Naval sonar drives whales from feeding grounds
The first detailed study of the effects of naval sonar on whales shows that whales flee from prime feeding sites when navy tests begin – leaving them famished when they finally return. Blainville’s beaked whales, Mesoplodon densirostris, use echolocation clicks to track down prey in the lightless depths they hunt in, a kilometre or more…
The beetle that also invented the wheel
When the Australian patent office granted a 2001 patent to Mr. John Keogh for inventing the wheel (an action for which they shared an Ig Nobel Prize), little acknowledgment was given to those animals who regularly reinvent themselves a wheels. One of those animals is celebrated in a new study: “Wind-Powered Wheel Locomotion, Initiated by…
Qatar may build “cloud tents” for the 2022 World Cup
“Artificial clouds” driven by solar-powered engines might be deployed at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to help keep the stadiums from overheating. Each cloud, as a short video hosted over at the BBC explains, “is constructed from an advanced, lightweight, and strong carbon-fiber material.” The interior of the cloud is injected with helium gas…
Did the Japan Quake Stop More Nuclear Plants from Being Built?
It’s highly unlikely that you’re going to see any new nuclear power plants built any time in the future, given the now worsening situation at Fukushima. But knee-jerk reactions to the accident are not what’s really to blame for the inevitable decline in nuclear production. Even before this month’s nuclear disaster in Japan, the economics…
