Remember this report showing the vast number of extinctions in our immediate future (“16,119 animal and plant species are in danger of extinction, including 1 in 8 birds, 1 in 4 mammals and 1 in 3 amphibian species”, not to mention “a quarter of the world’s … coniferous trees”). It looks like the first to go following that report will be Brachylagus idahoensis, the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit. The last purebred male has died, and only two females remain alive in captive breeding programs (to involve cross-breeding them with other rabbit species). None are believed to be alive in the wild.
This is ripe! An alligator entered the home of a Florida woman and proceeded to attack her dog. She grabbed her gun and shot it. What happened next? Wildlife officials gave her a warning citation for hunting without a license. What’s wrong with the people in that state? [via Gay Orbit]
The most extensive and thorough study of human and chimpanzee DNA “shows that the split between the two species was a long, messy affair that may even have featured an unusual evolutionary version of breakup sex.” The study demonstrates “that humans and chimpanzees first split up about 10 million years ago. Then, after evolving in different directions for about 4 million years, they got back together for a brief fling that produced a third, hybrid population with characteristics of both lines.” This is very interesting stuff, and I suspect the implications are going to piss off a whole lot of creationists. The word “apoplectic” leaps to the front of my mind.
Remember the whole San Diego fiasco with a cross on public land? The judge now intends to fine the city $5,000 per day for each day the cross stays in place. Good for him. Better yet, go read this letter by Keith Taylor regarding the situation. It’s brilliant and significant.
It’s Ten Things I Hate About Commandments, a quick video presenting an hysterical take on the original movie The Ten Commandments.
There are only three red states left that approve of Dubya. That can’t make the Republicans very happy in light of midterm elections this November.
George Will eviscerates the religious right. I’ve always enjoyed George’s work given his keenly sharp intellect whose political views are tempered with common sense. Go read it.
It’s the Iraqi Taliban. Religious militias in the country are now targeting — and killing — gays, prostitutes, liberal professors, girls who refuse to cover their hair, boys who wear theirs too long, booksellers, and those who sell alcohol. Gosh, we’ve done such a fine job with that whole situation.
Wal-Mart’s in trouble now. The first study of its kind clearly indicates the company’s expansion causes more poverty where they have or add stores. Ouch.
More extrasolar planets discovered. This time, the setup appears quite similar to our own, and that means it’s a potentially habitable system (at least one planet is in the star’s habitable zone). We’re getting quite good at this because this new solar system doesn’t appear to contain a giant planet which generally are easier to find.