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Scientists know levels of methane have skyrocketed since the 1850s, as the impacts of the Industrial Revolution rippled through the atmosphere. Even today, though, it’s difficult to determine how much of those emissions increases are coming from wetlands or from wellheads. A study released yesterday in the journal Nature Geoscience takes aim at this problem, pointing out progress in quantifying emissions and areas that still need improvement. Since methane is a potent, if short-lived, greenhouse gas, if scientists knew where these increased emissions were coming from, policymakers might be able to target certain sectors for emissions reductions....

I knew I was being watched. Dark eyes tracked my movements, intent. Impulsively, I grinned widely. I picked up a stuffed elephant from the menagerie on the coverlet and hugged and kissed it. Her eyes widened slightly as my baby daughter registered the idea. Today she is six years old, and “Ellie” is still her favorite plush companion when she needs a cuddle and mommy is not immediately available. As the articles in this special issue underscore, a child’s rapid cognitive development begins from the earliest ages and may continue into young adulthood....

Climate models of the past, present and future seem to be in no short supply these days. But a new and dynamic picture of climate change appears in this week’s Science, one that could affect the way future conditions are predicted. Recent history has been kind to humans, providing a relatively stable climate for about the past 10,000 years. Many previous models have re-created short glimpses of this past. But, says Axel Timmermann, a professor of oceanography at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, “None of these snapshots were able to capture abrupt climate change and transition,” thereby making them less useful for predicting coming sudden shifts....

Hopes for new drugs that would slow or stop the inexorable decline of Alzheimer’s patients have repeatedly foundered in recent years. In one example, Eli Lilly had to halt the trial of a drug designed to prevent the production of toxic proteins in the brain because patients’ cognition actually worsened while they were taking it. Scientists are now looking to the computer industry for alternative ways to help patients. One approach is centered on a small camera called SenseCam, worn like a necklace, that snaps photographs automatically throughout the day....

The fish off Fukushima remain radioactive more than a year after the earthquake and subsequent tsunami triggered three meltdowns at the Daiichi nuclear power plant. In fact, bottom-dwelling greenling fish caught in August 2012 bore the highest levels of radioactive particles seen to date—25,000 Becquerels per kilogram. (A becquerel is a unit of the rate of radioactive decay—or radiation emitted by a substance.) That is 250 times higher than current Japanese safety standards, a key reason fishing off Fukushima remains prohibited....

Extreme heat is scorching much of the eastern United States, and it’s not expected to let up anytime soon. Experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center say much of the southern half of the country will be hotter than normal in August, with the worst conditions in Texas, Louisiana and parts of Mississippi and Arkansas. “We have quite a few records being set,” said Deke Arndt, chief of the climate modeling branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Climatic Data Center....

The European Commission has abolished the post of chief scientific advisor just three years after creating it. The commission has yet to state what mechanism it will use instead to provide independent scientific advice to its president. Former president José Manuel Barroso had pledged in late 2009 to create the post. It was not filled until two years later, when Anne Glover, a molecular and cell biologist who was then chief scientific advisor (CSA) for Scotland, was appointed....

By Lawrence Hurley Members of the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday indicated that Vermont and 17 other states could be prevented from collecting healthcare information from certain employee health plan administrators. The nine justices heard a one-hour oral argument over whether a 2005 Vermont data collection law aimed at improving the quality of healthcare applies to self-funded insurance plans, which are most commonly used by large companies. Liberty Mutual Insurance Group Inc, which runs a self-funded plan administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, objected when asked to provide data, saying the U....

A single, vast shale deposit— the Marcellus formation, stretching from Tennessee to New York—might contain enough natural gas to supply the U.S. for more than 40 years at today’s consumption rates, according to recent estimates. Thousands of vertical wells have exploited the shale’s easy-to-reach deposits. But newer technology and improved procedures are making horizontal drilling cost-effective, greatly expanding the amount of gas that can be extracted economically. Political pressure is increasing to achieve energy independence from overseas suppliers and to use cleaner sources such as natural gas to create electricity, which emits 40 percent less carbon dioxide than burning coal....

As you watch high jumpers sail over the bar this summer at the London Olympic Games, keep this equation in mind: U2 = 2gH. It explains why most of jumpers do the backward flip known as the Fosbury Flop. As University of Cambridge mathematician John Barrow writes in his book Mathletics: A Scientist Explains 100 Amazing Things about the World of Sports (W. W. Norton, 2012), the Fosbury Flop keeps one’s center of gravity low to the ground, and the lower one’s center of gravity, the less energy is required to successfully jump over the bar....

People who have autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder may have different challenges, but the ailments might arise from a common set of genes. Researchers compared genetic analyses of 700 human brains from deceased individuals who had one of those three disorders, major depression or alcoholism (columns) with brains of individuals who had none of the conditions. They examined 13 groups of genes thought to function together (rows). The scientists found that five groups had a pattern of overactivity or underactivity across at least three of the five conditions (blue and gray panels)....

A stretchy touch sensor, designed to mimic structures in human skin, can detect not only the strength of a mechanical force but also its direction (ACS Nano 2014, DOI: 10.1021/nn505953t). This sensor, which can distinguish between shearing, stretching, bending, and twisting forces, could improve the functionality of prosthetic devices and robotics. Human skin is a fantastic touch sensor, says Hyunhyub Ko, a chemical engineer at Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology, in South Korea....

Stress and neglect at home take an obvious toll on kids as they grow up. Many decades of research have documented the psychological consequences in adulthood, including struggles with depression and difficulties maintaining relationships. Now studies are finding that a troubled home life has profound effects on neural development. Kids’ brains are exquisitely sensitive. Even sleeping infants are affected by family arguments, a new study concludes. Researchers at the University of Oregon showed with functional MRI scans that infants from families who reported more than the usual levels of conflict in the home were more sensitive to aggressive or angry voices....

President-elect Donald Trump says he loves NASA and that “space is terrific,” although “we’ve got to fix our potholes,” too. These statements—given to a 10-year-old boy who asked about NASA at an event in Manchester, New Hampshire in November 2015—would prove to be the most informative things Trump offered about the nation’s space program for most of his presidential campaign. Almost a year later, as he campaigned along Florida’s “Space Coast” near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Trump offered more specifics about his space-policy plans, vowing to revitalize the agency through cost-saving partnerships with the burgeoning commercial space industry....

By Dan Whitcomb LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A wildfire that prompted the rescue of 185 hikers in Yosemite National Park has blackened four square miles of back country wilderness, officials said Monday, as crews hoped rainy weather would give them a chance to gain some control over the flames. The so-called Meadow Fire, which flared out of control on Sunday afternoon, stranded 85 hikers on top of Half Dome, the park’s signature rock formation, requiring them to be flown out by helicopter, Yosemite spokeswoman Ashley Mayer said....

Did you like this article? Editorial Review This article has been reviewed for accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards prior to publication. Buddhism, in Korean Bulgyo, was introduced by monks who visited and studied in China and then brought back various Buddhist sects during the Three Kingdoms period. It became the official state religion in all Three Kingdoms and subsequent dynasties, with monks often holding important advisory roles in governments....

Did you like this article? Editorial Review This article has been reviewed for accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards prior to publication. The medieval Church established its monopoly over the spiritual life of Europeans in the Early Middle Ages (c. 476-1000) and consolidated that power throughout the High Middle Ages (1000-1300) and Late Middle Ages (1300-1500). Along the way, the clergy became increasingly corrupt, ignored basic tenets of Christianity, and often lived lavishly on the tithes of the people....

Did you like this article? Editorial Review This article has been reviewed for accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards prior to publication. Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 CE) most famous for his work Confessions and his City of God, is regarded as one of the Fathers of The Church in the tradition of Catholicism. In this brief essay from his The Literal Meaning of Genesis, Augustine denounces Christians who speak on subjects they know little or nothing about in an attempt to appear `wise’ among non-Christians....

By Janet FangLiving exclusively oxygen-free was thought to be a lifestyle open only to viruses and single-celled microorganisms. A group of Italian and Danish researchers has now found three species of multicellular animals, or metazoans, that apparently spend their entire lives in oxygen-starved waters in a basin at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea.The discovery “opens a whole new realm to metazoans that we thought was off limits,” says Lisa Levin, a biological oceanographer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif....

Much has been written about the lack of diversity in leadership positions in organizations across the globe, despite the large advancements women and nonwhites have made in the workplace. Only 19 Fortune 500 firms are led by people of color, and only 21 of these companies are led by women, according to recent data. And almost 75% of Fortune 500 boards are mainly comprised of white men. In light of this data, you might expect that in organizations where women and minorities are at the top, they’ll try to help others like them climb the organizational ladder....