Whether or not it is known by the proper name, we all know what silt can do.
Silt, deposited by the yearly flooding along the Nile River, created the rich and fertile soil of the Nile Delta that help the ancient Egyptians survive.
Sensational Silt
NC Science Now Reporter's blog
Sustainable Estate
In the late 19th century when he built his grand estate, George Vanderbilt’s goal wasn’t just to have a place to relax and entertain family, friends, and business associates. He also wanted a place that would preserve the environment in and around Asheville that he had grown to love.
It’s not surprising then that the nation’s first planned and sustainable forestry program was started at Biltmore, where Vanderbilt’s vision for a sustainable estate began and continues today.
Black Sea Bass Populations
While working on the story Saving Black Sea Bass, I realized how important it is to protect the habitat of black sea bass so it can mature, spawn and grow the population. It just makes sense. But it’s even more important to understand in the case of the black sea bass because these fish are protogynous hermaphrodites.
Protecting Piping Plovers
The piping plover was named for its melodic mating call. It’s an enchanting sound if you are lucky enough to be on a beach with several pairs of birds at the right time.
Promoting Hearing Health
While there appears to be a link between hearing loss and dementia in seniors, a lot more study about the reasons for the link is needed. Researchers also plan to look into whether treating hearing loss early may reduce the risk of health problems later in life.
All About the Gyre
The lines and clumps of sargassum (reddish brown grass floating at sea that forms the foundation of a complex sea community) can stretch for miles along the ocean’s surface here in the North Atlantic. Get high above the surface and you’ll find the orange and brown seaweed as far as the eye can see. And you can’t see it all, because the area known as the Sargasso Sea stretches for almost 2 million square miles.
Flash Facts
It’s time for a news flash, or at least a lightning flash.
The folks at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tell me that lightning flashes more than three million times a day around the world. That’s about 40 flashes per second. Not all of those flashes hit the ground and those flashes are pretty quick—lasting only about 30 microseconds.
Medicines With Class
It’s a pretty common routine.
You visit the doctor’s office for a medical issue and, after a brief examination, you walk out of the office with a prescription. At some point later, you stop by the pharmacy and leave with the medicine in hand.
You may not pay much more attention to the medication. After all the pill, liquid, nasal spray or injection is just something to help you feel better. But it turns out, there are huge differences in medicines. Here are the basics.
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic
The terms aerobic and anaerobic are not only used when talking about processing and cleaning wastewater, as discussed in the story Turning Wastewater Into Energy. These words can also apply to exercise.
In both cases, the words are referring to the amount of oxygen being used to perform an activity. During aerobic exercise, just as in cleaning wastewater, there is enough oxygen available to continue the current level of activity without getting additional energy from another source.
