ANIMALS - Low pH levels can eliminate harmful blooms of golden algae, one cause of massive fish kills
Researchers are one step closer to understanding the algae that causes a substantial number of fish deaths in more than 18 states ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121220161753.ht
BIRDS - Birdsong study pecks theory that music is uniquely human
(Medical Xpress)-A bird listening to birdsong may experience some of the same emotions as a human listening to music, suggests a new study on white-throated sparrows, published in Frontiers of Evolutionary Neuroscience ...
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-birdsong-theory-music-
BOOKS - Book Of The Year: The Return Of Teleology
Terrence Deacon's Incomplete Nature, might have been titled Aristotle's Revenge ...
http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnfarrell/2012/12/26/book-of-t
CLIMATE - Antarctic Temperatures Are Rising Twice As Fast As Previously Predicted
West Antarctic temperatures are rising twice as fast as previously estimated, according to new researc ...
http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2012/12/24/antarctic-t
CLIMATE - August's Record Sea Ice Melt Was Caused In Part By A Giant Arctic Cyclone
Months before Hurricane Sandy hurled the Atlantic Ocean into houses and cities along the East Coast, another record-breaking cyclone battered North America, helping push this year's Arctic sea ice to a record low, a new study finds. Arctic sea ice has been declining for decades, reaching a record low in September 2007 and hitting that record again in 2012. "The Great Arctic Cyclone of August 2012" arose in Siberia on Aug. 2 and crossed ...
http://www.businessinsider.com/arctic-sea-ice-melt-cyclone-2
CLIMATE - West Antarctica Warming Twice As Fast As Previously Thought, Research Finds, May Speed Up Sea Level Rise
New research has revealed that West Antarctica is actually warming nearly two times faster than was previously thought. This finding suggests, therefore, that sea levels may rise much faster than was previously predicted.The average annual temperatures in West Antarctica, at the Byrd research station, have increased an incredible 2.4 degrees Celsius (4.3F) in the years since the 1950s. This is one of the quickest increases in temperature in .. ...
http://cleantechnica.com/2012/12/27/west-antarctica-warming-
EARTH - Hawaiian Islands are dissolving from within, study says
Most of us think of soil erosion as the primary force that levels mountains but geologists have found that Oahu's mountains are dissolving from within due to groundwater ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121221114044.ht
ECONOMICS - CHART OF THE DAY: The Housing Bust Gave Birth To A Trillion Dollar Buyer Of US Treasuries
UBS's Maury Harris, who is frequently recognized as the most accurate economist on Wall Street, shared an important chart with Business Insider when we had lunch with him last week. It compares the year-over-year change in U.S. Federal government debt and home mortage debt for each year since the heyday of the housing bubble. "Over the past 6 years, an around $1 1/8 trillion downsizing in per annum net home mortgage financing has accompanied an a
http://www.businessinsider.com/maury-harris-on-treasury-bond
ECONOMICS - The Worst CEO Of 2012 (BBY)
Sydney Finkelstein, a professor at Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business and author of "Why Smart Executives Fail," has put together his list of 2012's worst CEOs. Former Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn is the headliner. Dunn resigned back in April after allegations about an inappropriate relationship with a much younger employee. "That's not why he's on the list, though," Finkelstein told Louis Lavelle at Bloomberg Businessweek. "De ...
http://www.businessinsider.com/best-buy-brian-dunn-worst-ceo
EDUCATION - Could Changes in School Design Prevent Future Attacks?
Since the Sandy Hook elementary school shootings a few weeks ago, there have been extensive public debates on gun control issues and violent content affecting the mental health of young people. Many are calling for bans on semi-automatic rifles and assault weapons, while others have emphasized the importance of censoring violent content of video games. But should the architecture of schools be rethought to fortify against future attacks?Several s
http://inhabitat.com/could-changes-in-school-design-prevent-
EDUCATION - Students' online and offline social networks can predict course grades
The information can be used to determine which students need the most help, as well as which ones excel and might be guided to further study or careers in that subject area ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121227142957.ht
ENERGY - 30 Under 30: Energy
These young stars will transform our energy future ...
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/ehim45hikm/leslie-dewan-27
ENVIRONMENT - A Rough Year for EPA in Court Ends on an Undeserved Upbeat Note
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has had a pretty rough 2012 in federal court. A number of lower federal courts (we detail here, here, and here) reined in the agency's efforts to expand its authority, and in March, the Supreme Court in Sackett v. EPA unanimously held that the Clean Water Act doesn't preclude judicial review of EPA compliance orders ...
http://www.forbes.com/sites/wlf/2012/12/27/a-rough-year-for-
ENVIRONMENT - California Sets Second Cap-And-Trade Emissions Auction
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has issued official notice that the state's cap-and-trade program will hold its second auction of greenhouse gas allowances on February 19, 2013. The state's system is the second functional carbon market in the U.S., following the Northeast's Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).Cap-and-trade could clear the air while boosting the economyCalifornia's February auction will offer nearly 13 millio .. ...
http://cleantechnica.com/2012/12/27/california-sets-second-c
GARDENS - Discovery of Africa moth species important for agriculture, controlling invasive plants
In the rain forests of the Congo, where mammals and birds are hunted to near-extinction, an impenetrable sound of buzzing insects blankets the atmosphere. Because it is a fairly inaccessible region with political unrest, much of the Congo's insect biodiversity remains largely undiscovered. In a new monographic book, researchers provide insect biodiversity information for this area in Central Africa that increasingly undergoes habitat destruction ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121220144122.ht
HOMES - Geothermally-Heated EHA Family Residence is a Rustic Mountain Retreat in Wyoming
Whilst undoubtedly a luxury home that is out of reach for most people, the EHA residence in Wyoming was constructed as a low-energy home built sustainably. Almost all of the siding is comprised of recycled materials and all new timber used is treated to ensure longevity and low maintenance. Additionally, renewable bamboo furnishings have been used throughout the interior, including the ceiling.A closed loop geothermal pump keeps the house cool in ...
http://inhabitat.com/geothermally-powered-eha-family-residen
MOVIES - The 10 Best Movies Of 2012
The Atlantic's film critic picks the year's 10 best titles-and doles out some less-conventional awards. A few boilerplate caveats: I saw a great many films this year, but by no means all of them. See the best films of 2012 > In particular, I missed a few documentaries that might well have made their way onto this list. It was also a very good year for film-the best, perhaps, since 2007-so a number of movies that could have made the lis ...
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-10-best-movies-of-2012-20
PEOPLE - 7 Habits Of Self-Made Millionaires
First, understand that you no longer want to be just a millionaire. You want to become a multimillionaire. While you may think a million dollars will give you financial security, it will not. Given the volatility in economies, governments and financial markets around the world, it's no longer safe to assume a million dollars will provide you and your family with true security. In fact, a Fidelity Investments' study of millionaires last year found ...
http://www.businessinsider.com/7-habits-of-self-made-million
PERMACULTURE - How shrubs are reducing the positive contribution of peatlands to climate
Peatlands (bogs, turf moors) are among the most important ecosystems worldwide for the storage of atmospheric carbon and thus for containing the climate warming process. In the last 30 to 50 years the peat (Sphagnum) mosses, whose decay produces the peat (turf), have come under pressure by vascular plants, mostly small shrubs ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121223180005.ht
PERMACULTURE - Wallace's century-old map of natural world updated
Until today, Alfred Russell Wallace's century old map from 1876 has been the backbone for our understanding of global biodiversity. Thanks to advances in modern technology and data on more than 20,000 species, scientists have now produced a next generation map depicting the organization of life on Earth. The new map provides fundamental information regarding the diversity of life on our planet and is of major significance for future biodiversity ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121220143518.ht
PLANTS - Two new species of orchid found in Cuba
Researchers have discovered two new species of Caribbean orchid. The Caribbean islands have been natural laboratories and a source of inspiration for biologists for over two centuries now. Suffice to say that the studies by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace in the tropical archipelagos contributed to the emergence of the theory of evolution. In this case, biologists have discovered two new species belonging to the orchid family (Orchidacea ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121227080048.ht
PLANTS - Xmas Trees Absorb 'Super' Greenhouse Gas
Pines, spruces and other trees were thought to be adding methane into the atmosphere, but that may actually be absorbing it ...
http://news.discovery.com/earth/surprise-x-mas-trees-absorb-
SCIENCE - A clearer look at how iron reacts in the environment
(Phys.org)-Using ultrafast X-rays, scientists for the first time have watched how quickly electrons hop their way through rust nanoparticles ...
http://phys.org/news/2012-12-clearer-iron-reacts-environment
SCIENCE - Liquid crystal research, future applications advance
Contributing geometric and topological analyses of micro-materials, University of Massachusetts Amherst mathematician Robert Kusner aided experimental physicists at the University of Colorado (UC) by successfully explaining the observed "beautiful and complex patterns revealed" in three-dimensional liquid crystal experiments. The work is expected to lead to creation of new materials that can be actively controlled ...
http://phys.org/news/2012-12-liquid-crystal-future-applicati
SCIENCE - Mathematician's Century-Old Secrets Unlocked
Researchers say they've found a formula to explain cryptic functions that were outlined by a brilliant Indian mathematician ...
http://news.discovery.com/history/mathematicians-century-old
SCIENCE - One step closer: Scientists help explain scarcity of anti-matter
A collaboration with major participation by physicists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has made a precise measurement of elusive, nearly massless particles, and obtained a crucial hint as to why the universe is dominated by matter, not by its close relative, anti-matter ...
http://phys.org/news/2012-12-closer-scientists-scarcity-anti
SOLAR - 5 charts that show the massive growth of solar in 2012 [charts]
Despite solar manufacturers' struggles with bankruptcies and an oversupply problem this year, 2012 actually witnessed a dramatic growth in the world's use of solar power. In particular the amount of solar panels installed on rooftops in the U.S. soared in recent quarters, helped by new financing models by companies like SolarCity and rock-bottom silicon prices - the main ingredient in solar panels. In these 5 charts, we track the growth of solar ...
http://gigaom.com/cleantech/5-charts-that-show-the-amazing-g
SOLAR - A Thought On Subsidies (Reader Comment)
Anti-wind and anti-solar folks (yes, there are a few out there - mostly tied to the fossil fuel industry) love to bring up renewable energy subsidies. However, there are so many reasons why they really shouldn't be eager to do so. For example, fossil fuel and nuclear subsidies dwarf renewable energy subsidies.Subsidies in first 15 years of subsidies for various energy sources.Additionally, many indirect subsidies never even get counted in m .. ...
http://cleantechnica.com/2012/12/26/a-thought-on-subsidies-r
SOLAR - Building integrated solar panels set to boom over the next 5 years
Solar panels that can be integrated right into rooftops and the walls of buildings is a new market that is set to grow dramatically over the next five years, according to a new report from Pike Research, a part of Navigant. The report says that the energy capacity of solar panels that are built into the structures of buildings will grow from 400 MW in 2012 to 2.25 GW in 2017, or a five-fold increase worldwide. The solar industry calls this techno ...
http://gigaom.com/cleantech/building-integrated-solar-panels
SOLAR - Concentrating Solar Power With Thermal Energy Storage Is Economically Useful For Utility Company Profits, Study Finds
Utility companies can benefit considerably from the utilization of concentrating solar power (CSP) and available energy storage methods, a new study from the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has found.Solar thermal power plant tower by afloresm (some rights reserved)A CSP that possesses a 6-hour storage capacity works well to lower peak net loads for the part of the day when the sun isn't shining. That's .. ...
http://cleantechnica.com/2012/12/24/concentrating-solar-powe
SPACE - Potentially Dangerous Asteroid Now Confirmed to Miss Earth in 2040, Says NASA
While ridiculous ancient prophecies don't pose much of a threat to our planet, there are real risks out there
http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/potentially-dange
SUSTAINABILITY - Veolia Environnement Centre-Est is a Sustainable Training Campus in France
The Veolia Environnement Centre-Est is an innovative and harmonious campus that houses a professional training center for environment, energy, transport, waste and water sectors. The project exemplifies the work Veolia Environnement does as well as their commitment to sustainability. Centered around a courtyard or an Agora, the campus includes a common room, a 150-seat auditorium and a training center consisting of workshops, classrooms and offic ...
http://inhabitat.com/veolia-environnement-centre-est-is-a-su
TECH - Google Voice Stays Free In 2013 But VOIP Is $15 Billion Industry
Free calling within the USA and Canada is not hard to find on most cellular plans or even most landlines. But once Skype hit the stage, the world of free calling changed forever. Skype with its voice over internet protocol (VOIP) sparked a revolution for consumers, but just as much for business owners ...
http://www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2012/12/27/google-voice-
TECH - Grading 2012 mobile predictions: mostly hits but a few misses
As the holiday nears and the year - not the world - ends, it's a good time to check my mobile predictions from 12 months ago. With the pace of change accelerating, it's becoming quite difficult to prognosticate even six months down the road in some circumstances. But before New Year's Eve, I'll check my crystal ball to see what to expect 2013 will bring to smartphones, tablets and mobile technology in general. Until then, let's see how I did over ...
http://gigaom.com/mobile/grading-2012-mobile-predictions-mos
TECH - Here come the design patents: new law boosts rights in shapes, designs
One of Apple's key weapons in its legal battle against competitors is a special type of patent that protects the visual appearance of a product. Critics have denounced these patents as a way to own "rounded rectangles" but we may have to get used to seeing a lot more of them. Last week, President Obama signed a law that will increase the term and scope of so-called "design patents." The law could offer US designers a new way to fight knock-offs - ...
http://gigaom.com/2012/12/27/here-come-the-design-patents-ne
TECH - Living Smart: New thermostats can 'learn' home's routine
Programmable thermostats have long been considered an effective tool to help homeowners manage the operation of their heating and cooling systems ...
http://phys.org/news/2012-12-smart-thermostats-home-routine.
TECH - Meet Grokr, The First iPhone App You'll Want To Use Every Day
There's a new, must-have app for my iPhone that's changed the way I use the device. It's called Grokr, and I've been testing it for a few weeks now. While some compared it to Google Now, a feature from Google for Android phones that anticipates what you might be searching for and delivers it automatically, Grokr is a bit different. Grokr pegs itself as a personalized search and discovery app, which anticipates and recommends information. The app ...
http://www.businessinsider.com/grokr-iphone-walkthrough-2012
TECH - NVIDIA TegraZone App Launches On Windows RT
Owners of quad-core Tegra 3 Android tablets like the Nexus 7 and ASUS Transformer Prime have enjoyed NVIDIA's TegraZone app on their devices for some time. The mobile gaming destination is now available for Tegra 3-powered Windows RT devices like Microsoft's own Surface and the ASUS VivoTab RT ...
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2012/12/26/nvidia
TECH - Over half of American homes don't have or use their landline
It's not really surprising but over half of Americans don't have or use a land line, according to data published late last week by the Centers for Disease Control. The study tracks the demographics of land line telephone use and was designed to help the CDC adapt its data collection programs, which relied heavily on calling land lines. While the pitfalls of relying on landlines for surveys is well known, the report has some worthwhile stats on th ...
http://gigaom.com/2012/12/26/over-half-of-american-homes-don
TECH - Situational Awareness Technology Uses Big Data to Fight Terrorism
An off-duty law enforcement officer averted further bloodshed last weekend when she stopped a gunman in a San Antonio cinema. The shooter had already wounded two people and fired upon a marked police car when the officer took action, according to San Antonio Express-News ...
http://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2012/12/27/situational-aware
TECH - Storage System Trends for 2013 and Beyond
In some earlier pieces in December we looked at storage device trends. In this piece we will examine trends in storage systems with some comments on the implications for some storage technologies. We see significant trends taking place that could impact common practices and architectures for digital storage for many years to come ...
http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomcoughlin/2012/12/27/storage-s
TECH - Virtual Tech Lets You Swap Bodies
A system engages all five senses and makes users feel as if they're inhabiting another person's body ...
http://news.discovery.com/tech/virtual-tech-lets-you-swap-bo
URBAN - 'Flux Cocoon' Made From 3,600 Red LED Lights Wraps Around a Bridge in Lausanne, Switzerland
Read the rest of 'Flux Cocoon' Made From 3,600 Red LED Lights Wraps Around a Bridge in Lausanne, SwitzerlandPermalink |Add todel.icio.us | diggPost tags: "energy efficiency", Allegory, Art, Flux Cocoon, Green Design Events, Lausanne Lumières Festival, LED, light festival, pedestrian bridge, public installation, swiss desig ...
http://inhabitat.com/flux-cocoon-made-from-3600-red-led-ligh
URBAN - A Cool Pop-Out Trailer For Guilt-Free Vacationing
I am an unabashed fan of the tiny house movement, which does away with all the excesses of McMansions and boils living down to the bare necessities. While the Romotow isn't quite a tiny house on wheels, the inspired look and lightweight design appeals to both my wanderlust, and desire to have as little impact on the planet as possible.Inspired by, of all things a USB flash drive, the Romotow is still in the concept phase...but it is a concept I v ...
http://gas2.org/2012/12/24/a-cool-pop-out-trailer-for-guilt-
URBAN - Brilliant Garage Apartment Maximizes Space With Custom Multi-Functional Furniture
http://inhabitat.com/brilliant-garage-apartment-maximizes-sp
URBAN - Spanish Researchers Develop Biological Concrete that Easily Builds Living Walls
Vertical gardens and green walls are beautiful and environmentally friendly means of adding a little life to architecture - but until now, most required structural foundations to help attach the plants and soil to the building. Now, a group of researchers led by Antonio Aguado, Ignacio Segura, and Sandra Manso at the Structural Technology Group of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya has developed a new multilayer concrete that is able to su ...
http://inhabitat.com/spanish-researchers-develop-a-biologica
URBAN - UC Berkeley's LEED Gold-Designed Energy Bioscience Building Leads by Example
UC Berkeley's new Energy Bioscience Building is home to the Energy Biosciences Institute, a public-private partnership that develops solutions to global energy challenges. The five-story, $133 million biofuels research facility was designed by SmithGroupJJR to be LEED Gold, and exemplifies sustainable building technologies that also help to mitigate said challenges. This facility is a welcome addition to the UC Berkeley campus that will house the ...
http://inhabitat.com/berkeleys-leed-gold-designed-energy-bio
WIND - Wind Generation Outpacing Natural Gas In US In 2012
Energy generation from wind is on target to beat natural gas in 2012, thanks to a mad dash by wind producers to finish projects, as the wind tax credit is set to expire on January 1st.As of November 30th, preliminary numbers have 6,579 megawatts (MW) of new wind capacity created in the US, just nudging ahead of natural gas, which is at 6,335. It's also about twice the amount of new coal power being produced, according to a recent Bloomberg .. ...
http://cleantechnica.com/2012/12/24/wind-generation-outpacin
WORK - What Do Statisticians Do At Google?
A lot of different things. There is something called the Quantitative Analyst job ladder within Google, which includes many different titles (Quantitative Analyst, Statistician, Data Scientist, etc) which as far as I can tell are all the same. Who gets which of these titles seems to be mostly a function of when the person was hired ...
http://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2012/12/26/what-do-statist
WORK - Why Become A Maker In Your Job, Even If You Don't Have To
I just read an interesting post by Noah Lorang, data analyst for 37signals, the influential development shop behind the web application framework Ruby on Rails and project management software Basecamp. In Why I learned to "make things", Lorang tells of his transformation over the past two years at 37signals from being a person with technical skills like Excel and the ability to "muddle my way through SQL queries," to someone w ...
http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2012/12/27/why-bec
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