Bayer’s neonicotinoid pesticides, which now coat upwards of 90 percent of US corn seeds and seeds of increasing portions of other major crops like soy, have emerged as a likely trigger for colony collapse disorder.
A Supernova Cocoon Breakthrough
ScienceDaily (May 15, 2012) — Observations with NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have provided the first X-ray evidence of a supernova shock wave breaking through a cocoon of gas surrounding the star that exploded. This discovery may help astronomers understand why some supernovas are much more powerful than others.
Trees cocooned in spiders webs after flooding in Sindh, Pakistan
An unexpected side-effect of the flooding in parts of Pakistan has been that millions of spiders climbed up into the trees to escape the rising flood waters.
Because of the scale of the flooding and the fact that the water has taken so long to recede, many trees have become cocooned in spiders webs. People in this part of Sindh have never seen this phenonemon before - but they also report that there are now less mosquitos than they would expect, given the amoungt of stagnant, standing water that is around.
It is thought that the mosquitos are getting caught in the webs, which would be one blessing for the people of Sindh, facing so many other hardships after the floods.
UK aid - in response to the Pakistan floods - is helping millions of survivors return home and rebuild their lives.
Find out more about the UK government’s response to the Pakistan floods at www.dfid.gov.uk/pakistan-floods-six-months
Picture: Russell Watkins/Department for International Development
