Two Degrees, $100 Billion the World Climate Agreement By the Numbers

"Representatives from 196 nations made a historic pact Saturday, agreeing to adopt green energy sources, cut down on climate change emissions and limit the rise of global temperatures — while also cooperating to cope with the impact of unavoidable climate change."

"The deal still needs to be adopted by individual governments — but the acceptance by the diplomats gathered in Paris has been hailed as 'transformative.'"

"The agreement acknowledges that the threat of climate change is "urgent and potentially irreversible," and can only be addressed through 'the widest possible cooperation by all countries" and "deep reductions in global emissions.'"

"But how deep will those reductions be — and how soon, and who's paying for it?"

Bright Spots On Ceres Aren't Signs of Alien Civilizations Studies Say

"The mysterious bright spots glowed from Ceres' dark surface like alien headlights, capturing many Earthlings' imaginations. But researchers say they're the result of mineral salts, citing data captured by NASA's Dawn mission to study the dwarf planet."

"While the findings will likely dampen speculation over the spots, they also portray Ceres as a complex planet — one that may be holding a reserve of ice."

"The spots on Ceres, the largest object in an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, caused a stir in February, after the Dawn spacecraft sent home an image that showed two very bright spots inside a large crater on Ceres, where the surface is otherwise so dark it's often compared to fresh asphalt."

"Dispelling theorists' notions of an alien city tucked away in our solar system, researchers say in a study published by the journal Nature, 'These unusual areas are consistent with hydrated magnesium sulfates mixed with dark background material, although other compositions are possible.'"

Dupont and Dow Make Their Huge Merger Official

"The two largest chemical companies in America will become one entity named DowDuPont, as Dow Chemical and DuPont say they're joining in a 'merger of equals.' The new company will have a market capitalization of around $130 billion."

"After the merger, the resulting behemoth would be split into what Dow Chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris calls 'three powerful new companies,' with a combined revenue of around $83 billion."

"Now that the two companies' boards of directors have agreed to terms, their shareholders will also need to affirm the merger. Terms of the agreement state that Dow shareholders will get 1 share of the new enterprise for each Dow share they own, while DuPont shareholders will get 1.28 shares. They will own about 50 percent of the new enterprise."

"The massive deal also will need the approval of federal regulators."

Cancer Treatments May Need To Be Tailored To Each Tumor

"Cancers are diverse, and that makes them extremely difficult to treat. What worked stunningly for one person might fail utterly for another. What worked for a tumor in the brain probably won't work on a cancer of the liver. Scientists are trying to outwit tumors by coming up with tailored treatments like the immunotherapy drug used to successfully treat former President Jimmy Carter."

"But it's very hard to figure out how to find the right drug for a specific patient. A paper published Friday in Nature Communications suggests one thing that might help is identifying the astonishing mix of cells inside a tumor. It's not just cancer in there."

"Tumors can swallow up cells around them and grow into composites of malignant and healthy tissue. As that happens, they seem to take on different properties that could make them more or less responsive to an immunotherapy drug like Pembrolizumab, the medication that Carter received, one that works by stimulating the immune system to attack tumors, researchers say."

Rest of the World Perplexed That Climate Debate Continues In U. S.

"At the U.N. climate summit in Paris, the U.S. has a big footprint. Cabinet officials scurry from meeting to meeting, trying to get a binding deal that would help some 200 countries slow the planet's warming. Yet in some ways, the United States is an outlier."

"'Everybody else is taking climate change really seriously,' President Obama said during his visit to Paris at the start of the summit. 'They think it's a really big problem.'"

"As the president acknowledged, he leads one of the few advanced democracies in the world where climate change is still the subject of political debate."

"'You travel around Europe, and you talk to leaders of governments and the opposition, and they're arguing about a whole bunch of things. One thing they're not arguing about is whether the science of climate change is real and whether we have to do something about it,' he said."

"As the summit began, House Republicans in Washington were debating a bill to gut the Obama administration's clean energy plan."

Childhood's End The Planetary Meaning of Climate Change

"The Paris climate meeting is now heading into its home stretch, as world leaders debate what to make of a human future on a changing planet."

"As an astronomer, however, I'm used to taking the long view on things. From that perspective, a startlingly different understanding of climate change appears from what I often see people talking about. From the long view — which for climate is the only view that makes sense — it's clear we're looking at climate all wrong."

"Ask folks about climate change and a lot of them will talk about the climate debate. They'll tell you Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, environmentalists and business interests. And even for those who follow the science and understand the problem, the discussion often turns around the idea of saving the Earth. We Facebook each other pictures of polar bears and shrinking ice flows and feel doomed."

"All of these perspectives, however, miss an essential point. The long view is all about understanding planets, life and their coupled evolution. From that vantage point, what we're going through now is not a political debate or an attempt to save the planet. Instead we're at the beginning of a fundamental planetary transition and it's nothing short of humanity's coming of age."

Wreck Of Legendary Spanish Galleon Is Found, Columbia Says

"More than 300 years after it sank during an attack in the Caribbean near Cartagena's coast, a Spanish treasure ship has been found, says Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos."

"Santos announced the discovery of the legendary galleon Friday night, tweeting: 'Great news: we found the Galeón San José!'"

"The value of the San Jose's treasure — believed to include gold, silver, emeralds, and other precious cargo — has been estimated at more than $10 billion, with a range of $4-$17 billion often invoked. Much of the bullion came from mines in what is now Peru."

"The discovery was made on Nov. 27, Santos said at a news conference in Cartagena Saturday. He called it 'one of the biggest findings and identification of underwater heritage in the history of humanity.'"

Scientists Debate How Far To Go In Editing Human Genes

"Global warming isn't the only vexing issue the world wrestled with this week."

"While delegates gathered in Paris to discuss climate change, the International Summit on Human Gene Editing convened in Washington, D.C., to debate another conundrum: How far should scientists go when editing human DNA?"

"The main focus was whether scientists should be allowed to use powerful new genetic engineering techniques to edit genes in human eggs, sperm or embryos — an extremely controversial step that raises a host of thorny safety and ethical issues."

"At the end of the meeting Thursday, conference organizers concluded it would be "irresponsible to proceed" with any attempt to create a pregnancy or a baby from human eggs, sperm or embryos that have been altered, because of safety and ethical concerns."

A Bad Night's Sleep Might Do More Harm Than You Think

"It's 11 at night in a busy commercial section of Chennai, a city of nearly 5 million in Southern India. All around me people are sleeping in the open air. Men are curled up in the back of rickshaw wagons. Entire families camp out in shelters made of cardboard and tarp. A woman in a blue sari smiles and waves for me to come over."

"She tells me her name is Anjalai — like some in this part of India, she goes by only one name — and says she's got the most basic setup: a woven blue mat laid out on a patch of dirt by the side of the street."

"I ask her, 'What's it like to sleep in this spot?'"

"Her smile fades."

"'It's difficult', says Anjalai. 'There's so much noise from vehicles coming through.'"

The traffic isn't the half of it. People have tapped the power lines to hook up televisions right on the street — the blare echoes late into the night. Drunks wander by, shouting incoherently. Loudest of all: the dogs.

In New York City That Salty Combo Meal Now Comes With A Warning

"A new sodium warning requirement goes into effect in New York City restaurants Tuesday: Diners who eat at chain restaurants will now see warnings on menus next to items that contain high levels of salt."

"From now on, the New York City Health Department says chain restaurants with 15 or more locations must display a salt shaker icon next to menu items or combo meals that contain 2,300 milligrams of sodium or more."

"That's the recommended daily limit for sodium, but most Americans consume far more. And top contributors are foods we tend to eat when we're dining out, including pizza and deli sandwiches."

"In fact, surprisingly, they're among the six most popular foods that add unexpectedly high levels of sodium to our diet, according to the American Heart Association. Store-bought bread – which many of us eat several times a day — is another big offender."

From Gladiator Duels To Ceasar's Last Words, the Myths of Ancient Rome

"Historian Mary Beard has spent her career working through the texts and source materials of ancient Rome. She has written several books on the subject — including her most recent work, SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome — but she doesn't feel like she's close to being done with the topic."

" Beard tells Fresh Air's Dave Davies. 'The historical texts and the historical evidence that you use is always somehow giving you different answers because you're asking it different questions.'"

"Beard notes that history is a shifting discipline, and that many of our popular notions of ancient Rome are based on culture rather than fact. Take, for instance, 'Et tu, Brute?', William Shakespeare's version of Julius Caesar's final words. Beard says it's 'one of the most famous quotes in the whole of Roman history — except it certainly isn't what Caesar ever said.'"

What Gets Made in L. A. Is Way More Than Movies

"In 2015, what's American made? The U.S. is known for manufacturing — it's part of our identity, though jobs have been lost. They've gone overseas. Technology has changed the way things are made."

"Nevertheless, America is still making stuff."

"And in terms of jobs, the Los Angeles area is the biggest manufacturing hub in the country. There are a few reasons why. There is plenty of space here to build things like factories, and runways. That beautiful California weather? It's actually great for testing planes year round."

"The infrastructure here is also key. The huge ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles let companies quickly ship products to a global market, and get raw materials to build. A massive logistics region just east of Los Angeles, in the Inland Empire, is the first stop before products get on trucks to go across the United States."

Loneliness May Warp Our Genes And Our Immune Systems

"Loneliness has been linked to everything from heart disease to Alzheimer's disease. Depression is common among the lonely. Cancers tear through their bodies more rapidly, and viruses hit them harder and more frequently. In the short term, it feels like the loneliness will kill you. A study suggests that's because the pain of loneliness activates the immune pattern of a primordial response commonly known as fight or flight."

"For decades, researchers have been seeing signs that the immune systems of lonely people are working differently. Lonely people's white blood cells seem to be more active in a way that increases inflammation, a natural immune response to wounding and bacterial infection. On top of that, they seem to have lower levels of antiviral compounds known as interferons."

"That seemed to provide a link to a lot of the poor health outcomes associated with loneliness, since chronic inflammation has been linked to everything from cancer to depression. The human body isn't built to hold a high level of inflammation for years. "That explains very clearly why lonely people fall at increased risk for cancer, neurodegenerative disease and viral infections as well," saysSteve Cole, a genomics researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, and lead author on the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monda."

In Brazil Deforestation Is Up and So Is the Risk of Tree Extinction

"The rate of deforestation in Brazil has increased by 16 percent over the past year, the country's Environment Ministry announced."

"Brazil has often declared progress in reducing the rate of deforestation in the Amazon, but the government's own figures, released Thursday, show the challenges still facing the country."

"Satellite imagery showed that 2,251 square miles were destroyed in Brazil's Amazon from August 2014 to July 2015, compared with 1,935 square miles destroyed in the same period a year earlier."

Where Is This Painting 30 years After Its Theft?, Nobody Knows

"Thirty years ago, one of the most valuable paintings of the 20th century vanished. It wasn't an accident and it wasn't some elaborate movie heist. It was a simple theft — and it's still a mystery."

"It was the day after Thanksgiving in 1985. Staff at the University of Arizona Museum of Art in Tucson were getting to work, just like any other day."

"'It was almost 9 o'clock so the museum was gearing up to open the doors,' says museum curator Olivia Miller. 'The security guards opened the doors for one of the staff members, and two people followed behind.'"

"It was close enough to opening time that the guards let the man and woman come in. They started climbing a flight of stairs to the second floor, and the guard followed. In the middle of the stairwell, the woman stopped and turned to chat with the guard. Her partner continued on up."

NASA Probe Prepares For Its Final Pass Around Ceres

"This is the time of year that ancient Greeks gave thanks to the goddess Ceres for bringing forth a bountiful harvest. Modern planetary scientists give thanks to a different Ceres — not a goddess, but the largest object in the belt between Mars and Jupiter."

"Studying Ceres should help researchers gain a better understanding of how our solar system formed, and they'll soon have unique new data about from Ceres from a NASA spacecraft called Dawn, which is spending this Thanksgiving heading for its closest, and final, orbit around the dwarf planet."

"It should reach the desired orbit in a couple of weeks."

Worried About the Flu Shot Let's Separate Fact From Fiction

"Every year before influenza itself arrives to circulate, misinformation and misconceptions about the flu vaccine begin circulating. Some of these contain a grain of truth but end up distorted, like a whispered secret in the Telephone game."

"But if you're looking for an excuse not to get the flu vaccine, last year's numbers of its effectiveness would seem a convincing argument on their own. By all measures, last season's flu vaccine flopped, clocking in at about 23 percent effectiveness in preventing lab-confirmed influenza infections."

"But that's not the whole story, said Lisa Grohskopf, a medical officer in the influenza division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

"'Twenty-three is better than zero, but the 23 percent was overall. If you were one of the people who got an influenza B strain, it was closer to 60 percent,' she said. 'Even if it's not going to work against one virus very well, there are other viruses circulating.'"

California, An Environmental Leader, Eyes A Key Role In Climate Talks

"World leaders are scheduled to meet in Paris soon, trying to draft an agreement on how to combat climate change. Among the heads of state, you'll also see California Gov. Jerry Brown, who is spearheading his own international climate movement."

"Brown has been on an international diplomatic tour the last few months — all about climate change."

"'The world faces an existential threat,' he told Canadian leaders in July."

"Then, he went to the Vatican. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap," he said."

Gratitude Is Good For the Soul and It Helps the Heart Too

"As we launch into Thanksgiving week, consider this: Research shows that feeling grateful doesn't just make you feel good. It also helps –literally helps – the heart."

"A positive mental attitude is good for your heart. It fends off depression, stress and anxiety, which can increase the risk of heart disease, says Paul Mills, a professor of family medicine and public health at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. Mills specializes in disease processes and has been researching behavior and heart health for decades. He wondered if the very specific feeling of gratitude made a difference, too."

"So he did a study. He recruited 186 men and women, average age 66, who already had some damage to their heart, either through years of sustained high blood pressure or as a result of heart attack or even an infection of the heart itself. They each filled out a standard questionnaire to rate how grateful they felt for the people, places or things in their lives."

Why Do Young People Like Socialism More Than Older People?

"Rain couldn't keep away hundreds of Georgetown University students on Thursday who waited hours outside for a chance to hear Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders explain his support for socialism."

"The fervor to see the Vermont Independent senator's major address wasn't surprising: research shows that young people are much more likely to support socialism than older people."

"A May study from the market research firm YouGov found that 26 percent of people between the ages of 18-39 have a favorable opinion of socialism, compared to only 15 percent of people over 65. The Pew Research Center has also found that almost half of people between the ages of 18-49 view socialism favorably."