We Don’t Just Predict It–It’s Here!

July 27, 2011
As if any further proof was needed that climate change is under way, as North America broils in brutal heat, South America is experiencing one of its coldest winters on record. When researchers studied core sediments from a shallow boreal... continued

How Can You Tell if it’s Made in China?

July 27, 2011
We have told you how to read the bar codes to spot organic food, and we're all wary of food from China. But you don't just want to avoid eating Chinese food IN China--you also may be eating it here,... continued

Why Astronauts Should Imbibe in Space

July 27, 2011
The last shuttle flight recently touched down and we assume the astronauts got together for a farewell toast--especially since all space flights are "dry runs." But when private space enterprises take the place of the shuttle, the astronauts on those... continued

It’s for the Birds

July 26, 2011
Birds are more like us than we realize. They eavesdrop on their neighbors in order to figure out where to build their nests and once, their eggs hatch, they sometime engage in "chick abuse," the bird equivalent of child abuse.... continued

Job Hunters: Be Careful What You Post on the Internet

July 26, 2011
Not everybody is happy about being in debt. People who are looking for a job should be concerned that they are being rated on social media sites. Companies have long used criminal background checks when someone applies for a job,... continued

Can You Catch a Disease from Restaurant Dishes?

July 25, 2011
Can you catch the flu from your restaurant plate? It's an important question: There are 20 million cases of acute gastroenteritis and 128,000 hospitalizations a year that are attributed to food-borne illness. Food expert Melvin Pascall says, "While there are... continued

Use a Crystal Ball to Detect Terrorism

July 25, 2011
If we could see the future, we would be able to head off potential nuclear strikes. Now researchers have discovered how to use a crystal ball to protect homeland security: They've developed crystals that can be used to detect nuclear... continued

China’s Pollution is Staving Off Climate Change

July 25, 2011
It's like a bargain made with the devil: It turns out we have China's POLLUTION to thank for the reason climate change hasn't made the weather warmer. Smoke belching from Asia's rapidly growing economies is largely responsible for a halt... continued

Our Website Has Been Updated

July 25, 2011
The Climate Watch section of Unknowncountry.com has been updated, and indicates that exceptional heat is gripping the whole northern hemisphere, even as intense cold affects the southern. Dangerous drought conditions are affecting the Southwestern US and the Horn of Africa, and if... continued

It’s Not Always What It Looks Like

July 22, 2011
See the beautiful ivy growing up that wall? On closer inspection, those leaves turn out to be--solar panels! And we may really need them soon, if sunspot activity turns off our electrical grids. This new product is called Solar Ivy... continued