ENVIRONMENT A kayaking fisherman was Hawaii’s second shark attack fatality this year, following an August attack on a snorkeler. Prior to 2013 there hadn’t been a single fatal shark attack in Hawaii since 2004. Are shark attacks on the rise? (National Geographic News) Use our resources to better understand sharks and their behavior. The species of shark responsible for the death of the fisherman has … Continue reading Another Deadly Shark Attack in Hawaii
ENVIRONMENT There is good news and bad news from the world’s leading scientists who study endangered species. Such ups and downs are among the findings of the latest update to the Red List, a guide to the world’s rarest species maintained by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). (National Geographic News) Use our resources to understand how the IUCN evaluates a species … Continue reading ‘Red List’ Offers Updates on Endangered Species
SCIENCE Man’s best friends may have started off as European wolves, according to scientists whose research is challenging earlier thinking around how dogs became domestic animals. (National Geographic News, New York Times) Use our resources to better understand domestication and its discontents. Discussion Ideas The idea that dogs evolved from wolves or a common ancestor is hardly a new idea. In fact, dogs’ scientific name, … Continue reading First Dogs May Have Been European
SCIENCE How does a tick simultaneously cut through skin and embed an often-toxic anchor? It sinks its teeth into the situation. When seen with an electron microscope, a tick’s mouth has what look like twin saws flanking an appendage that appears to be the kind of long, barbed sword that a villain in a video game might favor. (New York Times, be sure to watch … Continue reading How a Tick Does Its Dirty Work
WORLD A group called the Dallas Safari Club is auctioning off the chance for one hunter to shoot an endangered black rhinoceros in Namibia. The club claims all proceeds will support conservation of the embattled species, but the the announcement has touched off a firestorm of criticism around the world. (National Geographic News) Do you support the rhino hunt? Scroll down to vote in our … Continue reading Rhino Hunt Sets Off Conservation Debate
