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Scientists Fighting Disinformation About Climate Change Videos

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Video 2.47

Scientists Fighting Disinformation About Climate Change

The scientific consensus on human-induced climate change is robust. But the debate has divided the population thanks to concerted efforts on behalf of the fossil fuel industry to derail the advice of scientists and leading academics.

Follow This Sacred Golden Fish Thrives In Bhutan Prized by anglers for its striking colour, size and strength, the golden mahseer (Tor putitora) is a large endangered fish found in southern Asia. Overfishing and habitat loss have caused golden mahseer populations to decline throughout its native range, except in Bhutan where the species has long been revered and protected by the government. Traditionally, the golden mahseer is considered a sign of good luck as one of the eight auspicious symbols of Tibetan Buddhism. To discover more about this species, biologists and conservationists with the World Wildlife Fund and the Bhutanese government began radio telemetry studies to track mahseers in the rivers of Bhutan in hopes of learning more about its migration patterns and spawning.

This Sacred Golden Fish Thrives In Bhutan

Follow Stars 101 Countless stars dot the night sky. Learn how these celestial objects form, how they are classified by brightness and temperature, and what happens when stars die.

Stars 101

Follow YELLOW-RUMPED LEAF-EARED MOUSE SPOTTED 6,200 METRES ABOVE SEA LEVEL Mountain climber Matt Farson spotted this mouse while on Llullaillaco volcano.

YELLOW-RUMPED LEAF-EARED MOUSE SPOTTED 6,200 METRES ABOVE SEA LEVEL

Follow How 3-D Imaging Helps Archaeologists Preserve The Past Archaeologists Luis Jaime Castillo and Carlos Wester have been working on the north coast of Peru for decades. They’ve focused on a large complex of pyramids called Chotuna-Chornancap, which was built by the Sicán, also known as Lambayeque, around 750 AD. The pyramids were a seat of power for at least three civilizations: the Sicán, Chimú, and Inca. The latest major discoveries at Chotuna-Chornancap included the tomb of a priestess who was buried with a gold crown, silver jewellery, and a sceptre. “We found the tomb of an elite member of the Lambayeque culture who represents one of the most important rulers we’ve known in this area,” said Wester. “This archaeological site has allowed us to find a context that we had not explored about Lambayeque culture: the presence of women associated with power and religiosity.” Castillo and Wester are confident that there are decades more of archaeological discoveries to be made at the site, and there is a sense of urgency. “Are we in a hurry? Yes,” Castillo said. “Damage by water, looting and encroachment are the biggest threat to archaeological sites all around the world,” said Castillo. Hundreds of sites have already been lost. Many of these sites may be small, but Castillo explains why they are still important to preserve: “The problem is that if we go this way, we will end up only having Machu Picchu and maybe Chan Chan and a couple of other very large sites … We want to know how the peasants lived. We want to know how agricultural fields were. We want to answer questions that go beyond how the rich and powerful were enjoying life.” Today, technologies such as drones make it possible to survey large areas in a short amount of time, and even build models to assess possible site damage. “I can fly many, many hectares around this site and develop a map in probably 20 minutes,” said Castillo. “By tonight, I will have my three-dimensional model, and tomorrow morning I will have a completely developed assessment of what to do to prevent damage produced by water.” The models can help researchers make strategic decisions to prevent destruction of sites by flowing water, earthquakes, or El Niño flooding. “The technical pictures that we can produce can help us do things we've never done before,” Castillo explained. Not only are they able to lay out their excavation units to get a useful bird’s eye-view and produce 3-D models of the excavations themselves, Castillo said, “But then we realized that the models and the pictures could actually allow us to help preserve the sites much better.” Castillo received a grant from the National Geographic Society to use aerial photography to document El Niño's impacts on archaeological structures such as Chotuna-Chornancap on the north coast of Peru. Using high-resolution-photogrammetric 3-D models to create digital topography allows him to record and assess the extension, duration, and pace of El Niño's heavy rains and floods. Predicting how the water is going to flow makes it possible to try to divert it to protect archaeological sites. At a number of those sites, the Ministry of Culture in Peru has developed proactive measures to prevent destruction. There are many reasons why it’s important to study and preserve the past. “Our society has come to think that we made ourselves, we are self-made cultural products. We developed and invented everything. We owe nothing to the past,” reflected Castillo. “For an archaeologist, that is funny. We are only the continuation of a process that started a long time ago. Many of the problems that we have today can only be solved if we look back at how we came to be the way we are.” Both Castillo and Wester are motivated by the larger purpose of their work and how archaeology can contribute to present and future society. Wester expressed, “The past must become a tool to improve the present, and if we don’t do this, then we are only looking for treasures, and that is not the purpose of archaeology,” said Wester. GlobalXplorer° is a cutting-edge platform that empowers citizen scientists around the world to help reduce looting and encroachment at important archaeological sites—as well as discover and protect unknown sites—using satellite imagery. Find out how you can become part of the GlobalXplorer° community and make a difference, beginning with our first expedition in Peru, at GlobalXplorer.org.

How 3-D Imaging Helps Archaeologists Preserve The Past

Follow Amazing Antlers The male caribou grows antlers every year, and then throws them away!

Amazing Antlers

Follow South Africa’s Humpback Whales Make A Stunning Comeback Large scale-whaling in South Africa drove humpbacks whales to the edge of extinction. Economic changes and efforts by conservationists put an end to whaling in the 1970s. Forty years later, researchers surveyed the humpback whale population and were stunned by the findings: tens of thousands of whales were migrating up the east coast of South Africa. This was a success story that conservationists never expected. This video is an excerpt from the full-length documentary "Our Oceans", a co-production between WILDOCEANS (a program of the WILDTRUST) and Off the Fence Productions.

South Africa’s Humpback Whales Make A Stunning Comeback

Follow Apollo: Back to the Moon | Trailer Against the backdrop of the Cold War, follow the Apollo program from the disaster of Apollo 1 to the triumph of the Apollo 8 mission.

Apollo: Back to the Moon | Trailer

Follow The Armstrong Tapes | Trailer Take a personal and in-depth look at the first man to set foot on the moon: Neil Armstrong, one of the world's greatest and least-understood heroes.

The Armstrong Tapes | Trailer

Follow Apollo: Missions to the Moon | Trailer Newly transferred film and never before heard audio recount the key moments of NASA's Apollo space program and America's goal to land on the Moon.

Apollo: Missions to the Moon | Trailer

Follow Rockets 101 Launching a rocket into space is one of humankind's crowning achievements. Learn about how rockets work, what happens during a launch, and how centuries of innovation made space exploration possible.

Rockets 101

Follow Future Of Food: Why Sustainable Food Systems Matter What does it take to grow enough food for all of us? How do we create food systems that meet the needs of our changing world—and what role does technology play? A wide-ranging panel discussion explores global issues of food sustainability. MODERATOR: Joel Bourne - Journalist PARTICIPANTS: Jerry Glover - Senior Advisor, USAID Nadine Azzu - Global Project Coordinator, FAO Ben R. Jordan - Director of Supplier Sustainability, Coca-Cola Company José Andrés - Chef, Author, Educator At National Geographic's Future of Food forum on May 2, 2014, leading experts gathered to discuss how we can feed a global population set to top nine billion by 2050.

Future Of Food: Why Sustainable Food Systems Matter

Follow Food by the Numbers: Feeding Our Hungry Planet By 2050, the world's population will likely increase 35 percent. But is growing more food the only option—or even the best? National Geographic investigates the challenges and solutions to feeding everyone on our planet, based on an eight-month series in National Geographic magazine.

Food by the Numbers: Feeding Our Hungry Planet

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