In The News

How We Decide Which Species to Save

Christine Dell'Amore December 31, 2013
Researchers have had some success in protecting some species once on the brink of extinction like condors, gray wolves, pandas or elephant seals. “But with dozens of new species going extinct every day – scientists say that more than 20,000 plants and animals are on the brink of disappearing forever – deciding which species to save is a tricky question,” writes Christine Dell'Amore for...

Why Do We Value Gold?

Justin Rowlatt December 23, 2013
Historically, governments and investors have revered gold. Justin Rowlatt of the BBC News questions the reasons behind this value while also reporting on the British Museum’s exhibition on pre-Columbian gold artifacts. A chemistry professor quoted in the story points out that gold is distinctive. Gases, alkaline metals and other elements are simply too unstable or difficult to smelt. Gold is...

How Globalization Has Left the 1 Percent Further Ahead

Tavia Grant, Janet McFarland November 28, 2013
Canada is not alone with a widening income divide – a few making great gains while the vast majority struggles with stagnant wages. Analysis from the Globe and Mail points to globalization as the reason. US competition may pressure wages, and the skilled with global appeal are paid more than those with local appeal. “The top 1 per cent of earners [has] seen growing demand for their specialized...

A Global Challenge: Training Engineers for the 21st Century

November 22, 2013
Experts in science, technology, engineering and mathematics – the so-called STEM fields – help grow economies. Yet interest in these fields is down in the US and Europe. “Within industrialized countries, scientific and technical courses are deemed to be difficult, uninteresting and not competitive in terms of salary expectations,” reports ParisTech Review. An introduction to the essay points out...

How Science Goes Wrong

October 25, 2013
Business interests like to think of themselves as taming science, selecting among the discoveries and presenting them to the world. Scientific research ultimately instigates new trends, comforts, life-saving treatments, new businesses and more. “But success can breed complacency,” suggests an essay in the Economist. “Modern scientists are doing too much trusting and not enough verifying – to the...

Shutting Down US Antarctic Research Will Have Global Repercussions

Jeffrey Marlow October 16, 2013
Failing to reach agreement on spending, US legislators closed non-essential government services. The designation reduces employee morale and threatens US contributions to trade, health and scientific endeavors, including Antarctic research. Because of the shutdown, the US National Science Foundation put the program in caretaker status. “The logistical ordeal of transporting people and supplies to...

Climate Panel Says Upper Limit on Emissions Is Nearing

Justin Gillis September 27, 2013
A UN panel that assesses and advises on climate change reports the phenomenon is well underway and likely to get worse, with human emissions as the cause. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has also listed a carbon budget for the globe: “To stand the best chance of keeping the planetary warming below an internationally agreed target of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above preindustrial levels...