And its attempt to do so is raising a question for the whole planet – how can humans cope with the kinds of temperatures that scientists fear may become ever more common?
Researchers have re-created reef ecosystems in tanks – complete with corals, sediments, rocks, fish, crabs and plants – and then subjected them to the kinds of temperatures and carbon dioxide concentrations expected near the end of this century.
Stan Cox, a hometown author and agricultural scientist, describes these kinds of temperatures as "thermally hostile" in his recent book, "Losing Our Cool," which argues for reduced dependence on air-conditioning for the good of the environment and for overall health.
"I can merely tell you that every time in recent earth history where we've had these kinds of temperatures for any protracted period of time, two polar ice sheets have catastrophically collapsed," said Jerry X. Mitrovica, an earth physicist at Harvard who collaborates with Dr. Raymo.
"With these kinds of temperatures, we'll have increased concerns," he said.
I find that Bucharest has a unique sort of beauty when it's dealing with these kinds of temperatures, so last weekend I went out on the street armed with a camera and a bottle of water.
Many different kinds of temperature-sensitive nanoparticle matrices have been formulated, such as poly vinyl alcohol), cellulose derivatives, and complex core shell polymer designs.
