Mind Soup

London, United Kingdom , September 6, 2009-- Paddlers ply the River Thames, which was recently turned into a giant bathtub for the annual Great British Duck Race. Organizers released 205,000 blue rubber ducks—each sponsored by a donor—into the river, breaking the race's previous world record of 175,000 ducks. The first ducks to cross the finish line win their sponsors cash and other prizes. This year the event supported the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Kierdijk, Netherlands , September 7, 2009-- Winds of change blew through the historic mill complex at Kinderdijk this week. For the first time, energy-efficient LED bulbs powered the popular Dutch tourist attraction's annual illumination. Part of a UN World Heritage site, the windmills help pump water in and out of low-lying areas called polders. Centuries before the mills were built around 1740, a cat was spotted balancing atop a baby in a cradle during a flood, hence the name Kinderdijk (...

The Peppered moth, which changed its colour from white to black in areas of Britain with heavy pollution, is now reverting back to its original appearance. The moth was white with small black speckles but over time it evolved to being almost black in parts of the UK because of heavy industrial pollution. The change made it less obvious to predators against backgrounds of grime and soot. Having declined by more than two thirds compared to 40 years ago, it is regarded as a classic example of natural selection and has consequently become known as "Darwin's moth." Now in post-industrial Britain, 200 years after Darwin's birth, the moth is changing back to its original white colour. Scientists at Butterfly Conservation, based in Dorset, are now appealing to the public for help in finding out how widespread this change has become. As part of Garden Moths Count 2009 they want people to search their gardens for the moth and log their sightings....