Small mammals facing extinction

Many animals are close to instinction. Some of these include the red squirrel, the UK hedgehog, the common dormouse, and the mountain hare. In total there were seven species that were given preference because of the instinction status. The article then talks about other animals that were once extinct but now are better because of the help they received. For example, “Otters have benefited from cleaner rivers in Britain, following a ban on chemicals used in sheep dip in the late 1990s. “ Bats and other animals seem to be increases throughout the years also.

Article here.

   

Can eating fish lower the risk of strokes?

Researchers found that eating fish about three times a week decreases the risk of having a stroke. "I think overall, fish provide a beneficial package of nutrients, in particular the omega-3s, that could explain this lower risk,' says Dariush Mozaffarian, a Harvard School of Public Health epidemiologist whose research was included in the analysis." As you can see, fish does actually help reduce that chance of having a stroke. Researchers followed the tests to 30 years and saw the numbers made sense. Those who ate fried fish or fish sandwiches, as expected did not have a reduced chance of stroke reduction. It is very interesting to see how things like these actually are healthy and we humans benefit from it. In my opinion, this is something that is healthy and good at the same time.

Restoring forests and planting trees on farms can greatly improve food security

In this article, we are exposed to how deforestation has a great impact on our environment and on life. since we are taking away forests from nature there are less and less trees. It is sad that if we plant more trees there would be more security on risking famine like other countries in the nation. Also, stopping deforestation can stop the sudden climate changes we have like humidity and other factors.

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Study: Virus threatens Galapagos wildlife

The Galapagos Island is under threat from West Nile virus. Basically, this virus can affect anything from birds to humans, and reptiles. Affecting all these species can lead to changes in the way the environment works. For example, if a species dies because of this virus, the other species under them in the food chain can overgrow causing a vast amount of the species, making the environment they live in change. "There is no doubt that West Nile virus poses a serious threat to the survival of the Galapagos' iconic wildlife."


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Snails rode over birds to cross continents?

In the article, it is said that snails may have used birds to fly over different areas like we, humans, use airplanes to travel. I never though this would happen and it was the first time I ever heard of it. Reading this article made me think that creatures may be smarter than we think they are.

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Scientists utilize breath and sweat to detect trapped humans

This article was about a new way of finding human remains under debris of fallen buildings. This is able to happen because “Molecules in their breath, sweat and skin have been used to detect humans in a simulation of a collapsed building, raising the prospect of portable sensors for use in real-life situations.” The sensors placed detect carbon dioxide and ammonia as it leaves the body of the human. When the body is at rest though, the levels of ammonia decrease researchers were not able to identify why this happens. Researchers stated that “The simulations was composed of three separate sections” the environment section which dealt with the environment like the air flow and temperature, the void section where the participant was situated, and the collapsed building section where the debris of the voiding and the materials of the building.

Article here.

Mystery bird: Crimson-hooded manakin, Pipra aureola

In this passage there was a trivia on a mystery bird. This trivia taught me about the animal and what it does for attention. The crimson-hooded manakin “lives subtropical or tropical swamps along the coasts… throughout Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.” Unlike the female, the male crimson-hooded manakin is brighter than the female. In order to get the female’s attention the males dance in a group. The females then choose the male by the dance moves and plumage colors.

                     

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A guiding light for new directions in energy production. Optofluidic solar lighting system

Science and technology has led us to great things for humanity. What this passage was about was the new way we may be able to use energy as light. Scientists obtained their information from observing how water works with light. The scientist saw that in water, light travels much slower and bends a little. Using this data, scientists used that to create a new way to produce light using the energy of the sun. The sun may already be used to create energy in solar panels, but this is a new way to do produce it. An example of what this new technique of producing light offers is that the light from the sun is obtained from the top of the building and it is bent making able to make light throughout the building with “light pipes or fibre optic cables to the ceilings of office spaces, indoor solar panels, or even microfluidic air filters.” This can save energy and electricity making it better for us to live and healthier for the environment. This whole concept is called optofluidics, the study of microfluidics the microscopic delivery of fluids through extremely small channels or tubes combined with optics.

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