The Conversation

Alexander von Humboldt. Self portraitBy Richard Gunderman, Indiana University-Purdue University

Many villagers near the Cape Verde volcano will have little to return to. Joao Relvas/EPABy David Rothery, The Open UniversityAround 60 volcanoes erupt in the average year. On any particular day, there are usually about 20 volcanoes erupting somewhere in the world. Naturally, they can’t all make headlines. But when there are human tragedies involved, we need to question the priorities of the news media.

At UN climate change negotiations, human rights is increasingly the focus. 350.org, CC BY-NCBy Matthew Nisbet,  Northeastern UniversitySenior officials representing nearly 200 countries will gather in Lima, Peru today for the final stages of United Nations-led climate change talks. The meetings, which began December 1, are intended to lay the final groundwork for a major international agreement to be reached a year from now in Paris, France.

When looked at the right way, even cement can be beautiful. This is the crystal structure of tricalcium aluminate, a vital mineral in cement.By Helen Maynard-Casely, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation

You're a vegetarian? But your subconscious ordered the Meat Lover's! BrokenSphere, CC BY-SABy John M. Henderson,University of South Carolina

The jellyfish highway.By Stefano Piraino, University of Salento and Bella Galil, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research

For many men, the down sides of PSA testing outweigh the benefits. Gerald Streiter/Flickr, CC BY-NCBy Ian Haines, Monash University

Wind farms like this one probably wouldn't exist if the government didn't provide a hefty subsidy. ShutterstockBy Randy Simmons, Utah State UniversityCongress passed the wind production tax credit (PTC) more than two decades ago to spur development in an industry still in its infancy. The wind sector has since matured into adulthood, prompting thousands of turbine farms to sprout in fields across the country.

Not Hitler. This is Edward Burton, also known as Eric Arthur Blair, also known as George OrwellBy Luke Seaber, University College London

Best to keep it under the covers? Lisa S.By Sally O'Reilly, The Open University

But what do you want unconsciously? Julien Behal / PABy Steffen Böhm, University of Essex and Aanka Batta, University of Essex