A recent reanalysis of the beaded burial at Mound 72 in Cahokia reveals that it includes both males and females of high status. The findings challenge earlier interpretations that saw this feature as a monument to male power, instead suggesting a more complex nobility structure.
The University of Illinois is involved in five newly funded Energy Frontier Research Centers, including the 'Center for Geologic Storage of CO2' which aims to reduce uncertainties surrounding carbon dioxide storage. The center will receive $2-4 million per year and involves a team of researchers from several academic institutions.
Researchers at the Prairie Research Institute found low concentrations of mercury, arsenic, and selenium in bighead and silver carp fillets from the Illinois River. These levels do not pose a health risk to the majority of human consumers, but some individuals may need to limit consumption.
The Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium has begun injecting carbon dioxide for the first million-tonne demonstration of carbon sequestration in the US. The CO2 will be stored permanently in the Mt. Simon Sandstone, a saline reservoir with estimated storage capacity of 11-151 billion metric tonnes.