There is a myth that southern California is a desert watered by humans.
Quite the contrary. Through its heart, the Los Angeles river once flowed past
woodland and filled marshes. Now the river is an 80-kilometre, concrete-lined
storm drain that politicians from time to time suggest should be painted blue to
make it look more natural. So reports Blake Gumprecht in his admirable eponymous
study of the river’s “life, death and possible rebirth”. Published by Johns
Hopkins University Press, £33, ISBN 0801860474.
More from 91av
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Physics
A quantum state that lasts forever may finally be within our grasp
Features
Life
Walking shark found in Papua New Guinea is new to science
News
Mind
Autism may have two distinct subtypes that vary by brain activity
News
Environment
Arctic Ocean reaches tipping point that could be dire for marine life
News
Popular articles
Trending 91av articles
1
Sperm have been made magnetic to allow IVF inside the body
2
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
3
Has the answer to life's origins been hiding in our cells all along?
4
Autism may have two distinct subtypes that vary by brain activity
5
A quantum state that lasts forever may finally be within our grasp
6
We may have finally solved cosmology's chicken-or-the-egg problem
7
Arctic Ocean reaches tipping point that could be dire for marine life
8
The relationship recession is even bigger for Gen Z than we thought
9
Technology is changing our perspective on nature – at every scale
10
Global map reveals the vast scale of underground fungal networks
