Have Humans Caused a New Geological Era?

SAN FRANCISCO — Humans drive trillions of miles in cars, clear-cut forests for agriculture and create vast landfills teeming with tin cans, soda bottles and other detritus of industrialization. There's no doubt that humans have radically reshaped the planet, and those changes leave traces in the Earth's geological record. At the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union this week, geologists...

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Disgust Makes Dirt More Visible

The feeling of disgust isn't particularly enjoyable, but new research suggests the "ewww" has its role: People who are disgusted are better at detecting impurities. In other words, disgust makes it easier to see dirt and other nastiness that might make us sick, researchers reported online Nov. 5 in the journal Psychological Science. The findings aren't the first example of emotions influencing...

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China's mini Apple takes slice of smartphone pie

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Xiaomi Technology is a fairy tale for nerdy entrepreneurs. Less than three years after its founding, the smartphone maker is valued at $4 billion and evokes Apple-like adoration from its fans, some of whom are desperate enough to skip work for a shot at buying the latest product the day it goes on sale. Founder Lei Jun dresses like the late Steve Jobs, in jeans and a...

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Italian tax police visit Facebook's Milan offices

MILAN (Reuters) - Italian police have been carrying out checks at the Milan offices of Facebook to assess whether it regularly declared its income in Italy, an investigative source and the U.S. company said on Friday. Italian officials have stepped up their efforts to collect taxes in recent months and have already targeted other big corporate names such as Google to check whether they are paying...

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Best E-Reader for Under $100

Top Contenders The basic model Kindle, the Nook Simple Touch, and the Kobo Touch all share a few traits other than a reasonable price. They all feature 6-inch screens, 2 GB of storage, Wi-Fi for downloading books, and good readability. But a few differentiating factors may tip the balance. Kindle ($89) The Kindle line offers a range of devices priced from $89 (or $69 if you don't mind the ad-supported...

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Mahfud Terpilih Karena Peserta Munas Tak Ingin KAHMI Dipimpin Politisi

Terpilihnya Mahfud MD sebagai Ketua Presedium Korps Alumni Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam (KAHMI) dianggap mereflrksikan keinginan seluruh peserta Munas ke-IX di Riau. Dari awal perserta Munas, tak ingin KAHMI dipimpin politisi. "Jadi kepimpinan Mahfud MD ini sudah dapat mewakili apa yang diharapkan peserta Munas pada umumnya. Dimana peserta mengharapkan agar KAHMI jangan dimpimpin seorang politisi," kata...

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Ribuan Vespa-mania Menyemut di TMII, Lalu Lintas Dialihkan

Ribuan 'Vespa-mania' menyemut di Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII), Jakarta Timur. Akibat para pengendara Vespa yang memarkir kendaraannya di lokasi itu lalu lintas terowongan pintu 3 TMII ditutup. "Sementara kita tutup untuk dialihkan ke Terminal Kampung Rambutan," kata Kasat Lantas Porles Jakarta Timur AKBP Supoyo kepada detikcom, Minggu (2/12/2012). Supoyo mengatakan, para pengemudi Vespa itu...

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