Widespread elevated iridium in Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic strata of the Newark Supergroup: implications for use as an extinction marker.

Anomalous levels of iridium in sedimentary strata are associated with mass extinction events caused by impact events. In the case of the end-Triassic extinction event, the anomalies as well as the extinctions are linked to the eruption of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) flood basalts. We report new data on concentrations of iridium in continental strata of the Fundy, Deerfield, Hartford and Newark basins, both above and below the oldest CAMP flows in these basins, that demonstrate that these anomalies are more common than previously known.

Practical ethics. What would you do?

Your hospital receives a $1 million donation from a tobacco company executive. The money will be used to make a much-needed technology upgrade that will enable the hospital to report quality data, as well as improve the overall quality of care, a high priority in your community. The donation is from a private individual, but antismoking activists in the community are protesting the gift.