How Mosquitoes Took Down Rome & Saved America @DNewsPlus

Seeker+ | How Mosquitoes Took Down Rome & Saved America @DNewsPlus | Uploaded 8 years ago | Updated 11 hours ago
Mosquitoes have a hand in changing the course of human history. From Rome to the Revolutionary war, they've helped shape the world.

$What Would A World Without Plastic Look Like? Episode 3 of 3 Check us out on Soundcloud! https://soundcloud.com/dnewsplus Please Subscribe! http://bit.ly/28iQhYC Discovery GO - http://smart.link/57ae195b47796 Science GO - http://smart.link/57ae1a34dd168 Sign up today and get a Free Month of unlimited access to all of The Great Courses Plus lectures - Go to: http://thegreatcoursesplus.com/dnewsplus People are actively looking for plastic alternatives that are better for the environment but what would a plastic-free world look like? + + + + + + + + Previous Episode: Can We Ever Really Get Rid Of Plastic?: https://www.youtube.com/ + + + + + + + + Biotic vs. Abiotic Control of Decomposition: A Comparison of the Effects of Simulated Extinctions and Changes in Temperature: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0087426 The loss of species is known to have significant effects on ecosystem functioning, but only recently has it been recognized that species loss might rival the effects of other forms of environmental change on ecosystem processes. Infographic: Heres How Long Your Trash Will Be Around: http://futurism.com/plastic-decomposition/ According to the U.S National Park Service, it takes a plastic bottle 450 years to decompose in the environment. Yes, thats 450 years. That means that, if Shakespeare had a bottle of soda pop, that soda bottle would still be around... Why Doesnt Plastic Biodegrade?: http://www.livescience.com/33085-petroleum-derived-plastic-non-biodegradable.html Most plastic is manufactured from petroleum the end product of a few million years of natural decay of once-living organisms. Petroleums main components come from lipids that were first assembled long ago in those organisms cells. Peptide bond: https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/peptide_bond.htm A peptide bond is a chemical bond formed between two molecules when the carboxyl group of one molecule reacts with the amino group of the other molecule, releasing a molecule of water (H2O). Plastic Breaks Down in Ocean, After All And Fast: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090820-plastic-decomposes-oceans-seas.html Though ocean-borne plastic trash has a reputation as an indestructible, immortal environmental villain, scientists announced yesterday that some plastics actually decompose rapidly in the ocean. Gut bacteria from a worm can degrade plastic: http://phys.org/news/2014-12-gut-bacteria-worm-degrade-plastic.html Plastic is well-known for sticking around in the environment for years without breaking down, contributing significantly to litter and landfills. But scientists have now discovered that bacteria from the guts of a worm known to munch on food packaging can degrade polyethylene, the most common plastic. Plastic-eating worms may offer solution to mounting waste, researchers discover: http://phys.org/news/2015-09-plastic-eating-worms-solution-mounting.html Consider the plastic foam cup. Every year, Americans throw away 2.5 billion of them. And yet, that waste is just a fraction of the 33 million tons of plastic Americans discard every year. Top 10 Eco-friendly Substitutes for Plastic: http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-tech/sustainable/5-plastic-substitutes1.htm Once upon a time, both moms and milkmen filled glass bottles with milk. Now look around your kitchen and youll probably see many plastics water bottles, soda bottles, food storage containers. Times have changed. Life without plastic: http://phys.org/news/2009-01-life-plastic.html Amid a recent flurry of worrisome reports about plastic, a simple question came up: Could we live without it? Could my typical family - a mom, a dad, a 3-year-old girl and a 7-month-old boy - put aside the very material... + + + + + + + + DNews Plus is built for enthusiastic science fans seeking out comprehensive conversations on the geeky topics they love. Host Trace Dominguez digs beyond the usual scope to deliver details, developments and opinions on advanced topics like AI, string theory and Mars exploration. DNews Plus is also offered as an audio podcast on Soundcloud. + + + + + + + + Trace Dominguez on Twitter https://twitter.com/TraceDominguez DNews on Facebook https://facebook.com/discoverynews DNews on Twitter http://twitter.com/DNews + + + + + + + +$

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