New Scientist reports Australia’s scientists say their country’s climate debate – never exactly rarefied – has descended into hysterics and extremism, partly driven by the nation’s polarised media. So, on Monday, in an attempt to restore public confidence in climate science, 200 scientists converged at Parliament House in Canberra, reports the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. After [...]
Archive for June, 2011
Jun
18
Chinese Medicine brings promising treatment where the West failed
New Scientist reports A hooked herb, root extract and a dash of bark – it may sound like a witches’ brew, but these compounds could provide treatments for diseases that have so far foiled western doctors, such as Parkinson’s and irritable bowel syndrome. For over 2000 years Chinese doctors have treated “the shakes” – now [...]
Jun
10
How does a spider breathe underwater?
New Scientist Reports: Using its web as a gill, the diving-bell spider can live underwater with only occasional visits to the surface. The arachnid (Argyroneta aquatica) breathes air from a bubble that it grabs from the surface of water using fine hairs on its abdomen. The spider traps the air within a bell-shaped silken web [...]