A giant turtle, a mythic symbol of Vietnamese independence and longevity that had quietly paddled around Hanoi’s central lake for decades – some say centuries – has died, official state news media reported. Of the four animals that many Vietnamese consider sacred, including the dragon, phoenix and unicorn, the turtle is the only one that exists in real life, said Pamela McElwee, a Vietnam expert and a professor of human ecology at Rutgers University. As a result, she added, Hanoi’s giant turtle was seen as an important link between “the here and now, the earthly world and the spiritual world.”
All the Winter’s a Weird Weather Stage; Here Are the Players
Get ready for weather whiplash as powerful climatic forces elbow each other for starring roles in a weird winter show. The spine-chilling polar vortex is taking center stage in Europe and bringing persistent cold to much of North America — except in Hollywood, where soggy El Nino won’t give up the spotlight. “We have all of these large and unusual events happening all at the same time and I don’t think it has ever happened before,” said Rutgers University climate scientist Jennifer Francis.
Americans Aware of Chipotle Outbreak Eat There Less Often: Poll
Nearly a quarter of Americans who have heard of recent E. coli outbreaks at Chipotle Mexican Grill said they are eating less often at its restaurants, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Tuesday, while social media sentiment towards the chain hit a low….
Designer Seed Thought to Be Latest Target by Chinese
The case of the missing corn seeds first broke in May 2011 when a manager at a DuPont research farm in east-central Iowa noticed a man on his knees, digging up the field. …”These varieties that Pioneer has, have shown to be better than the best varieties they’ve got in China,” said Carl E. Pray, a professor of agriculture, food and resource economics at Rutgers.
