Carbon, the atmosphere and our future

Tropical deforestation
(Credit: CSIRO)

Carbon dioxide is known to be one of the greenhouse gases that can cause the earth's atmosphere to retain heat. Today two new scientific studies have been released with more insight into carbon and its dispersal into the air as carbon dioxide.

First, from Australia's CSIRO, the national science agency, comes a study on carbon contained within tropical forests. That carbon is thus not available to be released as CO2.

This study says the current deforestation rate in the tropics releases 1.5 billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere annually. That's about one-fifth of all carbon emissions caused by human activity.

Another study describes the fate of CO2 trapped within the Pacific Ocean.

The study released by Kent State University found there had been massive prehistoric releases of carbon dioxide. Two of these occurred at the end of the last ice age, triggered by changes in the ocean currents. Right now, the scientists say, carbon dioxide levels in the earth's atmosphere are the highest they've been in 650-thousand years. That's even before the invention of the radio and phonograph if you're following on a timeline.

The oceans have absorbed about half the carbon we humans have pumped into the air in the past three hundred years. But if current climate change alters ocean currents enough, there could be another massive release of carbon dioxide now trapped within the ocean. That would only accelerate the warming of the atmosphere.

Meanwhile one company is working on trying to increase the amount of carbon now trapped by the oceans. Their plan is to use some friendly plankton to capture carbon. I just hope we humans haven't totally alienated every other organism on this plant.

Source: CNET News.com - Business Tech

Microsoft getting ready for 'Halo 3' beta

For fans of the hit Halo video game franchise, San Francisco is the place to be Friday.

That's because Microsoft is hosting a hands-on press event where invitees will be able to play the game (click here for screenshots) for the first time.

Microsoft said it wouldn't be making any announcements at the event, but those in attendance will have a chance to get an advance look at the game before the company opens up its beta on May 16.

Source: CNET News.com - Business Tech

Urban robot race gears up

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) said Friday that it has whittled down the contestants for its upcoming urban robot race from 89 to 53 teams via qualification events. Among the 53 teams are the Stanford Racing team (winner of the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge--a desert robot race across 132 miles), Princeton University and Team MIT. The 53 teams will get a visit from DARPA people next month for a road test of their autonomous cars, in a test of their safety and viability for the Urban Challenge, a robot race across mock city streets slated for Nov. 3. (DARPA will award $2 million, $1 million and $500,000 awards to the top three contestants that finish in the six-hour limit.)

After the tests in June, DARPA will select 30 semifinalists to proceed to the National Qualification Event from Oct. 21 to 31. The location has yet to be disclosed.

"We are requiring more and more complex behaviors at each stage of the competition," Dr. Norman Whitaker, Urban Challenge program manager, said in a statement. "Site visits will be the first real test with moving traffic."

Source: CNET News.com - Business Tech