• CLIMATE CHANGE
The rate at which the earth’s temperature is increasing has eased slightly in the past decade. Meteorologist Michael E. Mann cautions against calling this short-term slowdown a “pause” or relaxing climate policies. If the world continues to burn fossil fuel at its current rate, then global temperatures will rise by two degrees Celsius (almost four degrees Fahrenheit) by 2036. Once this threshold is reached, there will be real harm to human civilizations, such as the rise of ocean levels at coasts and the occurrence of droughts in agricultural areas. To prevent this, nations need to keep their carbon dioxide levels below 405 parts per million.
Climate Change: False Hope
• BIG DATA
Data brokers collect people’s data when they are online and even walking down the street, without their permission or knowledge. There have been some attempts to generate an industry code of practice for location-technology companies; data brokers cannot, however, be trusted to regulate themselves.
Forum: Big Data Stalking
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• ENDANGERED SPECIES
The Endangered Species Management Self-Determination Act, recently introduced in Congress, threatens to undermine the conservation efforts of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. The bill would require state and congressional approval to add new species to the protected list, which is currently done by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Services, based on the best scientific data available. Although those advocating for the bill say it is an attempt to better serve imperiled species, local economies and people, their arguments are flawed. It does not account for the decades it takes for species to rebound or the importance of protected ecosystems in providing essential services to humans. The ESA could use improvements, such as an update to reflect what scientists know about the threats climate change poses to wildlife, but not a total rewrite.
Science Agenda: Preserve the Endangered Species Act
• MARINE EXPLORATION
In April, the high-tech robotic submersible Nereus will begin to explore one of the deepest ocean trenches, marking the beginning of an era of the systematic exploration of these ultradeep areas. Experts in the field have designated top priorities for research, which include figuring out how organisms survive the immense water pressure and whether life on earth began there. Unusual compounds found in deep-sea creatures could lead to novel pharmaceuticals, and rocks could reveal why certain tsunamis become so large. Marine Exploration: Journey to the Bottom of the Sea
• MEDICINE
Scientific discoveries in the late 20th century revealed previously unknown forms of RNA—a component of cells similar to DNA—that play a crucial role in regulating how genes are translated. New technology that utilizes this science offers the possibility of experimental medications that should work more effectively and precisely than many currently available drugs against bacteria, viruses, cancer and chronic conditions. Its potential has prompted significant venture capital investment. In 2013 Editas Medicine received $43 million in venture capital to work on new RNA technology. And this past January, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals received $700 million to develop, among other things, RNA medications for devastating blood conditions, liver diseases and immune disorders. Future of Medicine 2014: The RNA Revolution
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