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☆ A woman couldn't understand why she wasn't losing weight after trying diets, exercise, and medication. A test revealed she was missing crucial gut microbes.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Kim Schewitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Kimmie Gilbert couldn't seem to lose weight despite trying diets, exercise, and medication. Research suggests that gut microbiome composition might play a role in a person's weight. AdvertisementKimmie Gilbert has one pressing question: "What in the world are y'all eating that I'm not eating that causes y'all to lose weight and not me?" In 2019, health tech had a global market value of approximately $350 billion, according to McKinsey. A microbe called Prevotella, which is associated with weight loss, wasn't found at all in her gut.

Persons: Kimmie Gilbert couldn't, Gilbert, —, Kimmie Gilbert, y'all, Eran Segal, Annie Gupta, Goodman, Rob Knight, Jack Gilbert, wasn't, Gupta, Prevotella, Segal Organizations: Service, Netflix, McKinsey, BMI, Weizmann Institute of Science, UCLA, Luskin, UC San Diego Locations: New Orleans

☆ New Yorkers planted a tiny forest in a spot where the city used to warehouse prisoners and smallpox patients
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

New York City got its first tiny forest, planted on Roosevelt Island on April 6. AdvertisementVolunteers and supporters gather in Southpoint Park on Roosevelt Island for a ceremony before planting a pocket forest on April 6, 2024. AdvertisementSharon Bean volunteered at the pocket forest planting in honor of her sister, Kat Livingston, an avid gardener who died of cancer in January. SUGi has created pocket forests in 42 cities on six continents since 2019 — the Roosevelt Island forest is the group's 200th. AdvertisementThe tiny forest, also known as the Manhattan Healing Forest, sits at the southern end of Roosevelt Island.

Persons: Akira Miyawaki that's, Elise Van Middelem, Eliza Relman, Curtis Zunigh, Jerry Nadler, Franklin D, Roosevelt, Sharon Bean, Kat Livingston, Judith Berdy, she's, Berdy, Christina Delfico's, Delfico, Van Middelem, We've, SUGi, Bean, Tayana Panova, Panova, Olivia MacDonald Organizations: Service, York, Volunteers, New, Lunatic Asylum, Lenape Center, Manhattan Healing, Navajo Nation, New York Times Locations: York City, Roosevelt, Japanese, New York, Park, Dutch, British, Welfare, Manhattan, New York State, London, Syracuse , New York, New Mexico

☆ One of the world’s highest cities starts rationing water as reservoirs fall to critical levels
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But this marks the first time in recent history that Bogotá has been forced to implement water rationing measures. Mayor Carlos Galán announced that water rationing measures for Bogotá would begin on April 11. El Niño is a natural climate pattern originating in the Pacific Ocean along the equator, which influences weather around the globe. In a country as politically divided as Colombia, the urgency of addressing El Niño is a rare point of consensus. Bogotá’s water rationing plans have been supported by the country’s president, who has historically had a testy relationship with the city’s mayor.

Persons: Colombia CNN —, Montgomery Burns, “, El Niño, Ivan Valencia, Carlos Fernando Galán, ” Galán, It’s, El, Bogotá, Magdalena, ”, Armando Sarmiento, Sarmiento, Mayor Carlos Galán, Fernando Vergara, Niño, Susana Muhamad, ” CNN’s Heather Law, Ana Melgar Organizations: Colombia CNN, ”, Bogotá’s Javeriana University, CNN, Bogotá, El Niño Locations: Bogotà, Colombia, Bogotá, San Rafael, El, Colombian, Latin America, Mexico City, Magdalena, Colombia’s, Bogota, Mayor, Sarmiento

Shin Joon Hwan, an ecologist, walked along a road lined with cherry trees on the verge of blooming last week, examining the fine hairs around their dark red buds. The flowers in Gyeongju, South Korea, an ancient capital, belong to a common Japanese variety called the Yoshino, or Tokyo cherry. Mr. Shin’s advocacy group wants to replace those trees with a kind that it insists is native to South Korea, called the king cherry. “These are Japanese trees that are growing here, in the land of our ancestors,” said Mr. Shin, 67, a former director of South Korea’s national arboretum.

Persons: Shin Joon Hwan, ”, Shin Locations: Gyeongju, South Korea, Tokyo

☆ A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In the four years since their unlikely bond was posted online, the odd couple has attracted almost two million followers on Instagram and Facebook. But in an emotional video posted online Tuesday, Peggy’s owners, Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen, announced that the animals had been separated. Wildlife officials worried that others would follow their lead of domesticating wild animals in the hope of profiting online. Followers are being urged to write to their local member of parliament and the director general of the department. Bernard Ashcroft, CEO of Wildlife Rescue Australia, said the law prohibits people from taking wild animals as pets, for good reason.

Persons: Australia CNN —, Peggy, Molly ”, Molly, Juliette Wells, Reece Mortensen, ”, Wells, “, Darryl Jones, Molly didn’t, “ Peggy, Mortensen, DESI, Jones, Australia – “, “ It’s, ” Jones, Bernard Ashcroft Organizations: Australia CNN, Facebook, DES – Department of Science, Department of Science, Griffith University, CNN, Australia –, Wildlife Rescue Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Staffordshire, Australian, crazily

☆ Where the Wild Things Went During the Pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Emily Anthes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

But a new global study, which used wildlife cameras to track human and animal activity during the Covid lockdowns, suggests that the story was not that simple. “We went in with a somewhat simplistic notion,” said Cole Burton, a wildlife ecologist and conservation biologist at the University of British Columbia, who led the research. “You know, humans stop, animals are going to breathe a sigh of relief and move around more naturally. And there was enormous variability in how wild mammals responded to changes in human behavior. It also highlights the nuanced ways in which humans affect the lives of wild animals, as well as the need for varied and multifaceted conservation efforts, the authors said.

Persons: ”, Cole Burton, “, Kaitlyn Gaynor Organizations: University of British Locations: University of British Columbia

☆ How NASA and Google Earth are helping save tigers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That’s why conservationists have teamed up with NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and Google Earth Engine to create a new real-time monitoring system for tiger habitats. “(Tiger landscapes) are also producing clean water and helping sequester carbon,” he says. The original iteration, called the “tiger conservation unit analysis” was produced in the late 1990s, and the second, TCL 2.0, in 2006. A map of the six categories of Tiger Conservation Landscapes on 1 January 2020, from the study published in Frontiers. “I don’t think people were cognizant about the amount of habitat that’s in this restoration landscape category, or about how much habitat is actually available for tigers that’s unoccupied,” he says.

Persons: Eric Sanderson, Sanderson, “, ” Organizations: CNN, NASA, European Space Agency, ESA, Conservation Science, Tiger Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Society Locations: Russian, Sumatra, Java, Bali ., Assam, India, Tiger

☆ Australia: Mass coral bleaching event underway at Great Barrier Reef
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

This is the seventh mass bleaching event to hit the vast, ecologically important but fragile site and the fifth in only eight years. Covering nearly 133,000 square miles (345,000 square kilometers), the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef, home to more than 1,500 species of fish and 411 species of hard corals. Severe mass bleaching at the Great Barrier Reef had previously been observed in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2022. Sunrise over the Great Barrier Reef at Lady Elliot island on October 10, 2019. Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket/Getty Images/FileBy continuing on the current pathway, “we risk losing the Great Barrier Reef and the $6 billion sustainable tourism industry,” said Schindler.

Persons: CNN —, El Niño, ”, Tanya Plibersek, Anthony Albanese, Dr, Lissa Schindler, Lady Elliot, Jonas Gratzer, Schindler, “, David Ritter, Derek Manzello Organizations: CNN, Park Authority, Australian Institute of Marine Science, El, Australian Marine Conservation Society, Australian, Australia, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Labor, Oceanic, NOAA, Reuters, Reef Watch Locations: Australia, Lady, Southern, Pacific

Today, Celeste reads a “Modern Love” essay about exactly that bond, a mother trying desperately to reach her child. Why do you think you’re so drawn to tiny things? If you’re going to make something in miniature, you have to spend a lot of time really looking at it. Because, OK, Betsey’s daughter spray paints, “Too many bushes, not enough trees,” and you’re going around putting, honestly, beautiful lines of T.S. So there is something about that language that even if you think you’re rational, it’s getting to you somehow.

Persons: anna martin, ” I’m Anna Martin, you’re, Celeste Ng, Celeste, they’re, ” celeste, anna martin So, celeste ng, anna martin Tell, I’ve, I’m, celeste, anna martin Well, It’s, ”, Betsy MacWhinney, George W, Bush, Marissa, strode, “, Wendell Berry’s “, Mary Oliver, Oliver, Berry, Marissa didn’t, I’d, wouldn’t, anna martin Isn’t, Betsy, She’s, anna martin Really, anna martin Celeste, Eliot, you’ve, ” anna martin, celeste ng I’m, anna martin Talking, she’s, anna martin Wow, anna martin I, didn’t, who’s, anna martin Betsy, Wendell Berry, what’s, —, anna martin I’m, we’ve, He’s, anna martin He’d, Anna, Brittany Howard, brittany howard Love Organizations: The New York Times, eBay, Farmer, NASA Locations: manila, Sierra Leone, T.S, Hong Kong, There’s

☆ Who Kissed First? Archaeology Has an Answer.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Franz Lidz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

They met a week earlier at a pub near the University of Copenhagen, where both were undergraduates. “I had asked my cousin if he knew any nice single guys with long hair and long beards,” Dr. Rasmussen said. “I do,” said Dr. Rasmussen, who had taken some of the same classes. The researcher, at the University of Cambridge, suggested that the custom — a lip-kissing precursor that involved rubbing and pressing noses together — developed into hardcore smooching. — about when the Indian how-to sex manual, the Kama Sutra, was published — kissing had spread to the Mediterranean with the return of Alexander the Great’s troops from Northern India.

Persons: humanity’s, Sophie Lund Rasmussen, Troels, “, Dr, Rasmussen, ’, Arboll, ”, buss, —, Alexander the Organizations: University of Copenhagen, University of Oxford’s, Conservation Research Unit, Aalborg University, University of Cambridge Locations: Assyriology, Denmark, Asia, Northern India

☆ ‘Save the Whales’ was a shining success. Now can humpbacks save us from ourselves?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Bill Weir | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Antarctic Peninsula CNN —About 15 billion miles from where you sit, two 12-inch golden records are hurtling through outer space with multilingual greetings to the universe from 55 humans and one humpback whale. WWF's Johnson said the whales are not harmed by this -- to the whales, the dart feels like "a mosquito bite." It feels like “a mosquito bite” to the whales, Johnson said, but what they can test for is priceless: from stress hormones to toxins to — most importantly — pregnancy rates. Ten million copies were inserted into National Geographic magazine in 1979 — the largest single pressing in history — and a global movement to Save The Whales grew big enough to … save the whales. Seth Wenig/AP“I don’t think a wind turbine can kill a whale,” Friedlaender told CNN.

Persons: Anderson Cooper, Carl Sagan, ” Sagan, could’ve, “, Ari Friedlaender, Friedlaender, ”, Chris Johnson, ” Eva Prendergast, WWF's Johnson, Evelio Contreras, Bill Weir, Johnson, ” Friedlaender, Shepherd, WWF’s Johnson, Roger, Katy Payne, David Keyton, Frank Watlington, cetologist Scott McVay, Donald Trump, ” Trump, Seth Wenig, that’s, Biden, ” Johnson, Twain, CNN “, ” Brenda McCowan, Fred Sharpe, ” McCowan, ’ ” Sharpe, Natalia Botero, Acosta, ’, Maria Camila Medina Martínez, Julian Quinones, ” Carl Sagan Organizations: Antarctic Peninsula CNN, “, ” CNN CNN, University of California, International Monetary Fund, World Wildlife Fund, Ocean Endeavor, CNN, UC Santa Cruz, Shepherd Global, Norwegian Aker, United Nations, Geographic, Whales, International Whaling Commission, Atlantic, Republican, Templeton Foundation, Whale SETI, UC Davis Locations: Santa Cruz, Colombia, British, Antarctica, Norwegian, Southern, Orkney, Bermuda, Japan, Norway, Iceland, Atlantic, South Carolina, Lido Beach , New York, Davis, Alaska, Columbia, Colombian, Tribuga, United Nations, Palau, Chile, Maldives

Sea otters eat constantly and one of their favorite snacks is the striped shore crab. Researchers found that the return of the crab-eating sea otters to a tidal estuary near Monterey, California, helped curb erosion. Hunting bans and habitat restoration efforts helped sea otters recover some of their former range. For the new study, researchers analyzed historic erosion rates dating back to the 1930s to assess the impact of sea otters' return. Other research has shown that sea otters help kelp forests regrow by controlling the number of sea urchins that munch kelp.

Persons: Brent Hughes, Hughes, Johan Eklöf, ”, Brian Silliman Organizations: WASHINGTON, Sonoma State University, Nature, Stockholm University, Duke University, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: California, Monterey , California, Elkhorn Slough, Alaska, Russia, Japan, Monterey, Stockholm

☆ Flowers are evolving in ways that could spell further trouble for the planet’s pollinators
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Ayurella Horn-Muller | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The pansies of the past self-fertilized less and attracted far more pollinators than those of the present, according to the study. The changes could constrain the plants’ ability to adapt to future environmental changes and have implications for “all of floral biodiversity” — potentially diminishing flowering plants’ genetic, species and ecosystem variation. “This may increase the pollinator decline and cause a vicious feedback cycle,” study coauthor Pierre-Olivier Cheptou told CNN. Meanwhile, the “resurrected” flowers’ surfaces were 10% bigger, produced 20% more nectar and were frequented by more bumblebees than their modern counterparts. “(The study) is a really important demonstration of the tight linkages between plant and pollinator communities,” LeBuhn said.

Persons: Samson Acoca, ”, Pierre, Olivier Cheptou, Viola arvensis, Pidolle, ” isn’t, Gretchen LeBuhn, LeBuhn, ” LeBuhn, don’t, “, Ayurella, Muller Organizations: CNN, University of Montpellier, French National Centre for Scientific Research, San Francisco State University, Climate Central Locations: France, Paris, heterozygosity, Axios, ”

☆ Skiing: A new artificial snow-making technology could offer a lifeline to struggling resorts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Nestled in the Pyrenees mountains, La Molina is Spain’s oldest ski resort. An industry in perilSpain has been struggling with scorching heat waves and a years-long drought, and Catalonia, the region where La Molina is located, has been particularly hard hit. But La Molina is far from the only ski resort trying to plot a future in a warmer, dryer world. “Current best estimates are that 95% of ski resorts rely on snowmaking to some extent to remain viable,” Orr told CNN. That’s exactly what the La Molina project aims to do — to see if the lab results can be replicated in the real world.

Persons: Molina, La Molina, FGC, Albert Verdaguer, Verdaguer, ”, ” Verdaguer, It’s, Ramón Pascual Berghaenel, Madeleine Orr, ” Orr, Snow, Jordy Hendrikx, “, Hendrikx, La, Hendrickx, snowmaking, Laura Rodríguez, ” Hendrikx, let’s, Vedaguer Organizations: CNN, Laboratory, Barcelona Institute of Materials Science, Northern Locations: Spain, Catalonia, Europe, Antarctica New Zealand, La Molina

☆ Cane toads: This warty, toxic pest threatens entire ecosystems. These scientists have a secret weapon
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

For the most part, the battle against cane toads has been mounted by local ecological warriors wearing rubber gloves who scan the streets for adult toads. But the Australians have a secret weapon not yet available worldwide – a lure that attracts cane toad tadpoles so thousands can be killed in one hit. To prove the theory, and try to mimic it, they’d first need a heap of dead cane toads. “In Florida, cane toads are mainly a socio-economic issue. Northern quolls – small carnivorous marsupials – get a cane toad sausage, goannas are fed tiny live toads and freshwater crocodiles receive cane toad legs with a dose of lithium chloride.

Persons: Australia CNN —, Gary King, “ Who’s, ”, King, Australia’s, Cane, Luke, Austin Rogers, “, “ There’s, we’re, Rob Capon, Rick Shine, Capon, ” Capon, they’d, it’s, you’ve, Jacob LaFond, Steve Johnson, that’s, ” LaFond, That’s, Nikki Tomsett, ” Tomsett, they’re, Sara McAllister, Connor, John Holmes, Hilary Whiteman, Connor Holmes, John, ” John, ” Connor Organizations: Australia CNN, University of Queensland, Macquarie University . Shine, Macquarie University, University of Tampa, University of Florida, Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, CNN Locations: Brisbane, Australia, South, Central America, Queensland, United States, Japan, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Pacific, Caribbean, United Kingdom, koalas, North Queensland, Florida, Miami, “, South Florida, Australian, Hawaii, Derby, Western Australia, Northern

☆ A Canada climate conspiracy theorist pleads guilty to starting 14 wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Laura Paddison | Paula Newton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A Canadian man who posted conspiracy theories on social media claiming the government was deliberately starting wildfires has pleaded guilty to starting 14 blazes that forced hundreds of people from their homes. Prosecutor Marie-Philippe Charron said one of the fires Paré set forced the evacuation of around 400 people in the town of Chapais, Quebec. Pare does not remember all of the fires he could have started, so we have currently 14 fires, we have 14 counts,” Charron told CNN. They also found multiple social media posts by Paré accusing the Canadian government of purposefully igniting fires to persuade people to believe in climate change. Human activity does play a role in starting wildfires, either deliberately or through accidental actions such as discarding a lit cigarette, but natural factors are also involved.

Persons: Brian Paré, Marie, Philippe Charron, Paré, Mr, Pare, ” Charron, “, Charron, Maxime Bernier, Danielle Smith, Ryan Jespersen, ”, Kira Hoffman, Hoffman, ” Paré Organizations: CNN, Police, ”, Protection Agency, University of British, Research Locations: Quebec, Chapais, North Dakota, United States, Europe, ” Alberta, University of British Columbia, Canada

☆ 29 million-year-old grasshopper nest found intact with eggs, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The eggs and overall nest construction closely resemble the eggs and pods of modern grasshopper species. Insect eggs are extremely rare in the fossil record, and intact egg cases are even rarer. This wasn’t just a cluster of eggs — it was a type of subterranean egg pod called an ootheca, with the eggs cradled by a protective layer that had mineralized into a stony rind. So Lee consulted a global insect egg database, containing more than 6,700 living species, to identify the eggs in the fossil pod. The virtually pristine specimen also speaks to the level of preservation in the national park site’s fossil beds, Famoso added.

Persons: ”, Jaemin Lee, Nick Famoso, Famoso, Ricardo Pérez, la Fuente, Christopher Schierup, Schierup, “, Lee, Angela Lin, ” Famoso, ” Lee, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Parks Stewardship, University of California, National Parks Service, University of Oxford’s, University of Oregon’s, Imaging, Scientific Locations: Oregon, Berkeley, Mitchell , Oregon, United Kingdom, Eugene

☆ Norway is gearing up to mine precious metals from the depths of its ocean in a world first
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Norway is set to become the first country to move forward with deep-sea mining in its waters. Industry experts don't expect deep-sea mining to start before at least the early 2030s. It could open 108,000 square miles of Norway's national waters to commercial deep-sea mining, per the BBC. AdvertisementThe industry would seek to collect rare minerals like lithium, scandium, and cobalt from nodules and crust found on the ocean floors. AdvertisementThere are very few places in the world where these rare minerals can be found on the surface.

Persons: —, Energy Terje Aasland, Walter Sognnes, Lise Øvreås, Michael Norton, Odd Kristian Dahle Organizations: Service, BBC, Petroleum, Energy, Politico, European Union, Guardian, World Resources Institute, University of Bergen, EASAC, Association of Norwegian Fishermen, Democratic Locations: Norway, Norwegian, Democratic Republic of Congo

Finally Souza, an innkeeper and community leader in Bela Vista do Jaraqui, said he rallied two dozen neighbors to drill a 60-meter well in the heart of the world's largest freshwater basin. With rivers forming the backbone of transportation across the Amazon region, the drought has disrupted access to food and medicine in dozens of cities. The Amazon, the world's largest rainforest, is regarded by scientists as a bulwark against climate change because its dense vegetation absorbs carbon and emits oxygen. The five researchers predicting a 2026 recovery said the effects of the drought could endure even longer if El Nino is prolonged. That would release huge amounts of carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change and wiping out a wealth of plant and animal species found only in the Amazon.

Persons: Bruno Kelly, Raimundo Leite de Souza, Souza, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Michael Coe, we're, El Nino, Coe, El, Philip Fearnside, Henrique Barbosa, Eduardo Taveira, Taveira, Paulo Brando, Brando, Barbosa, Brad Haynes, Jake Spring, Ana Mano, Andre Romani, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Rio, cobras, United, Reuters, Research Center, National Institute of, Research, University of Maryland, Honda, LG, Positivo, GIANTS, Yale University, Sao Paulo, Thomson Locations: Tefe, Amazonas, Brazil, Rights MANAUS, caimans, Bela Vista, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Venezuela, Colombia, United Nations, U.S, South America, South, Pacific, North America, El Nino, University, Baltimore, Western Europe, Brazil's Amazonas, Manaus, Itacoatiara, Madeira Rivers, Sao Paulo, Sao

☆ Ghostly new figures come to world’s first underwater gallery in Caribbean
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The world’s first underwater sculpture park has just gotten a lot bigger. Created by British sculptor and ecologist Jason deCaires Taylor in 2006, the Molinere Bay Underwater Sculpture Park in Grenada is now one of the Caribbean country’s most popular underwater attractions. Underwater attractionThe Molinere Bay Underwater Sculpture Park in Grenada has expanded, with the addition of 31 new sculptures. According to deCaires Taylor, marine life had already made itself at home within the sculptures days after they were installed. I haven’t seen that before.”This also marks the first time deCaires Taylor has introduced color into his underwater sculptures.

Persons: Jason deCaires Taylor, ” deCaires Taylor, It’s, deCaires Taylor, Troy Lewis, Bianca C, ”, Dickon Mitchell, “, he’s, Hurricane Ivan, “ I’d, ” “ It’s, it’s, ” He’s, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, Grenadian Ministry, CNN Travel, Visitors, Museum of, Art, Museum Locations: British, Grenada, Caribbean, Marina, Australia, Napa, Cyprus, Carriacou

☆ Extreme sleep behavior documented in cute Antarctic chinstrap penguins
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Guarding their nests is serious business for these medium-sized penguins, with predatory seabirds called brown skuas on the prowl. But this species, scientists said on Thursday, has devised an ingenious way of getting sufficient sleep without compromising vigilance. The researchers documented extreme sleep behavior in these flightless birds. "Penguins do not display any obvious negative consequence of sleep fragmentation," Libourel said. During incubation, skuas prey on penguin eggs, particularly on a colony's periphery.

Persons: chinstraps, ecophysiologist Paul, Antoine Libourel, Won Young Lee, George Island, Libourel, Lee, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Lyon Neuroscience Research, Korea Polar Research, GPS, Penguins, Thomson Locations: Lyon, France, Korea, Incheon, Washington

☆ Stunning video shows Antarctic killer whales appearing to use icebergs as scratching posts, possibly to exfoliate their skin
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

National Geographic said it captured the first footage of killer whales rubbing up against an iceberg. AdvertisementOrcas living in the freezing waters of Antarctica have been captured in footage rubbing up against icebergs in what could be an innovative skincare technique. AdvertisementLike humans, whales and dolphins typically shed their skin continuously, and most of them have no problem doing this in warmer waters. The study found that some antarctic killer whales make an essentially nonstop, nearly 7,000-mile migration to warmer waters that takes six to eight weeks. While the reasons whales migrate remain a mystery, the study argued the evidence suggests "deferred skin molt could be the main driver of long-distance migration for antarctic killer whales."

Persons: —, Robert Pitman, Pitman, Andrew Trites Organizations: Service, National Geographic, Newsweek, Mammal, Oregon State, Mammal Institute, Pacific Northwest, Northern, Marine Mammal Research, University of British Locations: Antarctica, molting, Pacific, British Colombia, Canada, University of British Columbia

☆ A herd of elephants smashed a car that hit one of their babies, proof that the emotional animals protect their own
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A herd of elephants retaliated against a car in Malaysia after it struck one of the babies. AdvertisementA herd of elephants in Malaysia smashed up a car after it struck one of their babies on Sunday night. That (frankly understandable) response shows how the highly emotional animals will do anything to protect their own, an elephant advocate said. Three people were driving in a compact car when they struck the elephant calf in Gerik, Malaysia, on Sunday night, CNN reported, citing local authorities. "If a calf even as much as squeaks, everybody has to run over and see whether it's okay," Poole told BI.

Persons: —, Joyce Poole, It's, Poole Organizations: Service, CNN Locations: Malaysia, Gerik

[1/2] People watch drones creating a 3-D display outside the United Nations Headquarters calling attention to the Amazon rainforest and climate change in New York U.S., September 15, 2023. The analysis by the nonprofit Amazon Conservation's MAAP forest monitoring program offers a first look at 2023 deforestation across the nine Amazon countries. That estimate is likely low as there are some holes in the data, Finer said. Brazil's Lula has led a push among its Amazonian neighbors and other rainforest countries to get rich nations to pay for woodland conservation. While the country is battling massive wildfires, many of them are not in the Amazon, Finer said.

Persons: Eduardo Munoz, Matt, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Jair Bolsonaro, Carlos Nobre, Nobre, Brazil's Lula, Gustavo Petro, Jake Spring, David Gregorio Our Organizations: United Nations Headquarters, New York U.S, REUTERS, SAO PAULO, Reuters, United, University of Sao, Amazon, NASA, Union, Democratic, Watch, Thomson Locations: New York, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, United Nations, Jan, Puerto Rico, University of Sao Paulo, Amazon, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, COLOMBIA, PERU Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo

☆ How to keep your Christmas tree fresh through the holidays, based on tips from a forester and an ecologist
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

If you're getting a live Christmas tree, there are a few things you can do to keep it fresh. Two Christmas tree experts gave some tips on keeping a real tree in good shape through the holidays. Choosing a healthy tree, doing a fresh cut, and giving it lots of water will all help it last. AdvertisementOnce you've picked out the perfect Christmas tree , there are three things to remember when it comes to making it last through the holidays: fresh tree, fresh cut, fresh water. Doing a fresh cut on your Christmas tree will help it soak up water.

Persons: —, you've, That's, Bert Cregg, Cregg, Fraser, Noble, Oliver Berg, Justin G, Whitehill, Jerry Holt Organizations: Service, of Horticulture, Michigan State University, Getty, North Carolina State University, Star Tribune

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