New Benefit of Aspirin: Preventing Cancer

Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid, is one of the most widely used drugs in the world. It is proven to lower fevers, relieve minor aches and pains, and to reduce inflammation. It also has the long-term use of preventing heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots due to its antiplatelet characteristic, which prevents blood from clotting too large within the blood vessel. A new study from Queen's University in Belfast has found that the regular intake of aspirin can lower the risk of developing hereditary cancer by 50 percent.

Prehistoric Greenhouse Data from Ocean Floor Could Predict Earth’s Future, Study Finds

ScienceDaily (Oct. 27, 2011) — New research from the University of Missouri indicates that Atlantic Ocean temperatures during the greenhouse climate of the Late Cretaceous Epoch were influenced by circulation in the deep ocean. These changes in circulation patterns 70 million years ago could help scientists understand the consequences of modern increases in greenhouse gases.

Catholic archbishop says climate change action is a waste of time and money

The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney George Pell has questioned the morality and cost benefits of tackling climate change in a controversial speech in London. The Australian cardinal used his speech to liken carbon trading to Medieval indulgences and described green campaigners as not merely zealous but zealots. He said the only long-term benefits of schemes to tackle climate change will be extra government taxes and revenues and the cost of attempts to tackle global warming will be very heavy.

Tens of thousands flee Bangkok as flooding continues

Traffic clogged roads out of the Thai capital Friday as tens of thousands of people fled ahead of a high tide expected to worsen floods that have inundated factories and prompted foreign governments to warn their citizens to stay away. The main concern is that Bangkok's Chao Phraya River will burst its banks over the weekend during the unusually high tide that begins Friday. Buildings across Bangkok have been sand-bagged for protection, and some vulnerable streets were nearly deserted. Thailand's worst flooding in half a century, caused in part by unusually heavy monsoon rain, has killed 377 people since mid-July and disrupted the lives of nearly 2.2 million, until now mostly in the north and central provinces. Television footage showed cars and trucks bumper-to-bumper leaving the city and the main airport's departure lounges packed, but the traffic department said it could not put an exact figure on the size of the Bangkok exodus because much of its monitoring equipment was under water.

Five of the best eco friendly shampoos

All are surfactant, pollutant and paraben free but which eco shampoo is best? Ruth Styles put them to the test Much has been said and written about surfactants in shower gels and dodgy colorings in lipstick, but one beauty product that is commonly overlooked is shampoo. But shampoo and other haircare products are one of the beauty industry’s biggest earners, with some to be found in every bathroom in the country. Not surprisingly, annual sales figures are impressive, with haircare worth around £712 million a year, 41 per cent of which comes from shampoo.

The Impact of a Meteorite Storm

Meteorites have been hitting the Earth since the beginning of time. Yet much is not known of what happens when they hit. Seeking to better understand the level of death and destruction that would result from a large meteorite striking the Earth, Princeton University researchers have developed a new model that can not only more accurately simulate the seismic fallout of such an impact, but also help reveal new information about the surface and interior of planets based on past collisions.

The Strong Woodpecker Head

Banging you head against the wall is not to be recommended because it sort of hurts. Yet the woodpecker does it every day and seems content and happy. Woodpeckers are able to peck at a tree trunk at a high speed (6-7 meters per second), resulting in intense deceleration forces upon impact, without sustaining any brain injury. Why precisely this can be done without injury was investigated by Yubo Fan of Beihang University in Beijing and Ming Zhang of Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The results may lead to better ways to prevent head injuries in humans.

Future Migrations in an Environmentally Uncertain World

There are several major forces at play in today's world. Two forces involved with the migrations of people include globalization and mass exodus from the countryside to cities. Another major force, climate change, is playing an ever greater role, affecting societies with extreme droughts, floods, and other dangers. How will future migrations be affected by this force? A new report by a team of experts including Prof. David Thomas and Prof. Stefan Dercon of Oxford University believes that the challenges associated with migrations and environmental change are underestimated. The report concludes that many will emigrate from environmentally vulnerable places, but some may be trapped, and others may actually move closer to the danger.

A Green Super Yacht on Steroids?

There was the Super Nova 60, the world’s first carbon neutral megayacht. Then there was the 72-foot Emax Excalibur, which represented the first step in the maritime industry towards the production of post-carbon yachts. But forget about those – the folks at Sauter Carbon Offset Design and their building partners Ned Ship Group say the latest in their series of green yacht concepts is "the fastest and greenest superyacht in the world."

Water and the Evolution of Planetary Systems

Using data from the Herschel Space Observatory, astronomers have detected for the first time cold water vapor enveloping a dusty disk around a young star. The findings suggest that this disk, which is poised to develop into a solar system, contains great quantities of water, suggesting that water-covered planets like Earth may be common in the universe. Herschel is a European Space Agency mission with important NASA contributions.