News from Around the World (26/10)

How People Have Died in the 21st Century - the 2 (maybe 3) huge causes of death is really quite visible.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki = Liveable, But Not Chernobyl? - This difference is attributable to three factors: (1) the Chernobyl reactor had a lot more nuclear fuel; (2) that was much more efficiently used in reactions; and (3) the whole mess exploded at ground level.


What Makes A Boomerang Come Back? - “When the boomerang spins, one wing is actually moving through the air faster than the other [relative to the air] as the boomerang is moving forward as a whole,” explains Tan.


Junk DNA (no more) - "Enhancers are part of the 98 per cent of the human genome that is non-coding DNA – long thought of as 'junk DNA'," says Visel. "It's increasingly clear that important functions are embedded in this 'junk'."


Popsicles of the Future - Putting the shaky scientific claim aside, Marx’s invention is the result of a three-year collaboration with university scientists, a Michelin three-star chef, and a manufacturer of industrial nitrogen machinery with the goal of completely reinventing the form, function, and flavor of freezer pops.