David H. Koch, the executive vice president of Koch Industries and a prominent supporter of conservative causes, has donated $35 million to the National Museum of Natural History. The gift, which was announced by the Smithsonian Institution Thursday, will go to a new dinosaur hall, which has been high on the list of needed renovations at the museum. The Koch gift is the largest single donation to the Natural History museum and the fifth largest in Smithsonian history. Read full article > >

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David Koch donates $35 million to National Museum of Natural History for dinosaur hall

Researchers create artificial DNA and RNA molecules that interact with their natural counterparts, hinting at future “synthetic genetics”.

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Evolution seen in ‘synthetic DNA’

Kyo Ya, a Japanese hideaway in the middle of the East Village, offers a menu grounded in the shapes and rhythms of the natural world.

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Restaurant Review: Kyo Ya — NYC — Restaurant Review

The American Museum of Natural History is opening an exhibition, “Creatures of Light,” that looks at the strange world of bioluminesence.

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Exhibition Review: ‘Creatures of Light’ at American Museum of Natural History

Earthquakes have a bigger impact on health than other natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes, US researchers say.

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‘Devastating’ quake health toll

About 30 percent of the natural gas produced in North Dakota is burned as waste, an amount that no other domestic oil field comes close to.

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In North Dakota, Wasted Natural Gas Flickers Against the Sky

The subpoenas focus on whether the companies accurately described to investors the plans for their natural gas wells.

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New York Subpoenas Energy Companies Over Claims About Gas Wells

When Mark Emmert was named NCAA president in April 2010, the natural question to ask was this: Who will he choose to emulate in his new role? We now know the answer. He is Don Vito Corleone. Earlier this month, Emmert called for a meeting of the five families — also known as the 50 university presidents — to discuss the seemingly out-of-control cheating going on in college football. With both schools from last season’s championship football game (Auburn and Oregon) joining Ohio State, USC and North Carolina in running afoul of NCAA rules, it was time to put an end to this war. Read full article > >

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Fixing college sports requires less talk, more action

London’s Natural History Museum begins the repatriation of the skeletal remains of 138 indigenous people taken from the Torres Strait Islands in the 19th Century.

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Torres Strait skulls begin return

A full fruit spectrum in candy form Since bringing a roll of Mentos ‘ new fruit-flavored candies back from Switzerland earlier this month, I’ve been searching online and in local NYC stores for them constantly. Luckily, it looks as if I don’t have to resort to ordering a box from Amazon as we found them in a deli today and scooped up a few for an official Cool Hunting tasting. Packaged in order for fun and easy flavor identification (we like how even the foil keeps up the colorful code), standouts flavors tend toward the less-common choices, with pineapple being the clear winner and raspberry a close second. As a whole, while these still have an artificial tang, the flavor profiles hint at a more “natural” direction, with watermelon drawing as much praise as criticism for the distinctly summery hints of green rind. A closer look at the ingredients reveals that the natural taste isn’t just lipservice either. Rather than the usual numbers and letters, Mentos lists turmeric, beta-carotene and beetroot, among others, as colors used. Free of high fructose corn syrup too, all we can say is take warning Skittles. Take our reader survey and enter to win a CH Edition Jambox!

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Mentos Rainbow

Could the manmade disaster surpass the natural one? Experts are calling the Japanese nuclear crisis the worst since Chernobyl after a third explosion and a fire at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant Monday. Radiation levels near one reactor were 400…

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Japan Crisis Worst Since Chernobyl

A rare bright yellow diamond weighing more than 110 carats – roughly the size of a woman’s thumb – has gone on display in London’s Natural History Museum.

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Record yellow diamond on display

A rare bright yellow diamond weighing more than 110 carats has gone on display in London’s Natural History Museum.

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VIDEO: Huge yellow diamond on display

Ruggedly nautical looks meet Bespoken’s fine British tailoring in their latest collection A great-grandfather who served in the British Royal Navy are at the seafaring heart of Bespoken ‘s menswear collection recently presented at New York’s Fashion Week. “The pieces in this collection were inspired by the details of these soldiers’ attire, how they carried themselves through hardship and the natural wear of their tailored goods while working at sea,” they explain. Nautical pieces like a reversible seaman’s jacket, a sailor shirt and fisherman knits rakishly straddle the literal and the nostalgic. Headed by the Fayeds and the Goncalves, two sets of brothers, Bespoken draws from rich sartorial tradition. The Fayed family owns the British clothier Turnbull & Asser , and the brothers take advantage of the archives at their fingertips, selecting some patterns from the Victorian era. Heritage is also an operative word for the textiles; yarns for the knitwear are from Scotland’s J.C. Rennie & Co., and suiting and fabrics are supplied by Harris Tweed and British Millerain. Bespoken, now headquartered in New York, tapped the city’s revered milliner Worth & Worth for the line of seaworthy hats in the collection. However, the label remains resolutely British: “[W]e will always defer to our British heritage for foundation.” A great-grandfather who served in the British Royal Navy are at the seafaring heart of Bespoken ‘s menswear collection recently presented at New York’s Fashion Week. “The pieces in this collection were inspired by the details of these soldiers’ attire, how they carried themselves through hardship and the natural wear of their tailored goods while working at sea,” they explain. Nautical pieces like a reversible seaman’s jacket, a sailor shirt and fisherman knits rakishly straddle the literal and the nostalgic. Visit Bespoken online for stockists and collections. See a review of their Spring 2011 collection on Cool Hunting here .

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Bespoken Fall/Winter 2011

The Natural History Museum’s Dr Silvia Bello explains why scientists think the skulls of three Ice Age people discovered in a Somerset cave were used as cups.

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VIDEO: Ice Age skulls were used as cups