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☆ A California woman bought a vacant lot in Hawaii and discovered a $500,000 house was built on it without her permission
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A developer in Hawaii accidentally built a house on it instead of the neighboring lot. Reynolds bought a one-acre plot of land in Hawaiian Paradise Park, a nearly 15,000-person subdivision on Hawaii's Big Island, for $22,500 at a tax auction. Reynolds' lot is just two miles from the beach. He told BI that in Paradise Park, unless you're next to the ocean or the highway, every parcel looks indistinguishable. Related stories"There are 8,000 one-acre lots in Paradise Park," Kenny said.

Persons: Anne Reynolds, —, Anne, Reynolds, Trulia —, Doug Keown, Dana Kenny, Kenny, Peter Olson, James DiPasquale, I've, — I've, DiPasquale, they're Organizations: Service, BI, Savio Realty Ltd, Keaau Development, DiPasquale Locations: Hawaii, Paradise, California

CNN —Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi has threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany amid a dispute over the import of hunting trophies. ”Twenty thousand elephants for Germany, this is not a joke,” Masisi told German tabloid Bild. Lenin Nolly/Sipa USA/AP/FileMasisi told Bild that Germany’s Green party could learn to cohabitate with elephants without hunting them. According to the ministry, Germany is one of the largest importers of hunting trophies in the European Union, and African hunting trophies already require import authorization under current rules. Trophy hunting does not come close to diminishing the elephant population, Masisi told broadcaster Sky News.

Persons: CNN —, Mokgweetsi Masisi, ” Masisi, –, Steffi Lemke, Lenin, Masisi, ”, Murat Ozgur Guvendik, “, ” Botswana’s, Botswana’s, Iris Throm, Mary Rice, Rice, Bild, you’d Organizations: CNN, Green, Getty, Botswana’s Ministry of Environment, Tourism, European Union, Germany’s Federal Agency for Nature, Environmental Investigation Agency, Sky News, Convention, International Trade, Fauna Locations: Germany, Berlin, Botswana, Masisi, Anadolu, Angola, Mozambique

☆ Titanosaur skeleton discovered in France is 70 million years old
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A chance discovery made in southern France has revealed a rare specimen — an almost complete dinosaur skeleton found connected from its hind skull to its tail. The Archaeological and Paleontological Cultural Association at the Cruzy Museum, in collaboration with the French National Center for Scientific Research, identified the nearly 10-meter-long (32.8-foot-long) fossil as a Titanosaur skeleton upon excavation. The recently revealed 70% complete Titanosaur skeleton was retrieved during the excavation along with several fossils of various dinosaurs and other vertebrates, including some in anatomical connection and near complete. The Titanosaur skeleton currently resides in the Cruzy Museum’s laboratory, where it will be further studied, Veyssières said. Remains of Titanosaur fossils are widely unearthed in Europe, but few are discovered in anatomical connection, Boschetto said.

Persons: CNN —, Damien Boschetto, Boschetto, ” Boschetto, Jean, Marc Veyssières, ”, Veyssières, Damien Boschetto Titanosaur, Matthew Carrano, ” Carrano Organizations: CNN, Cruzy, French National Center for Scientific Research, Cruzy Museum, Smithsonian Institution National, of Locations: France, Montouliers, Cruzy, Europe

☆ Tourists are paddle boarding and frolicking in one of Earth's driest locations after record rains
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Lauren Edmonds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewHeavy rainfall created a temporary lake in Death Valley National Park, one of Earth's driest locations, prompting travelers to take a potentially once-in-a-lifetime swim. The unexpected phenomenon began earlier this week at Death Valley's Badwater Basin after recent rainstorms battered California. Tourists wading through Death Valley's temporary lake. Tourists paddle boarding and wading in Death Valley's temporary lake. Two tourists sit beside Death Valley's temporary lake.

Persons: —, Ty ONeil, Andler, DAVID SWANSON, Heather, Bob Gang, Heather Gang, Guo Yu, hydrometeorology, Tiffany Pereira Organizations: Service, Lake Manly, National Park Services, Business, Associated Press, AP, Tourists, Research, Getty Locations: Death, California, Badwater, Lake, Lake Manley, Southern California

☆ Google opens New York headquarters in repurposed 1930s railway terminal
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Christy Choi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Google is set to open its New York headquarters in a repurposed 1930s railway terminus near Hudson Square on Monday — and the tech giant says the project was designed with nature in mind. Once at the end of the railway now forming New York’s High Line, St. John’s Terminal served as a freight facility and office space. Mark Wickens/Courtesy GoogleGoogle began leasing the St. John’s Terminal site in 2019, and bought it outright in 2022 for $2.1 billion. Mark Wickens/Courtesy GoogleThe building can accommodate around 3,000 workers and is organized into 60 “neighborhoods” for teams of around 20 to 50 people. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, also slashed around 12,000 jobs — then around 6% of its workforce — at the beginning of 2023.

Persons: it’s, ”, Sean Downey, Mark Wickens, Rick Cook, Google, that’s, Downey, we’ve, Jennifer Kelly, — Organizations: CNN, Google, New York State, Americas, Global Business, CookFox Architects, John’s, Google Google, Google’s Global Business Organization Locations: New York, Hudson, SoHo, Tribeca, St, Coney, Hurricane, Dublin, Playa Vista, New York City, Chelsea, John’s, California, America, ”

☆ Nature Has Value. Could We Literally Invest in It?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Lydia Depillis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Picture this: You own a few hundred acres near a growing town that your family has been farming for generations. Turning a profit has gotten harder, and none of your children want to take it over. You don’t want to sell the land; you love the open space, the flora and fauna it hosts. But offers from developers who would turn it into subdivisions or strip malls seem increasingly tempting. But the idea has gained traction among environmentalists, money managers and philanthropists who believe that nature won’t be adequately protected unless it is assigned a value in the market — whether or not that asset generates dividends through a monetizable use.

☆ Last Chance Lake: A ‘soda lake’ in North America could point to the origin of life on Earth
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Ayurella Horn-Muller | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Last Chance LakeLast Chance Lake is no more than 1 foot deep. Haas displays a piece of dry-season lake crust taken from Last Chance Lake in September 2022. Last Chance Lake isn’t 4 billion years old — in fact, it’s estimated to have been around less than 10,000 years. Past studies suggest a primordial version of the soda lake may very well have included the substance. “Understanding how life originated on Earth has this importance for our search for life outside of Earth,” Haas told CNN.

Persons: —, David Catling, “, ” Catling, It’s, Sebastian Haas, Haas, David C, isn’t, ”, ” Haas, Catling, Charles Darwin, Matthew Pasek, Pasek, they’re, Woodward Fischer, Ayurella, Muller Organizations: CNN, British Columbia, University of Washington, geosciences, University of South, California Institute of Technology, “, Climate Central Locations: Canadian, British, British Columbia, Chance, Yellowstone, University of South Florida, Axios, ”

☆ I've climbed Mount Kilimanjaro over 300 times and now guide others. Even fit, healthy tourists are often unprepared for how difficult the hike can be.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Ashley Couto | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewThis as-told-to story is based on a transcribed conversation with Justin Stephen Mtui, a Kilimanjaro summit guide. I've climbed Kilimanjaro over 300 times. I remember telling other porters, "If you haven't gone to Kilimanjaro summit, you can't say you're hiking Kilimanjaro." Social media has helped make the Kilimanjaro hike more popular. As a company, we'll summit Kilimanjaro 66 times in 2024.

Persons: —, Justin Stephen Mtui, Mount Kilimanjaro, you've, I've, don't, Justin Stephan Mtui, we've, they've Organizations: Service, Business, Social Locations: Tanzania, Kilimanjaro, Mount

☆ Can groundhogs or other animals predict the weather?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Punxatawney Phil, the central character of the annual rite of winter known as Groundhog’s Day, isn’t great at his job. Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty ImagesThe Old Farmer’s Almanac has aggregated a couple dozen adages about insects, animals and their ability to predict weather patterns. Researchers in Germany also looked into whether various species of animals could detect an oncoming earthquake. Fact vs. folkloreOther tropes about animals’ ability to predict seasonal conditions, however, are wrong. But in reality, the “caterpillar’s coloring is based on how long (the) caterpillar has been feeding, its age, and species,” according to the National Weather Service.

Persons: CNN —, Phil, isn’t, Theresa Crimmins, phenology, ” Crimmins, “, ”, it’s, Max, Gordon Miller, ” Miller, Crimmins, Miller, Rachel Carson Organizations: CNN, National Phenology, United States —, USA National Phenology Network, University of Wisconsin -, Max Planck Society, Dolbear’s, Oceanic, Administration, Seattle University, National Weather Service Locations: United States, Germany, University of Wisconsin - Madison, North America, Mendota Heights , Minnesota, Tennessee

☆ The Maldives are known as a luxury vacation destination. But for $100 per day, my husband and I had the trip of a lifetime.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Geena Truman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementThe key to budget travel in the Maldives is visiting the local islandsWe found visiting local islands to be a beautiful and affordable way to experience the true culture of the Maldives. AdvertisementThe local Maldivian Islands were affordable and beautifulThe local islands were stunning. These excursions proved the waters of the local islands had just as much to offer as the private-island resorts. By staying on the local islands, we got to experience more of the Maldivian cultureBecause we visited the local islands, we got to learn a lot about the local culture. By staying on the local islands, we got to interact with members of the community and learn about their incredible sea-faring history.

Persons: —, Geena Truman, we'd, Truman Organizations: Service, Business, Manta Rays Locations: Maldives, Southeast Asia, Ukulhas, Omadhoo, Maldivian

☆ Hands-On Art at the Brooklyn Museum’s New Education Center
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Laurel Graeber | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Yet as extraterrestrial as this environment sounds, you can soon encounter it in Brooklyn. On Saturday, from noon to 3 p.m., “Artland” will welcome the public to a free celebration of the newly renovated Toby Devan Lewis Education Center at the Brooklyn Museum, where visitors can sculpt imaginary flora and fauna to add to the show’s phantasmagoric jungles. In some ways, the installation symbolizes the new center, which aims to help visitors find their own pathways into art. “It’s all about world building, right?” Shamilia McBean Tocruray, the museum’s co-director of education, said in an interview. “All about creating possibilities, and really akin to the invitation that we’re making to our community to say: ‘Come in here.

Persons: “, Ho Suh, Artland, Toby Devan Lewis, Tocruray, ’ Organizations: Toby Devan Lewis Education Center, Brooklyn Museum Locations: Brooklyn

☆ Cane toads: This warty, toxic pest threatens entire ecosystems. These scientists have a secret weapon
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

For the most part, the battle against cane toads has been mounted by local ecological warriors wearing rubber gloves who scan the streets for adult toads. But the Australians have a secret weapon not yet available worldwide – a lure that attracts cane toad tadpoles so thousands can be killed in one hit. To prove the theory, and try to mimic it, they’d first need a heap of dead cane toads. “In Florida, cane toads are mainly a socio-economic issue. Northern quolls – small carnivorous marsupials – get a cane toad sausage, goannas are fed tiny live toads and freshwater crocodiles receive cane toad legs with a dose of lithium chloride.

Persons: Australia CNN —, Gary King, “ Who’s, ”, King, Australia’s, Cane, Luke, Austin Rogers, “, “ There’s, we’re, Rob Capon, Rick Shine, Capon, ” Capon, they’d, it’s, you’ve, Jacob LaFond, Steve Johnson, that’s, ” LaFond, That’s, Nikki Tomsett, ” Tomsett, they’re, Sara McAllister, Connor, John Holmes, Hilary Whiteman, Connor Holmes, John, ” John, ” Connor Organizations: Australia CNN, University of Queensland, Macquarie University . Shine, Macquarie University, University of Tampa, University of Florida, Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, CNN Locations: Brisbane, Australia, South, Central America, Queensland, United States, Japan, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Pacific, Caribbean, United Kingdom, koalas, North Queensland, Florida, Miami, “, South Florida, Australian, Hawaii, Derby, Western Australia, Northern

☆ Best travel destinations to visit in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-01 | by ( Cnn Travel Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +32 min

cdwheatley/iStockphoto/Getty Images Angola: Beyond the capital city of Luanda, pictured, Angola has some jaw-droppingly spectacular scenery and cultural treats. David ChiaFF/Alamy Stock Photo Mérida, Mexico: Yucatán state's capital city showcases a blend of Mayan and colonial heritage. Pavel Tochinsky/The Image Bank RF/Getty Images Morocco: This North African country is home to nine UNESCO sites, including the historic city of Meknes, pictured. Panama City is also the only world capital with a tropical rainforest within its city limits. And a historic city forever entwined with the famed Camino de Santiago.

Persons: you’d, Tengguo Wu, Gabriele Thielmann, Turkey's, Gary Ennis, Matevz, Bill Bachman, Christian Kober, Gonzalo Azumendi, David ChiaFF, Pavel Tochinsky, Terry Kelly, Raul Rodriguez, iStock, Anton Petrus, –, — Karla Cripps Turkey’s, — Barry Neild, Mana Kaasik, — Maureen O’Hare, — Maggie Hiufu Wong, Deb Snelson, Glen Arbor, Marnie Hunter, — Forrest Brown, — Forrest Brown Angola Cristo, Eric Lafforgue, it’s, King, Eric Carr, John’s, Saint John, New Brunswick —, —, Tuul, Bruno Morandi, — Julia Buckley, Groenewald, Alamy, — Lilit Marcus, Alexander the Great, Philip II of Macedon, — JB, Bogdan Lazar, — Tamara Hardingham, Gill, Hercules, Francesca, Lazarus, ”, David Casanova, Megan Sequeira Casanova, “, Kuka y Naranjo, medina, Gordon Sinclair, Yvette Cardozo, — FB, Pierce Ingram, Stefan Tomic, Fujairah, who’ve, Samarkand —, It’s Organizations: CNN, United, CNN Travel, Getty Images, Town, Getty, Northwest, Saint, New Brunswick Tourism, UNESCO, Heritage, Alamy, Parque Nacional Volcán Barú, Galicia, Tercera Orden, Parque, Bank, Wakulla Springs, Texas, United Arab Emirates, AP, Rock, of Culture, Estonian National Museum, — Maggie Hiufu Wong Northwest Michigan, Bear, Farm, Riders, Lubango, — BN Saint John, Canada Tourists, St, Saint John City Market, Historic, Saint John Arts Centre, Carnegie, Carnegie Library, — KC, Korea, Folk, Netflix, South Korea, Adriatic, Nacional Glaciares, Australian Sea Lions, Panama, Spain Santiago de, Spain Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, Islas, Camino, Mexico People, YouTube, US State Department, Morocco, Regis Hotels, Resorts, — FB Texas, Travel Texas, Krause, Gruene, Fujairah, Icefjord, FS, Tuul, ” Locations: United States, Sumba, Indonesia Sumba, Indonesia, Bali, Getty Images Tartu, Estonia, Tartu —, European, Tainan, Taiwan, Northwest Michigan, Traverse City, Lake Michigan, iStockphoto, Western Balkans, Culebra , Puerto Rico, Flamenco, Culebra, cdwheatley, Angola, Luanda, , New Brunswick, Fundy, New Brunswick, New Brunswick Tourism South Korea, Korea Albania, Albania, Chile, mauritius, Western Australia, Greece, Macedonia, American, Panama, Spain, Camino, Santiago, St, John's, Mexico, Parque Hidalgo, Morocco, Meknes, Florida, Spicewood, Anton, Greenland, Denmark, AP Uzbekistan, Bukhara, Indonesian, Sumela, Turkey's, — Barry Neild Tartu, Estonia Tartu, of Culture Tartu, Tartu, “, Baltics, — Maureen O’Hare Tainan, Taiwan Tainan, Taipei, — Maggie Hiufu Wong Northwest, Lake, Traverse, Leland, Glen, perusing, Balkans, Slovenia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia, transdinarica.com, —, Puerto Rico, It’s, — Forrest Brown Angola, Lubango, Barra, Cabo Ledo, — BN Saint John , New Brunswick, Canada, Hopewell, Newfoundland, Saint, Canada’s, Korea Andong, South Korea, Sanga, Korea, Seoul, Busan, Andong, Albania Albania, Berat, Montenegro, Vlorë, Gjirokastër, — Julia Buckley Chile, Atacama, Patagonia, Coral Coast, Geraldton, — Lilit Marcus Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece's, Hemis, Athens, Vergina, Veria, Naousa, Greece’s, Thrace, Philippi, Kavala, Panama . Panama City, Gill Galicia, Spain Santiago, Spain Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Galicia’s, Santiago de Compostela, Cabo, Fisterra, Galicia —, Singapore, John’s, Paseo, Montejo, Mérida, Yucatán, getaways, there’s, Marrakech, Rabat, Fes, Resorts Morocco, Wakulla, Ginnie, Fredericksburg, Texas, Marble Falls, Meanderers, New Braunfels, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Wadi, Nuuk, Ilulissat, West, FS Uzbekistan, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, China, India, Khiva, Uzbek, Sentob, Tashkent

KHAVDA, India (AP) — Rising from the bare expanse of the large salt desert that separates India from Pakistan is what will likely be the world's largest renewable energy project when completed three years from now. The solar and wind energy project will be so big that it will be visible from space, according to developers of what is called the Khavda renewable energy park, named after the village nearest to the project site. Shifting to renewable energy is a key issue at the ongoing COP28 climate summit. Once completed, it will supply 30 gigawatts of renewable energy annually, enough to power nearly 18 million Indian homes. Given this, Virmani said there is enough land in Kutch for various renewable energy projects.

Persons: ”, KSRK Verma, Khavda, Verma, “ It’s, Vneet Jaain, Adani, Gautam Adani, Adani Green, ” Ajay Mathur, Mathur, Abi T Vanak, Vanak, Sandip, Virmani, Hirelal Rajde, “ Organizations: Associated Press, Adani Green Energy Limited, Adani, Adani Group, Hindenburg, Group, International Solar Alliance, Ashoka Trust for Research, Twitter, AP Locations: KHAVDA, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Rann, Kutch, India’s Gujarat, China, United States, Bengal, Ahmedabad, Jaain, U.S, Mundra, Gujarat, Europe, Africa, Bengaluru, Denmark, Khavda

☆ Giant seamount discovered in Guatemala is nearly twice the height of the world’s tallest building
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

At 1,600 meters (5,249 feet) tall, it’s nearly twice the height of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, according to a news release from Schmidt Ocean Institute, a nonprofit organization that advances oceanographic research. The ship is designed to map the seafloor by using a multibeam echosounder, which sends out sound waves to the ocean floor in a fan-shaped pattern, then measures the time it takes for the sound to reach the ocean floor and return. Schmidt Ocean InstituteThe seamount was discovered 84 nautical miles outside the Guatemalan Exclusive Economic Zone. Watling was not involved with the discovery but was part of a Schmidt Ocean Institute exploration in 2019. The recently discovered seamount may be taller than the world’s tallest building, but some have been found to have a height of 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) or more, Watling said.

Persons: it’s, Tomer, Ketter, ”, Jyotika Virmani, Les Watling, Watling, ” Watling, —, Tony Koslow, Koslow, “, ” Koslow Organizations: CNN, NOAA, Exploration, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Schmidt Ocean Institute, Israeli National Institute for Oceanography, Ocean Institute, Schmidt Ocean, University of Hawaii, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, Pew Locations: Guatemala, Burj, Guatemalan, Manoa, Mauna Kea, Hawaii, San Diego

NEW YORK (AP) — Tim Dorsey, a former police and courts newspaper reporter who found lasting fame as the creator of the crime-comedy novel series starring Serge A. Storms, an energetic fan of Florida history and an ingenious serial killer, has died. Dorsey, who published 26 novels, died Sunday, according to Danielle Bartlett, a publicity director at William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins. Fans of Dorsey appreciated his clever observations and satirical pokes at the weirdness of Florida. He was part of a trio of former newspapermen from Florida — including Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen — who found a rich vein of absurdist humor in the state. “It was a privilege and honor to work with Tim Dorsey.

Persons: — Tim Dorsey, Serge A, Dorsey, Danielle Bartlett, William Morrow, Dave Barry, Carl Hiaasen —, Tim Dorsey, Serge, Storms, Emily Krump, Coleman, Florida grifters, ”, “, ’ ”, Bruce DeSilva, Kurt Vonnegut, hasn’t, ” Dorsey, ___ Mark Kennedy Organizations: HarperCollins, Maltese, Torino, The Associated Press, “, Auburn University, The Alabama, The Tampa Tribune Locations: Florida, Tabasco, Indiana, Tribune’s Tallahassee

☆ When people move out, wildlife moves in: 10 abandoned places reclaimed by nature
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Arya Jyothi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

The temple and surrounding forested areas were abandoned three centuries later, when the king moved the capital of the empire away from Angkor. People started moving out in the 1990s and by 2002, the village was completely abandoned. People started moving out in the 1990s and by 2002, the village was completely abandoned. The Whanganui River holds 18 fish species including eels, freshwater crayfish and black flounders. Graham Harries/ShutterstockLocated off the Pembrokeshire coast in west Wales, stands a time capsule in the form of a long-abandoned island fort.

Persons: Prohm, King Jayavarman, Alexander Arndt, Angelina Jolie’s, “ Lara Croft, pileated gibbons, silvered, Johannes Eisele, Leo Francini, Marcio Martins, University of São Paulo, Martins, “, Al Madam, Giuseppe Cacace, Yasuyoshi Chiba, James Beasley, allan wright, Kilda, Graham Harries, Shutterstock, Nicholas Mueller, ”, Mueller Organizations: CNN, Wildlife Alliance, ., Steam, SS, Titanic, Cyclone, University of São, Google Arts & Culture, National Institute of Ecology, Al, Getty, United Arab, Japan Earthquake, University of Georgia, TED, UNESCO Locations: CNN —, Europe, Ta Prohm, Cambodia, Angkor Thom, Khmer, Angkor, Shengshan Island, China, AFP, Houtouwan, Shengshan, Zhoushan, Mangapurua, , New Zealand, Nowhere, Mangapurua Valley, New, Whanganui, North, Australia, Grande, Brazil, Sao Paulo, Marcio, Korea, South Korea, Al Madam Village, UAE, Al, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sharjah, Fukushima, Japan, St Kilda, Scotland, Scotland’s, Kilda, Atlantic, Soay, Boreray, Fort, Wales, Pembrokeshire

The Pantanal holds thousands of plant and animal species, including 159 mammals, and it abounds with jaguars, according to the World Wildlife Fund. In the dry season, wildlife enthusiasts flock to see the normally furtive jaguars lounging on riverbanks, along with macaws, caimans and capybaras. Political Cartoons View All 1256 ImagesMuch of the Encontro das Aguas (Meeting of the Waters) park, located at the border of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul states — known for its large jaguar population — had turned from emerald green to dark brown. “This is so atypical,” said Renata Libonati, who coordinates the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro's alert system for fires in the Pantanal. The neighboring state of Mato Grosso said it had also strengthened its workforce, with about 200 federal and state firefighters on the ground.

Persons: —, they’ll, Leonisio da Silva, ”, Renata Libonati, ” Libonati, Angelo Rabelo, Mato Grosso, Enderson Barreto, “, ” Barreto, Barreto Organizations: — Firefighters, Facebook, Federal University of Rio, Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, World Wildlife Fund, Mato Grosso, Associated Press, ” Jaguars, Firefighters, El, Environment, Federal Highway Police, Waters, ” Locations: POCONE, BRAZIL, Brazil's, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Waters, Mato Grosso, Mato, Sul, Brazil, Porto Jofre

☆ The Next Costume Institute Fashion Blockbuster Is Revealed
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Vanessa Friedman | More About Vanessa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After all, it is called “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” And those princess costumes have been very influential. But while the show was, indeed, partly inspired by a hot button cultural moment, it’s not a fantasy one. Specifically, the ephemeral nature of … well, nature. And how fashion captures that literally, in the form of garments inspired by and decorated with flora and fauna, and conceptually, in its endless cycle of in and out, its potential to degrade. Think of it as a show devoted to unsustainable fashion, one that could function as a requiem, a warning sign and a reminder of the fundamental importance of regeneration.

Persons: Barbie Organizations: Marvel, Costume Institute, Metropolitan Museum of Art

☆ An ancient missing continent was finally rediscovered 155 million years after it vanished
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A chunk of land that broke off from Australia 155 million years ago seemed to have vanished. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe continent of Argoland, which seemingly vanished after splitting from Australia 155 million years ago, has finally been discovered, according to a new study. The discovery could help explain something known as the Wallace line, which is an imaginary boundary that separates Southeast Asian and Australian fauna. With this work, they were finally able to bring Argoland's journey over the past 155 million years back to life. A map shows an approximate location of the Wallace line.

Persons: —, Argoland, Wallace, Eldert Advokaat, Advokaat, Douwe van Hinsbergen, CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN, van Hinsbergen Organizations: Service, Utrecht University, Google Locations: Australia, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Netherlands, South East Asia, Africa, South America, Argoland, Myanmar, Utrecht

☆ See how a couple transformed a $95,000 haunted Victorian mansion in Michigan into a colorful, maximalist wonderland
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Michelle Carder and Michael Ochs moved into a century-old Victorian home in Michigan in May 2016. AdvertisementAdvertisementVictorian homes are an alluring, lifelong love affair for Michelle Carder, who's fascinated with the era's grandeur and history. "The Victorian era was the first time in history that average people could afford to decorate their homes beautifully. The couple purchased the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home for $95,000 from an investment group that was "desperate to get rid of this thing," Carder said. AdvertisementAdvertisementMuch of those funds — $250,000, to be exact — have been poured into transforming the ho-hum Victorian home into a maximalist wonderland.

Persons: Michelle Carder, Michael Ochs, Carder, —, who's, maximalism, hasn't, We've, Ochs, Alphonse Mucha, Mucha Organizations: Service, Facebook, Ebay Locations: Michigan, Carder, Cadillac , Michigan, Grand Rapids, Orange County , California, Florida

☆ Dinosaur-killing asteroid impact fouled Earth's atmosphere with dust
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The total amount of dust, they calculated, was about 2,000 gigatonnes - exceeding 11 times the weight of Mt. While prior research highlighted two other factors - sulfur released after the impact and soot from the wildfires - this study indicated dust played a larger role than previously known. "It was cold and dark for years," Vrije Universiteit Brussel planetary scientist and study co-author Philippe Claeys said. "While the sulfur stayed about eight to nine years, soot and silicate dust resided in the atmosphere for about 15 years after the impact. "Without the impact, my guess is that mammals - including us - had little chance to become the dominant organisms on this planet."

Persons: grâce, Cem Berk Senel, Philippe Claeys, Özgür Karatekin, Karatekin, Claeys, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Royal Observatory of, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Nature, Dinos, Thomson Locations: North Dakota, WASHINGTON, Yucatan, Everest, Dakota, Royal Observatory of Belgium, Vrije, Belgium

☆ The best places — and best times — to take a safari
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Harriet Akinyi | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

KenyaFor more than 25 years, professional safari guide Geoff Mayes has taken tourists to the best parks in Africa. Amboseli National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is known for its massive elephant population and spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro. In those three, one can track mountain gorillas in Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Another park to consider is the Kidepo Valley National Park, with its sweeping plains and valleys overshadowed by the brooding Mount Morungole. ZimbabweApart from the renowned Hwange National Park, I have also visited Matobo National Park, which has a wide diversity of fauna and plenty of white rhinos.

Persons: I've, revel, Harriet Akinyi, Geoff Mayes, Mara —, Masaai Mara, Mara, you'll, Barack Obama, It's, Luis Davilla, There's, Kruger, Addo, Nogaya, Jason Edwards, Dennis Kahungu, Christopher Kidd, Photodisc, Weaver, Clair, Nxai, Patrick J, Cecil Rhodes, Westend61 Organizations: Mara, Reserve, Kenya —, UNESCO, Heritage, Netflix, National Parks, Kruger, Park, Photodisc, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Queen Elizabeth, Lake, CNBC Travel, Getty, Nature, Kalahari Game Reserve, Kenya, Tourists Locations: Africa, Mugie Conservancy, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Uganda, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Nairobi, Mount Kilimanjaro, Solio Conservancy, Africa Kenya, Johannesburg, iMfolozi, Addo, Uganda Uganda, Kyambura, Lake Mburo, Mburo, Ihema, Inti St, Botswana Botswana, Okavango, Matobo

☆ Ancient landscape formed by rivers revealed deep under Antarctic ice
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Researchers said on Tuesday they have detected buried under the continent's ice sheet a vast ancient landscape, replete with valleys and ridges, apparently shaped by rivers before being engulfed by glaciation long ago. Ancient palm tree pollen has been discovered from Antarctica, not far around the coast from our study site," Jamieson added. Some previous studies similarly have revealed ancient landscapes beneath Antarctica's ice including mountains and highlands, though the landscape discovered in the new study was the first of its type. Right before 34 million years ago, Antarctica's landscape and flora likely resembled today's cold temperate rainforests of Tasmania, New Zealand and South America's Patagonia region, Ross added. When that ice growth occurred, the conditions between the base of the ice and the landscape changed to become very cold - and in this way it was no longer able to erode our landscape.

Persons: Stewart Jamieson, Antarctica's, Jamieson, Neil Ross, Ross, Will Dunham, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Durham University, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Antarctica, Nature Communications, Newcastle University, Thomson Locations: Belgium, Wilkes Land, East Antarctica, Antarctica, East Antarctica's Wilkes Land, ., Maryland, England, Patagonia, Greenland, Tasmania , New Zealand, South, Africa, South America, Australia

☆ ‘Video games are in for quite a trip’: How generative AI could radically reshape gaming
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“You can tell there is something off about what you’re seeing or hearing.”Enter generative AI. That offers another opportunity for generative AI to reshape the gaming experience. While the developers retain control over procedurally generated content, generative AI has the potential to develop unplayable levels, or deviate in unintended ways from the game’s narrative. An additional toolWhile gamers are excited about the potential for gameplay, generative AI is likely to impact development before it alters the user experience. “I think with generative AI, it’s essentially the same thing – or at least, we’re approaching it with the exact same mindset here at Ubisoft.” However, there are still a lot of unanswered “legal and ethical aspects” to using generative AI, including artists’ copyright, he adds.

Persons: Jitao Zhou, Alexis Rolland, ”, Rolland, Ubisoft's, Zhou, Julian Togelius, “, Togelius, Takehiko Hoshino, It’s, Hoshino, “ Fortnite, Creatives, We’ve, it’s Organizations: Rikkyo University CNN —, La, La Forge, Ubisoft, Rikkyo University, New York University, Rokkyo University, Maxis, EA, UGC, CNN, Forge Locations: La Forge China, Tokyo, La

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