Irish potato famine mystery finally solved, 168 years later

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Scientists believe that they have finally solved the question of what caused the Irish potato famine which destroyed potato crops in Ireland causing the deaths of millions of people. A research team from Norwich, England, used dried leaf cuttings, some of which were nearly 170 years old, to reconstruct the spread of the HERB-1 strain…

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Carbon dioxide levels in atmosphere pass troubling critical milestone

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Scientists announced this week that the level of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached a level not seen on earth for a long time, surpassing 400 parts per million (0.000400 mole), a dire milestone. The best available evidence suggests the amount of carbon dioxide gas in the air has not been this high…

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Archaeologists discover Pluto’s “Gate to Hell” in southwestern Turkey

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Known as Pluto’s Gate, the famous “Gate to Hell” cave was celebrated as the portal to the underworld in Greco-Roman mythology and tradition. It was said to be located in the ancient Phrygian city of Hierapolis, now called Pamukkale, and described as filled with lethal mephitic vapors. Last week, Italian archaeologists announced that they have…

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