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A typical desk globe is designed to be a geometric sphere and to rotate smoothly when you spin it. Our actual planet is far less perfect -- in both shape and in rotation.

A growing world population means that more food is needed which in turn may require more land to grow food crops. More agriculture, however, results in increased irrigation, particularly for food crops such as maize and wheat – especially in dry regions. Combined with the use of fertilizer, this leads to salt accumulation in soils. To be able to use saline soils, naturally salt-tolerant plants, the so-called halophytes, are of great interest. The pseudo-cereal quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is one of them. Quinoa originated in the Andean region and is adapted to harsh environmental conditions. In the South American mountain range, the cereal-like plant has been used as a food crop for 7000 years. Gluten-free and high in vitamins, the edible seeds have now found their way into European supermarkets.

Research suggests that higher-latitude reefs may have more time to adapt to rising ocean temperatures than their tropical counterparts.

Researchers led by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists have identified another way the process that causes oil to form droplets in water may contribute to solid tumors, such as prostate and breast cancer. The findings appear today in the journal Molecular Cell.

When Florence slogged ashore in North Carolina last week, coastal wetlands offered one of the best lines of defense against the hurricane’s waves and surge.