A delivery truck carrying 44,000 pounds of chickpeas combusted as it drove through California’s Death Valley. We did the math. That’s a lot of hummus.
A delivery truck carrying 44,000 pounds of chickpeas combusted as it drove through California’s Death Valley. We did the math. That’s a lot of hummus.
First, the news: A truck carrying 44,000 pounds of dried chickpeas “burned up” in early December while driving through Death Valley National Park. According to SFGate, it’s the seventh vehicle fire in Death Valley this year.
The fires usually happen the same way. A driver rides his or her breaks when going down steep passes. The brakes then overheat and catch fire. So it goes in one of the hottest places on earth.
This got us thinking though. How much (potential) hummus was lost out there?
First, we start off with our scientific Chickpea to Hummus Conversion Ratio TM.
We’re going to say it takes about 1 pound of dried chickpeas to produce approximately 3 cups of hummus. Our starter pack is 44,000 pounds. Do some math and we have 132,000 cups of hummus.
Put the cups into our Gallon Conversion Kit and we now have 8,250 gallons of hummus.
And if we then decide to sell Death Valley Road Hummus in 10 ounce containers like they have at our local market, we fire up our Gallon to Fluid Ounces Conversion Kit and see that we end up with 105,600 packages to sell at our roadside stand.
As said, that’s a lot of hummus.
And for the concerned, some reassurance from Mike Reynolds, Superintendent of the park, “There’s very little chance that stray chickpeas not cleaned up will become invasive species in the driest place in North America.”
Three oarfish washed up on California's shore in the last few months. Scientists only know of 19 in the previous 123 years. What gives?
Three oarfish washed up on California's shore in the last few months. Scientists only know of 19 in the previous 123 years. What gives?
Oarfish are a remarkable species. They live anywhere between 300 and 3,000 feet deep in the ocean. They grow up to thirty feet. Despite their large size, they feed on the smaller things they find, mostly plankton, shrimp and smaller fishes.
Because of the depth at which they live, they’re only really seen when they’re dead or dying, in which case they start to float toward the surface, or, in some cases, wash up on beaches.
Some consider their washed up bodies harbingers of doom.
In traditional Japanese legend, oarfish were known as “ryugu no tsukai” meaning “the messenger from the sea dragon god’s palace.” People believed oarfish would come up from the deep to warn people when an earthquake was imminent. This myth caused a stir in 2011 when 20 oarfish washed ashore in the months before Japan was struck by the country’s most powerful earthquake.
While scientists say there’s no there there and disregard the folklore, the myths persist and, of course, it’s not just oarfish. Here’s a fun one from Atlas Obscura:
There are plenty of anecdotes about animals of all shapes and sizes acting oddly before earthquakes…
…In 2009, Grant was studying frogs at a site in Italy when they suddenly disappeared. Five days later, an earthquake hit. Afterward, the frogs returned. This phenomenon set Grant on a mission to discover whether certain animal behaviors actually signaled impending earthquakes. She focused on frog swarms, a natural synchronized mass migration of juvenile frogs that is sometimes seen as an omen of earthquakes in China. But when she and coauthor Hilary Conlan looked at reports from as far back as 1850 and crunched the numbers, the superstition didn’t hold up.
So what do we have to say about the three that recently washed ashore in California. As noted above, scientists only know of 19 that washed ashore in the previous 123 years. What gives?
In a statement, Ben Frable, manager of the Scripps Oceanography Marine Vertebrate Collection at UC San Diego, offered up a disappointing banality: changes in ocean conditions associated with El Niño and La Niña climate patterns that affect the tropical Pacific Ocean are also disorienting the oarfish.
Which, while probably true, we like to think it something stranger. Dare we say, fishier, even.
"Having spent a lifetime trying to speak what I believe to be the truth, I am profoundly disturbed to find that these days, my identity is being stolen by others and greatly object to them using it to say whatever they wish." – David Attenborough
"Having spent a lifetime trying to speak what I believe to be the truth, I am profoundly disturbed to find that these days, my identity is being stolen by others and greatly object to them using it to say whatever they wish." – David Attenborough
David Attenborough is not happy that AI is able to clone his voice, or that someone is actually doing it. Via Variety:
In a BBC News segment on Sunday, an AI recreation of the famous British broadcaster’s voice speaking about his new series “Asia” was played next to a real recording, with little to no difference between the two. BBC researchers had found the AI-generated Attenborough on a website, and said there were several that claimed to clone his voice.
As mountaineers trek to remote areas that most scientists can't get to, a research partnership is born.
As mountaineers trek to remote areas that most scientists can't get to, a research partnership is born.
As climate change reshapes landscapes, mountaineers are helping scientists understand environmental changes in the world’s most extreme locations. These adventurers are becoming crucial partners in collecting valuable scientific data from places that researchers often struggle to reach.
The challenge of high-altitude environments — think harsh weather conditions, difficult terrain, and limited accessibility — makes consistent scientific monitoring daunting. However, mountaineers, who regularly venture into these remote areas, are helping bridge this gap as citizen scientists.
In the Swiss Alps, for instance, the PermaSense project exemplifies this powerful collaboration between adventure and science. Climbers assist researchers by helping monitor critical environmental indicators such as permafrost levels, rock stability, and glacier movements. This data is vital for understanding how climate change affects high-altitude ecosystems and for predicting natural hazards like rockfalls and landslides, which are becoming more frequent as global temperatures rise.
Scientists like to have samples taken in locations where it’s difficult – sometimes damn near impossible – to get funding to go to.
Tim McDermott, environmental microbiologist, Montana State University. Via The BBC
The mountaineers’ scientific value lies in their ability to provide continuous, on-the-ground observations that would be difficult or impossible for traditional research teams to gather. As experienced mountaineers traverse various routes throughout the year, they document changes in glacier conditions, track wildlife movements, and record temperature variations at different altitudes. This regular presence in the mountains allows for the collection of data points that help create a more comprehensive picture of how these sensitive ecosystems are responding to environmental changes.
Organizations like Protect Our Winters (POW) recognize this potential and are actively engaging mountaineers in environmental monitoring efforts. By combining the passion for outdoor adventure with scientific purpose, these initiatives are creating a new model for ecological research that benefits both the scientific community and public safety measures.
Climbing is selfish. There’s no real point to it. I was looking for ways to add meaning or some kind of contribution to my trips.
Hari Mix, a mountain climber who collected data for Adventure Scientists during his Himalayan expeditions. Via The BBC
In the Himalayas, the HIMCAT initiative demonstrates how this approach can be scaled to address regional challenges. Local climbers and trekkers help monitor snow cover and glacier melting patterns to provide crucial data for communities that depend on glacial meltwater. This information helps to plan climate adaptation strategies and manage water resources for vulnerable mountain communities.
The impact of these citizen scientist climbers extends beyond data collection. Their firsthand observations of environmental changes often carry significant weight in raising public awareness about climate change. When experienced mountaineers report dramatic changes in glacial landscapes or shifting weather patterns, their testimonies make abstract climate data more relatable to the general public.
The Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) has taken this collaboration to a global scale, coordinating research and data-sharing among scientists and climbing communities across different mountain ranges worldwide. From the Andes to the Rockies, climbers are contributing to a growing database of environmental observations that help track ecological changes and their social impacts.
Modern technology is enhancing these partnerships. Wireless sensors, mobile apps, and other digital tools allow climbers to record and transmit data more efficiently than ever before. These technological advances, combined with the traditional skills and experience of mountaineers, create a powerful framework for monitoring high-altitude environments.
As climate change continues to affect mountain regions at an accelerating pace, the climbers are becoming increasingly important to researchers. Their contributions not only help fill crucial data gaps but also demonstrate how recreational activities can support meaningful scientific endeavors.
This collaboration between the climbing community and researchers highlights an expanding role for citizen science, one that could prove essential in understanding and protecting Earth’s most vulnerable high-altitude ecosystems.
A 1958 film directed by Frank Capra, funded by AT&T and aired on American TV warns us about climate change... Yes, in 1958, almost seventy years ago.
A 1958 film directed by Frank Capra, funded by AT&T and aired on American TV warns us about climate change... Yes, in 1958, almost seventy years ago.
Difficult as it might be to believe, the United States government once promoted science education on the nation’s airwaves. It was the 1950s, and the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in the first decade of the Cold War. Governmental leaders saw scientific literacy as a way to gain the upper hand in the tense political, military, and ideological rivalry.
Major corporations were onboard, including AT&T, which was trying to foster a scientifically literate workforce capable of advancing communications technology.
Television seemed a novel medium to increase American’s understanding of science and technology, and in 1954 The Bell Telephone Company – which was part of AT&T – released the first of a nine-part series called The Bell System Science Series.
A few things stand out here. First, the involvement of Frank Capra. The three-time Academy Award winner directed four of the nine installments. But why Capra? How did a luminary of feel-good cinema (“Mr. Deeds Goes to Town”, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”, et al) come to direct educational science films.
Sure it was paycheck but Capra had worked on governmental films during World War II. Notably, “Why We Fight”, a collection of seven documentary films produced for the the US Army between 1942 and 1945 that were designed to educate American troops and the public about the reasons behind US involvement in the war.
While the fusion of art and science in educational media was relatively novel, it seems Capra was a geek who simply wanted to turn his lens toward the scientific frontier, and bring complex ideas into American living rooms. His work on “The Unchained Goddess,” part of the Bell System Science Series, stands as a testament to this unique intersection.
What Really Stands Out
If you haven’t yet, watch the video above. It’s a seventy second clip from “The Unchained Goddess”, one of Capra’s contributions to the series, and it not only discusses the dangers of climate change, but pinpoints how human activities contribute to it.
“Man may be unwittingly changing the world’s climate through the waste products of his civilization. Due to our release through factories and automobiles every year of more than six billion tons of carbon dioxide which helps air absorb heat from the sun, our atmosphere seems to be getting warmer.”
Remember, this is on American television in 1958, almost seventy years ago.
It’s an early warning about climate change that probably wasn’t much noted at the time but is and was a prophetic message for its time.
Add to this the corresponding imagery of “the polar ice caps” melting and cities like Miami drowning under “150 feet of tropical water,” and these scenarios, once speculative, are now eerily prescient.
And here we are seventy years later. Our media is lightyears more sophisticated, our understanding more thorough, but, at least in (upcoming) United States governmental circles, it’s falling on deaf ears.
How do you track rare birds if you don't know their songs? Researchers are hoping AI can help
How do you track rare birds if you don't know their songs? Researchers are hoping AI can help
One problem ecologists face when monitoring rare birds is that we don’t have enough recordings of them to utilize the various apps and software available for tracking.
To solve this, researchers are turning to deep learning AI to create a tool called ECOGEN that can mimic the songs of rare birds from small samples. It works by creating spectograms from recordings. These are visual representations of audio. New AI images are then generated from these. These new images are then converted back to audio that can continue to train bird sound identification models.
Whether it hallucinates, we don’t know, but it works. The researches say it’s improved song classification identification by 12 percent.
“Essentially, for species with limited wild recordings, such as those that are rare, elusive, or sensitive, you can expand your sound library without further disrupting the animals or conducting additional fieldwork,” Dr. Nicolas Lecomte, one of the project researchers, tells phys.org.
The ECOGEN tool has other potential applications. For instance, it could be used to help conserve extremely rare species, like the critically endangered regent honeyeaters, where young individuals are unable to learn their species’ songs because there aren’t enough adult birds to model them.
The tool could benefit other types of animal as well. Dr. Lecomte added, “While ECOGEN was developed for birds, we’re confident that it could be applied to mammals, fish (yes, they can produce sounds), insects and amphibians.”
Despite being in its very early stages, artificial intelligence can do amazing things... like imitate David Attenborough in real time.
Despite being in its very early stages, artificial intelligence can do amazing things... like imitate David Attenborough in real time.
Fascinating. Creepy. Fun. Scary. We’re in the very early stages of artificial intelligence and people are already able to manipulate voices in real time.
Large-scale tree planting projects require a diversity of species that benefit human and non-human creatures alike. How to choose, and what to choose, is difficult. Fortunately, there's an app for that.
Large-scale tree planting projects require a diversity of species that benefit human and non-human creatures alike. How to choose, and what to choose, is difficult. Fortunately, there's an app for that.
While there’s debate whether planting trees at scale can curb global warming, offsetting carbon emissions isn’t the only benefit of doing so. There are actually ten golden rules for reforestation that aim to restore ecological balance, improve biodiversity and improve resources for humans, animals and critters alike.
The human “usefulness” component is important. Getting local communities involved in tree planting campaigns is easier when they understand concrete benefits rather than abstract future possibilities.
Many current tree-planting initiatives for forest landscape restoration fail because they do not sufficiently consider the needs of the local communities who plant and tend them. In these situations, the planted trees are neglected and consequently do not survive to maturity. The range of species selected for use in restoration is furthermore limited, with an emphasis on easy-to-propagate exotic species that do not support biodiversity. To help address these concerns, the ’10 golden rules for reforestation’ were recently developed18. Among these ‘golden rules’ there is an emphasis on maximising native tree biodiversity and addressing local community needs to support success.
World Agroforestry, a research and development non-profit focused on food security and environmental sustainability, has identified approximately 14,000 trees around the world that are useful to humans. By useful, we mean species that provide materials, medicines and foods among other benefits.
Better, their data is public. And better yet, they have an app to help you filter through native trees by country, region and territory. It’s called GlobalUsefulNativeTrees – or GlobUNT – and it combines tree data from Botanic Gardens Conservation International with plant data from the World Checklist of Useful Plant Species.
Researchers have identified 4.2 billion acres (1.7 billion hectares) of treeless land where over a trillion native saplings could grow. To visualize the landmass, imagine combining the United States and China. Significantly, the land identified does not encroach on existing cropland or urban areas.
Again, carbon sequestration is a benefit, but so too creating healthy ecosystems. It’s not just putting trees in the ground.
This is where GlobUNT comes into play. By understanding the diversity of native trees and their benefits, we better equip ourselves to take on mindful planting at scale.
Somewhat Related: A new study suggests restoring global forests could capture 226 gigatons of carbon. With over 200 authors, the study seeks to clarify a 2019 paper that helped spur the Trillion Trees movement but also generated a scientific concern about potential greenwashing
