Now, scientists from the UK and Germany have developed a model that might help curb these unwanted visitors. They obtained detailed logs from nearly three million voyages that took place in 2007 and 2008.
“Our model combines information such as shipping routes, ship sizes, temperatures and biogeography to come up with local forecasts of invasion probabilities,” said Prof Bernd Blasius from the University of Oldenburg.
While this is a mathematical model, the researchers were able to adjust it by carrying out field observations. They were able to estimate the probability that a species can survive a journey and establish a population in a subsequent port of call.
“It is called ecological roulette,” said Dr Michael Gastner from the University of Bristol.
“The probability of winning from the perspective of the invader is really tiny - but because the number of attempts are now growing with more and bigger ships, you play this roulette so often that you become a likely winner sooner or later,” he added.
The team says that the key hotspots for invasion are Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Panama and Suez canals. Cooler climates like the North Sea are less likely to be troubled, unless ships come from similar waters such as the east coast of the US. They conclude that very long trips are less likely to be a cause for concern.
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Zoos Victoria is Carbon Neutral!
Zoos Victoria is an organization committed to creating positive change; because the future of the planet, and the wildlife that it supports, demand it. Operating three large zoos that cares for more than 300 species of animals means the carbon footprint was significant. The choice for change was simple. Zoos Victoria’s three zoos are now certified carbon neutral. This is a world first!
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DAMOCRACY
A documentary that debunks the myth of large-scale dams as clean energy and a solution to climate change. It records the priceless cultural and natural heritage the world would lose in the Amazon and Mesopotamia if two planned large-scale dams are built, Belo Monte dam in Brazil, and Ilisu dam in Turkey. DAMOCRACY is a story of resistance by the thousands of people who will be displaced, and a call to world to support their struggle. (more)
