Two climbers have died on the north face of Les Droites in the French Alps after becoming pinned down by a snowstorm. The unidentified alpinists were attempting to climb the Lagarde Couloir when they took refuge from the storm in a snowcave.
While high winds prevented a rescue helicopter from reaching them, the two stayed in contact with authorities in nearby Chamonix via mobile phone; on Friday, one of the climbers told police that his partner had died. During a flyby on Saturday, high-mount... Read More
Communities affected by Hurricane Sandy are using their old Christmas trees to help rebuild sand dunes on their beaches. The trees are being placed on the beaches with their tops facing the ocean in the hope that they will catch sand blowing from all directions. As the trees catch sand slowly the dunes will be rebuilt around them, but this is only the first step in the process of revitalizing the dunes. The addition of sea grasses and other plants will help stabilize the dunes for the fut... Read More
A JetBlue flight carrying 137 people from New York to San Diego was diverted to Denver on Thursday night after one unruly woman refused to suffer the indignity of seeing someone else get a free upgrade. Another passenger who videotaped the incident on her cell phone says that the woman became enraged when one passenger was allowed to move to a better seat without paying the premium price. The woman was removed from the plane in Denver without incident. In the video, passengers can be seen chee... Read More
Ever wonder why your pooch will do just about anything for a belly rub? Now, science has an answer for you. A group of American scientists have identified the neural basis for why mammals, from mice to humans, enjoy being stroked. In a paper published in Nature, researchers from the California Institute of Technology, the University of Louisville, and the University of Pittsburgh found that stroking mice stimulated MRGPRB4+, a specific, rare neuron linked to the hair follicles, Discover report... Read More
Commuters who bike to work are the most satisfied with their morning travel, according to a new study by Portland State Urban Studies Planning Graduate School. The study concludes that commuters who walk to work were almost as happy as cyclists, the least happy being solo drivers. Considering that 76.6 percent of Americans drive alone to work, the findings should resonate with most of us.
Lead researcher Oliver Smith indicates that getting to work using your own power increases what he terms ... Read More
