Free Republic

LONDON: Birds have evolved larger brains to cope in harsh environments where the tasks of finding food, evading predators and finding shelter are more demanding, say scientists who predict that smart creatures may cope better with climate change than less brainy ones. Researchers, including those from University of Bath in the UK, used data from over 1,200 bird species to test whether large brains relative to body size are more prevalent in a harsh and unpredictable climate than smaller ones. They found that birds that live in highly seasonal environments such as in polar regions have significantly larger brains than...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Man-made climate change about doubled the chances for the type of heavy downpours that caused devastating Louisiana floods last month, a new federal study finds. Using two different sets of measurements and computer model runs simulating thousands of years, scientists found a clear sign of global warming in the rain that triggered the flooding that killed at least 13 people, damaged 150,000 homes and cost at least $8.7 billion. More than 26 inches of rain fell in one week, with nearly a foot in just one day, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.