query
stringlengths
26
406
hits
listlengths
100
100
Global warming is driving polar bears toward extinction
[ { "content": "Title: Mitchell Taylor Content: Mitchell Taylor , Ph.D. , is a Canadian biologist specializing in polar bears who claims that Canada 's polar bear population is higher now than it was 30 years ago and that polar bears are not currently threatened by climate change . He is currently a contract adjunct professor at Lakehead University , and he is affiliated with the Heartland Institute . Taylor has been involved in research and management of polar bears for the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Territory since 1987 . Dr. Taylor was a member of the Canada 's Federal -- Provincial -- Territorial Polar Bear Technical Committee until his retirement from the Nunavut government in 2008 . Dr. Taylor has published over 50 scientific papers on polar-bear-related topics , and he has worked in the field on most of the world 's polar bear populations . Most recently , he and colleagues completed the Davis Strait population inventory ( one of the most southern of all polar bear populations ) , and he is a coauthor of the 2008 Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada ( COSEWIC ) Assessment and Update Status Report for polar bears . From 2004 to 2008 , he was also manager of the decentralized and relocated Wildlife Research Section .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Mitchell_Taylor", "rank": 1, "score": 129710 }, { "content": "Title: Ursus maritimus tyrannus Content: Ursus maritimus tyrannus ( meaning tyrant polar bear ) is an extinct subspecies of polar bear , known from a single fragmentary ulna found in the gravels of the Thames at Kew Bridge , London . It was named by the Finnish paleontologist Björn Kurtén in 1964 and is interpreted to represent a relatively large subadult individual : the ulna is estimated to have been 48.5 cm long when complete . For comparison , modern subadult polar bear ulnae are 36 - long . An unpublished reinvestigation of the fossil suggests that the fossil is actually a brown bear .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Ursus_maritimus_tyrannus", "rank": 2, "score": 128836 }, { "content": "Title: Extinction risk from global warming Content: The extinction risk of global warming is the risk of species becoming extinct due to the effects of global warming .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Extinction_risk_from_global_warming", "rank": 3, "score": 127070 }, { "content": "Title: Ian Stirling (biologist) Content: Ian Stirling ( born September 26 , 1941 ) is a research scientist emeritus with Environment and Climate Change Canada and an adjunct professor in the University of Alberta Department of Biological Sciences . His research has focused mostly on Arctic and Antarctic zoology and ecology , and he is one of the world 's top authorities on polar bears . Stirling has written five books and more than 150 articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals . He has written and spoken extensively about the danger posed to polar bears by global warming .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Ian_Stirling_(biologist)", "rank": 4, "score": 126417 }, { "content": "Title: Effects of global warming on marine mammals Content: The effect of global warming on marine mammals is a growing concern . Many of the effects of climate change are currently unknown due to its unpredictability , but many are becoming increasingly evident today . Some effects are very direct such as loss of habitat , temperature stress , and exposure to severe weather . Other effects are more indirect such as changes in host pathogen associations , changes in body condition because of predator -- prey interaction , changed in exposure to toxins , and increased human interactions . These are just a few examples of what marine mammals are dealing with as a result of rapid climate change . There are a number of marine mammals that have been affected by climate change including walruses , seals , penguins , and polar bears .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Effects_of_global_warming_on_marine_mammals", "rank": 5, "score": 124473 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bears International Content: Polar Bears International ( PBI ) is the world 's leading polar bear conservation organization . Their research , education , and action programs address the issues that are endangering polar bears . Polar Bears International is a non-profit organization that works closely with Frontiers North Adventures , a commercial tour company that operates a fleet of tundra buggies in Churchill , Manitoba , Canada . Other major sponsors include Canada Goose and Natural Exposures Photography . Their Chief Scientist is Steven Amstrup .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bears_International", "rank": 6, "score": 122564 }, { "content": "Title: Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears Content: The Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears is a multilateral treaty signed in Oslo , November 15 , 1973 by the five nations with the largest polar bear populations : Canada , Denmark ( Greenland ) , Norway ( Svalbard ) , the United States , and the Soviet Union . This treaty was brought about due to increased hunting of polar bears during the 1960s and 1970s which led to polar bears being under severe survival pressure from hunters . The agreement prohibits random , unregulated sport hunting of polar bears and outlaws hunting of polar bears from aircraft and icebreakers which have been the most detrimental to the polar bear population . Additionally , the agreement holds member states accountable for taking appropriate actions to protect the ecosystems of which the polar bears dwell , paying special attention to places where polar bears create dens , do a majority of their feeding , and where they migrate . States also must manage polar bear populations in accordance with proper conservation practices based on the best available scientific data . According to the agreement the killing of polar bears is only warranted for bona fide scientific purposes , to prevent serious disturbances of other living resources such as human populations , and by local people using traditional methods in the realm of their traditional rights in accordance with the laws of that party . Yet the skins or any other items of value that are taken as a result of the killing of a polar bear can not be used for commercial purposes . Also important to this agreement is that member states must prohibit the exportation , importation , and trafficking of polar bears within their states . These nations share their polar bear research findings and meet every three to four years to coordinate their research on polar bears throughout the Arctic . This agreement was one of the first of its kind and continues to be successful today in the international conservation of polar bears .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Agreement_on_the_Conservation_of_Polar_Bears", "rank": 7, "score": 122076 }, { "content": "Title: MacFarlane's bear Content: MacFarlane 's bear is a proposed extinct species of bear that was found in Canada 's Northwest Territories . In 1864 , Inuit hunters shot and killed an enormous yellow-furred bear and gave the skin and skull to the Fort Anderson post manager and amateur naturalist Roderick MacFarlane ( sometimes given as Robert MacFarlane ) of the Hudson 's Bay Company . MacFarlane shipped the skin and skull to the Smithsonian Institution where they were placed in storage and soon forgotten . Eventually , Dr. Clinton Hart Merriam uncovered the remains , which he thought had been shot very far outside the brown bear 's normal range , and concluded that it was n't a brown bear at all . In 1918 , he described the specimen as a new species and genus , Vetularctos inopinatus , calling it the `` ancient unexpected bear . '' With the exception of unconfirmed sightings , MacFarlane 's bear is sometimes thought to have become extinct since the specimen was obtained in 1864 . There have been many theories concerning the origin of MacFarlane 's bear , which include suggestions that it may have been a grizzly -- polar bear hybrid , or even a surviving representative of a Pleistocene species . The recent discovery of demonstrable grizzly-polar bear hybrids that match the specimen 's description very well , notably the pale tan fur and oddly shaped skull that led Merriam to propose his new genus , places the validity of the proposed species and its associated scientific names into question . In episode # 215 of the History Channel program Monster Quest , `` Giant Bear Attack '' , paleontologist Dr. Blaine W. Schubert ( of East Tennessee State University ) was allowed to examine the skull ( although the Institute did not allow the examination to be filmed ) . Schubert stated that he was `` 100 % sure '' that it was the skull of a young , female brown bear and `` actually , not a particularly large individual . '' In a 1984 publication intended to correct Merriam 's 1929 taxonomy proposing 96 distinct species names for varieties of brown bear , E. Raymond Hall synonymized all 96 of Merriam 's names with merely nine subspecies of U. arctos . Hall synonymized Velarctos inopinatus with U. arctos horribilis , the normal grizzly bear .", "qid": "0", "docid": "MacFarlane's_bear", "rank": 8, "score": 121817 }, { "content": "Title: Nanuqsaurus Content: Nanuqsaurus ( meaning `` polar bear lizard '' ) is an extinct genus of carnivorous tyrannosaurid theropod known from the Late Cretaceous ( early Late Maastrichtian stage ) Prince Creek Formation of the North Slope of Alaska , USA . It contains a single species , Nanuqsaurus hoglundi , known only from a partial skull .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Nanuqsaurus", "rank": 9, "score": 121697 }, { "content": "Title: Brown bear Content: The brown bear ( Ursus arctos ) is a large bear with the widest distribution of any living ursid . The species is distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America . It is one of the two largest terrestrial carnivorans alive today , rivaled in body size only by its close cousin , the polar bear ( Ursus maritimus ) , which is much less variable in size and averages larger due to this . There are several recognized subspecies , many of which are quite well-known within their native ranges , found in the brown bear species . The brown bear 's principal range includes parts of Russia , Central Asia , China , Canada , the United States ( mostly Alaska ) , Scandinavia and the Carpathian region ( especially Romania ) , Anatolia , and Caucasus . The brown bear is recognized as a national and state animal in several European countries . While the brown bear 's range has shrunk and it has faced local extinctions , it remains listed as a least concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) with a total population of approximately 200,000 . As of 2012 , this and the American black bear are the only bear species not classified as threatened by the IUCN . However , the Californian , North African ( Atlas bear ) , and Mexican subspecies were hunted to extinction in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries , and many of the southern Asian subspecies are highly endangered . One of the smaller-bodied subspecies , the Himalayan brown bear , is critically endangered , occupying only 2 % of its former range and threatened by uncontrolled poaching for its parts . The Marsican brown bear , one of several currently isolated populations of the main Eurasian brown bear race , in central Italy is believed to have a population of just 30 to 40 bears .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Brown_bear", "rank": 10, "score": 116327 }, { "content": "Title: Coney Island Polar Bear Club Content: The Coney Island Polar Bear Club is the oldest winter bathing organization in the United States , whose members regularly take polar bear plunges in the winters . The club was founded by famed health advocate Bernarr McFadden in 1903 . The club began using the event to raise funds for Special Olympics starting in 2005 , and Camp Sunshine in 2007 . Members swim in the Atlantic Ocean at Coney Island , New York , United States every Sunday from November through April . Every New Year 's Day , the Club is joined by participants from around the country , who partake in an annual swim . The 2005 event had 300 participants and 6000 onlookers . The Chief Polar Bear blows a conch shell to gather the swimmers before they run into the water . The club was mentioned in popular culture . It is mentioned on the season three episode of Seinfeld , `` The Pez Dispenser '' . In the episode Kramer informs Jerry that he has joined the club , claiming it to be ` invigorating ' . It was also publicized on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart , in a taped segment by Dan Bakkedahl about the effects of global warming on the club in faux-nature documentary style .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Coney_Island_Polar_Bear_Club", "rank": 11, "score": 113749 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear (locomotive) Content: Polar Bear is a Bagnall steam locomotive built in 1905 for the Groudle Glen Railway , to supplement the similar but slightly smaller Sea Lion . The two Bagnalls were temporarily taken out of service in the 1920s when they were replaced by a pair of battery locomotives . These proved unsatisfactory , and Polar Bear and Sea Lion were returned to traffic . The railway was closed for the duration of World War II , and when the line reopened in the late 1940s only Polar Bear was returned to traffic . Following the 1962 closure of the GGR , Polar Bear was sold to the Brockham Museum Trust in 1967 . In 1982 it passed , with the rest of the Brockham collection , to the Amberley Museum Railway , where it was returned to traffic in the early 1980s . Polar Bear '' 's boiler was condemned around 1988 , returning to service with a new boiler in 1993 . Its boiler certificate expired at the end of 2010 ; with a retube and work on the firebox being required before a return to service . Since being based at Amberley , Polar Bear has returned to the Groudle Glen on three occasions ( 1993 , 1996 and 2005 ) to visit.Polar Bear was stripped down for overhaul in early 2011 . The boiler was moved to Chatham for overhaul , with mechanical work being undertaken in-house at Amberley . The boiler was returned to Amberley in January 2012 . Polar Bear was relaunched on 13 July 2013 by BBC newsreader and railway enthusiast Nicholas Owen , and is now in service sharing steam passenger duties at Amberley with the museum 's 1917 Bagnall 0-4-0ST Peter . '' Polar Bear made its fourth visit home to the Groudle Glen Railway since it was preserved in late July 2016 . After its two week stay there , it returned home to Amberley museum .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_(locomotive)", "rank": 12, "score": 112354 }, { "content": "Title: Unbearable - sculpture Content: Unbearable is a bronze sculpture by the Danish artist Jens Galschiot . It consists of a graph showing the global fossil fuel carbon emissions , and an impaled polar bear . The sculpture was finished in 2015 and exhibited in Paris during COP21 . The sculpture is made in cooperation with WWF Denmark .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Unbearable_-_sculpture", "rank": 13, "score": 109892 }, { "content": "Title: Undulose extinction Content: Undulose extinction or undulatory extinction is a geological term referring to the type of extinction that occurs in certain minerals when examined in thin section under cross polarized light . As the microscope stage is rotated , individual mineral grains appear black when the polarization due to the mineral prevents any light from passing through . If a mineral is deformed plastically by dislocation processes without recovery , strain builds up within the crystal lattice causing it to warp . This means that different parts of a crystal reach extinction at slightly different angles , giving the crystal an irregular , mottled look . Undulose extinction is very common in quartz , so much so that it is often used as a diagnostic feature of that mineral , and feldspar of various sorts , but is possible in almost any mineral . The presence of undulose extinction may help to infer that a crystal grew before a deformation event . However , some minerals acquire undulose extinction easily and even under the effect of minor or local deformations .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Undulose_extinction", "rank": 14, "score": 109524 }, { "content": "Title: Extinction cross Content: The extinction cross is an optical phenomenon that is seen when trying to extinguish a laser beam or non-planar white light using crossed polarizers . Ideally , crossed ( 90 ° rotated ) polarizers block all light , since light which is polarized along the polarization axis of the first polarizer is perpendicular to the polarization axis of the second . When the beam is not perfectly collimated , however , a characteristic fringing pattern is produced .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Extinction_cross", "rank": 15, "score": 109479 }, { "content": "Title: Polar bear Content: The polar bear ( ursus #Latin maritimus #Latin ) is a carnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle , encompassing the Arctic Ocean , its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses . It is a large bear , approximately the same size as the omnivorous Kodiak bear ( Ursus arctos middendorffi ) . A boar ( adult male ) weighs around 350 -- , while a sow ( adult female ) is about half that size . Although it is the sister species of the brown bear , it has evolved to occupy a narrower ecological niche , with many body characteristics adapted for cold temperatures , for moving across snow , ice and open water , and for hunting seals , which make up most of its diet . Although most polar bears are born on land , they spend most of their time on the sea ice . Their scientific name means `` maritime bear '' and derives from this fact . Polar bears hunt their preferred food of seals from the edge of sea ice , often living off fat reserves when no sea ice is present . Because of their dependence on the sea ice , polar bears are classified as marine mammals ; an alternative basis for classification as marine mammals is that they depend on the ocean as their main food source . Because of expected habitat loss caused by climate change , the polar bear is classified as a vulnerable species , and at least three of the nineteen polar bear subpopulations are currently in decline . For decades , large-scale hunting raised international concern for the future of the species , but populations rebounded after controls and quotas began to take effect . For thousands of years , the polar bear has been a key figure in the material , spiritual , and cultural life of circumpolar peoples , and polar bears remain important in their cultures .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_bear", "rank": 16, "score": 108329 }, { "content": "Title: Human extinction Content: In futures studies , human extinction is the hypothetical end of the human species . This may be caused by natural causes or it may be anthropogenic , i.e. the result of human action . The likelihood of human extinction in the near future by wholly natural scenarios , such as a meteorite impact or large-scale volcanism , is generally considered to be extremely low . For anthropogenic extinction , many possible scenarios have been proposed : Human global nuclear annihilation , biological warfare or the release of a pandemic-causing agent , dysgenics , overpopulation , ecological collapse , and global warming ; in addition , emerging technologies could bring about new extinction scenarios , such as advanced artificial intelligence , biotechnology or self-replicating nanobots . The probability of anthropogenic human extinction within the next hundred years is the topic of an active debate . Human extinction needs to be differentiated from the extinction of all life on Earth ( see also future of Earth ) and from the extinction of major components of human culture ( e.g. , through a global catastrophe leaving only small , scattered human populations , which might evolve in isolation ) .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Human_extinction", "rank": 17, "score": 108326 }, { "content": "Title: Arturo (polar bear) Content: Arturo ( 1985 July 3 , 2016 ) was a polar bear living in Mendoza Zoological Park in Mendoza , Argentina , the only polar bear living in the country . He was born in the United States and transferred to Argentina in 1993 . His companion , a female named Pelusa , died of cancer in 2012 . The living conditions of the cage Arturo resided in were controversial , as temperatures reach up to 40 ° C in Argentina , and the pool in Arturo 's cage was only 20 inches deep . Animal rights activists had , in response , dubbed Arturo the `` world 's saddest animal '' and promoted a petition to have him moved to Assiniboine Park Zoo , a zoo in Winnipeg , Canada . The petition was created by Laura Morales of Hamilton , Ontario . It gained considerable attention after the hashtag #Freearturo began trending on Twitter . Supporters of the petition also noted that a polar bear died in Buenos Aires in December 2012 due to excessive heat , and argued that Arturo exhibited symptoms of depression and other mental health problems . As of July 19 , 2014 , the petition had over 400,000 signatures , and had been endorsed by Newt Gingrich and Cher . Assiniboine Park Zoo responded that while they would 've gladly accepted Arturo there , they did not have the authority to do so unless Argentina agreed to transfer him there , and that the Mendoza zoo could not supply the necessary medical records to make such a trip possible . On July 24 , 2014 , the director of the Mendoza Zoo , Gustavo Pronotto , told the Associated Press that Arturo was too old to be moved to Canada . In social media , people also advocated for Arturo to be moved to Canada . and Twitter hashtag #FreeArturo . On July 3 , 2016 , Arturo died .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Arturo_(polar_bear)", "rank": 18, "score": 108317 }, { "content": "Title: Bear conservation Content: Bear conservation refers to the management of bears and their habitat with a view to preventing their extinction . Bears face serious threats on many fronts , most of which are due to human activity . Whether indirect , as in human encroachment on their natural habitats due to crop cultivation , deforestation or timber harvest , or directly from their killing for protection of property or for unregulated or sport hunting , or for their use in primitive medicines and aphrodisiacs .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Bear_conservation", "rank": 19, "score": 107877 }, { "content": "Title: International Polar Bear Day Content: International Polar Bear Day is an annual event celebrated every February 27 to raise awareness about the conservation status of the polar bear .", "qid": "0", "docid": "International_Polar_Bear_Day", "rank": 20, "score": 106303 }, { "content": "Title: Short-faced bear Content: The short-faced bear ( Arctodus spp . ) is an extinct bear that inhabited North America during the Pleistocene epoch from about 1.8 Mya until 11,000 years ago . It was the most common early North American bear and was most abundant in California . There are two recognized species : Arctodus pristinus and Arctodus simus , with the latter considered to be one of the largest known terrestrial mammalian carnivores that has ever existed . It has been hypothesized that their extinction coincides with the Younger Dryas period of global cooling commencing around 10,900 BC .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Short-faced_bear", "rank": 21, "score": 106046 }, { "content": "Title: Effects of climate change on terrestrial animals Content: Climate change has had a significant direct effect on terrestrial animals , by being a major driver of the processes of speciation and extinction . The best known example of this is the Carboniferous Rainforest Collapse which occurred 350 million years ago . This event decimated amphibian populations and spurred on the evolution of reptiles . Climate change is a natural event that has occurred throughout history . However , with the recent increased emission of CO2 in the Earth 's atmosphere , abrupt climate change has occurred . It has been hypothesized that anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcing has significantly influenced global climate since about 8000 before present ( Van Hoof 2006 ) . Animals have had specific responses to climate change . Species respond to climate changes by migration , adaptation , or if neither of those occur , death . These migrations can sometimes follow an animal 's preferred temperature , elevation , soil , etc. , as said terrain moves due to climate change . Adaptation can be either genetic or phenological , and death can occur in a local population only ( extirpation ) or as an entire species , otherwise known as extinction . Climate changes is projected to affect individual organisms , populations , species distributions and ecosystem composition and function both directly ( ex . Increased temperatures and changes in precipitation ) and indirectly ( through climate changing the intensity and frequency of disturbances such as wildfires and severe storms ) ( IPCC 2002 ) . Every organism has a unique set of preferences or requirements , a niche and biodiversity has been tied to the diversity of animals ' niches . These can include or be affected by temperature , aridity , resource availability , habitat requirements , enemies , soil characteristics , competitors , and pollinators . Since the factors that compose a niche can be so complex and interconnected , the niches of many animals are bound to be affected by climate change ( Parmesan Yohe 2003 ) . One study done by Camille Parmesan and Gary Yohe from University of Texas , Austin shows the global fingerprint of climate change on natural systems . The results of their global analysis of 334 species were recorded to demonstrate the correlation of patterns consistent with global climate change of the 20th century . Using the IPCC 's ( Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ) ` levels of confidence ' , this study proved significant nonrandom behavioral changes due to global climate change with very high confidence ( > 95 ) . Furthermore , an accuracy of 74-91 % change in species has displayed predicted change for species in response to climate change .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Effects_of_climate_change_on_terrestrial_animals", "rank": 22, "score": 106035 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear (EP) Content: Polar Bear is the debut release from Polar Bear , led by Jane 's Addiction bassist Eric Avery . This clear blue 12 '' vinyl , MR-054 , was self-produced and released on Man 's Ruin Records , limited to 2,000 copies . It includes instrumental versions of songs the band would later release on their records , reworked with vocal tracks . Intended for spinning and mixing by DJs , these versions have more of a club edge to them .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_(EP)", "rank": 23, "score": 105639 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear (British band) Content: Polar Bear is a British experimental jazz band led by drummer Seb Rochford with Pete Wareham and Mark Lockheart on tenor saxophone , Tom Herbert on double bass and Leafcutter John on electronics and occasionally guitar or mandolin . Polar Bear were nominated for the Best Band award at the BBC Jazz Awards 2004 , while Rochford was nominated for the ` Rising Star ' award . Their first album Dim Lit was released in the same year and was a small scale success . Their second record , Held on the Tips of Fingers merged elements of cool jazz , funk , dance music , free jazz , electronica and drum and bass and was , by comparison , a crossover hit , earning Polar Bear a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize in 2005 . The success was all the more unusual for an almost purely instrumental album . The album was nominated for a BBC Jazz Award 2006 . It was selected as one of `` The 100 Jazz Albums That Shook The World '' by Jazzwise magazine . and featured in The Guardian 's list of `` 1000 Albums To Hear Before You Die '' . They have been involved with F-IRE Collective . They released their self-titled third album , Polar Bear , in July 2008 with Tin Angel Records . In 2010 , the band released Peepers and mini-album Common Ground , a collaboration with Portuguese-born , London-based rapper Jyager , on The Leaf Label . Their 2014 album In Each And Every One was shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize and in the same year they released the single `` Cuckoo '' in collaboration with singer and songwriter Jin Jin . In March 2015 Polar Bear released their sixth album Same as You , including the single `` Do n't Let The Feeling Go '' . This track features frequent collaborator Shabaka Hutchings ( Sons of Kemet and The Comet Is Coming ) on tenor saxophone and Rochford and Hannah Darling on vocals . In 2015 , Polar Bear were nominated for Best Jazz Act in the MOBO Awards and Urban Music Awards .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_(British_band)", "rank": 24, "score": 105485 }, { "content": "Title: Polar seas Content: Polar seas is a collective term for the Arctic Ocean ( about 4-5 percent of Earth 's oceans ) and the southern part of the Southern Ocean ( south of Antarctic Convergence , about 10 percent of Earth 's oceans ) . In the coldest years , sea ice can cover around 13 percent of the Earth 's total surface at its maximum , but out of phase in the two hemispheres . The polar seas contain a huge biome with many organisms . Among the species that inhabit various polar seas and surrounding land areas are polar bear , penguin , reindeer ( caribou ) , muskox , wolverine , ermine , lemming , Arctic hare , Arctic ground squirrel , whale , harp seal , and walrus . These species have unique adaptations to the extreme conditions . Many might be endangered if they can not adapt to changing conditions . Contrary to popular opinion , the World Wildlife Fund studies for polar bears show that this species has prospered since 1950 , attaining five times the numbers found in 1950 . In general , Arctic ecosystems are relatively fragile and slow to recover from serious damage .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_seas", "rank": 25, "score": 105158 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear Provincial Park Content: Polar Bear Provincial Park is an isolated wilderness park in the far north of Ontario , Canada . It lies on the western shore where James Bay joins Hudson Bay . The terrain is part of the Hudson Bay Lowlands and features unspoiled low-lying tundra in the Hudson Plains ecozone . Administered by Ontario Parks , the 23552 km2 Polar Bear Provincial Park is the largest park in Ontario . It has no visitor facilities , is reachable only by air , and special permission is required before visiting it . Its primary purpose is the preservation of habitat for wildlife , especially the several hundred polar bears that migrate through the area . Visitors to Polar Bear should be prepared for any eventuality . They should bring at least one week 's extra supplies in case their departure is delayed due to bad weather . Tents should not rise any higher than necessary , due to the possibility of strong winds . Polar Bear Provincial Park has been designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention since May 1987 .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_Provincial_Park", "rank": 26, "score": 104730 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear (American band) Content: Polarbear was a Los Angeles-based band led by former Jane 's Addiction bassist , Eric Avery , who formed the band with Biff Sanders , formerly of Ethyl Meatplow , as a side project . They recorded most of their music in downtown Los Angeles , at Motiv studios . Many Jane 's Addiction fans consider Why Something Instead of Nothing ? to be the best post-Jane 's Addiction work done by any of the four original members . It was re-released in 2004 .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_(American_band)", "rank": 27, "score": 104408 }, { "content": "Title: Extinction (optical mineralogy) Content: Extinction is a term used in optical mineralogy and petrology , which describes when cross-polarized light dims , as viewed through a thin section of a mineral in a petrographic microscope . Isotropic minerals , opaque ( metallic ) minerals , or amorphous materials ( glass ) show no light ( i.e. constant extinction ) . Anisotropic minerals will show one extinction for each 90 degrees of stage rotation . The extinction angle is the measure between the cleavage direction or habit of a mineral and the extinction . To find this , simply line up the cleavage lines/long direction with one of the crosshairs in the microscope , and turn the mineral until the extinction occurs . The number of degrees the stage was rotated is the extinction angle , between 0-89 degrees . 90 degrees would be considered zero degrees , and is known as parallel extinction . Inclined extinction is a measured angle between 1-89 degrees . Minerals with two cleavages can have two extinction angles , with symmetrical extinction occurring when minerals have multiple angles that are the same . Minerals that have no cleavage or elongation can not have an extinction angle . Minerals with undulose extinction , solid solution/zonation , or other factors ( e.g. bird 's eye extinction in mica ) that may inhibit this measure and may be more difficult to use .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Extinction_(optical_mineralogy)", "rank": 28, "score": 104399 }, { "content": "Title: Debby (polar bear) Content: Debby ( 1966 -- November 17 , 2008 ) was the world 's oldest polar bear . She lived in the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg . In August 2008 , the Guinness World Records certified her as not only the oldest polar bear , but one of the three oldest individuals ever recorded of all bear species . Debby was born in the Soviet Arctic in 1966 , and subsequently orphaned ; she arrived in Winnipeg when she was a year old . In November 2008 , she was found to be suffering from multiple organ failure , and was subsequently euthanized . She was 42 years old .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Debby_(polar_bear)", "rank": 29, "score": 103734 }, { "content": "Title: Sondra Content: Sondra is a feminine Greek given name meaning protector of man . By 2013 , the name reached the verge of extinction in the United States ; it had reached a peak of usage in 1939 . The name may refer to : People : Sondra Wiederkehr ( born 1998 ) , American icon , model for polar bear seal Polar Bear Seal Sondra Bradley ( born 1969 ) , American Entrepreneur Sondra Erickson ( born 1942 ) , American Republican politician Sondra Gotlieb ( born 1936 ) , Canadian journalist and novelist Sondra Locke ( born 1947 ) , American actress Sondra Peterson ( born 1935 ) , model in the 1950s and 1960s Sondra Radvanovsky ( born 1969 ) , American operatic soprano Sondra Theodore ( born 1956 ) , American model and actress , Playboy Playmate of the Month for July 1977 Fictional characters : Sondra Tibideaux , eldest daughter of Cliff and Clair Huxtable in The Cosby Show Sondra Pransky , lead character of Woody Allen 's 2006 film Scoop Sondra Bizet , love interest of Ronald Colman 's character in Lost Horizon ( 1937 film ) Sondra Finchley , from Theodore Dreiser 's novel An American Tragedy Sondra Fuller , the fourth Clayface , a DC Comics enemy of Batman", "qid": "0", "docid": "Sondra", "rank": 30, "score": 103632 }, { "content": "Title: 2011 Svalbard polar bear attack Content: On 5 August 2011 , a starving polar bear in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard attacked a party of school children , organised by the British Schools Exploring Society ( BSES ) , who had camped near the Von Post glacier , some 25 miles ( 40 km ) from the settlement of Longyearbyen . The bear was reported as being starving and emaciated . The BSES party of eighty members had planned their trip to run from 23 July to 28 August -- the trip was cut short after the incident . BSES , a youth charity , was founded in 1932 by Surgeon Commander George Murray Levick , a member of Captain Scott 's expedition of 1910 -- 13 . Seventeen-year-old Horatio Chapple , a pupil of Eton College , was with a party of twelve at the time of the attack , and would die of injuries sustained . Four others were hurt , two seriously , and all were flown to Tromsø on mainland Norway for treatment . Chapple 's grandfather , Sir John Lyon Chapple , was formerly the president of BSES . The bear was shot dead by one of the expedition 's leaders , Spike Reid , who himself suffered severe head and face injuries .", "qid": "0", "docid": "2011_Svalbard_polar_bear_attack", "rank": 31, "score": 103614 }, { "content": "Title: Grizzly–polar bear hybrid Content: A grizzly -- polar bear hybrid ( also named grolar bear , pizzly bear ) is a rare ursid hybrid that has occurred both in captivity and in the wild . In 2006 , the occurrence of this hybrid in nature was confirmed by testing the DNA of a unique-looking bear that had been shot near Sachs Harbour , Northwest Territories on Banks Island in the Canadian Arctic . Possible wild-bred polar bear-grizzly bear hybrids have been reported and shot in the past , but DNA tests were not available to verify the bears ' ancestry . Analyses of DNA sequences of bears have recovered multiple instances of introgressive hybridization between various bear species , including introgression of polar bear DNA into brown bears during the Pleistocene .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Grizzly–polar_bear_hybrid", "rank": 32, "score": 103554 }, { "content": "Title: Ringed seals and climate change Content: Ringed seals are the smallest and most abundant member of the seal family that live in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic regions . The average life span of a ringed seal is 40 years , with a diet based mainly on Arctic cod and planktonic crustaceans . Typically about 5 ft long , the ringed seal is known to be solitary with their main predator being polar bears . Recently , however , the biggest predator to ringed seals has been the changing temperature in the Arctic and the detrimental changes to sea ice that follow . With declines in snowpack and sea ice due to warming ocean and atmospheric temperatures , survival has become tougher for ringed seals in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic regions . Yet ringed seals are also potentially projected to thrive due to warming , considering the early extinction of their predators . Climate change is sure to change the fate of all ringed seals in the coming years for better or worse .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Ringed_seals_and_climate_change", "rank": 33, "score": 103312 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear (cipher) Content: In cryptography , Polar Bear is a stream cypher algorithm designed by Johan Håstad and Mats Näslund . It has been submitted to the eSTREAM Project of the eCRYPT network .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_(cipher)", "rank": 34, "score": 103171 }, { "content": "Title: Decline in amphibian populations Content: The decline in amphibian populations is an ongoing mass extinction of amphibian species worldwide . Since the 1980s , decreases in amphibian populations , including population crashes and mass localized extinctions , have been observed in locations all over the world . These declines are known as one of the most critical threats to global biodiversity , and several causes are believed to be involved , including disease , habitat destruction and modification , exploitation , pollution , pesticide use , introduced species , and ultraviolet-B radiation ( UV-B ) . However , many of the causes of amphibian declines are still poorly understood , and the topic is currently a subject of much ongoing research . Calculations based on extinction rates suggest that the current extinction rate of amphibians could be 211 times greater than the background extinction rate and the estimate goes up to 25,000 -- 45,000 times if endangered species are also included in the computation . Although scientists began observing reduced populations of several European amphibian species already in the 1950s , awareness of the phenomenon as a global problem and its subsequent classification as a modern-day mass extinction only dates from the 1980s . By 1993 , more than 500 species of frogs and salamanders present on all five continents were in decline . Today , the phenomenon of declining amphibian populations affects thousands of species in all types of ecosystems and is thus recognized as one of the most severe examples of the Holocene extinction , with severe implications for global biodiversity .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Decline_in_amphibian_populations", "rank": 35, "score": 102975 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear Marathon Content: Polar Bear Marathon is an extreme marathon race held since 2012 at Churchill , Manitoba , Canada . The race is held in the last decade of November along Hudson Bay shore in extremely cold weather . The organizer of the Polar Bear Marathon is Albert Martens , a native of Steinbach , Manitoba , which is situated some 1000 km south of Churchill . Martens is a seasoned marathon runner who himself has participated in around 60 marathon and ultramarathon races , including Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley , California . Martens came to the idea of marathon race in particularly challenging cold weather after running a marathon race at -32 ° C in 2011 . The challenge of the selected race route is related not only to tough weather ( during 2013 race the temperatures dropped to -20 ° C , or -41 ° with wind chill , while the runners in 2012 were `` disappointed '' by milder temperatures between -10 ° and -20 ° ) , but also to the abundance of polar bears in its vicinity . Churchill is considered `` the Polar Bear capital of the world '' , and during late fall they board fresh sea ice to hunt for seals . Not long before the date of the first race , November 20 , 2012 , news have spread about bear attacks in Churchill . Although race organizers consider a bear attack on runners unlikely , the participants run in pairs , to which they are assigned according to their pace running times , and each pair is escorted by a truck carrying food , extra clothing and emergency equipment including rifles . While the winners of the Polar Bear Marathon are awarded only symbolic prizes such as medals , stuffed polar bears and soapstone figurines by a local sculptor , the participation in the race costs them significant money . For the flights from Winnipeg to Churchill and back , three nights ' hotel stay and sightseeing trip in the day following the race , the participants are expected to pay around $ 2,500 . The number of competitors in the Polar Bear Marathon was initially restricted by the organizers to 20 , but for first three events even this proved to be a high estimate . In the 2012 race 14 runners from 3 countries ( Canada , U.S. and Germany ) took part while only 13 athletes ran the 2013 race ( only in 2015 the number of participants exceeded 20 , reaching 24 ) . The first marathon was won by an international pair Eric Alexander ( U.S. ) - Gary Koop ( Canada ) who finished it in just over four hours , while a German runner Sven Henkes won the second race with a time of 4:12 .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_Marathon", "rank": 36, "score": 102311 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear (battery-electric locomotive) Content: Polar Bear was a gauge battery-electric locomotive built by Wingrove & Rogers in 1921 as works no. 314 for the Groudle Glen Railway on the Isle of Man . Together with its sister , Sea Lion , they were intended to replace two Bagnall steam locos of the same names . The locos were not a success and , despite Polar Bear being rebuilt with bogies and a battery truck , the steam locos were reboilered and returned to traffic . Polar Bear was eventually scrapped acround 1926 .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_(battery-electric_locomotive)", "rank": 37, "score": 102223 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bears (play) Content: Polar Bears is a play by British writer Mark Haddon first produced by the Donmar Warehouse in London . Following previews from 1 April 2010 , the play opened on 6 April 2010 where it ran until 22 May . The world premier production was directed by Jamie Lloyd . The German Oldenburgisches Staatstheater staged the play in 2012 under direction of K.D. Schmidt", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bears_(play)", "rank": 38, "score": 101723 }, { "content": "Title: DVTK Jegesmedvék Content: DVTK Jegesmedvék ( DVTK Polar Bears ) is a Hungarian ice hockey team that currently plays in the OB I bajnokság and in the MOL Liga . They play their home games at Miskolc Ice Hall , located in Miskolc .", "qid": "0", "docid": "DVTK_Jegesmedvék", "rank": 39, "score": 101697 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bears (film) Content: Polar Bears is a 2008 Nickelodeon television movie written and directed by Polly Draper which stars her musical prodigious sons Nat Wolff and Alex Wolff , real life brothers who portray themselves . It tells of the siblings ' who , along with their bandmates , take a ride on their tour bus to New Orleans , Louisiana . The plot chronicles around Alex 's obsession to save the polar bears by preserving the environment , as well as a conflict in which Rosalina is suspicious of Nat when he becomes very close to his childhood friend , `` Little '' Grace . The TV movie is presented in the style of a mockumentary -- a parody shot in documentary format -- and was part of a three-part episode that concluded the second season of The Naked Brothers Band TV series , airing on June 6 , 2008 to 1.7 million viewers who were aged 6 -- 11 ; it was the second most watched show for the week in that age group . It also earned Draper a Writers Guild Award for Children 's Script : Long Form or Special .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bears_(film)", "rank": 40, "score": 101443 }, { "content": "Title: Polar forests of the Cretaceous Content: Cretaceous polar forests were temperate forests that grew at polar latitudes during the final period of the Mesozoic Era , known as the Cretaceous Period 145 -- 66 Ma . During this period , global average temperature was about 10 C-change higher and carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) levels were approximately 1000 parts per million ( ppm ) , 2.5 times the current concentration in Earth 's atmosphere . The abundance of atmospheric carbon dioxide had a very significant impact on global climate and Earth 's natural systems as its concentration is considered one of the main factors in the development of a pronounced greenhouse Earth during the Cretaceous with a very low average global temperature gradient . As a consequence , high paleolatitudes in both hemispheres were much warmer than at present . This temperature gradient was partly responsible for the lack of continental ice sheets in polar regions . As a response to elevated global temperatures , the Earth 's hydrologic cycle was significantly enhanced due to greater volume of moisture evaporation from the surface of the ocean . In turn , the absolute sea level during this time period stood at elevations much higher than the present level . Continental encroachment of seawater formed widespread shallow seas , including expanses of epeiric seas . An increase in surface area between shallow , warm epeiric seawater and the atmosphere permits higher evaporation rates and more precipitation at various latitudes , producing a more temperate global climate . A widespread temperate climate also had significant effects on high latitude ecosystems .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_forests_of_the_Cretaceous", "rank": 41, "score": 101136 }, { "content": "Title: Polar the Titanic Bear Content: Polar the Titanic Bear is a children 's book written by Margaretta `` Daisy '' Corning Spedden ( née Stone ) ( 19 November 1872 -- 10 February 1950 ) . Spedden was an American heiress who survived the sinking of the Titanic , and her account of her family 's trip and the eventual disaster , written as a tale to amuse her seven-year-old son , was published about 45 years after her death . The story is told from the point of view of a stuffed bear .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_the_Titanic_Bear", "rank": 42, "score": 101113 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bears (band) Content:", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bears_(band)", "rank": 43, "score": 100614 }, { "content": "Title: Polar amplification Content: Polar amplification is the phenomenon that any change in the net radiation balance ( for example greenhouse intensification ) tends to produce a larger change in temperature near the poles than the planetary average . On a planet with an atmosphere that can restrict longwave radiation to space ( a greenhouse effect ) , surface temperatures will be warmer than a simple planetary equilibrium temperature calculation would predict . Where the atmosphere or an extensive ocean is able to convect heat polewards , the poles will be warmer and equatorial regions cooler than their local net radiation balances would predict . In the extreme , the planet Venus is thought to have experienced a very large increase in greenhouse effect over its lifetime , so much so that its poles have warmed sufficiently to render its surface temperature effectively isothermal ( no difference between poles and equator ) . On Earth , water vapor and trace gasses provide a lesser greenhouse effect , and the atmosphere and extensive oceans provide efficient poleward heat transport . Both palaeoclimate changes and recent global warming changes have exhibited strong polar amplification , as described below .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_amplification", "rank": 44, "score": 100565 }, { "content": "Title: Paraspecies Content: A paraspecies ( a paraphyletic species ) is a species , living or fossil , that gave rise to one or more daughter species without itself becoming extinct . Geographically widespread species that have given rise to one or more daughter species as peripheral isolates without themselves becoming extinct ( i.e. through peripatric speciation ) are examples of paraspecies . Paraspecies are expected from evolutionary theory ( Crisp and Chandler , 1996 ) , and are empirical realities in many terrestrial and aquatic taxa . The evolution of the polar bear from the brown bear is a well-documented example of a living species that gave rise to another living species . Another example of a living paraspecies is New Zealand 's North Island tuatara Sphenodon punctatus , which gave rise to the Brothers Island tuatara Sphenodon guntheri .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Paraspecies", "rank": 45, "score": 100349 }, { "content": "Title: American black bear Content: The American black bear ( Ursus americanus ) is a medium-sized bear native to North America . It is the continent 's smallest and most widely distributed bear species . Black bears are omnivores , with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location . They typically live in largely forested areas , but do leave forests in search of food . Sometimes they become attracted to human communities because of the immediate availability of food . The American black bear is the world 's most common bear species . It is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) as a least-concern species , due to its widespread distribution and a large global population estimated to be twice that of all other bear species combined . Along with the brown bear , it is one of only two of the eight modern bear species not considered globally threatened with extinction by the IUCN . American black bears often mark trees using their teeth and claws as a form of communication with other bears , a behavior common to many species of bears .", "qid": "0", "docid": "American_black_bear", "rank": 46, "score": 100235 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear Pass National Wildlife Area Content: Polar Bear Pass National Wildlife Area is a National Wildlife Area on Bathurst Island within Qikiqtaaluk , Nunavut , Canada . It is on federal Crown land , and is administered by the Canadian Wildlife Service , a division of Environment Canada , with respect to the Canada Wildlife Act 's National Wildlife Area Regulations . Land use is also subject to the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement . To the north is an area under consideration as a future national park . The NWA received the federally designated conservation status on 1 January 1985 . Of its 2675 km2 in overall size , 214 km2 is a marine area with marine , intertidal , and subtidal components .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_Pass_National_Wildlife_Area", "rank": 47, "score": 100106 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear (cocktail) Content: A Polar Bear , After Eight or Peppermint Paddy ( a play on Peppermint Pattie ) is a mint chocolate cocktail that tastes like a York Peppermint Pattie or an After Eight wafer . It is usually made from crème de cacao and peppermint schnapps , although crème de menthe is a popular substitute .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_(cocktail)", "rank": 48, "score": 99587 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear Club Content: Polar Bear Club was an American post-hardcore band from Rochester and Syracuse , upstate New York . Formed in 2005 , the band currently consists of vocalist Jimmy Stadt , lead guitarist Chris Browne , Patrick Benson , Tyler Smith , and drummer Steve Port .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_Club", "rank": 49, "score": 98965 }, { "content": "Title: Chelyabinsk Polar Bears Content: The Chelyabinsk Polar Bears ( Белые Медведи Polar Bears ) is a junior ice hockey team from Chelyabinsk , which contains players from the Traktor Chelyabinsk school . They are members of the Minor Hockey League ( MHL ) , the top tier of junior hockey in the country .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Chelyabinsk_Polar_Bears", "rank": 50, "score": 98421 }, { "content": "Title: The Coming Global Superstorm Content: The Coming Global Superstorm ( ISBN 0-671-04190-8 ) is a 1999 book by Art Bell and Whitley Strieber , which warns that global warming might produce sudden and catastrophic climatic effects . First , the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic drift would generate a cordon of warm water around the North Pole , which in turn , holds in a frozen mass of Arctic air . Second , if the North Atlantic drift were to shut down , that barrier would fail , releasing a flood of frozen air into the Northern Hemisphere , causing a sudden and drastic temperature shift . The book discusses a possible cause of the failure of the Gulf Stream : the melting of the polar ice caps could drastically affect the salinity of the North Atlantic drift by dumping a large quantity of freshwater into the world 's oceans . Bell and Strieber explain the possibility that such current destabilizations have occurred before , as well as seemingly impossible engineering feats by the ancients . Among their examples is the island city of Nan Madol . The book claims that its construction , with exacting tolerances and extremely heavy basalt materials , necessitates a high degree of technical competency . Since no such society exists in the modern record or even , in legend , the society must have been destroyed by dramatic means . While other explanations beside a global meteorological event are possible , a correlating evidence set is presented in the woolly mammoth . Strieber and Bell assert that since mammoths have been found preserved with food still in their mouths and undigested in their stomachs , these animals must have been killed quickly , in otherwise normal conditions . They were preserved so well by quick freezing , which is taken as evidence of a rapid onset of a global blizzard or similar event . Interspersed with the analytical parts of the book are a series of interlinked short fictional scenarios , written in italics , describing what might transpire today if a destabilization of the North Atlantic Current were to occur . The fictional accounts of `` current events '' as the meteorological situation deteriorates provided background and inspiration for the 2004 science fiction film The Day After Tomorrow . Indeed , some events from the book are portrayed in the film with little modification .", "qid": "0", "docid": "The_Coming_Global_Superstorm", "rank": 51, "score": 98290 }, { "content": "Title: Extinction ratio Content: In telecommunications , extinction ratio ( re ) is the ratio of two optical power levels of a digital signal generated by an optical source , e.g. , a laser diode . The extinction ratio may be expressed as a fraction , in dB , or as a percentage . It may be given by , where P1 is the optical power level generated when the light source is on , and P0 is the power level generated when the light source is off . The polarization extinction ratio ( PER ) is the ratio of optical powers of perpendicular polarizations , usually called TE ( transverse electrical ) and TM ( transverse magnetic ) . In telecommunications , the PER is used to characterize the degree of polarization in a polarization maintaining device or fiber . For coherent transmitter and receiver , the PER is a key parameter since X-polarization and Y-polarization are coded with different signals .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Extinction_ratio", "rank": 52, "score": 98034 }, { "content": "Title: Knut (polar bear) Content: Knut ( -LSB- ˈknuːt -RSB- ; 5 December 2006 -- 19 March 2011 ) was an orphaned polar bear born in captivity at the Berlin Zoological Garden . Rejected by his mother at birth , he was raised by zookeepers . He was the first polar bear cub to survive past infancy at the Berlin Zoo in more than 30 years . At one time the subject of international controversy , he became a tourist attraction and commercial success . After the German tabloid newspaper Bild ran a quote from an animal rights activist that decried keeping the cub in captivity , fans worldwide rallied in support of his being hand-raised by humans . Children protested outside the zoo , and e-mails and letters expressing sympathy for the cub 's life were sent from around the world . Knut became the center of a mass media phenomenon dubbed `` Knutmania '' that spanned the globe and spawned toys , media specials , DVDs , and books . Because of this , the cub was largely responsible for a significant increase in revenue , estimated at about five million euros , at the Berlin Zoo in 2007 . Attendance figures for the year increased by an estimated 30 percent , making it the most profitable year in its 163-year history . On 19 March 2011 , Knut unexpectedly died at the age of four . His death was caused by drowning after he collapsed into his enclosure 's pool while suffering from Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Knut_(polar_bear)", "rank": 53, "score": 97590 }, { "content": "Title: The Polar Bears Content: The Polar Bears is a 2012 3D computer animated short film presented by The Coca-Cola Company , produced by Ridley Scott , written by David Reynolds , and directed by John Stevenson . The film is based on Coca-Cola 's iconic polar bears and was released on the company 's website and YouTube channel on December 31 , 2012 .", "qid": "0", "docid": "The_Polar_Bears", "rank": 54, "score": 97452 }, { "content": "Title: Climate across Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary Content: The climate across the Cretaceous -- Paleogene boundary ( K -- Pg or formerly the K -- T boundary ) is very important to geologic time as it marks a catastrophic global extinction event . Numerous theories have been proposed as to why this extinction event happened including an asteroid known as the Chicxulub asteroid , volcanism , or sea level changes . While the mass extinction is well documented , there is much debate about the immediate and long-term climatic and environmental changes caused by the event . The terrestrial climates at this time are poorly known , which limits the understanding of environmentally driven changes in biodiversity that occurred before the Chicxulub crater impact . Oxygen isotopes across the K -- T boundary suggest that oceanic temperatures fluctuated in the Late Cretaceous and through the boundary itself . Carbon isotope measurements of benthic foramifinera at the K -- T boundary suggest rapid , repeated fluctuations in oceanic productivity in the 3 million years before the final extinction , and that productivity and ocean circulation ended abruptly for at least tens of thousands of years just after the boundary , indicating devastation of terrestrial and marine ecosystems . Some researchers suggest that climate change is the main connection between the impact and the extinction . The impact perturbed the climate system with long-term effects that were much worse than the immediate , direct consequences of the impact .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Climate_across_Cretaceous–Paleogene_boundary", "rank": 55, "score": 97447 }, { "content": "Title: Bird's eye maple (mineral property) Content: Bird 's eye maple , or bird 's eye extinction , is a specific type of extinction exhibited by minerals of the mica group under cross polarized light of the petrographic microscope . It gives the mineral a pebbly appearance as it passes into extinction . This is caused when the grinding tools used to create petrographic thin sections of precise thickness alter the alignment of the previously perfect basal cleavage planes which split micas up into its characteristic thin sheets . The resulting , slightly roughened surface alters the extinction angle of various parts of the crystal lattice , leading to this type of extinction . Since it is not a natural feature of the mineral , bird 's eye maple is not observed in all mica crystals , nor from all angles , but it is quite common , and is used as a diagnostic feature for micas . Common micas which exhibit this include biotite ( and the magnesium end-member phlogopite ) and muscovite .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Bird's_eye_maple_(mineral_property)", "rank": 56, "score": 97371 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear Expedition Content: The Polar Bear Expedition ( also known as the Northern Russian Expedition , the American North Russia Expeditionary Force - ANREF or the American Expeditionary Force North Russia - AEFNR ) was a contingent of about 5,000 United States Army troops that landed in Arkhangelsk , Russia as part of the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War and fought the Red Army in the surrounding region during the period of September 1918 through to July 1919 .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_Expedition", "rank": 57, "score": 96960 }, { "content": "Title: Climate change in the Arctic Content: The effects of global warming in the Arctic , or climate change in the Arctic include rising temperatures , loss of sea ice , and melting of the Greenland ice sheet with a related cold temperature anomaly , observed in recent years . Potential methane release from the region , especially through the thawing of permafrost and methane clathrates , is also a concern . The Arctic warms twice as fast compared to the rest of the world . The pronounced warming signal , the amplified response of the Arctic to global warming , it is often seen as a leading indicator of global warming . The melting of Greenland 's ice sheet is linked to polar amplification . According to a study published in 2016 , about 0.5 ◦ C of the warming in the Arctic has been attributed to reductions in sulfate aerosols in Europe since 1980 .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Climate_change_in_the_Arctic", "rank": 58, "score": 96676 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear Trophy Content: The Polar Bear Trophy is an award given out by the Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation to Norwegian ice hockey players who have played a minimum of 50 official games for the Norwegian national ice hockey team . Counting as official games are games played at the IIHF World Championships , the Winter Olympics and qualification games to the two aforementioned tournaments . Friendly games are not counted . Referees who have officiated a minimum of 30 games at the Winter Olympics or IIHF World Championship ( Elite and Division 1 ) at either the senior or the junior level are also eligible for reception . The NIHF board may also award the trophy to builders who have shown an extra ordinary dedication to Norwegian ice hockey .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_Trophy", "rank": 59, "score": 96524 }, { "content": "Title: The Polar Bear Family & Me Content: The Polar Bear Family & Me was a three-part nature documentary series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit . It follows wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan as he spends a year with a family of wild , but frosty polar bears , under the guidance of his biologist Jason Roberts , the polar expertise of the Antarctic region and Svalbard near Norwegian archipelago of the Arctic Ocean .", "qid": "0", "docid": "The_Polar_Bear_Family_&_Me", "rank": 60, "score": 96522 }, { "content": "Title: Infinitely Polar Bear Content: Infinitely Polar Bear is a 2014 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Maya Forbes , and starring Mark Ruffalo , Zoe Saldana , Imogene Wolodarsky , and Ashley Aufderheide . The film premiered in competition at the 30th Sundance Film Festival on January 18 , 2014 . The film was released on June 19 , 2015 , by Sony Pictures Classics .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Infinitely_Polar_Bear", "rank": 61, "score": 96440 }, { "content": "Title: The Polar Bear Group Content: The Polar Bear Group is a life-size , bronze animal sculpture in the Aqua Park of the Zoo in the city of Nuremberg . The Group consists of a mother polar bear with her young cubs in a playful pose , and is based on a flat plate from bright granite , which is reminiscent of an ice floe . The Group was created by the sculptor Josef Tabachnyk and was installed in the zoo in 2007 . The measurements of the Polar Bear Group are 120x240x90 cm . Since November 2010 , another bronze bear sculpture created by the same artist was installed in the entrance area of the zoo . It depicts a brown bear lying on its back , playing with a slug .", "qid": "0", "docid": "The_Polar_Bear_Group", "rank": 62, "score": 96275 }, { "content": "Title: Phoenix Polar Bears Content: The Phoenix Polar Bears was a USA Hockey-sanctioned Junior A Tier III ice hockey team based out of Phoenix , Arizona . Their host facility was the Desert Schools Coytotes Center in Chandler , Arizona . The Polar Bears was a member of the Western States Hockey League but vacated their membership in the league when the WSHL moved away from USA Hockey sanctioning in 2011 .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Phoenix_Polar_Bears", "rank": 63, "score": 95889 }, { "content": "Title: Global catastrophic risk Content: A global catastrophic risk is a hypothetical future event that has the potential to damage human well-being on a global scale . Some events could cripple or destroy modern civilization . Any event that could cause human extinction is known as an existential risk . Potential global catastrophic risks include anthropogenic risks ( technology risks , governance risks ) and natural or external risks . Examples of technology risks are hostile artificial intelligence , biotechnology risks , or nanotechnology weapons . Insufficient global governance creates risks in the social and political domain ( potentially leading to a global war with or without a nuclear holocaust , bioterrorism using genetically modified organisms , cyberterrorism destroying critical infrastructures like the electrical grid , or the failure to manage a natural pandemic ) as well as problems and risks in the domain of earth system governance ( with risks resulting from global warming , environmental degradation , mineral resource exhaustion , fossil energy exhaustion , or famine as a result of non-equitable resource distribution , human overpopulation , crop failures and non-sustainable agriculture ) . Examples for non-anthropogenic risks are an asteroid impact event , a supervolcanic eruption , a lethal gamma-ray burst , a geomagnetic storm destroying all electronic equipment , natural long-term climate change , or extraterrestrial life impacting life on Earth .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Global_catastrophic_risk", "rank": 64, "score": 95718 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear Point Content: Polar Bear Point is an ice-covered point 1.2 nautical miles ( 2.2 km ) southeast of Castle Rock on the east side of Hut Point Peninsula , Ross Island . A breached crater stands 0.7 nautical miles ( 1.3 km ) north-northwest , but no rock is exposed on the point which is well defined and elevated at the juncture with McMurdo Ice Shelf . The name is allusive ; when viewed from the west , the appearance of the point is suggestive of the head , neck , and fore part of an Arctic polar bear . Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names ( US-ACAN ) , 2000 . Category : Headlands of Ross Island", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_Point", "rank": 65, "score": 95427 }, { "content": "Title: Polar bear plunge Content: A polar bear plunge is an event held during the winter where participants enter a body of water despite the low temperature . In the United States polar bear plunges are usually held to raise money for a charitable organization . In Canada polar bear swims are usually held on New Year 's Day to celebrate the new year .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_bear_plunge", "rank": 66, "score": 95392 }, { "content": "Title: Futuristic Polar Bears Content: Futuristic Polar Bears is a British DJ and production trio from London , formed in 2010 . Since then , the trio has released many singles , and has been signed to labels Spinnin ' , Revealed and Harem Records , the label of the Canadian duo Sultan & Shepard .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Futuristic_Polar_Bears", "rank": 67, "score": 95261 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear Peak Content: Polar Bear Peak is a 6614 ft mountain in the U.S. state of Alaska , located in Chugach State Park . Situated in the Chugach Mountains , it lies at the head of South Fork Eagle River , 5 mi ESE of Eagle Lake , and 22 mi ESE of downtown Anchorage . The peak was named in 1963 by members of the Mountaineering Club of Alaska because a snow patch on its north face resembles a Polar bear skin .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_Peak", "rank": 68, "score": 95221 }, { "content": "Title: Bergman's bear Content: The Bergman 's bear ( Ursus arctos piscator ) is an alleged and probably extinct subspecies of the brown bear that lived in the Kamchatka Peninsula . The bear was identified and named by Swedish zoologist Sten Bergman in 1920 . Bergman determined that the bear was a separate subspecies after examining a hide ( which had fur very different from other local bears ) and series of footprints , measuring 14.5 x 10 inches , which he judged to be much larger than other bears on Kamchatka . Some think that the Cold War may have helped the population to recover because the Soviet Military blocked access to the area in that time . Interest in the bear was revitalized in the 1960s . Professional hunter Rodion Sivolobov reported claims by Kamchatka natives of an unusually large bear they called either the Irkuiem ( roughly meaning `` trousers pulled down '' due to the appearance of the bear 's hind legs ) , or the `` God bear '' due to its large size . Based on Sivobolov 's description , biologist N.K. Vereshchagin suggested that the God bear might be a relict Arctodus simus , a massive extinct bear . This idea was coolly received by the scientific community ; Arctodus has never been found outside the Americas , and more importantly , it belonged to the Tremarctinae which differ considerably in appearance from the `` typical '' bears ( Ursinae ) . In particular , Arctodus had relatively long and slender legs which does not agree with the `` trousers pulled down '' moniker .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Bergman's_bear", "rank": 69, "score": 95099 }, { "content": "Title: Kodiak bear Content: The Kodiak bear ( Ursus arctos middendorffi ) , also known as the Kodiak brown bear , sometimes the Alaskan brown bear , inhabits the islands of the Kodiak Archipelago in southwest Alaska . Its Alutiiq name is taquka-aq . It is the largest recognized subspecies of brown bear , and one of the two largest bears alive today , the other being the polar bear . Physiologically , the Kodiak bear is very similar to the other brown bear subspecies , such as the mainland grizzly bear ( Ursus arctos horribilis ) and the now-extinct California grizzly bear ( U. a. californicus † ) , with the main difference being in size . While there is generally much variation in size between brown bears in different areas , most usually weigh between 115 and 360 kg ( 254 and 794 lb ) . The Kodiak bear , on the other hand , commonly reaches sizes of 300 to , and has even been known to exceed weights of 680 kg on occasion . Despite this large variation in size , the diet and lifestyle of the Kodiak bear does not differ greatly from that of other brown bears . Ever since the first humans arrived in Alaska over the Bering land bridge , encounters between people and Kodiak bears have occurred . Today , these encounters have become relatively more common as a result of the increase in the human population in the region . Such encounters have included the hunting of bears by humans for their fur or meat , and , less commonly , attacks by bears upon humans . More recently , as conservation efforts have become more commonplace , concerns over the sustenance and stability of the Kodiak bear population have arisen . The IUCN classifies Ursus arctos , the species to which the Kodiak belongs , as being of `` least concern '' in terms of endangerment or extinction . However , the IUCN does not differentiate between subspecies ; therefore , it is unknown whether the Kodiak bear population is as healthy as is stated . As a result , the Alaska Department of Fish and Game , along with , to a lesser extent , the United States Fish and Wildlife Service , closely monitors the number of bears hunted in the state .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Kodiak_bear", "rank": 70, "score": 95038 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear Express Content: The Polar Bear Express is a Canadian passenger train operated by the Ontario Northland Railway in Northern Ontario . Service was introduced in 1964 . While designated as a passenger train , the Polar Bear Express also carries specialized equipment including boxcars for canoes , snowmobiles and all terrain vehicles , chain cars ( flat cars with tie downs ) for carrying cars and light trucks ( there are no roads to Moosonee so vehicles come in and out by train ) and baggage and express cars . In the past a special car for canoes was included but these are now carried in boxcars . It operates 5 days per week year-round and connects Cochrane with Moosonee . During the summer months there is an additional train on Sundays and the train often includes a full length dome car . Prior to 2012 , the train carried a full dining car during the summer . The Polar Bear Express service was expanded on June 5 , 2007 after increased funding from the Government of Ontario to ONR was announced in March 2007 . It resulted in the discontinuation of the Little Bear mixed freight-passenger service which had operated 3 days per week , year-round , resulting in dedicated separate freight and passenger rail service to Moosonee . In summer 2008 , track conditions resulted the train running very late much of the time ( 2.5 hours by railway announcement ) . By late 2008 , running times had improved somewhat and timings of five and a half to six hours for the 186 mile ( 300 kilometre - all distances are shown in miles along the tracks ) trip were becoming typical . Service deteriorated significantly in 2009 mainly due to bad track conditions and mechanical failures -- on one occasion the train , scheduled to arrive in Cochrane at 9:42 in the evening did not arrive until 4:00 in the morning . Before the 2007 service expansion , the Polar Bear Express operated 6 days per week during the summer months . It left Cochrane in the morning , stayed for a few hours in Moosonee , and returned to Cochrane in the evening . It was primarily used by tourists , although it was used by an increasing number of local residents . The name of the train is misleading -- polar bears are rarely seen anywhere near Moosonee . The Polar Bear Express today mostly services the residents of Moosonee and Moose Factory when they travel south from their communities that lack road connections to the rest of Ontario . During the winter , many passengers are from communities further north who travel to Moosonee by winter road before taking the train . Prior to 2012 the summer train included special programs for children and an entertainment car .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_Express", "rank": 71, "score": 94841 }, { "content": "Title: Eisbären Berlin Content: ( English : Berlin Polar Bears ) are a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin , Germany . The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga ( DEL ) , the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey , and is also one of the league 's founding members . The Eisbären have won the DEL championship more often than any other team . The club captured national 7 DEL titles . They won the German ice hockey cup in 2007 as well as the European Trophy in 2010 . Before reunification the team won the East German ice hockey championship 15 times . The club 's origins go back to 1954 . Following incorporation into the West German 1 . Bundesliga in 1990 , the team was renamed EHC Dynamo Berlin and again in 1992 to EHC Eisbären Berlin . The home games are played at the Mercedes-Benz Arena . The Eisbären Berlin are owned by the Anschutz Entertainment Group . The official logo of the team is the polar bear , a reference to the bear appearing on Berlin 's coat of arms .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Eisbären_Berlin", "rank": 72, "score": 94771 }, { "content": "Title: Permian–Triassic extinction event Content: The Permian -- Triassic ( P -- Tr or P -- T ) extinction event , colloquially known as the Great Dying , the End-Permian Extinction or the Great Permian Extinction , occurred about 252 Ma ( million years ) ago , forming the boundary between the Permian and Triassic geologic periods , as well as the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras . It is the Earth 's most severe known extinction event , with up to 96 % of all marine species and 70 % of terrestrial vertebrate species becoming extinct . It is the only known mass extinction of insects . Some 57 % of all families and 83 % of all genera became extinct . Because so much biodiversity was lost , the recovery of life on Earth took significantly longer than after any other extinction event , possibly up to 10 million years . Studies in Bear Lake County near the Idaho city of Paris showed a quick and dynamic rebound in a marine ecosystem , illustrating the remarkable resiliency of life . There is evidence for one to three distinct pulses , or phases , of extinction . Suggested mechanisms for the latter include one or more large meteor impact events , massive volcanism such as that of the Siberian Traps , and the ensuing coal or gas fires and explosions , and a runaway greenhouse effect triggered by sudden release of methane from the sea floor due to methane clathrate dissociation or methane-producing microbes known as methanogens ; possible contributing gradual changes include sea-level change , increasing anoxia , increasing aridity , and a shift in ocean circulation driven by climate change .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Permian–Triassic_extinction_event", "rank": 73, "score": 94625 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear (album) Content: Polar Bear is the eponymous third album by Sebastian Rochford 's British jazz band Polar Bear .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_(album)", "rank": 74, "score": 94617 }, { "content": "Title: The Little Polar Bear Content: The Little Polar Bear ( Der kleine Eisbär ) is a franchise about a polar bear cub named Lars who first starred in a number of books written by Dutch author , Hans de Beer . It later became an animated TV series for BBC TV , Lars , der Kleine Eisbär , in the 1990s . The show proved to be popular in Germany , but its English-dubbed version ( titled The Little Polar Bear ) had also gained a cult following with UK viewers . The show was later revived between 2001 and 2003 . For its first film , subtitled Der Kinofilm , Warner Bros. and animation studio Rothkirch Cartoon Film bought the rights to adapt the children 's books into a feature-length film , released in 2001 . Following the success of the feature , several direct-to-video features were released , one of the new characters included was a tiger cub . In 2005 , another film , The Little Polar Bear 2 -- The Mysterious Island ( Der Kleine Eisbär 2 : Die geheimnisvolle Insel ) was released and also proved successful . The score to The Little Polar Bear ( 1 ) was composed by Nigel Clarke & Michael Csanyi-Wills and recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London and was nominated for several awards .", "qid": "0", "docid": "The_Little_Polar_Bear", "rank": 75, "score": 94550 }, { "content": "Title: Siku (polar bear) Content: Siku ( born 22 November 2011 in Skandinavisk Dyrepark ) is a male polar bear cub , he has several siblings such as Sné . After his mother failed to produce enough milk to feed him , he was taken into care in the Scandinavian Wildlife Park in Denmark . In terms of popular appeal , he is by some considered to be a possible successor to the polar bear Knut , who attracted worldwide attention at Berlin Zoo from 2006 until his death in 2011 . A YouTube video showing Siku at the age of one month attracted hundreds of thousands of hits in just twenty-four hours and he was hailed internationally as an online sensation , especially after appearing on the official BBC website .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Siku_(polar_bear)", "rank": 76, "score": 94467 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear Shores Content: Polar Bear Shores is a polar bear exhibit at the Sea World theme park on the Gold Coast , Australia . As of 2013 , the exhibit features four polar bears ( Lia , Hudson , Nelson , and Henry ) .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_Shores", "rank": 77, "score": 94198 }, { "content": "Title: Polar city Content: A polar city is a proposed sustainable polar retreat designed to house human beings in the future , in the event that global warming causes the equatorial and middle latitudes of the Earth to become uninhabitable for a long period of time . Although they have not been built yet , some futurists have been giving considerable thought to the concepts involved . High-population-density cities , to be built near the Arctic Rim and in Antarctica , New Zealand , Tasmania , and Patagonia , with sustainable energy and transportation infrastructure , will require substantial nearby agriculture . Boreal soils are largely poor in key nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus , but nitrogen-fixing plants ( such as the various alders ) with the proper symbiotic microbes and mycorrhizal fungi can likely remedy such poverty without the need for petroleum-derived fertilizers . Regional probiotic soil improvement should perhaps rank high on any polar cities priority list . James Lovelock 's notion of a widely distributed almanac of science knowledge and post-industrial survival skills also appears to have value .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_city", "rank": 78, "score": 94116 }, { "content": "Title: The White Planet Content: The White Planet or in French , La Planète Blanche , is a 2006 documentary about the wildlife of the Arctic . It shows interactions between marine animals , birds and land animals , especially the polar bear , over a one-year period . The fragility of the Arctic is hinted at as a reason to prevent climate change . It was nominated for the Documentary category in the 27th Genie Awards in 2007 .", "qid": "0", "docid": "The_White_Planet", "rank": 79, "score": 93955 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear Pass Content: Polar Bear Pass is a 262,400 hectare wetland and mountain pass on Bathurst Island within the Qikiqtaaluk Region , Nunavut , Canada . The pass is on federal Crown land .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_Pass", "rank": 80, "score": 93895 }, { "content": "Title: The Path to Degrowth in Overdeveloped Countries Content: The Path to Degrowth in Overdeveloped Countries is the second chapter of the Worldwatch Institute 's State of the World ( book series ) 2012 : Moving Toward Sustainable Prosperity ( ISBN 978-1-61091-037-8 ) by Erik Assadourian . It is available for free online , along with these other chapters from the report : Making the Green Economy Work for Everybody by Michael Renner Nine Population Strategies to Stop Short of 9 Billion by Robert Engelman Biodiversity : Combating the Sixth Mass Extinction by Bo Normander In his chapter of the report , Assadourian defines degrowth as an `` essential and urgent '' economic strategy to pursue in countries entrenched in overdevelopment ( such as the United States ) in order for those countries to be truly sustainable and adapt to `` The rapidly warming Earth and the collapse of ecosystem services '' . Furthermore , he hopes to dispel `` the myth that perpetual pursuit of growth is good for economies or the societies of which they are a part '' for the well-being of the planet , of underdeveloped populations , and of the sick , stressed , and overweight populations of overdeveloped countries . Assadourian argues via the principle of plenitude that degrowth will inevitably occur whether we want it to or not because -- on a planet of finite resources -- economies and populations can not grow infinitely , and overdeveloped countries are still pursuing more economic growth and overconsuming resources . Assadourian outlines four policies overdeveloped nations could employ to sufficiently facilitate a planned and controlled contraction of the economy so as to get back in line with planetary boundaries . Each of these , in unison , will eventually foster the creation of a steady-state economy that is in balance with Earth 's limits : Reduce Overall Consumption by Overconsumers Distribute Tax Burdens More Equitably Share Work Hours Better Cultivate a Plenitude Economy : `` informalize '' certain sectors of the economy Assadourian also wrote a 2-page policy brief on the chapter highlighting the key messages of , the problem regarding , and points to keep in mind moving forward on our path to degrowth .", "qid": "0", "docid": "The_Path_to_Degrowth_in_Overdeveloped_Countries", "rank": 81, "score": 93862 }, { "content": "Title: Flocke Content: Flocke ( -LSB- ˈflɔkə -RSB- ) is a female polar bear who was born in captivity at the Nuremberg Zoo in Nuremberg , Germany on 11 December 2007 . A few weeks after her birth , she was removed from her mother 's care after concerns were raised for her safety . Although the zoo had established a strict non-interference policy with its animals , officials chose to raise the cub by hand . This decision came at a time when the zoo was receiving negative attention from the media after another female polar bear reportedly ate her newly born cubs . Like Knut , a captive-born and handraised polar bear at the Berlin Zoo , Flocke ( `` flake '' in German ) quickly became a media sensation . After she made her debut to the public on 8 April 2008 , her name was trademarked by the zoo and her image appeared on toys and in advertisements throughout the city . The zoo announced in May 2008 that United Nations Environment Program chief Achim Steiner would be Flocke 's official patron with the hope of using the bear as an ambassador to encourage awareness of climate change . In late 2008 , a Russian-born male polar bear named Rasputin was introduced to Flocke 's enclosure in the hopes that she would gain valuable socializing skills with a member of her own species . In April 2010 , both bears were relocated to Marineland in southern France .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Flocke", "rank": 82, "score": 93806 }, { "content": "Title: Agriotherium Content: Agriotherium is an extinct genus of bear whose fossils are found Miocene through Pleistocene-aged strata of North America , Europe , Africa , and Asia , living from ~ 13.6 -- 2.5 Ma , existing for approximately . Materials of the late surviving A. africanum from Africa has suggested that A. africanum died out soon during the early Gelasian .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Agriotherium", "rank": 83, "score": 93742 }, { "content": "Title: Ecological extinction Content: Ecological extinction is defined as `` the reduction of a species to such low abundance that , although it is still present in the community , it no longer interacts significantly with other species . '' Ecological extinction stands out because it is the interaction ecology of a species that is important for conservation work . They state that `` unless the species interacts significantly with other species in the community ( e.g. it is an important predator , competitor , symbiont , mutualist , or prey ) its loss may result in little to no adjustment to the abundance and population structure of other species . '' This view stems from the neutral model of communities that assumes there is little to no interaction within species unless otherwise proven . Estes , Duggins , and Rathburn ( 1989 ) recognize two other distinct types of extinction : Global extinction is defined as `` the ubiquitous disappearance of a species . '' Local extinction is characterized by `` the disappearance of a species from part of its natural range . ''", "qid": "0", "docid": "Ecological_extinction", "rank": 84, "score": 93245 }, { "content": "Title: Eisbär Content: `` Eisbär '' ( German for polar bear ) is a 1980 `` cult '' song composed by the Swiss Neue Deutsche Welle band Grauzone . It first appeared on the 1980 compilation album Swiss Wave - The Album . The shorter single version was later collected on the Grauzone album Die Sunrise Tapes ( 1998 ) . The song features a man singing he wants to be `` a polar bear in the cold polar '' , because by being one he `` would n't have to cry any longer and everything would be fine . '' The instrumental arrangement also evokes an Arctic atmosphere . Grauzone recorded in 1982 an English-language version ( Polar Bear ) of the song , which was first released in 2010 on the double CD Grauzone 1980-1982 Remastered . The song is post-punk performed with guitar , drums and synthesizers .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Eisbär", "rank": 85, "score": 93136 }, { "content": "Title: Peter Doran Content: Peter Doran , Ph.D. is Professor of Geology and Geophysics at Louisiana State University . Doran specializes in polar regions , especially Antarctic climate and ecosystems . Doran was the lead author of a research paper about Antarctic temperatures that was published in the journal Nature in January 2002 . Because he and his colleagues found that some parts of Antarctica had cooled between 1964 and 2000 , his paper has been frequently cited by opponents of the global warming theory , such as Ann Coulter and Michael Crichton . In an opinion piece in the July 27 , 2006 New York Times , Doran characterized this as a `` misinterpretation '' and stated , `` I have never thought such a thing ... I would like to remove my name from the list of scientists who dispute global warming . '' ( The temporary phenomenon is related to the `` hole '' in the ozone . As the `` hole heals '' the Antarctic will dramatically warm quickly . ) Doran and his grad student Maggie Kendall Zimmerman also published a paper in the Jan 27 , 2009 issue of EOS showing that active climate researchers almost unanimously agree that humans have had a significant impact on the Earth 's climate . Both an Antarctic stream and glacier were named for Doran by the U.S. Geological Survey to commemorate his many significant research contributions conducted on the continent .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Peter_Doran", "rank": 86, "score": 93124 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear (disambiguation) Content: A polar bear is a giant bear species . Polar Bear may also refer to :", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear_(disambiguation)", "rank": 87, "score": 92794 }, { "content": "Title: Peter Mayhew (biologist) Content: Peter Mayhew is a British biologist at the University of York in the United Kingdom . He is the lead author of a study showing a long-term association between global temperature and biodiversity , origination , and extinction in the fossil record . This study demonstrated that biodiversity tends to be relatively low during greenhouse phases in Earth history and that extinction rates ( including mass extinctions ) tend to be higher . On the basis of this work he was nominated as one of the `` Great Britons of 2007 '' . He is also author of a textbook on evolutionary ecology .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Peter_Mayhew_(biologist)", "rank": 88, "score": 92666 }, { "content": "Title: Berenkuil (traffic) Content: A berenkuil ( a Dutch word meaning a bear pit ) is a type of traffic circle found in the Netherlands . In this construction , automotive traffic is directed around a raised outer circle . This leaves a sunken open space in the center of the circle which is used for bicycle paths . Perhaps the first berenkuil , and the one that gives its name to this type of circle , is the one in Utrecht , built in 1944 . There are several theories for the origin of its name , including the possibility that an actual bear pit was located there , or that it was named in honor of the British 49th ( West Riding ) Infantry Division , nicknamed the polar bears , who liberated Utrecht from the Nazis .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Berenkuil_(traffic)", "rank": 89, "score": 92603 }, { "content": "Title: Éric Fortier Content: Éric Fortier , M.B. , of Gatineau , Quebec , Canada , is a recipient of the Medal of Bravery , a Canadian honour for acts of heroism , for fighting off an attack by a polar bear that mauled two other people . The citation reads : On July 27 , 2001 , Éric Fortier confronted a polar bear that was attacking two of his camping companions at the Soper River , in Katannilik Territorial Park Reserve , Nunavut . In the early morning hours , the bear ripped open the tent where Mr. Fortier and his partner were sleeping . Their screams drove the bear away but the animal turned on their friends , savagely mauling them as they tried to exit their own tent and escape . Ignoring the danger , Mr. Fortier threw rocks at the animal while yelling at it in an attempt to scare it off . Seeing that his efforts were in vain , he confronted the bear and stabbed it repeatedly in the throat with a pocketknife until the wounded animal retreated into the woods . Mr. Fortier and his partner then helped their injured friends into a canoe and paddled eight kilometres across the river to find help . The victims recovered from their injuries .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Éric_Fortier", "rank": 90, "score": 92586 }, { "content": "Title: Cenomanian-Turonian boundary event Content: The Cenomanian-Turonian boundary event , or the Cenomanian-Turonian extinction event , the Cenomanian-Turonian anoxic event ( OAE 2 ) , and referred to in Europe as the Bonarelli Event , was one of two anoxic extinction events in the Cretaceous period . ( The other being the earlier Selli Event , or OAE 1a , in the Aptian . ) The OAE 2 occurred approximately 91.5 ± 8.6 Ma , though other estimates are given as 93-94 Ma . The event brought about the extinction of the Spinosauridae , Pliosauridae , and possibly Ichthyosauria ; although coracoids of Maastrichtian age may belong to ichthyosaurs , indicating the survival of the group until the latest Cretaceous . Other animals lost some diversity as well . Although the cause is still uncertain , the result starved the Earth 's oceans of oxygen for nearly half a million years , causing the extinction of approximately 27 percent of marine invertebrates . This global environmental disturbance increased atmospheric and oceanic temperatures . Boundary sediments show an enrichment of trace elements , and contain elevated δ13C values . One possible cause was sub-oceanic volcanism , possibly the Caribbean large igneous province , with increased activity approximately 500,000 years earlier . During that period , the rate of crustal production reached its highest level for 100 million years . This was largely caused by the widespread melting of hot mantle plumes under the oceans at the base of the lithosphere . This resulted in the thickening of the oceanic crust in the Pacific and Indian Oceans . This volcanism would have sent large quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere , leading to global warming . Within the oceans , the emission of SO2 , H2S , CO2 , and halogens would have increased the acidity of the water , causing the dissolution of carbonate , and a further release of carbon dioxide . When the volcanic activity declined , this run-away greenhouse effect would have likely been put into reverse . The increased CO2 content of the oceans could have increased organic productivity in the ocean surface waters . The consumption of this newly abundant organic life by aerobic bacteria would produce anoxia and mass extinction . The resulting elevated levels of carbon burial would account for the black shale deposition in the ocean basins .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Cenomanian-Turonian_boundary_event", "rank": 91, "score": 91930 }, { "content": "Title: Extinction (neurology) Content: Extinction is a neurological disorder that impairs the ability to perceive multiple stimuli of the same type simultaneously . Extinction is usually caused by damage resulting in lesions on one side of the brain . Those who are affected by extinction have a lack of awareness in the contralesional side of space ( towards the left side space following a right lesion ) and a loss of exploratory search and other actions normally directed toward that side .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Extinction_(neurology)", "rank": 92, "score": 91883 }, { "content": "Title: Future of Earth Content: The biological and geological future of Earth can be extrapolated based upon the estimated effects of several long-term influences . These include the chemistry at Earth 's surface , the rate of cooling of the planet 's interior , the gravitational interactions with other objects in the Solar System , and a steady increase in the Sun 's luminosity . An uncertain factor in this extrapolation is the ongoing influence of technology introduced by humans , such as climate engineering , which could cause significant changes to the planet . The current Holocene extinction is being caused by technology and the effects may last for up to five million years . In turn , technology may result in the extinction of humanity , leaving the planet to gradually return to a slower evolutionary pace resulting solely from long-term natural processes . Over time intervals of hundreds of millions of years , random celestial events pose a global risk to the biosphere , which can result in mass extinctions . These include impacts by comets or asteroids with diameters of 5 -- or more , and the possibility of a massive stellar explosion , called a supernova , within a 100-light-year radius of the Sun , called a Near-Earth supernova . Other large-scale geological events are more predictable . If the long-term effects of global warming are disregarded , Milankovitch theory predicts that the planet will continue to undergo glacial periods at least until the Quaternary glaciation comes to an end . These periods are caused by variations in eccentricity , axial tilt , and precession of the Earth 's orbit . As part of the ongoing supercontinent cycle , plate tectonics will probably result in a supercontinent in 250 -- 350 million years . Some time in the next 1.5 -- 4.5 billion years , the axial tilt of the Earth may begin to undergo chaotic variations , with changes in the axial tilt of up to 90 ° . During the next four billion years , the luminosity of the Sun will steadily increase , resulting in a rise in the solar radiation reaching the Earth . This will result in a higher rate of weathering of silicate minerals , which will cause a decrease in the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere . In about 600 million years from now , the level of CO2 will fall below the level needed to sustain C3 carbon fixation photosynthesis used by trees . Some plants use the C4 carbon fixation method , allowing them to persist at concentrations as low as 10 parts per million . However , the long-term trend is for plant life to die off altogether . The extinction of plants will be the demise of almost all animal life , since plants are the base of the food chain on Earth . In about one billion years , the solar luminosity will be 10 % higher than at present . This will cause the atmosphere to become a `` moist greenhouse '' , resulting in a runaway evaporation of the oceans . As a likely consequence , plate tectonics will come to an end , and with them the entire carbon cycle . Following this event , in about 2 − 3 billion years , the planet 's magnetic dynamo may cease , causing the magnetosphere to decay and leading to an accelerated loss of volatiles from the outer atmosphere . Four billion years from now , the increase in the Earth 's surface temperature will cause a runaway greenhouse effect , heating the surface enough to melt it . By that point , all life on the Earth will be extinct . The most probable fate of the planet is absorption by the Sun in about 7.5 billion years , after the star has entered the red giant phase and expanded to cross the planet 's current orbit .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Future_of_Earth", "rank": 93, "score": 91794 }, { "content": "Title: Jim McNeill Content: Jim McNeill is a British polar explorer , presenter and keynote speaker , with over 30 years of experience travelling in the polar regions . He founded the Ice Warrior project in 2001 . He has trained and guided many groups to the Arctic , including BBC film crews . His expeditions , travelling thousands of miles across the Arctic , give him regular opportunities to monitor polar bear populations for the Norwegian Polar Institute , as well as putting together a yearly scientific program for scientists to monitor the effects of climate change . He is an ambassador for Hauser Bears , a charitable organization committed to the conservation of bears worldwide . He is Vice president - Arctic Expeditions for Sea Research Society .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Jim_McNeill", "rank": 94, "score": 91610 }, { "content": "Title: Mexican grizzly bear Content: The Mexican grizzly bear ( Ursus arctos ; formerly Ursus arctos nelsoni ) is an extinct population of the grizzly bear . The holotype was shot by H. A. Cluff at Colonia Garcia , Chihuahua in 1899 . The extinct California grizzly extended slightly south into Baja California . The bears in Durango , Chihuahua , and Sonora and central Mexico were likely more related to the bears of Arizona , New Mexico , and Texas than to those of California .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Mexican_grizzly_bear", "rank": 95, "score": 91305 }, { "content": "Title: Local extinction Content: Local extinction , or extirpation , is the condition of a species ( or other taxon ) that ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study , though it still exists elsewhere . Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinctions . Local extinctions may be followed by a replacement of the species taken from other locations ; wolf reintroduction is an example of this .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Local_extinction", "rank": 96, "score": 91180 }, { "content": "Title: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? Content: Polar Bear , Polar Bear , What Do You Hear ? is a children 's picture book , published in 1991 , written and illustrated by Bill Martin , Jr. and Eric Carle . The book is designed to help toddlers identify zoo animals and the noises they make . It features a polar bear , a lion , a hippopotamus , a flamingo , a zebra , a boa constrictor , an elephant , a leopard , a peacock , a walrus , a zoo keeper and some children . This is a companion book to Brown Bear , Brown Bear , What Do You See ? , published by Carle and Martin in 1967 , replacing the earlier text 's colours and common animals with sounds and less common creatures .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Polar_Bear,_Polar_Bear,_What_Do_You_Hear?", "rank": 97, "score": 91107 }, { "content": "Title: Little Bear (train) Content: The Little Bear is the name for a mixed freight-passenger train operated by the Ontario Northland Railway in Northern Ontario , Canada . The Little Bear transports passengers as well as supplies to locations between Cochrane and Moosonee and is particularly popular with canoeists and hunters ; the train has a dedicated freight car for carrying canoes . It operates Monday to Friday and connects Cochrane with Moosonee . During the summer months , the Polar Bear Express dedicated passenger train operates over the same route six days per week with no flag stops , whereas the Little Bear is a flag stop train . The Polar Bear Express was expanded to a year-round service on June 5 , 2007 after increased funding from the Government of Ontario to ONR was announced in March 2007 . It resulted in the discontinuation of the Little Bear mixed freight-passenger service for a time but it was restared . Some of the numerous stops for the Little Bear mixed freight and passenger train include : Cochrane Fraserdale Otter Rapids Moose River Moosonee", "qid": "0", "docid": "Little_Bear_(train)", "rank": 98, "score": 91022 }, { "content": "Title: Future Evolution Content: Future Evolution is a book written by paleontologist Peter Ward and illustrated by Alexis Rockman . He addresses his own opinion of future evolution and compares it with Dougal Dixon 's After Man : A Zoology of the Future and H. G. Wells 's The Time Machine . According to Ward , humanity may exist for a long time . Nevertheless , we are impacting our world . He splits his book in different chronologies , starting with the near future ( the next 1,000 years ) . Humanity would be struggling to support a massive population of 11 billion . Global warming raises sea levels . The ozone layer weakens . Most of the available land is devoted to agriculture due to the demand for food . Despite all this , the oceanic wildlife remains untethered by most of these impacts , specifically the commercial farmed fish . This is , according to Ward , an era of extinction that would last about 10 million years ( note that many human-caused extinctions have already occurred ) . After that , the world gets stranger . Ward labels the species that have the potential to survive in a human-infested world . These include dandelions , raccoons , owls , pigs , cattle , rats , snakes , and crows to name but a few . In the human-infested ecosystem , those preadapted to live amongst man survived and prospered . Ward describes garbage dumps in the future infested with multiple species of rats , a snake with a sticky frog-like tongue to snap up rodents , and pigs with snouts specialized for rooting through garbage . The story 's time traveller who views this new refuse-covered habitat is gruesomely attacked by ravenous flesh-eating crows . Ward then questions the potential for humanity to evolve into a new species . According to him , this is incredibly unlikely . For this to happen a human population must isolate itself and interbreed until it becomes a new species . Then he questions if humanity would survive or extinguish itself by climate change , nuclear war , disease , or the posing threat of nanotechnology as terrorist weapons .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Future_Evolution", "rank": 99, "score": 90996 }, { "content": "Title: Ursus minimus Content: Ursus minimus ( Auvergne bear ) is an extinct species of bear , endemic to Europe during the Pliocene and Pleistocene , living from 5.3 -- 1.8 Mya , existing for about . U. minimus appears to have given rise to Ursus etruscus . The range of U. minimus was continental Europe and as far east as the Black Sea in Russia . Its southern range was Italy . The skeleton of U. minimus was very similar to that of the larger Asian black bear . With the exception of the age of the bones , it is often difficult to distinguish the remains of U. minimus from those of modern Asian black bears .", "qid": "0", "docid": "Ursus_minimus", "rank": 100, "score": 90896 } ]
"The sun has gone into ‘lockdown’ which could cause freezing weather, earthquakes and famine, sa(...TRUNCATED)
[{"content":"Title: Great Tenmei famine Content: The Great Tenmei famine ( 天明の大飢饉 , Tenm(...TRUNCATED)
The polar bear population has been growing.
[{"content":"Title: Mitchell Taylor Content: Mitchell Taylor , Ph.D. , is a Canadian biologist speci(...TRUNCATED)
Ironic' study finds more CO2 has slightly cooled the planet
[{"content":"Title: CO2 fertilization effect Content: The fertilization effect or carbon fertilizati(...TRUNCATED)
"Human additions of CO2 are in the margin of error of current measurements and the gradual increase (...TRUNCATED)
[{"content":"Title: Carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere Content: Carbon dioxide is an important tra(...TRUNCATED)
"They tell us that we are the primary forces controlling earth temperatures by the burning of fossil(...TRUNCATED)
[{"content":"Title: Greenhouse gas Content: A greenhouse gas ( abbrev . GHG ) is a gas in an atmosph(...TRUNCATED)
The Great Barrier Reef is experiencing the most widespread bleaching ever recorded
[{"content":"Title: The Great Barrier Reef: Biology, Environment and Management Content: The Great B(...TRUNCATED)
it’s not a pollutant that threatens human civilization.
[{"content":"Title: Pollutant Content: A pollutant is a substance or energy introduced into the envi(...TRUNCATED)
"If CO2 was so terrible for the planet, then installing a CO2 generator in a greenhouse would kill t(...TRUNCATED)
[{"content":"Title: Carbon dioxide generator Content: A Carbon dioxide generator or CO2 generator is(...TRUNCATED)
Sea level rise has been slow and a constant, pre-dating industrialization
[{"content":"Title: Sea level rise Content: A sea level rise is an increase in the volume of water i(...TRUNCATED)

No dataset card yet

New: Create and edit this dataset card directly on the website!

Contribute a Dataset Card
Downloads last month
3
Add dataset card