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Robotic sea turtle shows promise as fish farm inspector
By Ben Coxworth – An early version of the U-CAT sea turtle robot. Tallinn University of Technology. – Marine aquaculture pens have to be regularly checked for holes, plus the fish need to be inspected for disease or parasites. And although the job is …
Luxury resorts face coronavirus crisis as the 1% flee cities for holiday hideaways
Ski towns and luxury retreats report rising number of cases amid concern hospitals could be overwhelmed by coronavirus patients. Medical personnel take medical samples at a ‘drive-thru’ coronavirus testing lab in West Palm Beach, Florida. Photograph: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images. By Amanda …
The Most Bizarre Shortages In History
By Stephan Roget 2020 Mar 30 – Amid the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020, it shouldn’t come as news to anyone that markets will occasionally run short of something, and not just the staples like food, water, and toilet paper – sometimes it’s …
Grandparent scams in the age of Coronavirus
2020 Apr 03 – By Lisa Weintraub Schifferle, Attorney, FTC, Division of Consumer & Business Education – “Grandma: I’m in the hospital, sick, please wire money right away.” “Grandpa: I’m stuck overseas, please send money.” Grandparent scams can take a new twist – …
Thirsty orangutan drinks up prize in Agora’s Wild 2020 photo contest
By Rich Haridy – Overall Winner, ‘Need to drink’, Jurug Park, Indonesia. @cymot/Agora. – Photography social network Agora’s latest contest focused on animals in wild natural environments. Indonesian photographer Wibowo Rahardjo took out the top prize with a rare look at an orangutan risking …
Risk of heart-related death may triple in extreme heat environments
By Anthony Wood – Kuwait is known for setting – and breaking – high temperature records. weissdergeier/Depositphotos. – People living in the hottest places on Earth could be up to three times as likely to die from a heart-related cause, according to a …
Ancient Antarctica was a warm swampy rainforest, says sediment study
By Michael Irving – An artist’s rendering of West Antarctica, which would have been a swampy forest around 90 million years ago. Alfred-Wegener-Institut, James McKay/CC-BY 4.0. – It’s hard to imagine Antarctica as anything other than a freezing lifeless landscape, but that wasn’t always …
Report: England must prepare for water shortages within decades
By Loz Blain – Climate change and population growth will put huge pressure on English water supplies over the coming decades, says a new National Audit Office report. kwasny222/Depositphotos. – The UK Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has issued a warning: large …
DNA Study Unravels Mystery Behind Origins of First Pacific Islanders
More than 3,000 years ago, a group of people set out from the Solomon Island chain in the southwestern edge of the Pacific Ocean and steered their outrigger canoes toward the horizon, with no land as far as their eyes could see. These …
Coronavirus: Are loss of smell and taste key symptoms?
By Michelle Roberts, Health editor, BBC News online – Image copyright Getty Images – A loss of smell or taste may be a sign that you have coronavirus, according to UK researchers. A team at King’s College London looked at responses from more …
Blood test ‘can check for more than 50 types of cancer’
By Michelle Roberts, Health editor, BBC News online – Image copyright Getty Images – A simple blood test can check for more than 50 types of cancer, often before any signs or symptoms, scientists say. It could help diagnose tumors sooner, when they …
Peacock spiders show more of their colors
By Jonathan Amos, BBC Science correspondent – Image copyright Joseph Schubert Image caption Maratus azureus: It’s common for the male spiders to wave their third pair of legs in a courtship dance – OK, a lot of people don’t like arachnids. But c’mon, …
Underwater avalanches drive microplastic waste into the deep ocean
By Nick Lavars – A new study has demonstrated how sediment flows in the ocean can shift microplastic waste into the deep ocean. tomisl.z/Depositphotos. – Millions of tons of plastic waste washes into the world’s oceans each year, but a new study has revealed …
Corona Posse killing Corona Virus all over New Mexico….!
Former Bank President, refuses to retire, and is now running the Corona Posse, killing Corona Virus all over New Mexico. – By Ben Boothe, Sr. – Several years ago, in Texas we had several viral epidemics, and so we, through our environmental company, …
The fashionable history of social distancing
Crinolines, by design, made physical contact nearly impossible. Hulton Archive/Stringer via Getty Images. – By Einav Rabinovitch-Fox, Visiting Assistant Professor, Case Western Reserve University – As the world grapples with the coronavirus outbreak, “social distancing” has become a buzzword of these strange times. …
It’s OK to feed wild birds – here are some tips for doing it the right way
Costa’s Hummingbirds are frequent visitors at feeders in Arizona and southern California. Julian Avery, CC BY-ND. By Julian Avery, Assistant Research Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Pennsylvania State University – Millions of Americans enjoy feeding and watching backyard birds. Many people make …
Buyer beware: Counterfeit markets can flourish during a public health crisis
Is that online order real or counterfeit? Getty Images. – By Jay Kennedy, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University – Rapid acceleration of coronavirus-related infections and fatalities in countries like Italy, Spain and the United States has led to widespread bans …
Your brain evolved to hoard supplies and shame others for doing the same
In scary and uncertain times, having a stockpile can feel soothing. AP Photo/Ted S. Warren. By Stephanie Preston – Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan – The media is replete with COVID-19 stories about people clearing supermarket shelves – and the backlash …
12 Small Countries That Used To Be Gigantic Empires
By Dave Smith – Updated 2020 Feb 06 – It’s incredible to imagine, but some small countries in all corners of the globe used to be capitals of mighty empires that controlled continents or swaths of land. There are a lot of remnants of …
New Feathered Carnivorous Dinosaur Found in New Mexico
Dineobellator was a formidable predator and boasts the battle scars to prove it. Reconstruction of Dineobellator notohesperus and other dinosaurs from the Ojo Alamo Formation at the end of the Cretaceous Period in New Mexico by Sergey Krasovskiy. This reconstruction shows three Dineobellator …
Freaky Times When History Repeated Itself And No One Realized It
By chelseastone – Updated 2019 Dec 26 – Most people have heard one version or another of the following quote: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In fact, history repeating itself is a common warning in all walks …
Carbon fiber rickshaw folds for storage
By Ben Coxworth – The Companion Bike’s passenger seat can be removed, with the two sides of the frame then being pushed in toward each other. Companion Bike. If you’ve ever been to Vietnam, then you’ll have seen the rickshaw taxi-trikes in which …
13 Last-Minute Decisions That Changed World History
By Stephan Roget – Updated 2019 Dec 08 – History can change in an instant. A wrong turn, an off-the-cuff statement, or a single shot can forever alter the course of the world and the people in it. Sometimes, history can be …
Borneo’s Mammals Face a Deadly Mix of Logging and Climate Change
But adding small amounts of land to already protected areas could help save the island’s biodiversity. The western tarsier, a rare primate species, has lost large amounts of its Borneo habitat to logging. More of that habitat is likely to disappear because of …
Hair-thin electrode wires designed to “read thoughts” less obtrusively
By Ben Coxworth – A stylized diagram of the system, which could detect brain activity in both deep and surface regions at the same time. Andreas Schaefer, The Francis Crick Institute. – When it comes to accurately reading the brain’s electrical signals, many systems …
Plant-based plastic biodegrades in the ocean
By Ben Coxworth – A microscope image showing how a sheet of the plastic biodegrades in seawater – the material was developed in partnership with Japanese company Nihon Shokuhin Kako. Osaka University. – Whether it’s entangling marine animals, clogging their guts when they eat …
3D NASA map tracks methane buildup and movement in the atmosphere
By Nick Lavars – NASA has developed a new 3D map to help track methane in the atmosphere. NASA/Scientific Visualization Studio. – Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas that can come from all kinds of places, including industrial facilities, agriculture, the production of …
This Nazi-Hating Hollywood Bombshell Made Cell Phones Possible
By Setareh Janda – Updated 2018 Oct 13 – Who was Hedy Lamarr? In the heyday of Old Hollywood, she was one of the most beautiful women in the world. Hedy Lamarr movies were as popular as they were successful. Her breathtaking …
How the Word “OK” Was Invented 175 Years Ago
OK is an editorial joke run wild. (Photo: ClassicStock/Corbis) – By Rachel Nuwer – SmithsonianMag.Com – “OK” is one of the most common words in the English language, but linguistically it’s a relative newbie. It’s just 150 years old, and traces its roots …
Boudicca: The Celtic Queen Who Unleashed Fury on the Romans – Part 1
By Joanna Gillan – 2019 Jun 17 – We British are used to women commanders in war; I am descended from mighty men! But I am not fighting for my kingdom and wealth now. I am fighting as an ordinary person for my …
Boudicca, the Celtic Queen that unleashed fury on the Romans – Part 2
By April Holloway – 2014 Sep 13 – (Also Read Part 1 ) Queen Boudicca had every reason to hate the Romans – by 60 AD, the lands of the Iceni clan of Britain had been captured, her people had been killed or …
Petralona – The human skull that challenges the Out of Africa theory
By John Black – 2018 Dec 31 – This is the account of the discovery of a skull that has the potential to change what we know about human evolution, and a suppression and cover-up which followed. In 1959, in an area called …
Easter – Its Pagan Origins
By B.A. Robinson – Origins of the name “Easter”: The name “Easter” originated with the names of an ancient Goddess and God. The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE), a Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after …
3D car dash displays are breaking out of science fiction into the GV80
By Loz Blain – Continental is about to start making your car’s dash start jumping out at you. Continental. – The instrument panel is about to start jumping out of car dashboards. Tier-one OEM supplier Continental has built a glasses-free, “auto-stereoscopic” 3D car …
Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should I see a doctor?
What are the symptoms caused by the new coronavirus, how does it spread, and should you call a doctor? Find all our coronavirus coverage here Coronavirus – latest updates How to protect yourself and others from infection – By Sarah Boseley, Hannah Devlin …
The History of the Number 0
By Amanda Sedlak-Hevener – Updated 2017 Sep 12 – The history of the number zero stretches from early civilizations in the fertile crescent (now known as the Middle East) all the way into modern times. This means the question of who invented the number zero …
Extraordinary fossil isolates the moment fish began evolving fingers
By Loz Blain – An artist’s impression of Elpistostege as it may have looked nearly 400 million years ago. Katrina Kenny. – Described as “the missing evolutionary link in the fish to tetrapod transition,” a fascinating Canadian fossil reveals an ancient fish species with …
Eugene Springfield Fire Dept starts testing Arcimoto Rapid Responder
By Paul Ridden – The Arcimoto Rapid Responder is now being tested by the Eugene Springfield Fire Department ahead of production later in 2021. Arcimoto. – A little over a year ago, Oregon’s Arcimoto revealed a special version of its battery-electric three-wheeler designed for …
A Mysterious 25,000-Year-Old Structure Built of the Bones of 60 Mammoths
The purpose of such an elaborate structure remains a big open question. The remains of the newly discovered structure. (A. E. Dudin) – By Brian Handwerk – SmithsonianMag.Com – A jaw-dropping example of Ice Age architecture has been unearthed on Russia’s forest steppe: …
Graduate Student Discovers One of World’s Oldest Swords in Mislabeled Monastery Display
At 5,000 years old, the weapon predates the era when humans first started using tin to make bronze. Serafino Jamourlian of the monastery of San Lazzaro degli Armeni and Vittoria Dall’Armellina with a newly rediscovered 5,000-year-old sword. (Andrea Avezzù). – By Katherine J. …
Robotic sea turtle shows promise as fish farm inspector
By Ben Coxworth – An early version of the U-CAT sea turtle robot. Tallinn University of Technology. – Marine aquaculture pens have to be regularly checked for holes, plus the fish need to be inspected for disease or parasites. And although the job is …
Luxury resorts face coronavirus crisis as the 1% flee cities for holiday hideaways
Ski towns and luxury retreats report rising number of cases amid concern hospitals could be overwhelmed by coronavirus patients. Medical personnel take medical samples at a ‘drive-thru’ coronavirus testing lab in West Palm Beach, Florida. Photograph: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images. By Amanda …
The Most Bizarre Shortages In History
By Stephan Roget 2020 Mar 30 – Amid the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020, it shouldn’t come as news to anyone that markets will occasionally run short of something, and not just the staples like food, water, and toilet paper – sometimes it’s …
Grandparent scams in the age of Coronavirus
2020 Apr 03 – By Lisa Weintraub Schifferle, Attorney, FTC, Division of Consumer & Business Education – “Grandma: I’m in the hospital, sick, please wire money right away.” “Grandpa: I’m stuck overseas, please send money.” Grandparent scams can take a new twist – …
Thirsty orangutan drinks up prize in Agora’s Wild 2020 photo contest
By Rich Haridy – Overall Winner, ‘Need to drink’, Jurug Park, Indonesia. @cymot/Agora. – Photography social network Agora’s latest contest focused on animals in wild natural environments. Indonesian photographer Wibowo Rahardjo took out the top prize with a rare look at an orangutan risking …
Risk of heart-related death may triple in extreme heat environments
By Anthony Wood – Kuwait is known for setting – and breaking – high temperature records. weissdergeier/Depositphotos. – People living in the hottest places on Earth could be up to three times as likely to die from a heart-related cause, according to a …
Ancient Antarctica was a warm swampy rainforest, says sediment study
By Michael Irving – An artist’s rendering of West Antarctica, which would have been a swampy forest around 90 million years ago. Alfred-Wegener-Institut, James McKay/CC-BY 4.0. – It’s hard to imagine Antarctica as anything other than a freezing lifeless landscape, but that wasn’t always …
Report: England must prepare for water shortages within decades
By Loz Blain – Climate change and population growth will put huge pressure on English water supplies over the coming decades, says a new National Audit Office report. kwasny222/Depositphotos. – The UK Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has issued a warning: large …
DNA Study Unravels Mystery Behind Origins of First Pacific Islanders
More than 3,000 years ago, a group of people set out from the Solomon Island chain in the southwestern edge of the Pacific Ocean and steered their outrigger canoes toward the horizon, with no land as far as their eyes could see. These …
Coronavirus: Are loss of smell and taste key symptoms?
By Michelle Roberts, Health editor, BBC News online – Image copyright Getty Images – A loss of smell or taste may be a sign that you have coronavirus, according to UK researchers. A team at King’s College London looked at responses from more …