Two thick birch partitions and a small air cavity create a well-insulated enclosure inside the cabinet, separating the midrange and tweeter from the woofers, further isolating woofer back-radiation.

ENGADGET: Sony reveals SS-AR2 loudspeaker, wants an invite to your next house party

Where the ice vanishes entirely, the surface loses its usual highly reflective whiteness - which sends most solar radiation back into space - and is replaced by darker waters instead which absorb more heat.

BBC: Arctic ice melting at 'amazing' speed, scientists find

Ironically, the company was once a vocal supporter of the laws now on the books outlawing back-scratching between doctors and radiation clinics, for fear that another clinic operator would cut them out of referral streams.

FORBES: Beams and Schemes

For example, the bright snow- and ice-covered landscapes of Canada and Siberia during winter reflect most solar radiation straight back into space, keeping the surface cold.

BBC: Earthshine map helps predict weather

They also conclude that greenhouse warming has partially been offset by the cooling effect of aerosols - tiny particles of dust thrown into the atmosphere that can reflect solar radiation back into space.

BBC: Climate research bolsters 'action' call to UN talks

Since NASA's Curiosity rover made its way to Mars, it's been sending back a wealth of data from our rust-colored planetary neighbor: landscape photos, radiation readings and even evidence of liquid water.

ENGADGET: NASA Curiosity rover digs Mars, finds sulfur, chlorine and organic traces of unknown origin

"The first thing that happens when we add carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is it radiates some extra radiation back down to the surface, and we warm up a little bit, " Kirk-Davidoff says.

NPR: Has the Move to Make Cars Greener Stalled?

In addition to its weather-watching mission and collection of climate records, MSG-3 has a radiation sensor to measures the amount of solar and infrared energy that is reflected back into space, to better understand climate processes.

MSN: Satellite's first photo of Earth is an impressive one