Bowhead whales appear to be on the rebound February 5th |
Bowhead whales are true northern creatures, swimming only in cold oceans off Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Svalbard and Russia. These bus-size whales have the largest mouths in the animal kingdom, can live for 200 years and can go without eating for more than a year due to their remarkable fat reserves.
Bowheads are also a rare wildlife rebound story, with the population north and west of Alaska now numbering more than 16,000. That s up from the 1,000 or so animals Yankee whalers left behind in bloody waters at the turn of the last century.
10 Puzzling Mysteries Solved By Science
Despite centuries of study, the universe remains largely mysterious, as does the planet we call home. The unknown inspires both wonder and curiosity, which, in turn, often prompt questions. Seeking answers, we gather facts, form hypotheses, and conduct observations or experiments. Sometimes, we remain puzzled. The causes of unlikely phenomena, of seemingly impossible developments, and of strange occurrences continue to mystify us.
At other times, however, we discover, we learn, and our knowledge expands. Nevertheless, new mysteries await. There are always more puzzles to solve. Each time we manage to unravel one of the mysteries of the universe, though, we are inspired again to seek more answers. We are a species with a need to know that can’t be satisfied, even when, through science, we manage to solve puzzling mysteries like the ten on this list.
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20-year old Sophie Sergie (SUR-ghee) was found dead in a dormitory at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1993. Her case went cold for many years as suspect after suspect was ruled out. However, in 2018, DNA from the crime scene was matched through a commercial database to a former student who had moved back to Maine.
Alaska State Troopers went to Maine to arrest him in February, 2019. After a months-long trip to extradite him to Fairbanks, Stephen Downs has been waiting his day in court. His attorney, James Howaniec, (hoh-WAH-nik) is glad the evidentiary hearing has started this week.
“It’s been pushed off for a year, now, this was already going to be a tough case, and then we get hit with the pandemic. So, we had a conference with the judge, 2 to 3 months ago, and just decided that we’re going to get going on some of these motions pending for a year.”
New, and more recent, 30-year averages turn up the burner on a long-simmering topic.
By Bob Henson | Wednesday, February 3, 2021
Is today a warmer-than-average day? That seemingly basic question has become fraught in the era of the Anthropocene, as greenhouse gases emitted during a century-plus of fossil fuel use have been warming most everything on our planet.
The most common U.S. yardstick for determining whether a given day is unusually warm or cool – NOAA’s 30-year database of “climate normals” – is now being updated. Over the past decade, the averages for the U.S. and many other nations have been based on data from 1981-2010. Now these averages are being revised across the world to reflect the just-ended period of 1991-2020.
Dear Chair DeLauro, Chair Leahy, Ranking Member Granger, and Vice Chair Shelby:
On behalf of the undersigned individuals, civil society organizations, and industry groups, we urge you to increase the share of discretionary funding available for the Legislative branch both to address the historically diminished resources available to the Legislative branch and to meet the challenges facing Congress in our current time of crisis. We firmly believe that dedicating resources to build a stronger, more capable Congress is of key importance to our democracy and is necessary for it to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities. Therefore,
we urge you to increase the 302(b) allocation for the legislative branch by 10 percent as you determine spending levels for FY 2022.