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☆ From Australia to the UK: Where pro-Palestinian university protests are happening around the world
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Here’s a look at some of the pro-Palestinian campus protests around the world. AustraliaOver the past few weeks, pro-Palestinian protest camps have appeared in at least seven universities across Australia. FranceIn Paris, pro-Palestinian protests erupted at the Sciences Po university and the Sorbonne university in late April. At McGill University in downtown Montreal, pro-Palestinian student protesters have set up an encampment on the front lawn. On May 2, a Quebec Superior Court judge rejected an injunction request that would have forced the pro-Palestinian protesters to leave their encampment.

Persons: Hilary Whiteman, ”, Owen Humphreys, Miguel Medina, Emmanuel Macron, ” Louise, ” Samuel Lejoyeaux, “ I’ll, “, India Eric Garcetti, Christinne, Oliver Marsden, ” Ali Organizations: CNN, New York’s Columbia University, Portland State, UCLA, United Nations, The University of Queensland, Students for Palestine, Palestine, University of Sydney, Sydney, United, United Kingdom Pro, Newcastle University, Newcastle University’s, ”, Sciences Po, Sorbonne, . Riot, Sorbonne University, Getty Images Sciences, Columbia University, Columbia, Harvard, Yale, UNC, Vanderbilt, “, Union of Jewish Students of France, Le Monde, CRS, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Milia Islamia University, BJP, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party, ’ Federation of India, At McGill University, Palestinian, Israel . Mounted, McGill University's, University of Toronto’s, University of British, CBC News, Reuters, American University of Beirut, American University of, Getty Locations: Gaza, United States, Europe, Asia, Israel, Gaza’s Rafah, Australia, Brisbane, United Kingdom, Newcastle, England, Leeds, Bristol, Warwick, Britain, France, Paris, Palestine, AFP, de, India, New Delhi, Columbia, Jamia, Canada, Montreal, Quebec, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Lebanon, American University of Beirut, Beirut

☆ Taiwan quake: Preparing for aftershocks a priority, professor says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTaiwan earthquake: Preparing for aftershocks a priority, civil engineering professor saysTony Yang, a professor in the department of civil engineering at the University of British Columbia, discusses the immediate concerns surrounding the major earthquake that hit Taiwan.

Persons: Tony Yang Organizations: Taiwan, University of British Locations: University of British Columbia, Taiwan

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ A year after ChatGPT’s release, the AI revolution is just beginning
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Seemingly overnight, the user-friendly generative AI technology enraptured the globe. It also promised to revolutionize the future of white-collar work — so long as it didn’t cause an AI apocalypse in the process. ‘The world woke up to the AI revolution’And one year since ChatGPT’s public release, the fervor around AI is still at a fever pitch. And AI’s long-prophesied impacts to the labor market is also beginning to emerge, both inside and outside the tech industry. “Many, many, many jobs that are currently done by humans, AI will be able to do,” said Clune, the AI researcher at the University of British Columbia.

Persons: New York CNN —, Sam Altman, ChatGPT, ” Jeff Clune, hasn’t, ” Clune, ”, OpenAI’s, Jakub Porzycki, Suresh Venkatasubramanian, ” Venkatasubramanian, “ It’s, it’s, Venkatasubramanian, Clune, we’re, ChatGPT’s, OpenAI, David Paul Morris, “, CNN’s Kara Swisher, Altman, —, ” Altman Organizations: New, New York CNN, Big Tech, Tech, University of British, CNN, ChatGPT’s, Brown University, Economic Cooperation, Bloomberg, Getty, Microsoft — Locations: New York, University of British Columbia, Krakow, Poland, OpenAI, Asia, San Francisco , California

☆ 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

☆ Sailors playing heavy metal to scare killer whales may be putting a target on their backs by telling the orcas exactly where to find them
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some sailors off the Iberian coast are turning to heavy metal to deter orcas from ramming into their boats. The music will also add to human-made ocean noise, which is already a major issue for marine animals. AdvertisementSailors using heavy metal music to deter orcas from ramming into their boats could find that the strategy backfires. AdvertisementAdditionally, Trites told Business Insider that if sailors adopted this method, the most harmful result would be an addition to noise pollution in the ocean. Human-caused noise pollution comes from a variety of sources, including ships, energy production via wind turbines, underwater mining, and even low-flying planes.

Persons: —, Andrew Trites, Trites Organizations: Service, New York Times, Marine Mammal Research, University of British, NOAA, Sound Locations: University of British Columbia

Now, frontier AI has become the latest buzzword as concerns grow that the emerging technology has capabilities that could endanger humanity. The debate comes to a head Wednesday, when British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosts a two-day summit focused on frontier AI. In a speech last week, Sunak said only governments — not AI companies — can keep people safe from the technology’s risks. Frontier AI is shorthand for the latest and most powerful systems that go right up to the edge of AI’s capabilities. That makes frontier AI systems “dangerous because they’re not perfectly knowledgeable,” Clune said.

Persons: —, Rishi Sunak, It’s, Kamala Harris, Ursula von der Leyen, Google’s, Alan Turing, Sunak, ”, Jeff Clune, Clune, Elon, Sam Altman, He’s, Joe Biden, Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua, ” Clune, “, it's, Francine Bennett, Ada Lovelace, Deb Raji, ” Raji, it’s, shouldn’t, Raji, DeepMind, Anthropic, Dario Amodei, Jack Clark, ’, Carsten Jung, Jill Lawless Organizations: British, U.S, European, University of British, AI Safety, European Union, Clune, Ada, Ada Lovelace Institute, House, University of California, ” Tech, Microsoft, Institute for Public Policy Research, Regulators, Associated Press Locations: Bletchley, University of British Columbia, State, EU, Brussels, China, U.S, Beijing, London, Berkeley

☆ The Busy Doctor Who Gave Himself Another Job: Tracking Nazi Loot
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Milton Esterow | Tracy Sherlock | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

His day began at 6 a.m. with a call to Amsterdam from his office in Vancouver. An hour later he gave an online lecture to a class in Ireland, immediately followed by a call with a scientist in Boston about research. To spend a day with him this month was to witness a whirlwind of endless activity. “My life is so complex,” he said in an interview, “but this is priority for me and for future generations. I need to be a living witness for what happened.”

Persons: Michael R, Hayden, ” Organizations: University of British Locations: Amsterdam, Vancouver, Ireland, Boston, University of British Columbia

☆ He Warned Canada About Climate Change but Says, ‘We’ve Failed Big Time’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Norimitsu Onishi | More About Norimitsu Onishi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“We’ve failed big time,” Dr. Suzuki said of the environmental movement. “We as environmentalists focused on issues: drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, threats to the caribou herd, stopping a dam in the Amazon. Not only were they pronounced during a summer of catastrophes for Canada’s environment, they came as Dr. Suzuki has slipped — at age 87 — into what he described as the “death zone,” a time, in his view, for assessing one’s life. “The death zone, it’s not being morbid; it’s just reality,” Dr. Suzuki said. Lunch would consist of sweet shrimp, salmon sashimi, clams and oysters, all harvested by the family.

Persons: “ We’ve, ” Dr, Suzuki, Dr, “, ’, Sarika Cullis, —, Cullis, ”, Graeme Wynn Organizations: Wildlife, University of British Locations: Quadra, Canada, University of British Columbia

☆ Researchers link popular weight loss drugs to serious digestive problems for ‘hundreds of thousands’ worldwide
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

They can help people with diabetes control their blood sugar and lead to substantial weight loss for people with or without diabetes. Liraglutide was FDA approved as a weight loss medicine since 2014. What’s been less clear is whether patients taking these drugs for weight loss may have the same serious side effects. CNN reached out to Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of both injectable weight loss drugs examined in this study, for comment. Sodhi said they started the man on a medication that treats stomach paralysis, “and he got a lot better,” Sodhi said.

Persons: Ozempic, ”, Mahyar, —, It’s, Liraglutide, it’s, Mohit Sodhi, Sodhi, Ian Musgrave, Musgrave, What’s, “, ” Sodhi, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, University of British, US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, “, University of Adelaide, Science Media Centre, BMI, Novo Nordisk, CNN Health Locations: University of British Columbia, Australia, Novo

☆ Denver experimented with giving people $1,000 a month. It reduced homelessness and increased full-time employment, a study found.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Direct cash assistance reduced homelessness and increased employment in Denver, a study found. "Many participants reported that they have used the money to pay off debt, repair their car, secure housing, and enroll in a course," he said. Six months in, most who received money from the project were better off — significantly so, according to researchers at the University of Denver's Center for Housing and Homelessness Research. And the study also relied on participants self-reporting their situations in exchange for payments of up to $30. Smaller cities, such as Santa Fe, have also experimented with cash payments, as have rural areas, including upstate New York.

Persons: —, Mark Donovan, Donovan, Zhao Organizations: Denver, Service, Income, Wooden, Pew Charitable Trust, University of Denver's Center for Housing, Homelessness Research, University of British, Guardian Locations: Denver, Tesla, Sacramento, Jacksonville, San Francisco, Santa Fe, New York, Philadelphia, United States, Vancouver, Canada, University of British Columbia

☆ Weight loss drugs may be linked to stomach paralysis, other rare but severe issues, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Still life of Wegovy an injectable prescription weight loss medicine that has helped people with obesity. It should be used with a weight loss plan and physical activity. Blockbuster weight loss and diabetes drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic may be associated with an increased risk of three rare, but severe, stomach conditions in non-diabetic patients, according to a new epidemiological study released Thursday. Their research is the first large, population-level study to examine the risk of serious stomach conditions in non-diabetic patients specifically using GLP-1s for weight loss. People with diabetes are also at increased risk of experiencing stomach paralysis and pancreatitis overall, even without the treatments.

Persons: semaglutide, –, Mohit Sodhi Organizations: Blockbuster, JAMA, Novo Nordisk, University of British Columbia, Nordisk Locations: U.S

The Canadian government says it is urgently trying to end the forced sterilization of Indigenous women, describing the practice as a human rights violation and a prosecutable offense. Yet police say they will not pursue a criminal investigation into a recent case in which a doctor apologized for his “unprofessional conduct” in sterilizing an Inuit woman. In July, The Associated Press reported on the case of an Inuit woman in Yellowknife who had surgery in 2019 aimed at relieving her abdominal pain. “This is a pivotal case for Canada because it shows that forced sterilization is still happening,” said Dr. Unjali Malhotra, of the First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia. Political Cartoons View All 1182 ImagesBut the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they would not be investigating Kotaska, because the woman hasn't filed a criminal complaint.

Persons: Andrew Kotaska, sterilize, ”, Unjali Malhotra, “, ” Kotaska, hasn't, Steven Cooper, Lisa Kelly, ” Kelly, Kelly, ” Sen, Yvonne Boyer, ” Boyer, Kotaska, ” Emma Cunliffe Organizations: Associated Press, First Nations Health Authority, AP, Canadian, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, RCMP, Queen’s University, University of British, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group Locations: sterilizing, Yellowknife, Canada, British Columbia, Ontario, Northwest Territories, University of British Columbia

☆ Stunning video appeared to show 2 humpback whales trying to save a seal from a pod of orcas, but the seal may have been trying to hide behind the gentle giants
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

National Geographic captured humpback whales interrupting orcas that were hunting a seal in Antarctica. But then, Gregory said in the video, two humpback whales appeared out of nowhere. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhile killer whales do not pose a direct threat to adult humpback whales, which are much larger than orcas, killer whales do prey on humpback whale calves. While most people believe the humpbacks are swimming over to save the seal, the seal may actually be swimming toward the humpbacks to save itself. Sea lions and seals have been captured hopping onto boats in order to evade killer whales.

Persons: Bertie Gregory, Gregory, Leigh Hickmott, Andrew Trites, Trites, Robert Pitman, Pitman Organizations: Geographic, Service, University of St, Marine Mammal Research, University of British, Biologists, US, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Hakai Magazine Locations: Antarctica, Wall, Silicon, Andrews, Scotland, University of British Columbia, Canada, British Columbia

☆ Whales swimming behind fishing vessels catch an easy feast of escaped fish, but experts warn this 'free meal' is risky, potentially lethal behavior
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Rupendra Brahambhatt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Sperm and bottlenose whales are known to pursue fishing boats to catch fish that escape the nets. Hal Whitehead, a sperm whale expert and biology professor at Dalhousie University, told Insider. What's even more interesting is that it's not only whales that have learned to catch fish escaping the fishermen's nets. Usua Oyarbide"As time goes on we hear more and more reports of everything from sperm whales to dolphins doing this. "I've known about sperm whales being engaged with different fisheries but I wasn't aware northern Bottlenose whales show similar behavior, so I've learned something new."

Persons: It's, Whales, Usua, Usua Oyarbide, Oyarbide, Hal Whitehead, wasn't, Andrew Trites, Vince Streano, Whitehead, Trites, I've Organizations: Service, Greenland, Dalhousie University, Marine Mammal Research, University of British, International Whaling Commission, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration Locations: Wall, Silicon, Newfoundland, Greenland, University of British Columbia, Canada, Africa, China, Australia

☆ Quebec, Canada wildfires made twice as likely through climate change
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The severity of Quebec’s fire season up to the end of July was also made 50% more intense by climate change, according to the report. French firefighters try to extinguish wildfires at Lac Larouche in Quebec, Canada, on June 28, 2023. It is by far the worst wildfire season Canada has ever experienced, and there are still more than two months left to go. They then used climate models to understand the role climate change played. Climate change also made the peak fire weather in Quebec during the same period at least twice as likely and 20% more intense, according to the report.

Persons: Friederike Otto, It’s, ”, Clair Barnes, Emma UIISC7, David Dee Delgado, “, James MacDonald, Kira Hoffman, ” Hoffman, Michael Flannigan, Otto Organizations: CNN, WWA, Grantham Institute, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Canada, Bloomberg, University of British, Research, “, Predictive Services, Emergency Management, Thompson Rivers University Locations: Canada, Quebec, Illinois, Canadian, Western Europe, Bronx, New York City, Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, British Columbia, Cameron, Port Alberni , British Columbia, University of British Columbia

☆ Oceans absorb 90% of the heat from climate change — here's why record ocean temps are so harmful
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +22 min

"Over 90 percent of the excess energy on earth due to climate change is found in warmer oceans, some of it in surface oceans and some at depth." Put simply, the greenhouse gases serve to trap more heat, some of which is absorbed by the ocean," Kirtman told CNBC. In addition to the daily record on July 31, the monthly sea surface temperature for July was the hottest July on record, "by far," Copernicus said. CopernicusThese record sea surface temperatures arise from multiple factors, including the El Niño weather pattern, which is currently in effect. "These climate variations occur when sea surface temperature patterns of warming and cooling self-reinforce by changing patterns of winds and precipitation that deepen the sea surface temperature changes."

Persons: Baylor, Carlos E, Del Castillo, Castillo, Benjamin Kirtman, Kirtman, Copernicus, Gavin Schmidt, Kemper, Zeke Hausfather, Sarah Kapnick, Kapnick, Kempler, Hurricane Ian, Michael Lowry, Lowry, Rainer Froese, Daniel Pauly, Pauly, Vigfus, pollack, Sean Gallup, Lorenz Hauser, Hauser, Froese, Phanor Montoya, Javier, Carolyn Cole, Hans W, Paerl, Justin Sullivan, Christopher Gobler, Gobler, Gary Griggs, Kimberly McKenna, Angela Weiss, Griggs, it's, Judith Kildow, Kildow, It's Organizations: International, Baylor Fox, Kemper, Brown University, CNBC, Ecology Laboratory, NASA, University of Miami, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Fox, El, Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, heatwave, NOAA, Northern Hemisphere, Miami Herald, Tribune, Service, Getty, Helmholtz, Ocean Research, University of British Columbia's Institute, Fisheries, School of, Fishery Sciences, Restoration Foundation, Coral Restoration Foundation, Looe Key, Los Angeles Times, University of North, Chapel Hill's Institute of Marine Sciences, Berkeley Marina, San, Quality, Centers for Disease Control, Stony Brooke University's School of Marine, Atmospheric Sciences, University of California, Stockton University Coastal Research, Afp, Ocean Economics Locations: Florida, El, Pacific, Berkeley, Fort Myers, Hurricane, Germany, New York, Nova Scotia, Hofn, Hornafjordur, Iceland, Seattle, Alaska, Looe, University of North Carolina, San Francisco Bay, Berkeley , California, San Francisco, Europe, Santa Cruz, Atlantic City , New Jersey, Atlantic City, Antarctica, Greenland

☆ Who Was Fernando Villavicencio?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Genevieve Glatsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As a journalist, Mr. Villavicencio obtained documents about a government surveillance program that he sent to WikiLeaks but eventually published himself. Some of his work led to death threats and charges that were widely criticized as politically motivated. There, he met with a friend from his undergraduate days at the Central University of Ecuador. But later that year, Mr. Correa left office, and Mr. Villavicencio returned home. For his presidential run, Mr. Villavicencio, 59, cast himself as the anticorruption candidate.

Persons: Villavicencio, “, ”, Grace Jaramillo, Correa, Guillermo Lasso, Lasso’s Organizations: WikiLeaks, Central University of Ecuador, University of British, National Assembly Locations: Peru, University of British Columbia, Ecuador

☆ Orcas may just be the beginning. Whales and humans are likely to have more strange encounters in the future.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Orcas are targeting boats near Spain while gray whales in Baja let humans pet them. "It isn't people running up to whales, it's whales coming to people." The gray whales befriending boats is especially interesting because just decades ago they were hunted to the brink of extinction in those same lagoons. But after conservation measures made whaling illegal, the North Pacific gray whales have dramatically recovered, allowing for these more friendly, social interactions between whales and humans. And it's not just the gray whales.

Persons: Leigh Torres, —, Andrew Trites, Torres Organizations: Service, Oregon State, Mammal Institute, Marine Mammal Research, University of British Locations: Spain, Baja, Wall, Silicon, Mexico's Baja California, University of British Columbia, Pacific, Atlantic, Portugal

☆ Gray whales were nicknamed 'devil fish' for fighting back when harpooned by whalers. Now they approach boats and let humans pet them, baffling scientists.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Now gray whales in Baja California frequently interact with humans in a remarkable shift. The video showed a gray whale right beside a boat, allowing the captain to pick whale lice off its head. Still, the fact that the gray whales of the Baja lagoons interact with boats and humans at all baffles researchers. The gray whales then make the longest migration of any mammal, with most traveling more than 10,000 miles to their foraging grounds near Alaska. Hunting gray whales is illegal, with some exceptions for Indigenous peoples in Alaska, Canada, and Mexico.

Persons: Gray, that's, Andrew Trites, Trites, he's, Guillermo Arias, Leigh Torres, Torres, it's Organizations: Service, Marine Mammal Research, University of British, Getty, Oregon State, Mammal Institute Locations: Baja California, Wall, Silicon, Ojo, Baja, University of British Columbia, Alaska, Pacific, Canada, Mexico, Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, Coast, Pacific Northwest, Oregon

☆ Uncoordinated? You Can Still Be an Athlete.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Jenny Marder | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As more athletic girls slammed volleyballs across the net, she worried about tripping or being hit by a ball. In order to avoid playing, she often sat on the sidelines and acted as the announcer. For years after, she told herself she was simply too clumsy for ball games. But a year ago, Ms. Chavez, now 26, began playing basketball with a friend and discovered she’s pretty good at shooting and dribbling. “Being afraid, being avoidant, did me more harm than good,” said Ms. Chavez, who said she still is so clumsy that she has the occasional accident.

Persons: Carmen Chavez, Chavez, ”, “ I’m, Jill Zwicker Organizations: University of British Locations: University of British Columbia

☆ Orcas in general don't pose a threat to humans — but any encounter with a massive, wild animal has its risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Hannah Getahun | Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Generally speaking, orcas in the wild do not pose a threat to humans. But the boat encounters are still dangerous, and swimming with a massive wild animal can be risky. Generally speaking, killer whales do not pose much of a threat to humans. The Iberian population members targeting boats also do not seem to be interested in humans, Strager noted. However, Strager said it's impossible to draw any conclusions about wild orcas based on the behavior of captive orcas, as they are in such an artificial environment.

Persons: orcas, Hanne Strager, Strager, Andrew Trites, Tilikum, Trites Organizations: Service, Marine Mammal Research, University of British, SeaWorld Orlando Locations: Spain, Portugal, Danish, Norway, University of British Columbia, Canada, Florida

☆ Stop calling the killer whale encounters with boats 'attacks'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Killer whales near the Iberian Peninsula have been striking boats since 2020. No doubt the encounters feel like attacks to the boaters, but experts say that may not be accurate. But in at least three cases the killer whales have managed to sink sailboats, prompting talk of an "orca uprising" in which the whales were finally fighting back. Despite one theory about a "traumatized" killer whale seeking revenge on boats, Trites and other experts have said they believe the orcas are most likely just playing. They appear to be picking up and mimicking the play behavior of other killer whales, suggesting it is being positively reinforced, or that they are getting pleasure or some sort of benefit from it.

Persons: Andrew Trites, Trites Organizations: Service, Marine Mammal Research, University of British Locations: orcas, Spain, Portugal, University of British Columbia, Canada

☆ People around the world are having more positive experiences, new report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The number of positive experiences saw some recovery in 2022, according to the report. Positive experiences had remained relatively stable in previous years, but dropped in 2021, according to Julie Ray, managing editor for world news at Gallup. The good news is that the rate of negative experiences didn’t go up in 2022. And while there are victories in the increase of positive experiences, it is not necessarily time for celebration, she added. The most positive placesThe surveys asked five questions each about positive and negative experiences.

Persons: Julie Ray, didn’t, ” Ray, ”, John Helliwell, Helliwell, Ray, “, Lyle Ungar, Ungar, Gallup, ’ ” Ungar, “ We’re, haven’t, I’m, ” Ungar Organizations: CNN, Gallup, Vancouver School of Economics, University of British, UN Sustainable Development Solutions, Taliban, University of Pennsylvania, Psychology Locations: University of British Columbia, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, American, Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Indonesia, Philippines, Finland, Denmark

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