research

President Lula insisted Brazil was strictly following the law in its research and if there were any oil spills then "Brazil would be liable and responsible and take care of any problem".

The research team measured the amount of ethanol, or pure alcohol, in fruits such as figs and plums eaten in large quantities by wild chimps in Côte d'Ivoire and Uganda.

But Prof Birney says: "Just to stress, this is research – everything needs to be tested and well-regulated and thought about before it's used, but the technology is here to make these kinds of predictions."

True public discourse of this nature, though, is rooted in the liberal arts, which teaches critical thinking, research and analysis, communication styles and problem solving, among other vital skills.

But the especially high number of animal deaths this year prompted several research teams to investigate whether runoff from the fires may have accelerated algae growth to particularly dangerous proportions.