News Fusion | 075

NewsFusion for April 2023

Science...

• New research on mammal genomes help identify genes involved in human diseases | Nature
• John McFall, from Paralympic bronze medalist to first disabled astronaut | Smithsonian Magazine
• AI, drones, and citizen scientists help conservation in Australia | Cosmos Magazine

Design...

• Winners of the German Design Award Announced | Arch Daily
• Zaha Hadid Architects using AI to help design buildings | Curbed
• Cowboys going green, Twisted X's sustainable Western wear upcycles bottles, recycles leather, and much more | Cowboys & Indians

Culture...

• Kiope Raymond shares thoughts on history of Hawaiian language immersion program | Maui Now
• New York schools to ban Native American mascots | NPR
• Remains of over 7,000 Native Americans in Ohio may finally be laid to rest | WBNS TV

NewsFusion | 059

NewsFusion for April 2019

Science...

• NASA, DLR, ESA seek candidates to stay in bed for two months to study effects of microgravity | Live Science
• Snow Leopard conservation efforts could assist in peace plan for Afghanistan | NPR
• Robotics coach Don Prier builds academic achievements in low-income school | Dallas News

Design...

• Milan's NABA Award highlights design excellence in students | DesignBoom
• Design experts comment on logos of the 2020 presidential race Democrats | Vox
• Lebanese designers stand out in Fashion Trust Arabia, the fist fashion prize focused on the Middle East and North Africa | CNN

Culture...

• AmDocs film festival in Palm Springs honors Sacheen Littlefeather and features multiple Native films | Desert Sun
• Maui's annual Celebration of the Arts spotlights Hawaiian cultural practitioners and traditions | LA Times
• Māori haka brings healing and unity to Aotearoa after Christchurch attacks | Stuff

NewsFusion | 045

NewsFusion for November 2017

Science...

• New app in Australia will help count frogs | Daily Telegraph
• Excerpt fromThe Physics of Star Wars | Wired
• San Francisco 49ers Foundation brings STEAM education to underserved youth | 49ers Foundation

Design...

• Move over Helvetica, IBM is designing a new font | Fast Company: Co. Design
• Cooper Hewitt's Joris Laarman Lab exhibit highlights digital technologies at intersection of design, art, and science | Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum
• Aerospace and fashion find common, interdisciplinary future | The Daily Free Press

Culture...

• Learning math in your native toungue: How Siberia keeps indigenous languages alive | TASS
  
• Miss Universe New Zealand Miss Universe NZ, Harlem-Cruz Atarangi Ihaia, first to wear tā moko in world competition | Maori Television
• Celebrities discover surprising stories of their ancestors in PBS Series Finding Your Roots, from resourceful immigrants and connections to Holocaust to DNA cousins and slave ownership | NJ

NewsFusion | 040

NewsFusion for June 2017

Science...

• Michael Bloomberg pledges money to keep America in Paris agreement | CNN Money
• NASA's new Parker Solar Probe to study sun up close and personal | Forbes
• The physics of Roberto Carlos' 1997 impossible free kick | ESPN

Design...

• Nutella used algorithm to create individually unique packaging for products in Italy | The Verge
• Projection design is evolving the live theater experience | Playbill
• Fashion industry responds to America's departure from Paris agreement | The Business of Fashion

Culture...

• Traditional Hawaiian name discovered for endangered Hawaiian creeper: ‘alawi | Hawaii Tribune Herald
• Twitter creates emoji flag for Aboriginal Australians | New York Times
• Blackfoot language in DC Comics/Warner Brothers Wonder Woman an inspiration | Indian Country Today

NewsFusion | 039

NewsFusion for May 2017

Science...

• Young genius brothers Cannen (11) and Carson Huey-You (14) are light years ahead of their peers | The Washington Post
• Albatross can now be counted from space | BBC
• Space X launched major commercial communications satellite | LA Times

Design...

• Big style at inaugural Texas Design Week (TXDW) in Houston | Houston Chronicle
• Complex politics reflected in Ireland's architecture in Northern Ireland | Arch Daily
• The future of cities in five books | Fast Company Design

Culture...

• Columbia's rappers/farmers are planting seeds of peace | Deutsche Welle
• Guatamalan weavers use modern techniques (copyright law) to protect their ancient designs | Ms. Magazine
• It's time to get ready for Australia's 2017 Barunga Festival

NewsFusion | 033

NewsFusion for September 2016

Science...

• The Nature Conservancy develops map to predict animal migrations due to climate change | The Nature Conservancy
• Genetics helps refine giraffe conservation | The Washington Post
• Elon Musk uses Twitter to 'crowd investigate' Space X Falcon 9 explosion | TechCrunch

Design...

• Inaugural Amman Design Week a huge success | Al Jazeera
• First medal winners named in London Design Biennale| Dezeen
• Foot Locker and Asics introduce sneaker design academy to help young footwear designers | Fast Company

Culture...

• Native American tribes align behind protest of Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) | Chicago Tribune
• Modern Hawaiian farmers share ancient ahupua`a agricultural system at meeting of World Conservation Congress | Voice of America
• Linda Burney becomes first Indigenous woman elected to Australia's lower house of federal parliament | The Guardian

NewsFusion | 025

NewsFusion for May 2016

Science...

• Better than a red carpet step and repeat, the 2016 Mercury transit has the media's full attention | Space.com
• NASA releases rocket technology into public domain, big boost for private space travel | The Independent
• Starfish babies make comeback along US Pacific north coast | The Press Democrat

Design...

• The next black in Paris? Sharing. Fashion and the sharing economy | Business of Fashion
• Architects Hawaii wins global award for design of new Walgreens store
• Siri's sibling, Viv, to become next generation of smart phone AI

Culture...

• Muslim American young women in a modern world | Teen Vogue
• Native American photographers respond to Edward Curtis photos in new exhibit at Portland Art Museum | The Guardian
• Wisdoms of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism being used to guide Happy Enterprise Partnership movement in China | Huffington Post

NewsFusion | 022

NewsFusion for April 2016

Science...

• More success for Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and New Shepard rocket | Huffington Post
• Got VR? Check out the panoramic tour of the International Space Station | ESA
• New tech in wildlife conservation: from 3D-printed eggs with sensors to drones | Wired

Design...

• Isaac Mizrahi: Champion of accessible design
• Tegan Bukowski, staffer and mentee, remembers Zaha Hadid | New York Times
• Goodyear's concept for 3D-printed spherical tires | PopSci

Culture...

• Hawaii's 2016 Merrie Monarch Festival: overall winner is Halau Na Mamo o Pu‘uanahulu
• Iceland's unique perspective on marriage, i.e. not much need for it | CNN
• In response to need for more women's voices in Africa, Eliza Anyangwe starts Nzinga Effect | The Guardian

Conservation Cover Boy

Well hello J! We were totally psyched to see one of our favorite Stylish Scientists on the cover of the December 2011 Outside Magazine. We're not surprised though...Wallace J. Nichols has been doing amazing work in raising money and awareness for marine conservation for a long time now and has got one of the most positive outlooks on things out there. Check out the full article The touchy-feey (but totally Scientific) methods of Wallace J. Nichols by Michael Roberts. Congrats J!

Sceleb | Wallace "J" Nichols

Wallace J. Nichols (aka "J") is an American marine biologist, conservation activist, and outdoor enthusiast. He earned a BS in Biological Sciences from DePauw University in 1989, a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University in 1992, and a PhD in Wildlife and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona in 2003.

Nichols is currently a a Research Associate at California Academy of Sciences and founder/co-director of Ocean Revolution, an international network of young ocean advocates and LiVEBLUE. He is particularly active in Pacific Sea Turtle conservation efforts and sustainable fisheries. Nichols has helped start many conservation nonprofits and projects and is a frequent contributor to mainstream magazines and websites. When not championing marine conservation, you might find Nichols swimming, hiking, kayaking, trail running, fixing up vintage trucks, or surfing.

SOS - Save Our Sea...Cucumbers

Image: Chris73/Wikimedia Commons

They are not exactly large charismatic megafauna that inspire wildlife lovers around the world to donate millions of dollars to conservation. But sea cucumbers are increasingly becoming the latest casualty of overfishing for use in soups and medicines. The global decline in sea cucumbers is due in part to the fact that they are easy to catch and reproduce slowly. Marine reserves do exist to protect sea cucumbers but - like many wildlife reserves - poor funding, inadequate controls, and lack of enforcement mean that poaching for the highly-prized little echinoderms is still the biggest challenge in protecting the species. The good news is that efforts are underway to understand and address the pressures threatening sea cucumbers. You can read a full report on the trade in sea cucumbers here and a recent academic article (Anderson et al, 2010) here, or a short article in the January 14, 2011 issue of Science Magazine (you'll need to register...but it is free). With good research, increased conservation and protection efforts, and better consumer awareness, this important member of marine ecosystems around the world will continue to inch across our ocean floors.

SeanChron - International Tiger Forum

I've been hearing a lot about the first ever International Tiger Forum being held in St. Petersburg, Russia November 21-24, 2010. The coverage has been extensive, partly due to the fact that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and The World Bank are very involved. From the reports I've heard and read, it sounds like some great progress was made in starting the campaign to save the species throughout its many and diverse habitats in the wild.

I'm psyched about the forum for several reasons. First, my academic background is in conservation biology so I'm always happy to see the subject get international attention. Second, as the son of one of the first female zoo administrators in the US, Ingrid Schmidt, I happened to be raised around lions, tigers, clouded leopards, snow leopards, etc. I know...a bit crazy but this happened because in the early part of her tenure at the Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque, NM (1970s-1980s), my Mother was often in charge of hand raising the cat species at the zoo since zoo-born 'kittens' were often abandoned parents. Other zoo staff took on other species, but my Mom was all about the felines. She would later often be referred to as "Madame of the Cat House". So...I have a bit of an affinity with all the cats.

Later, I became very involved with the International Snow Leopard Trust and even did my senior thesis at the University of Washington on zoos of the Former Soviet Union. I was interested in the ability of Post-Soviet zoos to take part in international conservation, education, and research goals. I visited 15 zoos in seven of the newly independent states (from Uzbekistan to Estonia) and among the many challenges that faced Post-Soviet zoos after perestroika, conservation of species in the wold was at the top of their list...Siberian tigers, Amur leopards, snow leopards, and manul (a small forest cat) were some of the most critical species mentioned.

Third...I was very pleased to see that The World Bank is so involved in the process. I recently finished my Masters of Arts in Policy Studies at UW Bothell and my research topic was conservation finance. The scale or organization and finances of what is needed to protect a species like the tiger, with its many and diverse habitats across many different countries, is enormous so it will take the likes of The World Bank and the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) to provide support needed for these efforts.

Gulf Turtle Rescue - the best laid plans DO work

An article in NatureNews by Melissa Gaskill, "Turtle rescue plan succeeds", details the success story of transplanting over 25,0000 sea turtle eggs from the Gulf of Mexico to Kennedy Space Center on Florida's east coast. Contributors to the project included US Fish & Wildlife, Sea Turtle Conservancy, and a small army of volunteers. The project serves as a model for future man-made and natural disaster responses and clearly demonstrates that when agencies, organizations, and communities work together, anything can be accomplished.

Shanghai's Seed Cathedral

The UK Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo has both scientists and designers all abuzz. Designed by English designer Thomas Heatherwick, the building utilizes 60,000 transparent rods that move with the wind and send shimmering light into the interior of the stucture by day and cast an etherial glow by night. Even more impressive...each rod tip contains a seed from Kumming's Institute of Botany. Inspired by Englands love of gardening and public parks, and the Kew Gardens Millennium Seed Bank, Heatherwick created the building and broader pavilion to honor and celebrate green spaces, sustainability, and biodiversity. Reposted from Sustainable Sean.

High tech conservation on Kauai

The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii is using high tech technology to help control invasive species like Australian tree ferns and Kahili ginger. From aerial photographs to targeted herbicides, TNC biologists and volunteers are on a mission to protect the Kauai watershed. Read more at WIRED Magazine.


Image: Chad Riley via Wired

New Book | Conservation Refugees

Originally posted on: Brothers After All...A much anticipated book by Mark Dowie explores the tenuous relationship between global conservation efforts and indigenous peoples. Conservation Refugees shows that even though conservation and indigenous movements share many objectives, they also come into conflict, particularly when Western ideas, opinions, and worldviews don't match up with Indigenous ways of thinking, being, and doing. The field of integrated conservation and development (ICD), also referred to as community-based conservation and/or participatory conservation, has been around for several decades but the challenge of protecting diversity without impacting the indigenous peoples that often inhabit the same critical areas is still just that...a challenge. Heated discussions on ICD have played out in both the academic and mainstream press but in the end, Indigenous Peoples are still becoming refugees in the name of conservation. Perhaps Dowie's book will bring a new perspective to the diversity dilemma.

Jane on Martha

Few scientists have captured the hearts and minds of people around the world, not to mention mainstream media, like Dr. Jane Goodall. Her tireless efforts to promote conservation and chimpanzee issues has inspired many to change their ways and take action to help both animals and their fellow humans. Dr. Goodall also proved that scientists can do objective research and still have opinions on issues they are passionate about. Recently, Dr. Goodall joined Martha Stewart to chat about conservation. Can't get much more mainstream than that. Below you'll find links to two clips from the show.

Clip 1: Jane gives Martha and proper chimp welcome (scroll to the right in the 'Show Highlights' area)

Clip 2. Jane chats more about key conservation issues and how we all can help

Science Spotlight - Encyclopedia of Life

The Encyclopedia of Life will provide a comprehensive catalog of Earth's 1.8 million species.

Science Spotlight - Conservation Canines

Scat sniffing Conservation Canines help save species.

Sceleb | Tyrone Hayes

Dr. Tyrone Hayes is a real life frog prince. A herpetologist and endochrinologist, Dr. Hayes has been fascinated with amphibians since he was a young child. Active in both lab and field research, much of Dr. Hayes' current work is in Eastern Africa and the Midwest focuses on how genes and hormones regulate developmental changes in amphibians.

Dr. Hayes' recent work is controversial, having identified that Atrazine, the world's number one selling herbicide and most common contaminant of ground and surface water, is an endocrine disruptor that both chemically castrates and feminizes amphibians, and is likely an important contributor to amphibian declines. Dr. Hayes' work has important ramifications since Atrazine is present and active in other vertebrate species, including humans, and likely increases the risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer. In addition to his scientific endeavors, Dr. Hayes works to educate policy makers and communities about the dangers of pesticide exposure. In particular, he is concerned about the adverse impacts of Atrazine on endangered species and on racial/ethnic minorities since ethnic minorities and people of low income are more likely to hold "unskilled" laborer positions in agriculture. Prostate and breast cancer are two of the top causes of death in Americans age 25-40, but in particular Black and Hispanic Americans are several times more likely to die from these diseases. Thus, Dr. Hayes sees not only an environmental and public health issue, but a racial/social justice issue as well.

Future-ish added Dr. Hayes to our PISA List in 2008.