extinction
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App allows citizen scientists to track monarch butterfly migration
If you've ever pulled out your phone to take a picture of a butterfly, researchers want your help. A team from the University of Maine is using an app that lets citizens scientists along the East Coast take photos of monarch butterfly migration sites and log details about where they're found. The responses will be compiled in an online database and help researchers determine if their monarch migration predictions are accurate.
Test tube embryo transfer may give near-extinct rhinos a second chance
Lab-made embryos are one step closer to saving a virtually extinct species. Scientists have successfully transferred a test tube rhino embryo back into a female for the first time, implanting the creation into a southern white rhino in Poland. The effort supports a theory that scientists can repopulate the near-extinct northern white rhino by fertilizing eggs from the two remaining animals in the species (both females that can't bear children) using frozen sperm from since-deceased males, with southern rhinos serving as surrogate mothers.
UN study says humans are damaging nature at 'unprecedented' rate
You probably weren't expecting a feel-good nature report from the UN after its alarming findings on climate change, and you won't get one. The organization's Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has published a summary of an upcoming study that concludes nature is declining at a pace "unprecedented in human history," and that there are "grave impacts" likely for people around the world. While the finer points of the report aren't available, it makes certain grim facts clear.
Insects could be extinct within a century, scientists say
Insects are dying so rapidly, they could disappear within 100 years, according to the first global scientific review on their decline. A third of species are endangered and more than 40 percent face the threat of extinction in the next few decades, according to the study, which was published in the Biological Conservation journal.
How a YouTube video brought an extinct bird back from the dead
Kauai, Hawaii –– In 2015, Danish environmental artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen became obsessed with a bird that no longer exists. The Kaua'i 'o'o, a now-extinct species of small honeyeater, was last seen in Hawaii in 1987. According to a recent study in Science Advances, ornithologists have observed population declines in almost all of the Kauai Island's honeycreeper species, a famously diverse family of forest birds that have long-faced environmental destruction, the introduction of non-native species and slaughter of the native plantlife on their island. Scientists also say multiple more extinctions are likely in the coming decades. However, Steensen believes he and other ecologically-minded artists can one day bring long-lost species like the small Kaua'i 'o'o back from the dead, using a combination of technology, digital archiving tools and a whole lot of artistic imagination. Below is an essay on Steensen's current project on re-animation related to the Kaua'i 'o'o. Think of it as an introduction to the emerging world of online ecology.
Netflix rescues sci-fi movie 'Extinction' from oblivion
The Cloverfield Paradox isn't the only sci-fi movie Netflix has saved from Hollywood purgatory. Variety has discovered that Netflix bought the worldwide rights to Extinction, a sci-fi thriller from Universal starring Lizzy Caplan and Michael Pena. The studio was originally slated to have released the alien invasion flick on January 26th, but took it off its release schedule just two months prior -- not exactly a resounding vote of confidence. The title is expected to premiere on Netflix sometime later in 2018.
Brain scans shed light on an extinct species
It's not exactly easy to study the Tasmanian tiger. The marsupial has been extinct for over 80 years, and it wasn't given much scientific attention when it was alive -- settlers saw it as a threat to their livestock, not a curiosity. However, that isn't about to stop scientists from learning more about the sadly neglected species. Researchers have scanned two preserved Tasmanian tiger brains and discovered that the creatures were considerably more intelligent than many thought. While their brains were similar to those of Tasmanian devils, their larger frontal lobes suggest they were better at planning and making decisions. That backs the belief that they were hunters, not scavengers like their genetic cousins.
Google machine learning can protect endangered sea cows
It's one thing to track endangered animals on land, but it's another to follow them when they're in the water. How do you spot individual critters when all you have are large-scale aerial photos? Google might just help. Queensland University researchers have used Google's TensorFlow machine learning to create a detector that automatically spots sea cows in ocean images. Instead of making people spend ages coming through tens of thousands of photos, the team just has to feed photos through an image recognition system that knows to look for the cows' telltale body shapes.
Scientists hope to save near-extinct rhinos by transforming cells
The northern white rhinoceros is in far worse straits than most rhinos. There are just three members of the species left, and they can't breed normally -- if nothing happens, extinction is guaranteed. And that's leading researchers to try a dramatic technological solution to keep the northern white rhino around. They're planning to transform both frozen and living rhino cells into stem cells that could grow into eggs and sperm for the in vitro fertilization of a surrogate southern white rhino. This would not only resurrect the species, but create enough diversity that the new population should survive in the wild.
The 3D-printed eggs that could save vultures from extinction
It's hard to drum up sympathy for vultures. They do, after all, feast on the carcasses of dead (and diseased) animals. But at the International Centre for Birds of Prey in the UK, conservationists are hoping to keep extinction at bay for one African species by 3D printing vulture eggs. The replicas, which are made to simulate the same shape, weight and feel of actual vulture eggs, pack sensors inside (kinda like a Kinder surprise egg, except not at all) to gather data on the complicated incubation process. Wired reports that researchers at the ICBP have already begun testing these faux eggs on captive vultures to cull temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, carbon dioxide, light and rotation data -- all transmitted wirelessly -- for its captive breeding program.
Scientists to drill into asteroid impact that wiped out dinosaurs
There's plenty of evidence to indicate that a gigantic asteroid likely wiped out the dinosaurs (and many other forms of life) when it smacked into what's now the Gulf of Mexico roughly 65.5 million years ago. However, what happened shortly afterward remains something of a mystery... or at least, it will until this spring. By April 1st, a scientific expedition will start drilling into the Gulf's Chicxulub impact crater to study how life recovered following the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period. The team will be looking for DNA samples, microfossils and rock type changes at different geologic layers to gauge both the effect of the impact and how lifeforms carried on in the hostile post-impact environment.
Asteroid hit and volcanoes linked as suspects in dinosaur extinction
Ah majestic dinosaurs, your oversized bodies and tiny brains may have been doomed no matter what. But, that asteroid that wiped out all of the giant lizards may have had some volcanic help. According to a new paper published in Science, the Chicxulub impact may have accelerated volcanic activity and helped to release toxic gas from a massive (200,000 square miles massive) lava lake in India known as the Deccan Traps. The researchers point out that the impact didn't cause the geologic activity (like the sea of melted metal) but it's likely that it intensified the situation. That one-two punch of asteroid impact and volcanoes could be the reason why 66 million years ago 70 percent of species on the planet were wiped out. Researchers stated that after the events it could have taken 500,000 years for the Earth's ecosystem to bounce back. The study could also reconcile the volcano versus asteroid extinction theory. Either way, pour out some Tricerahops for our fallen friends, the dinosaurs. [Image credit: Getty Images]
Take a free shot at Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer this weekend
Those of you scratching your heads in bewilderment as to why so many people buy each new installment of Activision's Call of Duty will have a chance to get in on the action themselves at the always attractive price of "free." From May 2 until May 5, both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 will play host to a Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer demo. Once the demo has been pulled down from the PlayStation Network, players will be granted access to three of the game's multiplayer maps as well as three gameplay modes, ranging from the typical Team Deathmatch to the objective-based Search And Rescue. Finally, the demo offers players a gratis opportunity to play the first episode of the Extinction co-operative game type, where soldiers battle waves of invading aliens in a small Colorado town. Luckily, that state shouldn't have any issues with the game's new-found affection for the devil's weed. [Image: Activision]
Meet the Kraken in Call of Duty: Ghosts' 'Mayday' trailer
In the second episode of Call of Duty: Ghosts' Extinction storyline, our heroic human protagonists must dispatch scurrying extraterrestrials, glowing beasts and one very big, very mean alien who wrecks giant ships with the gleeful abandon of a kid playing in the tub. [Image: Activision]
Nightfall brings an alien menace to Call of Duty: Ghosts
This trailer for Nightfall, the first episode of the storyline attached to the Extinction gametype found in Call of Duty: Ghosts, teaches us two things: First, aliens have no fear of Ghosts, and second, no good ever comes from building military bases in the remote Alaskan wilderness.
Alien hordes join the fight in CoD: Ghosts' new Extinction mode
Gunning down zombies has grown a bit cliché, so to shake things up in Call of Duty: Ghosts the developers at Infinity Ward have decided to pit the near-future's most bankable soldiers against slathering extraterrestrial villains. Not unlike the Horde mode seen in Gears of War, the Extinction game type in Ghosts pits a team of one to four players against waves of fast, strong alien invaders. Activision's official description describes the mode as a "unique blend of fast-paced survival action, FPS base defense, scavenging and class leveling." Whether this new mode replaces the zombie battles fans have come to love in prior Call of Duty entries remains to be seen. Extinction is currently slated to launch alongside Call of Duty: Ghosts when that game debuts on November 5.
Wizard101 invites us to the dinosaur world of Azteca
While KingsIsle has been heavily focused on Pirate101's recent launch, the studio wanted to send a strong message that it's still fully behind Wizard101 and has a dedicated team working hard to keep improving and expanding the game. In fact, the Wizard101 team is larger now than it was at launch and has a huge announcement to share. So what's the big exciting news of the day? Producer Leah Ruben was bursting at the seams to tell us in three words: "Dinosaurs are awesome!" Actually, the big news is that Wizard101 is preparing to release its ninth new world since launch, a dinosaur world named Azteca. Azteca not only will challenge players to progress through 13 areas but is going to raise the level cap. And the biggest surprise of all? It's going on test servers this week for players to try out. Keep on reading to find out what Azteca is going to do for the landscape of Wizard101!
CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LXVI: Acer founder predicts extinction of US PC makers within 20 years
Oh, this is as tasty as it is salacious. Acer founder and former chairman (now retired) Stan Shih has come out with the bold prediction that US computer brands are on the way out -- if they do not adjust to the new reality of a PC market focused on low cost. When asked how he foresees Acer and ASUS establishing their brand credentials in the USA when they're engaged in constant price wars, Shih resolutely stated that lowering costs and prices is the way to do it. Drawing an analogy to the fate of US television brands (pow!), Shih pointed out his belief that American vendors aren't capable (slap!) of delivering the sort of affordability that the market is set to permanently demand. As harsh as his words may be, let's not forget Acer recently jumped Dell for the number two spot in volume of global sales, so let's not ignore what may in fact be prophecy rather than mere prattle.
Saving the old world with wallpapers
I don't know that we've ever quite posted about this, but here you go: given that we're going to be losing old Azeroth forever (sometime in the next 12 months, if the guessing is to be believed), Too Many Annas is stepping up the wallpaper project, aiming to put together pictures of every single zone in the World of Warcraft. Before, this was just a bit of idle fun, turning some scenic views into desktop-sized files, but with the recent Cataclysm-ic news, this is almost a public service, saving these classic old zones from extinction. We've got time yet, surely, but if you like the way anything looks in Desolace or The Barrens, now's the time to screenshot it for good.TMA is even taking requests, so even if you just have a suggestion for a great view, you can send it along and it'll get into the wallpaper database. Only a matter of time until the world is completely shattered; probably a good idea to admire these old zones while we can. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it. Nothing will be the same. In WoW.com's Guide to Cataclysm you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion. From Goblins and Worgens to Mastery and Guild changes, it's all there for your cataclysmic enjoyment.
Nesingwary's extinction plan (hasn't worked)
Players have been doing the math on the notorious Hemet Nesingwary (murderer of animals everywhere), and on the forums, Stubblez has figured out that if you follow all of Nesingwary's beast-killing instructions to the letter, you're responsible for murdering 278 of Azeroth and Outland's fauna. Of course, most players kill even more than that (and there are other quests that ask you to kill even more animals), but even if you take those total numbers and multiply them by the 10 million players Blizzard claims, you get two billion, seven hundred and eighty million animals, all slaughtered in the name of Nesingwary. And that doesn't even count alts.Fortunately, as Neroblanc notes, all that killing hasn't actually thinned the Azerothian animal population at all -- if anything, the beasts in Stranglethorn Vale are herding thicker than they used to be. We'll have to nuke them from orbit just to get rid of all those Raptors down there.But that, of course, doesn't keep the hippie animal lovers from fighting back -- as you might know by now, in the expansion Nesingwary is going to face some opposition in the form of D.E.H.T.A., or Druids for the Ethical and Humane Treatment of Animals. We have a feeling that Hemet's impeccable taste in leather and animal-skin based wear, not to mention his classic novel, probably won't be too much protection against the do-gooders.
