32 articles from SUNDAY 2.2.2020

Starwatch: seasonal chance to glimpse Mercury

The solar system’s innermost planet can never be seen in the night sky. But there is a chance to see it at twilight during the next two weeksThis coming week offers the chance of seeing Mercury in the evening sky. The innermost planet, Mercury’s orbit is just 0.38 times the size of Earth. Being that close to the sun means that we can never see the planet in the night sky but at certain times...

Wild grey seal caught ‘clapping’ on camera for the first time

The sound resembles ‘shotgun-like cracks’ and attracts potential matesA wild grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) has been caught “clapping” on camera for the first time, making sounds that resemble “shotgun-like cracks”.The large male was filmed striking its flippers together off the coast of the Farne Islands, near Northumberland, during the breeding season in 2017. Continue...

The Guardian view on deep sea exploration: murky waters ahead | Editorial

This year could be a crucial one for ocean protection – but threats abound. A robust global treaty is neededThe 60th anniversary of the expedition that first took humans to the highest spot on earth – the peak of Everest – was widely celebrated seven years ago. The 60th anniversary of the first expedition to its deepest point has gone almost unnoticed. Yet that trip to the bottom of the...

Rounds of wintry weather to eye the central US through midweek

A couple of storms will sweep across the center of the country over the coming days, bringing wintry weather from Iowa to Texas.After dumping inches of snow in across the Great Basin and the Rockies, one storm will move across the Plains into Tuesday."As this first storm moves eastward, it will lose much of its intensity," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Eric Leister.Although low...

Asteroid That Killed the Dinosaurs Was Great for Bacteria

The asteroid moved 24 times faster than a rifle bullet as it struck Earth some 66 million years ago. Its supersonic shock wave flattened trees across North and South America, and its heat wave sparked incomprehensibly large forest fires.The event lofted so much debris into the atmosphere that photosynthesis shut down. The nonavian dinosaurs disappeared. And nearly 75% of all species were...

If there's a silver lining in the clouds of smoke it's that this could be a tipping point | Michael Mann

Australia’s horrific bushfires could be the catalyst that pushes the world to a mass recognition that it’s time to actAs a climate scientist on sabbatical in Australia, I’ve had plenty of conversations about the climate crisis lately as bushfires have burned their way to the front of everyone’s mind. Although the Murdoch media make it seem as if there’s plenty of debate, the reality is...

What a to-do! How to write the perfect list

Looking for freedom from that familiar nagging feeling? Here’s how to get stuff done without overwhelming yourselfIt is simple and elegant and ordered. In theory, the to-do list is the answer to all your productivity problems. First, write “write to-do list” at the top, just so you have something to tick off immediately, then list all the things you need to get done. Work your way through,...