In this week’s issue of our environment newsletter, we look at why some scientists are agitating for more public awareness of climate tipping points and what a pika’s poop can tell us about the habitat of this at-risk species. Also: The heat pump, illustrated. Our planet is changing. So is …
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SpaceX Starship test flight fails minutes after launch
SpaceX’s uncrewed spacecraft Starship, developed to carry astronauts to the moon and beyond, was presumed to have failed in space minutes after lifting off on Saturday in a second test after its first attempt to reach space ended in an explosion. The two-stage rocketship blasted off from the Elon Musk-owned …
Read More »Tired of hearing how every month or year is one for the record books? So are some climate scientists
In today’s warming world, every month or year seems like a scene out of Groundhog Day where it’s the same message over and over: Earth’s temperature is rising to dangerous levels. While some climate scientists also feel tired of the repetitiveness, they say it’s a message that bears repeating for …
Read More »SpaceX’s second launch of massive Starship postponed until Saturday
After a spectacular end to its first test flight where it lost control and then exploded, SpaceX’s 36-storey rocket may see its second test flight as soon as Friday. The launch is scheduled for Friday at 8 a.m. ET. After a spectacular end to its first test flight where it …
Read More »Social media gets teens hooked while feeding aggression and impulsivity, and researchers think they know why
Both regulation and more parental involvement needed to rein in social media experiment, psychiatrists and scientists say. Canadian scientists view changes in brain’s reward system as people watch clips. Kids who spend hours on their phones scrolling through social media are showing more aggression, depression and anxiety, say Canadian researchers. …
Read More »SpaceX’s massive Starship set to blast off Friday for second test flight
After a spectacular end to its first test flight where it lost control and then exploded, SpaceX’s 36-storey rocket may see its second test flight as soon as Friday. The launch is scheduled for Friday at 8 a.m. ET. After a spectacular end to its first test flight where it …
Read More »Stream watchers fear chemical found in tires killed salmon in West Vancouver creek
The West Vancouver Streamkeeper Society said there are concerns the dead fish found on the banks of a creek were caused by urban runoff, specifically a compound found in tires. Tires can leave behind 6PPD-quinone on pavement, which becomes toxic when exposed to sunlight. Stream watchers in Metro Vancouver say …
Read More »How heat pumps fare on the Prairies
With no sign of further exemptions to the federal carbon tax, heat pumps have made their way into the energy conversation. But are they a viable heating source for cold Prairie winters? Experts say pumps can work through frigid conditions, but may not cut greenhouse gas emissions. Catherine Gibson hopes …
Read More »Does biology trump free will? A behavioural scientist argues we have little choice
In his new book, Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will, Sapolsky makes the case for transforming our criminal justice system and system of meritocracy. Robert Sapolsky contends that our intent and actions are determined by things over which we have no control. It’s natural for people to feel …
Read More »Rare egg-laying mammal rediscovered in Indonesia
Scientists have rediscovered a long-lost species of mammal described as having the spines of a hedgehog, the snout of an anteater and the feet of a mole, in Indonesia’s Cyclops Mountains more than 60 years after it was last recorded. Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna, named after British naturalist David Attenborough, was …
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