Quote of the day by Homer: ‘Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the earth, nothing is bred that is weaker than man’ and why empires still keep falling for the exact same trap

A lone hiker caught in a sudden mountain blizzard could freeze within hours without shelter, while a field mouse survives by tunnelling beneath the snow. A newborn horse can stand and run within minutes of birth, while a human baby depends on others for years.Among all living creatures, humans often see themselves as the dominant…

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US scientists analysed 55 storm and atmospheric variables to identify hurricane rapid intensification; Atlantic communities could receive warnings as much as five days ahead

New method flags hurricane rapid intensification up to five days ahead Coastal communities across the Atlantic could soon receive life-saving warnings up to five days before a hurricane rapidly strengthens, after atmospheric scientists developed a statistical tool that analyses 55 environmental and storm-related factors.Led by researchers at the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for…

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UK PM Burnham may exempt child rapists from early release scheme as Conservatives demand stricter action

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is considering exempting child sex offenders and other serious sexual abuse perpetrators from a controversial early prison release scheme as ministers race to finalise safeguards before the policy takes effect in September.The review comes as the government struggles to balance mounting prison overcrowding with concerns over public safety and victims’…

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An Arizona baby stopped breathing during a post-office visit; former nurse Mary Schwarz performed CPR and helped restore her breathing on the way to hospital

An 8-month-old baby, Nova, is recovering in a Tucson hospital after a postal worker performed CPR and saved her life.Photo credit: Fox10 What started as an ordinary stop at a post office in Clifton, Arizona, turned into a life-or-death emergency when an 8-month-old baby stopped breathing. Thanks to the fast response of a former nurse…

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Hungary shut its only nuclear plant for the first time in 44 years after the Danube fell too low to cool its reactors; nearly half its electricity supply is now affected

The Paks Nuclear Power Plant was forced to reduce capacity and is expected to shut down completely due to the drought affecting the Danube Hungary has ordered a complete shutdown of its only nuclear power plant after the Danube River fell to record-low levels, leaving intake pumps unable to draw enough water to cool its…

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Brazilian scientists sampled 800 trees across 63 Amazon locations; their atomic fingerprinting model can exclude 92% of the forest when tracing suspicious timber

Wood samples being collected for cellulose isotope analysis. Credit: CENA-USP By analyzing the atomic signatures of 800 trees collected from 63 locations across the Amazon, Brazilian researchers have developed an isotopic mapping model that can rule out 92% of the rainforest when tracing suspected illegal timber.The project, led by Professor Luiz Antonio Martinelli at the…

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US general warns Pentagon he lacks naval assets to keep shielding Israel from missiles: Report

General Alexus Grynkewich. (AP photo) The top US military commander overseeing operations in Europe has reportedly warned the Pentagon that American forces may soon be unable to sustain missile-defence operations for Israel without additional naval assets, The Washington Post reported.According to The Washington Post, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander of the US European Command (EUCOM), wrote…

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New Orleans: New Orleans collected 9,000 discarded Christmas trees and airlifted them into coastal wetlands; the programme has restored marsh equal to nearly 200 football fields

A helicopter dropping its first bundle of trees for the Christmas tree drop restoration project (US fish and wild life service photos) Every year after Christmas, thousands of used trees are thrown away. In New Orleans, however, many of them get a second use. Instead of ending up in landfill, the trees are collected, tied…

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