The telltale paw prints with huge 10 centimetre-long nails spoke volumes. But now definitive corroborating DNA evidence seals the case of the most northerly sighting of a grizzly bear. The discovery fuels mounting evidence that Canada’s High Arctic is no longer the sole preserve of the polar bear – Nanuk is having to make room […]
Cue ominous music
I’ve been putting this off for a while, mostly because the end of the world seems as good a thing as any to put off till later. But ladies and gents, The End Is Near. Or might be, anyway: After analysing the eradication of millions of ancient species, scientists have found that a mass extinction […]
Posted by Ben on May 13, 2005
https://www.swordbilled.com/cue-ominous-music/
Them
The radiation may make ants grow, but the heat from global warming is liable to shrink them, new research suggests. (Though in fairness, the research speaks only of the latter effect. TV land speaks of the former.) (New Scientist: “Global warming could trigger ant invasions,” by Shaoni Bhattacharya [March 21, 2005])
Posted by Ben on May 12, 2005
https://www.swordbilled.com/them/
Let me tell you about my great enormous backlog of links
Going all the way back to mid-February, WorldPress Review carried an interesting story about the US Military’s recruitment schemes, both historical and contemporary. And did you hear about the starquake? Oh. You did. Well, did you hear that women are “less likely to get quality heart attack care,” or that cancer-stricken rats live longer if […]
Posted by Ben on April 14, 2005
https://www.swordbilled.com/let-me-tell-you-about-my-great-enormous-backlog-of-links/
Strange and Good
Rasterbate this. Using the wonders of modern technology, the Rasterbator takes any image you feed it and turns it into a massive, massive poster that you can print out on your standard printer. To date, it’s rasterized enough images to cover 2.39% of Vatican City. (via WFMU’s Beware of the Blog) Build your own. Read […]
Posted by Ben on April 2, 2005
https://www.swordbilled.com/strange-and-good/
Slow and steady steals the house
Working in broad daylight, waving at passing motorists, two men slowly dismantled a three-bedroom brick house in order to sell it for drug money. (AP: “Thieves make off with three-bedroom brick house” [March 23, 2005])
Posted by Ben on March 27, 2005
https://www.swordbilled.com/slow-and-steady-steals-the-house/
Around the world in 80 languages
Watching America collects (and, by the looks of things, translates) articles from publications based in different countries around the world, the focus of these articles being America. Seems similar to World Press Review, if somewhat less professional.
Posted by Ben on March 16, 2005
https://www.swordbilled.com/around-the-world-in-80-languages/
Crisis Pictures
Crisis Pictures is a non-commercial organization dedicated to building awareness of global crisis areas through pictures. Our goal is to make distant events personal by showing real people living through them.
Posted by Ben on March 16, 2005
https://www.swordbilled.com/crisis-pictures/
Zap! Pow! Oops!
In what’s the only reasonable course of action, the company that produces the taser (Taser International) has decided to make a civilian-issue model. Which, when you really think about it, is only reasonable. But only if you put too much effort into the thought and neglect common sense. Despite the lingering questions (and lawsuits), Taser […]
Posted by Ben on March 12, 2005
https://www.swordbilled.com/zap-pow-oops/
The thoughtful cow worries
Once they were a byword for mindless docility. But cows have a secret mental life in which they bear grudges, nurture friendships and become excited over intellectual challenges, scientists have found. Cows are also capable of feeling strong emotions such as pain, fear and even anxiety—they worry about the future. But if farmers provide the […]
Posted by Ben on March 10, 2005
https://www.swordbilled.com/the-thoughtful-cow-worries/