Last week, it was a dramatically exploding turbine at a wind-power farm in Denmark. Here's what's driving the conversation this week at our partner site, ScienceBlogs.de:
Genetically Modified Food
Europeans are famous for their reluctance to accept genetically modified crops and foodstuffs. But their suspicion of GMOs isn't unanimous: "Corn, whether it is genetically modified or not, looks the same and tastes the same," writes Tobias Maier at his blog, WeiterGen. This week, he wonders aloud why the European Ministers of Agriculture continue to vote against the admission of genetically modified plants for food—even when the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) says that genetically modified plants don't have a negative impact on humans, animals, or the environment.
What Is Science?
It's easy to want to believe in science, but what do you do when two studies seem to contradict each other? Inspired by a debate over the benefit of bicycle helmets to riders (some studies show that wearing a helmet when pedaling a bike keeps one safer, and others show the opposite), Ludmilla Carone takes on the question: What is science? She reaches back to Aristotle, Ptolemy, Kepler and Galileo to discuss earlier disagreements in the name of science, sparking a debate with dozens of comments.
Video: Thermite vs. Liquid Nitrogen
What happens when hot thermite (a pyrotechnic composition of aluminum powder and metal oxide) gets together with liquid nitrogen? Does extreme heat cancel out extreme cold? Err...not exactly, as this video shows. (Via Wissen Schafft Kommunikation; video in English)
Science Love
Valentines Day is long gone, but Hanno Charisius at Ein Bisschen Dunkel (A Little Bit Dark) is still getting smiles from a stash of science-themed V-day cards.
Finally, links in this article are to blog posts in German. But, generally speaking, their authors are happy to respond to comments in English.
Thanks, as always, to ScienceBlogs.de managing editor Beatrice Lugger.
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