| New Study Links Toxic Pollutants to Canadian Oil Sands Mining Native Canadians living downstream from the oil sands mines in Alberta Province have long complained that their high cancer rates were related to the expanding excavation of bitumen for the production of synthetic crude. A new study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is backing their position. feeds.nytimes.com |
New drug-resistant superbugs found in 3 states By MARILYNN MARCHIONE 2010-09-14T01:27:27ZBOSTON (AP) -- An infectious-disease nightmare is unfolding: Bacteria that have been made resistant to nearly all antibiotics by an alarming new gene have sickened people in three states and are popping up all over the world, health officials reported Monday.... hosted.ap.org |
Ejecting BP and Anointing Halliburton Halliburton, the oil field services company, lands on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and Nalco, the oil dispersant maker, makes a repeat appearance. feeds.nytimes.com |
Birdbooker Report 139 | GrrlScientist Compiled by an ardent bibliophile, this is a weekly report about nature, science and history books that have been newly published in North America and the UKBooks to the ceiling, Books to the sky,My pile of books is a mile high.How I love them! How I need them!I'll have a long beard by the time I read them. ~ Arnold Lobel [1933-1987] author of many popular children's books. Compiled by Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, the Birdbooker Report is a long-running weekly report listing the wide variety of nature, natural history, ecology, animal behaviour, science and history books that have been newly released or republished in North America and in the UK. The books listed here were received by Ian during the previous week, courtesy of these various publishing houses. Featured Title: Beletsky, Les (editor). Bird Songs Bible: The Complete, Illustrated Reference for North American Birds. 2010. Chronicle Books. Hardbound with carrying case: 535 pages. Price: $125.00 U.S. [Amazon UK; Amazon US]. SUMMARY: From the best-selling Bird Songs series comes the most comprehensive bird book ever published. The Bird Songs Bible covers the sights and sounds of every single breeding bird in North America (including Hawaii) -- nearly 750 species in all. This utterly distinctive package features a state-of-the-art digital audio player that brings to life the birds' songs and calls with the touch of a button. Written by a panel of ornithological experts and produced with the renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this indispensable reference features lavish illustrations of the birds and their habitats, scientifically accurate range maps, and detailed information on distribution, habitat, behavior, and vocalizations. A beautiful keepsake object, the Bird Songs Bible is an essential volume for the true bird lover.IAN'S RECOMMENDATION: The perfect holiday/birthday gift for any birder! For a really cool interactive online demo, click here. New and Recent Titles: Seeley, Thomas D. Honeybee Democracy. 2010. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 273 pages. Price: $29.95 U.S. [Amazon UK; Amazon US]. SUMMARY: Honeybees make decisions collectively -- and democratically. Every year, faced with the life-or-death problem of choosing and traveling to a new home, honeybees stake everything on a process that includes collective fact-finding, vigorous debate, and consensus building. In fact, as world-renowned animal behaviorist Thomas Seeley reveals, these incredible insects have much to teach us when it comes to collective wisdom and effective decision making. A remarkable and richly illustrated account of scientific discovery, Honeybee Democracy brings together, for the first time, decades of Seeley's pioneering research to tell the amazing story of house hunting and democratic debate among the honeybees. In the late spring and early summer, as a bee colony becomes overcrowded, a third of the hive stays behind and rears a new queen, while a swarm of thousands departs with the old queen to produce a daughter colony. Seeley describes how these bees evaluate potential nest sites, advertise their discoveries to one another, engage in open deliberation, choose a final site, and navigate together -- as a swirling cloud of bees -- to their new home. Seeley investigates how evolution has honed the decision-making methods of honeybees over millions of years, and he considers similarities between the ways that bee swarms and primate brains process information. He concludes that what works well for bees can also work well for people: any decision-making group should consist of individuals with shared interests and mutual respect, a leader's influence should be minimized, debate should be relied upon, diverse solutions should be sought, and the majority should be counted on for a dependable resolution. An impressive exploration of animal behavior, Honeybee Democracy shows that decision-making groups, whether honeybee or human, can be smarter than even the smartest individuals in them.IAN'S RECOMMENDATION: Anyone with a serious interest in honeybees will like this book. (free sample chapter PDF) You can read the early Birdbooker Reports in the archives on my former ScienceBlogs site, and Ian now has his own website, The Birdbooker Report, where you can read his synopses about newly published science, nature and animal books.GrrlScientistguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Scientists to probe 'forgotten' outback zone New plant and animal species are expected to be discovered as scientists conduct a wide survey of outback South Australia next week. abc.net.au |