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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

THE SPECTATOR
April 25, 2008
 
 

Chevron might pay big for environmental crimes

by Alyssa White '11

    Indigenous groups in Ecuador are rising up against monster oil company Chevron—and they just might stand a chance. 
    In 1993, attorneys Pablo Fajardo Mendoza and Luis Yanza sued Chevron for dumping toxic waste into waterways.  Although Mendoza and Yanza recently received the Goldman Environmental Prize for their efforts, the case itself was re-directed to Ecuador.  Since then, the lawsuit has remained in stalemate. Chevron has consistently refused to claim responsibility for the dumping, blaming the pollution on Ecuadorian company Petroecuador.  Chevron has also continued to insist that the lawsuit is not backed by reliable scientific information. More. . .
 

Did You  Know That?
Wacky Facts: Creepy Crawlies

by Kate Tummarello '11

  • Termites can't digest wood; the protozoa in their stomach (they eat them when they are younger) are the actual devourers of the wood.
  • Slugs have four noses.
  • A dragonfly's first six months of life are spent underwater. It then comes out of the water, sheds its outer skin, and starts flying, but if it falls in the water after it has shed its skin, it drowns.
  • A leech can drink up to eight times its weight in blood at one sitting.
More. . .
 

PROFESSOR PROFILE
Bill Pfitsch, Biology



Elijah LaChance: If you were to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Bill Pfitsch: Curious, friendly, shy.

EL: What areas of biology most interest you and why?

BP: I am fascinated by the ways that organisms manage to survve through adverse circumstances. I came to this throug a love for the alpine landscape of the western North America.  I got into plants because you can count on them to be where you can find them – blame it on my lousy vision that made it hard for me to develop much of a relationship
with mobile creatures.
More. . .
 

This week in science: The yellow fever vaccine

by Elijah LaChance '10

    Yellow fever is a devastating viral disease that can cause bleeding from the eyes, nostrils, anus and other mucous membranes.   This terrible illness often also causes black-colored, blood-filled vomit and the deterioration of the liver, kidneys, and heart.  Yellow bile pigments from the damaged liver color the skin, giving the disease its name.  Those who do not survive usually die between four and eight days after they first show symptoms.  There is still no known cure for the disease.  Before the turn of the 20th century, yellow fever had always been a puzzle because it strikes many people at once as an epidemic, yet it isn't directly contagious from one person to another.  Sadly, yellow fever epidemics have been common throughout history. More. . .
 

What's On The Web?
MetaEfficient.com

by Kate Tummarello '11

    MetaEfficient.com claims to be "The Optimal Green Guide." While their status as the optimal guide can be contested, they certainly have a large number of articles about being efficient.
    Just a quick look at the MetaEfficient homepage will tell you that.  Currently featured on the homepage are articles related to efficient things like foot pedals to control faucets, the best rechargeable batteries of 2007, and eSolar, a solar thermal power plant company. More. . .