He also finds that wobbles in the earth's temperature have followed those in the cosmic-ray flux for the past 60-odd years.

ECONOMIST: Global warming

They compared the cosmic-ray flux with the proportion of the world's skies obscured by cloud, a figure that has been available from satellite photographs since 1979.

ECONOMIST: Global warming: In flux | The

"As the most precise measurement of the cosmic ray positron flux to date, these results show clearly the power and capabilities of the AMS detector, " Ting said, according to the CERN statement.

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His (as yet unpublished) research confirms, he says, that the variations in cloud cover seen by satellites match those in cosmic-ray flux better than anything else, such as the sun's total brightness.

ECONOMIST: Global warming: In flux | The