Research finds patterns in dramatic drop in violence over the past millennium

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PhysOrg November 30, 2012

Research finds patterns in dramatic drop in violence over the past millennium

 

(Phys.org)—The evening news shows how dangerous a place the world can be. But Dr. Jacob Bock Axelsen of the Biomathematics Unit at Tel Aviv University's Department of Zoology says that individuals are markedly more peaceful now than throughout human history—and now he's got a mathematical model to show it. Originally designed to explain population densities of language groups, it's the first mathematical model to map the intensity of conflicts through the global demographic history of the past millennium.

 

Source: PhysOrg

Australia beaches reopen after red algal bloom

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Phys.org - 11/30/12

One of the worst affected beaches, Clovelly in Sydney, reopened Friday, just in time for a predicted heatwave

A swimmer heads towards a red algae bloom at Sydney's Clovelly Beach on November 27, 2012. Beaches around southeastern Australia's coastline reopened on November 30 after the bloom that glowed a phosphorescent blue at night forced them to close to the public.
 
Beaches around southeastern Australia's coastline reopened after a red algal bloom that glowed a phosphorescent blue at night forced them to close to the public.
 
 The algae, noctiluca scintillans, forced swimmers and surfers out of the water at Sydney's Bondi and a number of neighbouring beaches earlier this week, and it spread along the fringes of two states.
 

To read the rest of this story, visit Phys.org.

1000s stage demo protesting austerity measures in Portugal

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PressTV Wed Nov 28, 2012 12:23AM GMT

A protester waves a Portuguese flag in front of riot police officers outside the Portuguese Parliament in Lisbon during a general strike on November 14, 2012. (File photo)

A protester waves a Portuguese flag in front of riot police officers outside the Portuguese Parliament in Lisbon during a general strike on November 14, 2012. (File photo)

Thousands of protesters have staged a demonstration against harsh austerity measures in Portugal as the country’ parliament gave final approval to a 2013 budget, which imposes more spending cuts on the debt-stricken people.

A few thousand people gathered outside the Portuguese parliament in Lisbon to protest against the parliament’s approval of a budget that aims to cut the budget deficit to 4.5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product in 2013.

Ecuadoran villagers drag Chevron to Canadian court

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Phys.org - 11/29/12

People affected by US oil company Chevron prepare samples of earth and water contaminated with oil in Quito

Members of an organization of indigenous people affected by US oil company Chevron prepare samples of earth and water contaminated with oil during a rally in front of the National Court of Justice in Quito in July 2012. A 19-year court battle that resulted in a staggering US$18.3-billion judgment from an Ecuadoran court against Chevron last year moved to Canada.
A 19-year court battle that resulted in a staggering US$18.3-billion judgment from an Ecuadoran court against Chevron last year moved to Canada on Thursday as the plaintiffs seek to collect.

To read the rest of this story, visit Phys.org.

MESSENGER finds new evidence for water ice, organic material at Mercury's poles

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Phys.org - 11/29/12

MESSENGER finds new evidence for water ice at Mercury's poles

A radar image of Mercury's north polar region acquired by the Arecibo Observatory. Yellow areas denote regions of high radar reflectivity. Since their discovery in 1992, these polar deposits have been hypothesized to consist of water ice trapped in permanently shadowed areas near Mercury’s north and south pole, but other explanations for the polar deposits have also been suggested. Polar stereographic projection. From J. K. Harmon et al., Icarus, 211, 37–50 (2011). Image Credit: National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, Arecibo Observatory
 
(Phys.org)—New observations by the MESSENGER spacecraft provide compelling support for the long-held hypothesis that Mercury harbors abundant water ice and other frozen volatile materials in its permanently shadowed polar craters.
 

To read the rest of this story, visit Phys.org.

Four dead as storms continue to batter Italy

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Gazzetta del Sud - 11/29/12

ILVA worker remains missing after tornado hits plant

Four dead as storms continue to batter Italy

Rome, November 29 - Four people died in a weather-related road accident late Wednesday night while heavy storms continue to batter Italy Thursday, causing flooding, landslides and interrupting transportation.

To read the rest of this story, visit Gazzetta del Sud.

Seattle area weather hits Southern California; snarls traffic on freeways; storms expected to continue into next week

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Pasadena Star-News - 11/29/12, Eric Hartley

CHP and fire personnel respond to a big rig crash along the westbound I-10 freeway in San Bernardino November 29, 2012. The California Highway Patrol issued a Sig Alert at 7:47 a.m. after a semi- truck hauling pallets of candy crashed into the center divider of the freeway between the I-215 and Waterman Avenue. (GABRIEL LUIS ACOSTA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

It will be a wet weekend and, if Thursday was any indication, a dangerous one.

Rain is expected to continue on and off through Sunday night across much of Southern California. A storm system is expected to move in over the San Gabriel Valley Friday, bringing with it a 40 percent chance of rain, National Weather Service spokesman Stuart Seto said.

California Flood Threat From "Atmospheric River"

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Weather.com - 11/30/12, By Jon Erdman

Wet Setup

Meteorologists use the term "atmospheric river" to describe a long, narrow plume piping deep moisture from the tropics into the mid-latitudes.  One type of atmospheric river you may have heard of is the "Pineapple Express", a pronounced plume tapping moisture from the Hawaiian Islands to the U.S. West Coast.

Amazingly, according to NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), a strong atmospheric river can transport as water vapor up to 15 times the average flow of liquid water at the mouth of the Mississippi River!

To read the rest of this story, visit Weather.com.

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