Mother Jones: For a ship on a mission of worldwide importance, the Yong Sheng is a distinctly unimpressive sight. The grey and green hull of the 19,000-metric-ton cargo vessel, operated by China's state-owned Cosco Group, is streaked with rust, while its cargo of steel and heavy equipment would best be described as prosaic. Yet the Yong Sheng's journey, which began on August 8 from Dalian, a port in northeastern China, to Rotterdam is being watched with fascination by politicians and scientists. They are intrigued,...