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While the Olympics kick off in London, a new international sporting arena is taking shape beyond Earth's orbit. Recent advances in space exploration by China and Japan remind us that curiosity about our universe is a truly universal trait.
The preservation of forests, both on land and in mangrove swamps, has received much attention in the move to protect biological carbon stores. Less conspicuous communities of organisms deserve some scrutiny, too.
Mountain roads and trails are proliferating throughout developing southeast Asia. The long-term consequences of associated landslides and surface erosion on downstream aquatic environments could be severe, but are largely unrecognized.