Mongolia

Right in front of my house, stands a burflower tree (Neolamarckia cadamba) at a site the ownership of which is disputed. The tree, surrounded by a few others, gives us a calming hint of a thick foliage and utters, as it were, a blessing every day. As much as I think about its presence, I cannot but feel a deep anxiety over how long it would be allowed to stand. Does not a tree have some entitlement to the land, to which it’s rooted, I wonder. If planting trees is our bounden duty, where shall we do so? Trees require…

(a-c) and (k-m) show polystyrene foam particles collected from the environment and as manufactured, respectively, imaged at different magnifications using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). (d-e) and (n-o) show the composition of the same two types of particles, as found from energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Credit: Tokyo Metropolitan University A team led by researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University studied how…

Microscopic images of the modifications observed on the graphite pendant: (a–b) mid-section groove, (c) short groove located at one extremity of the artefact, (d–e) parallel striations observed on the flat side of the artefact, (f) highly smoothed and shiny facet present on the flat side of the artefact, (g) 3D reconstruction of the mid-section groove, (h–i) profile of the mid-section groove, (j) 3D reconstruction of the groove located at one extremity…

National Geographic announced the winning photographs from its first "Pictures of the Year" photo competition.The contest, which opened to U.S. residents in early December, invited readers to submit a digital photograph in one of four categories: nature, people, places and animals.The contest required that photographs be largely unaltered. According to the rules, "only minor burning, dodging and/or color correction is acceptable, as is minor cropping." Photos with other changes are "unacceptable and ... ineligible for a…

Xiaomi Modena spied testing in winter conditionsThe Xiaomi Modena electric sedan was photographed testing in snow and ice possibly to record the battery’s performance in such conditions. CEO Lei Jun, who has been an advocate for the company’s move into the EV market, has reportedly been an active part of the developmental process and is rumoured to have been part of the team testing in Mongolia.The Xiaomi Modena is rumoured to get three powertrain options. Two of Modena’s powertrains will be using BYD-sourced Blade…

Horses and Gers near Khoton (Syrgal) Lake near the Altai Mountains of Mongolia. Credit: N. Bayarkhuu, CC-BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) The movement of herders and livestock into the eastern steppe is of great interest to researchers, but few scholars have linked the introduction of herds and horses to the rise of complex societies.…