Australia experienced bushfires for more than five straight months. Even though these fires devastated many parts of the land, the marine life and ocean of Australia are also suffering. Large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) have been released as a product of the fires, and much of this CO2 is absorbed by the ocean. In turn, this has raised the acidity level of Australia's ocean water. This acidification greatly weakens the calcium carbonate shells and skeletons of shellfish and coral reefs. Also, ash from these fires is carrying dangerous chemical compounds to the ocean, which are then eaten by phytoplankton, the basis of marine food webs. While much on this topic is still unknown, recent worldwide wildfires have motivated scientists to study it further.

Blue cheese, named for the blue veins that run through it, gets its unique look from special mold added during the cheese-making process. One of the most commonly used molds is Penicillium roqueforti, resulting in what is known as Roquefort cheese. Originally, people making this type of cheese would leave bread in a damp cave. This bread would soon attract the soft mold that existed in the cave's moist air. Several weeks later, this mold would be taken from the bread, dried out, and added to the cheese. Finally, tiny holes would be poked into the cheese, allowing air to enter it. This air fed the mold, causing the distinctive blue veins to form.

Wangari Maathai was born in Kenya, a country suffering from deforestation and high female unemployment. In the mid-1970s, she thought of an idea that would address both issues. The National Council of Women of Kenya urged her to pursue the idea, and in 1977, the Green Belt Movement was born. Maathai hired local women to gather tree seeds from forests and plant them in tin cans. When the trees were tall enough, they planted them in the ground, and then the council paid the women for their work. The movement planted 30 million trees, and it helped many women become financially independent. Finally, for her work, Maathai became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Did you know that Charlie Chaplin composed music? When people think of him, they tend to remember him as an amusing comedian, a movie writer, a director, and a producer. But few people know that he was also a composer. This fact may seem surprising, since most of his films were silent. In those days, however, when silent films were shown in the theater, they would be accompanied by musicians, and many of the songs for Chaplin's movies were composed by Chaplin himself. The song U000f0852Smile,U000f0853 which many people think of as Michael Jackson's, was actually written by Charlie Chaplin.

Dog owners can spend so much time grooming, bathing, and exercising their pets that they forget an important aspect of their animals' health: their teeth! Keeping your dog's teeth healthy is just as important as ensuring it gets enough food and exercise. Unfortunately, some dog owners don't take care of their dog's teeth and it can worsen their dog's health. For example, plaque can allow bacteria to grow and cause tooth decay. This kind of dental trouble can even lead to other problems, such as heart, liver, and kidney conditions. Dog owners can prevent such problems without too much effort, simply by learning to properly inspect their pet's teeth. Start by examining the teeth from front to back and be sure to take note of any unusual smells.

Banana peels have more practical uses than you may have thought. They can be used to polish shoes and silver or be made into fertilizer. Now, a Brazilian scientist has found another interesting use. He showed that banana peels can be used to clean polluted water. In an experiment, he cut up some banana peels and dried them. Then he put them into jars of water that were polluted with copper and lead. Not only did the banana peels remove heavy metals, but they did so better than existing purifiers. And they could be reused up to eleven times! In addition, banana peels are low-cost, available around the world, and do not leave behind any chemicals. This makes them a green option for cleaning up polluted lakes and rivers.

When sea otters rest in the water, they float on their backs and hold hands with one another. This may seem cute, but it has a practical purpose. Known as U000f0852rafting,U000f0853 it can involve hundreds of otters in a single group. Holding hands prevents individuals from drifting away from the others. Despite what some people believe, it is not a sign that otters are caring and gentle. In fact, sea otters can become violent, especially during mating season. Males will sometimes bite females hard enough to make them bleed. It is not uncommon to see females with numerous scars on their faces. Nevertheless, otters are social creatures, and they often act in ways that seem affectionate. A mother otter, for example, will sometimes float on her back with her baby resting comfortably on her chest.

The Internet offers PR professionals millions of opportunities to perform research and deliver their messages. One of the biggest advantages of it is that it is not limited by space or time. The Internet is an immediate form of communication and its information can be updated at any time, from almost anywhere. However, the structure of many websites is such that a large number of readers may not bother to pay attention to all of the information they contain. A site may receive 100,000 hits in one day, but how many of those visitors actually read the whole page? Therefore, replacing all traditional communication with Internet communication can be risky. Despite its many advantages, the Internet is best used as a single part of an overall communication strategy, not as the main focus of it.

Instead of ordinary, empty roofs, many buildings these days have green roofs. These are roofs on which grass, shrubs, and even trees are grown. There are many benefits that can be enjoyed from green roofs. For example, they increase the value of the buildings they cover and make it much cheaper to heat and cool them. Green roofs can also replace habitats for birds, insects, and other wildlife that may have been destroyed to make room for the building. But most of all, they offer a pleasing sight that can make living in a big city more pleasant.

Social media has made it easier than ever to connect to friends and family through the Internet. Although social media has clearly brought people closer together, it has also had negative effects. For instance, the popularity of social media has been connected to a rise in depression among teenagers. Recent research has shown that this increase was not caused by social media but by the rise of online bullying. It is true that bullying has always been a problem for adolescents. The difference is that students used to be free from bullying when they weren't in school. Now bullies can follow their victims home on their laptops and smartphones. Because adolescents are constantly connected to each other through social media, bullies are always present. This persistent harassment is what is damaging mental health.

William Sheridan was a patient awaiting a heart transplant. To relieve his boredom while waiting in the hospital for a donor, he began drawing. Unfortunately, William lacked artistic talent, and his drawings were like those of a child. Then, after months of waiting, William finally received a heart. After he recovered, however, he made a strange discovery. He was now able to produce beautiful pictures of people, animals, and landscapes. He was even more surprised when he learned that the donor of the heart had been a talented artist. To show his appreciation, he drew a picture of a hand holding a heart and gave it to the donor's mother.

n the past, pills were always white. Today, however, medicine can be made in thousands of different color combinations. But why should drug companies care about the color of medicine? For one thing, color can stop patients from getting confused. Elderly people must take several different kinds of medicine each day. Distinct colors help them identify each type of medication quickly and with ease. Also, studies have shown that colors can have a psychological effect. For example, patients claim to get better sleep from blue sleeping pills and faster relief from red painkillers. Aside from these functional benefits, color also plays an important role in marketing. This is because consumers are more attracted to certain colors and often make purchasing decisions based on these preferences.

A newly completed bridge in Peeblesshire, Scotland has set a world record. At thirty meters long and capable of supporting up to 44 tons, it is the world's longest plastic bridge. Additionally, the process of manufacturing and building the bridge took only two weeks! Since it is plastic, the bridge won't rust and doesn't require regular maintenance. The bridge's designers plan to use it as a prototype for other eco-friendly bridges. While most construction materials degrade over time, the materials used to build this bridge are strong and long-lasting. After the bridge grows old and needs to be replaced, the plastic can be used for other purposes. Therefore, the material will never have to go to a landfill.

A critical aspect of the immune system is inflammation. The inflammatory response is how our body deals with anything threatening or foreign, such as toxic environmental chemicals, microbes, injuries, and infections. When the body experiences such outside invaders, white blood cells are sent to the area that is under attack, and the body begins to heal itself through the inflammatory response. Pain and swelling are commonplace symptoms for injuries, whereas fever and chills are typical for infections. In fact, these symptoms are a sign that inflammation is working. However, when it becomes chronic, the immune system will continuously attack perfectly healthy tissues, whether or not the body is in danger. This can often lead to diabetes, arthritis, and other diseases of vital bodily organs.

At first glance, nuclear energy may seem like the best power source for the future. Its fuel supply is limitless, and it doesn't produce smoke. Plus, it's fairly inexpensive. But if you look closely, you'll find nuclear energy is not a desirable option. The main reason is the problem of radioactive waste storage. Highly toxic fuel left over from nuclear fission remains toxic for thousands of years. Furthermore, leaks from storage sites are dangerous and cleanup is expensive. The potential for accidents at reactors themselves, such as the event at Fukushima, is even scarier. Options such as solar power and hydrogen fuel are far better in terms of cost and safety. If these alternatives gained more attention, they could replace nuclear energy as a power source in the future.

Welcome to the games division of Elemento, Inc. You may be familiar with other divisions of our company, but not many people know that we also make electronic games. We're going to start today's program by viewing a short film that will fill you in on the background of our games division. After that, we'll visit the assembly room, where you'll see the construction of some game parts. From there, we'll move to our testing studios, where Elemento's quality control team tests new games to identify any potential problems. If you'd like, you can even try a couple of games yourself. And as our final stop of the day, you'll be taken to the company cafeteria to enjoy lunch with several of our top executives.

It's easy to find people's success stories in the media. We see them so often that we're inclined to let them guide our own ambitions. But it may actually be misguided to follow in the footsteps of someone who is different from us. When we are unable to be as good at whatever our role model does, we might easily feel defeated instead of inspired. This is why we ought to learn from someone who has achieved something that is also achievable for us. Celebrities and historical figures, while certainly worthy of respect, do not make for the best role models. Family members or peers, on the other hand, make for more appropriate mentors because their circumstances and life experiences are fairly similar to our own.

The world's lightest material was recently created by researchers in California. Called ultralight metallic microlattice, or UMM, it is 100 times lighter than Styrofoam. Tobias Shandler, who led the research team, explained why it is so light: We made a fabric of hollow tubes that have walls 1,000 times thinner than a human hair. Though UMM is made largely of metal nickel, it is 99% air. According to UMM's creators, everyday objects will soon be made of it. Computer experts plan to use UMM to make computers lighter. UMM may also be used for impact protection, as it can be crushed to half its size and then quickly return to its original shape. UMM could also be used for thermal insulation and sound dampening.

Fish need water for dissolving substances in their body. Osmosis is the main process by which they obtain water. Water is transmitted through their skin until the levels of the solution are equal inside and outside of their body. Saltwater fish have less salt in their body than the ocean water, so osmosis removes water from them, which means they have to drink extra water to survive. Because freshwater fish have more salt in their bodies than the water, they actually take water into their body, so they don't have to drink water. Fish also need salt in their blood, so the breathing holes on their sides pump salt in and out of their body. Salt is constantly pumped into the bodies of freshwater fish and out of saltwater varieties.

It is natural for people who are the victims of crime or betrayal to feel self-pity and even powerlessness for a short time. But when someone constantly sees bad events in life as unfair and believes that they have no control over their future, they suffer from what is called the victim mentality. This mentality is self-destructive because it prevents people from taking action to improve their lives. People with healthy mindsets understand that bad things can and will happen in life and that sometimes the decisions they make can cause or worsen these unpleasant situations. This allows people to take responsibility for their behavior. However, people who believe that they are always victims of life's regular difficulties cannot see how their own actions contribute to their problems, so they do nothing to overcome them.

The difficulty of diagnosing cancers is well-documented. This could change with a newly released blood test. Researchers say it can more effectively identify eight cancer types, including pancreas, breast, and lung cancer. In one study of 850 people diagnosed with one of these cancer types, it successfully located signs of cancer in 75% of the group. Alterations in the DNA are extremely common as tumors develop. 16 of these mutations, in particular, can be detected with the test. Identifying these altered genes is significant because the earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the higher the chances of a successful treatment outcome are. But as there are too few proven diagnostic tools, a number of cancers are not detected until it's too late. Fortunately, many researchers are confident that this test will make it easier for doctors to detect early-stage cancers.

In a recent study, native English-speaking students who could speak basic Spanish were asked to repeatedly name objects in Spanish. The more the students repeated the Spanish words, the more difficult they found it to remember the English words. This suggests that naming objects in another language temporarily replaces the orresponding native words, making them harder for the brain to retrieve. Interestingly, the study showed that bilingual students did not experience this problem. This suggests that this method of replacement appears mainly in the early stages of second language learning. That is, as beginners, we attempt to ignore the words of our native language and replace them with the second language. As a speaker achieves bilingual fluency, replacement becomes less necessary, with both languages becoming equally accessible.