Coffee and Provocation

Britain is Ass Deep in Fox
From Wildlife Online: "The Mammal Society and the Animal and Plant Health Authority suggest that the stable (i.e. pre-cubbing) British fox population is around 430,000 animals, while a recent analysis from Brighton University suggests about 150,000 these live in towns and cities.... there are no data to suggest that the 2004 Hunting Act (which made it illegal to hunt foxes on horse-back with dogs) has had any significant impact on national fox numbers." This last bit is not exactly a surprise as the Mammal Society has previously said the British fox population was an biological limits... at 250,000.   So where has there been growth?  In cities and towns, where an abundance of food resources (garbage, bird seed, dog food) has seen a fox population explosion from an estimated 33,000 in the 1990s to 150,000 today. "A citizen science initiative in 2012 found that over 90 per cent of English and Welsh towns that reported no foxes in 2001 were now home to them."

Britain is Neck Deep in Badgers
From Nature: "We estimate there are approximately 485,000 badgers (95% confidence intervals 391,000–581,000) in England and Wales." A previous study estimated the badger population in the UK in the 1980s was approximately 250,000 badgers.

13 Dead Bald Eagles Found in Maryland Field

The likely killer is illegal and banned ant poison set out to kill a raccoon. The same poison is responsible for massive lion kills in Africa. Cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, and Painted Dogs are also killed with the poison.

Renewable Energy Overtook Coal in Germany Last Year
Renewable energy sources are now 40%, while coal has dropped to 38%.

Is Coffee Good for You?
A science writer kicked caffeine to reduce anxiety, but a "wellness expert" assured him that coffee is good for you. I suspect it's not the coffee that's good for you -- its the bladder stimulation and resulting activity. So yes, coffee, but not coffee.

Solastalgia
Solastalgia (/ˌsɒləˈstældʒə/) is a neologism that describes a form of mental or existential distress caused by environmental change.

Thanks for Saving the Bacon?
Firefighters in England saved 18 piglets from a barn fire. Six months later, the farmer sent them sausages made from the piglets as a thank-you gift. “This is just what we do – we are not an animal sanctuary" explained the farmer. "We give the pigs the best opportunity and the best life they could have for six months. They won’t be kept inside; they are outdoors and fed with organic food which is grown on the farm.”

Your Idiot Great Grandfather Invented IQ Tests
The average IQ rises with each new generation, a phenomenon called the “Flynn Effect.” IQ tests are continuously made harder to keep the average at 100. If today’s children took an IQ test from past decades, they would score significantly higher.

Bambi's Voice Was an American Badass
Donnie Dunagan, who as a child actor was the voice of Bambi, became the Marine’s youngest-ever drill instructor. He served 3 tours in Vietnam, was wounded several times, and earned a bronze star and three purple hearts.

A Matter of Definition?
Selwyn College (Cambridge University) master Roger Mosey had his basset hound “Yo-Yo” reclassified as a “very large cat” so he could keep it on the dog-averse campus.

Frozen for 42,000 Years, and Now Back Alive
Russian worms that were frozen for 42,000 years are alive and kicking.