Britain and the US launched a US$25 million project last Monday to study the risks of a collapse of a giant glacier in Antarctica that is already shrinking and nudging up global sea levels. The five-year research, involving 100 scientists, will be the two nations’ biggest joint scientific project in Antarctica since the 1940s. Ice is thawing from Greenland to Antarctica and man-made global warming is accelerating the trend.
The scientists will study the Thwaites Glacier, which is roughly the size of Florida or Britain, in West Antarctica, the UK Natural Environment Research Council and US National Science Foundation said in a joint statement. “Rising sea levels are a globally important issue which cannot be tackled by one country alone,” UK science minister Sam Gyimah said.
Thwaites and the nearby Pine Island Glacier are two of the biggest and fastest-retreating glaciers in Antarctica. If both abruptly collapsed, allowing ice far inland to flow faster into the oceans, world sea levels could rise by more than 1m, threatening cities from Shanghai to San Francisco and low-lying coastal regions.
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照片：路透
The scientists will deploy planes, hot water drills, satellite measurements, ships and robot submarines to one of the remotest parts of the planet to see “whether the glacier’s collapse could begin in the next few decades or centuries,” the statement said.
Despite satellites, “there are still many aspects of the ice and ocean that cannot be determined from space,” said Ted Scambos, of the National Snow and Ice Data Center and the lead US scientific coordinator.
Other scientists from South Korea, Germany, Sweden, New Zealand and Finland will also contribute.
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The US is keeping up with research even though US President Donald Trump doubts mainstream scientific findings that human activities, led by the burning of fossil fuels, are the main cause of global warming.
(Reuters)
英國和美國上週一展開一項斥資兩千五百萬美元的研究計畫，以探討南極洲一條巨型冰河的崩塌風險。這條冰河已經開始縮小，並且逐漸造成全球海平面上升。由一百名科學家參與的這項五年研究計畫，將是一九四○年代以來英美兩國所進行最大的科學研究合作計畫。從格陵蘭到南極洲，地球兩極的冰層正在融化，人為的全球暖化效應更加速這個趨勢。
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照片：路透
英國自然環境研究委員會與美國國家科學基金會在聯合聲明中指出，科學家將研究南極洲西部的史威茲冰河，該冰河面積相當於佛羅里達州或是整個英國。英國內閣科學大臣山姆·吉馬表示：「上升中的海平面是一項全球性的重要議題，非單一國家能獨力處理。」
史威茲冰河與鄰近的松島冰河是南極洲規模最大而且退縮速度最快的兩條冰河。如果兩條冰河突然崩塌，導致遠在內陸的冰更快流入海洋，可能導致全球海平面上升超過一公尺，將嚴重威脅上海和舊金山等城市，以及其他地勢低矮的沿海區域。
英美聯合聲明表示，科學家將在這個全球有數最偏遠的地區廣泛運用飛機、熱水鑽機、衛星測量、船隻，以及機器潛艇，以檢視「史威茲冰河崩塌是否會在接下來幾十年或幾世紀發生。」
美國國家雪冰資料中心的泰德‧史坎波斯是該研究計畫的美國主協調人。他指出，雖然有衛星協助，「冰層與海洋仍然有許多面相是無法從高空中推斷。」
來自南韓、德國、瑞典、紐西蘭以及芬蘭等國的其他科學家也會為此研究貢獻心力。
儘管美國總統唐納‧川普對於主流科學研究結果抱持著懷疑的態度，並不認為人類活動──主要來自於燃燒化石燃料──是全球暖化的主要原因，然而美國仍然持續進行相關研究。
（台北時報章厚明譯）
Earthquakes are among the most terrifying natural disasters, generating massive tremors and destructive forces as Earth’s crust shudders. These tremors not only lead to the collapse of buildings but can also trigger secondary disasters, such as tsunamis and fires. However, we can mitigate the impact on lives and property by mastering earthquake response techniques. The DCH three-step strategy, recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is crucial during an earthquake. “D” stands for “drop.” You should immediately drop to the ground, using your hands and knees to support yourself. This position prevents you from falling and
A: The newest twist in “Friends” star Matthew Perry’s sudden death is shocking. B: Didn’t he die from a ketamine overdose last year? A: But the police say his death could be a conspiracy. B: Wow, what happened? A: Five suspects have been charged for intentionally supplying him with large amounts of ketamine for personal gain. A: 《六人行》男星馬修派瑞之死大逆轉真令人震驚！ B: 他去年不是因吸毒過量致死嗎？ A: 但警方說他的死可能是個陰謀。 B: 發生了什麼事？ A: 警方已起訴5名嫌犯，他們故意提供大量「K他命」給他，以謀取暴利。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
A: What’s even more horrible is that the five suspects who purposely supplied ketamine to actor Matthew Perry were all his “friends.” B: Who exactly are the five suspects? A: They include Matthew’s two doctors, a broker, a drug dealer, and even his live-in assistant. B: Those scumbags should go to jail. A: Yeah, one of the doctors may be sentenced to up to 120 years in prison. A: 更可怕的是，提供男星馬修派瑞「K他命」的5人全是他的「朋友」。 B: 嫌犯是誰啊？ A: 其中包括他的2位醫生、1位仲介、1位毒販、甚至他的同居助理！ B: 那些人渣真該去坐牢。 A: 對啊，其中1位醫生可能面臨120年徒刑。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
It’s widely recognized that there are far more right-handed people than left-handed people in the world. Being right-handed simply means preferring to use one’s right hand for tasks that involve only one hand, such as writing and eating. But have you ever wondered about the possible reasons behind the global dominance of the right hand over the left? As with many complex biological questions, multiple factors appear to be at play. First, one reason seems to be genetics. __1__ Therefore, the global dominance of right-handedness is something that has been passed down through many generations of humans. Next,
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