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Pagan News Beagle: Earthy Thursday, August 6

What's the geekiest place in the known universe? Could seaweed that tastes like bacon really be the key to saving the oceans? And what exactly does Obama's new plan to reduce fossil fuel usage in the United States really mean? Here in Earthy Thursday we gather the most interesting news about science and the natural world for your perusing. All this and more for the Pagan News Beagle!

The NASA probe New Horizons has now departed Pluto, but the information it's sent us about the distant world continues to be cataloged and researched by scientists here on Earth. Over at io9 Mika McKinnon discusses how the tiny planet's geography has rapidly acquired an usually geeky inventory of names.

What can be learned by tagging and tracking nearly a thousand bees? As it turns out quite a lot, writes Amelia Urry for Grist. Read more about how the experiment, launched by James Cook University, could help us understand the causes behind the bee declines worldwide.

Seaweed that tastes like bacon? While it certainly sounds weird, the new strain of cultivated algae would not only help alleviate world hunger but potentially help combat agricultural runoff and ocean acidification.

Despite its controversy, genetic engineering has been utilized for several decades as a widespread and accepted practice in agriculture. But could it be due for a major game changer? Tech magazine Wired takes a look at the new discovery known as CRISPR, which could allow scientists to edit DNA with unprecedented ease, and both its possible risks and benefits.

For decades we've been hearing about the dangers of global warming but despite this, many governments have ignored the warnings and taken relatively little action. Is President Obama's new clean energy plan going to change that? Gizmodo takes a look at all you need to know about the new directive.


Top image by werktuigendagen

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Aryós Héngwis (or the more modest Héngwis for short) is a native of the Pontic-Caspian steppe, born some 5000 years ago, near the village of Dereivka. In his youth he stood out from the other snakes for his love of learning and culture, eventually coming into the service of the local reǵs before moving westward toward Europe. Most recently, Aryós Héngwis left his home to pursue a new life in America, where he has come under the employ of BBI Media as an internet watchdog (or watchsnake, if you will), ever poised to strike the unwary troll.

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