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Nice genes

In more strange news from nature (see: pandas peeing, bats running): It seems that plants store genetic information from generations past, and can use it to fix oddities they've inherited directly. Scientists -- who began to cotton on to the phenomenon when a weed expected to produce mutant flowers bloomed normally instead -- aren't entirely sure what to make of this news, but they think it could help fight diseases in plants, and might give a hint of human possibilities as well.

As genetics professor Gerald Fink told the Washington Post (in a quote that has made me love him), "something weird is definitely going on."

The Agency

The Onion is, as always, amusing.

Sky Blue

It is the year 2142. Earth has suffered severe ecological damage due to billions of humans inhabiting the planet. The sky is black and acid rain has been pouring down for a century.

Fortunately, for some, a sanctuary was constructed: Ecoban, a living city genetically engineered to house an elite society. As with many cities, Ecoban exists thanks to the tireless work of an impoverished underclass -- the Diggers. But the very city that they strenuously work to keep alive is killing them. Mercury and sulfur are poisoning their environment, and children are being born blind. So it is up to Ecoban's creator, along with a group of rebel Diggers, to restore balance to the world, to once again see the blue sky -- but at the cost of Ecoban and its inhabitants.

States of grace, states of confusion

Which states use the least gasoline?  Which ones have the best gas-conservation trends? Probably not who you'd think, at least for the latter question.

Based on Federal Highway Administration data covering 2001 through 2003, residents of New York State use the least gasoline, person for person, of any U.S. state: about 0.8 gallons per person per day, vs. the national average of 1.2 gallons per person. That's to be expected: New York City--which makes up a sizable chunk of the state's population--is among the densest cities in the country, which allows many of its residents to get by perfectly well without cars, except for the occasional taxicab.

The runners-up to New York were: Hawaii--with high priced gas and surprisingly dense Honolulu--at .9 gallons per person per day; Rhode Island--dominated by urban Providence--at one daily gallon per capita; and Illinois--which has a significant share of residents in urban Chicago and its dense inner suburbs--with 1.1 gallons. Oregon, Washington, and Idaho rank 8th, 12th, and 17th, respectively, in per capita gas consumption; but all three states are close to the national average.

The states that use the most gas are either predominantly rural, have particularly sprawling cities, or both. Wyoming residents use the most gasoline (1.8 gallons per person per day), followed by residents of Georgia, South Carolina, and Vermont at about 1.5 gallons per capita.

Now, for the trend lines -- over the long term, which states are going in the right direction? If you guessed Nevada, you hit the jackpot.

Journalistic balance at Scientific American

OMFG. You have to read this note from the editors of Scientific American. It is a thing of beauty.

Neon lights will shine for you

Here in the Northwest, this winter's lack of rain and snow has people muttering about two things: the inevitable drought this summer, and the lack of good skiing right now. Welp, enterprising ski bums in countries including England, Japan, and the Netherlands have found a way around this exact problem: indoor slopes.

Oddly, the U.S. has managed to survive without this concept -- until now. Xanadu, an impossibly gigantic indoor theme park planned for New Jersey's Meadowlands, will include such a hill (and also a chocolate waterfall, but I digress). Despite critics who say the project will damage wetlands, increase traffic, and cause air pollution, the complex got a go-ahead permit last week.

Life is never simple in Jersey, though. A whole brouhaha having to do with nearby Giants stadium might slow things down, giving opponents another chance to howl. Stay tuned.

Grist Grows Up, Moves Out, Gets Real Job

Coming soon: Grist HTML emails with pictures and pretty colors All right, all right, we get it. Text emails are sooo 1998. To get with the times, in April we will be launching a snazzy HTML version of our Grist emails — with pictures and pretty colors and everything! Of course, the emails will still […]

Virtually Reality

Automakers launch ad campaign claiming cars are squeaky clean Fed up with negative publicity, automakers are making their vehicles virtually emission-free. Oh, wait, did we say “making”? We meant “calling.” The “virtually emission-free” claim is at the heart of a new print ad campaign targeted at federal legislators by a coalition of automakers including Ford, […]

Just One Day Out of Life, It Would Be So Nice

World Water Day celebrated by U.N., few others In case you haven’t heard — and you haven’t — today is World Water Day, an annual holiday aimed at drawing attention to alarming stats about global water needs, encouraging world leaders to take action, and otherwise passing by unnoticed. But today isn’t just any old World […]

The Strife Aquatic

Concerns about sea critters grow as ocean noise levels increase As the world’s shipping traffic more than sextupled between 1948 and 1998, scientists say the oceans’ noise levels have increased by some 15 decibels — and as the impact of decibels is calculated exponentially, that’s nothing to sneeze at. Researchers worry about the possible threat […]