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☆ More Screen Time Means Less Parent-Child Talk, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Emily Baumgaertner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Toddlers who are exposed to more screen time have fewer conversations with their parents or caregivers by an array of measures. They say less, hear less and have fewer back-and-forth exchanges with adults compared with children who spend less time in front of screens. Researchers have long known that growing up in a language-rich environment is vital for early language development. More language exposure early in life is associated with social development, higher I.Q.s and even better brain function. The new study, led by Mary E. Brushe, a researcher at the Telethon Kids Institute at the University of Western Australia, gathered data from 220 families across South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland with children who were born in 2017.

Persons: Mary E Organizations: Telethon, University of Western Locations: Australia, University of Western Australia, South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland

☆ NASA's James Webb telescope spotted a strange 13 billion-year-old galaxy that shouldn't exist
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

NASA's new space telescope spotted a 13 billion-year-old galaxy that is much too complex to exist that early in the universe. The galaxy, which is bigger than the Milky Way, could upheave what we know about how dark matter shaped the early universe. Light travels at a fixed speed through space, so the image of these early galaxies in the past is only reaching us now. According to current cosmology models, that should not be possible because dark matter is not supposed to have been mature enough at that time. "This dark matter — we don't know what it actually is —started out really smooth, with only the tiniest of ripples.

Persons: —, Karl Glazebrook, James Webb, Ivo Labbe, Swinburne University of Technology —, Labbe, Claudia Lagos, it's Organizations: Service, Swinburne University of Technology, Telescope, Reuters, University of Western Locations: University of Western Australia

☆ Six Spongy Sea Creatures Suggest Warming Might Be Worse Than Thought
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Raymond Zhong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Networks of satellites and sensors have measured the rising temperatures of recent decades with great precision. But to assess the full arc of global warming, scientists typically combine this data with 19th-century thermometer readings that were often spotty and inexact. By examining the chemical composition of their skeletons, which the creatures built up steadily over centuries, the researchers have pieced together a new history of those earliest decades of warming. And it points to a startling conclusion: Humans have raised global temperatures by a total of about 1.7 degrees Celsius, or 3.1 Fahrenheit, not 1.2 degrees Celsius, the most commonly used value. “It’s a bit of a wake-up call,” said Malcolm T. McCulloch, a geochemist at the University of Western Australia and one of the scientists who worked on the new research.

Persons: ”, Malcolm T, McCulloch Organizations: . Networks, University of Western Locations: Caribbean, University of Western Australia

☆ Data from sponges suggest the world has overshot a climate limit, new study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

These findings, published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change, are alarming but also controversial. Other scientists say the study contains too many uncertainties and limitations to draw such firm conclusions and could end up confusing public understanding of climate change. Researchers say the results also suggest global temperature could overshoot 2 degrees of warming by the end of the decade. Changing that baseline would mean the world has already warmed at least 1.7 degrees (scientists say long-term global warming currently stands at between 1.2 to 1.3 degrees). Whatever the baseline for measuring global warming, what remains clear, experts say, is that the impacts will worsen with every fraction of a degree of warming.

Persons: ” Malcolm McCulloch, Gavin Schmidt, ”, Gabi Hegerl, Yadvinder Malhi, It’s, Amos Winter, Joeri Rogelj, “, Winter Organizations: CNN, University of Western, NASA, University of Edinburgh, Environmental, Institute, University of Oxford, Indiana State University, Grantham Institute, Imperial College London Locations: Puerto Rico, Caribbean, Paris, University of Western Australia

A handful of centuries-old sponges from deep in the Caribbean are causing some scientists to think human-caused climate change began sooner and has heated the world more than they thought. Other scientists were skeptical of the study's claim that the world has warmed that much more than thought. He said this study also supports the theory that climate change is accelerating, proposed last year by former NASA top scientist James Hansen. Carbon dioxide and other gases from the burning of fossil fuels are what causes climate change, scientists have established. “They are cathedrals of history, of human history, recording carbon dioxide in the the atmosphere, temperature of the water and pH of the water,” Winter said.

Persons: Malcolm McCulloch, ”, ” McCulloch, “, —, Amos Winter, James Hansen, Natalie Mahowald, McCulloch, Winter, Michael Mann, credulity, ” Mann, El, La Nina, Michael Oppenheimer, ” ___ Teresa de Miguel, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: University of Western, Associated Press, Indiana State University, NASA, Cornell University, United Nations, University of Pennsylvania, Caribbean, El Nino, La, Princeton University Locations: Caribbean, University of Western Australia, Mexico City, AP.org

☆ Can We Save the Redwoods by Helping Them Move?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Moises Velasquez-Manoff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Their aggressive approach to conservation featured prominently in numerous scientific articles that followed, discussing the pros and cons of assisted migration. These cases underscore the reality that other plants and animals are already living where you might want to introduce something in order to save it. “I would treat assisted migration as a tool of last resort,” he told me in an email. Many of the animal’s native wetlands were fragmented and shrinking, and conservationists feared that global warming would finish the tortoise off. Similarly, she says, assisted migration is appropriate when contrasted with the other possibility: extinction if no one intervenes.

Persons: martens, Anthony Ricciardi, “, ”, it’s, “ It’s, ” Nicola Mitchell, Jessica Hellmann, you’re Organizations: McGill University, University of Western Australia, U.S . Forest Service, Forest Service, University of Minnesota’s Institute, Environment Locations: Central, South America, Australia, Hawaii, Canada, Newfoundland, Montreal, “, U.S

☆ The Israel-Hamas war is exposing the new limits and challenges to US power
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russia and China are seeking to exploit the Israel-Hamas war. The US is embarking on a mission to prevent the war from escalating into a wider conflict. AdvertisementAdvertisementAmid the brutal war between Israel and Hamas, US President Joe Biden has sought to project strength. But the new conflict threatens to starkly expose the limits of the US' influence in the region, where for decades it was the unchallenged international power. AdvertisementAdvertisementInto the perceived power vacuum, Russia and China have stepped, seeking to project their influence and undermine the US.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Sergei Lavrov, Khaled Mechaal, NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Israel, Biden, Antony Blinken, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Mohamed bin Salman, Gordon Flake Organizations: Service, Hamas, Saudi Arabia —, Getty Images, US, Crown, U.S, Royal, Anadolu, Getty, The Washington Post, USAsia, University of Western, Wall Street Locations: Russia, China, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russian, Moscow, AFP, Getty Images Russia, Syria, Beijing, Ukraine, Europe, Taiwan, Gaza, The Tehran, Riyadh, Saudi, Qatar, Gulf, University of Western Australia

☆ Mysterious ‘fairy circles’ of Namibia and Australia aren’t so rare after all, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Round discs of barren dirt known as “fairy circles” look like rows of polka dots that can spread for miles over the ground. Fairy circles were previously spotted only in the arid lands of Southern Africa’s Namib Desert and the outback of Western Australia. The results showed 263 dryland locations where there were circular patterns similar to fairy circles in Namibia and Australia. Fairy circles’ mysterious originsThe study authors also compiled environmental data where circles were spotted, collecting evidence that might hint at what causes them to form. But the question “What shapes fairy circles?” is complex, and factors that create fairy circles may differ from site to site, the study authors reported.

Persons: ”, Emilio Guirado, Guirado, “, Stephan Getzin, Getzin, Fiona Walsh, Walsh, ” Walsh, ” Guirado, Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, National Academy of Sciences, Multidisciplinary Institute, Environmental Studies, University of Alicante, University of Göttingen, University of Western, “, Scientific Locations: Southern, Western Australia, Spain, Namibia, Australia, Africa, Western Sahara, of Africa, Madagascar, Midwestern Asia, Southwest Australia, Germany, University of Western Australia, Northern Territory

[1/2] AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration taken June 23, 2023. Some have expressed concern that students might similarly rely on AI to produce work and effectively cheat - especially as AI content gets better with time. Passing off GenAI as original work could also raise copyright issues, prompting questions over whether AI should be banned in academia. It has provided that tool free to more than 10,000 education institutions globally, although it plans to charge a fee from January. So far, the AI detection tool has found that only 3% of students used AI for more than 80% of their submissions and that 78% did not use AI at all, Turnitin data shows.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, OpenAI, ChatGPT, Bard, Leif Kari, Rachel Forsyth, Sophie Constant, Stefania Giannini, Kirsten Rulf, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Lund, University of Western, University of Hong, Microsoft, Royal Institute of Technology, United Nations Educational, Cultural Organization, UNESCO, Strategic, Lund University, England's University of Oxford, Reuters, European Union, EU, Boston Consulting Group, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, University of Western Australia, Perth, University of Hong Kong, Stockholm, Sweden, Britain, Singapore

Most of the recent arrivals have settled in Perth, Western Australia, where they have enrolled in courses such as childcare, hospitality and accounting. Tashi Kipchu, a 25-year-old education consultant, is one of many who came to Australia last year in search of better opportunities. People don't see an opportunity out there," said Kipchu, who studied marketing at the University of Western Australia. That accelerated after the reopening of borders in Australia in 2022, with official data showing student visa applications from Bhutan jumping fivefold in the fiscal year ended June. At Kingston International College, a vocational education provider in Western Australia, about 150 Bhutanese students receive training, said managing director Tandin Dorji, himself a Bhutanese migrant.

Persons: Cathal McNaughton SYDNEY, Tashi Kipchu, Kipchu, Phil Honeywood, Sonam Tobgay, Tandin Dorji, Dorji, Stella Qiu, Gopal Sharma, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, University of Western, International Education Association of Australia, Bhutan's, Kingston International College, Thomson Locations: Thimphu, Bhutan, KATHMANDU, Australia, Perth, Western Australia, University of Western Australia, South Asia, China, India, Nepal, Bhutanese, Sydney, Kathmandu

The referendum, which comes amid a wider reckoning over race relations, proposes to change the constitution and establish an advisory body called the Indigenous Voice to Parliament to give Indigenous Australians a direct say in policies that affect them. Five of those polled were funding or planned to fund the "Yes" campaign, while none endorsed nor were contributing to "No". Commonwealth Bank told Reuters it plans to fund the "Yes" campaign and had hosted two panel discussions with Indigenous speakers. Rio Tinto, which faced criticism in 2020 for destroying Indigenous rock shelters, said the Voice would bring an "additional lens" to government decision-making. Aurora Milroy, a lecturer in Indigenous affairs at the University of Western Australia, said supporting the Voice was easy publicity for companies.

Persons: Rita Wright, Loren Elliott, Anthony Albanese, Intifar Chowdhury, Albanese, Meg O'Neill, Ross Piper, Baker McKenzie, Thomas Mayo, Kate Gillingham, Peter Dutton, Coles, Rio Tinto, Fortescue, Aurora Milroy, Byron Kaye, Praveen Menon, Melanie Burton, David Crawshaw, Devayani, Anant Chandak, Veronica Khongwir, Sujith Pai Organizations: Australian, REUTERS, Australia's, BHP, Rio Tinto, Woodside Energy, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Labor, Voice, National, Nine Entertainment, Reuters, Commonwealth Bank, Ethical Investment, Qantas, Australian Financial, Liberal, Fair Australia, Miners, Fortescue Metals, University of Western, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Rio, Western Australia, Woodside, Queensland, University of Western Australia, Melbourne

☆ Deepest-ever fish caught and filmed off Japan by scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, April 3 (Reuters) - Fish have been caught more than 5 miles (8 kilometres) under the surface of the ocean for the first time ever - and filmed even deeper - by a joint Japanese-Australian scientific expedition. The snailfish, of the Pseudoliparis belyaevi species, are the first to be caught below 8,000 metres, the expedition said. It wasn't immediately clear how big the fish were, but the species has been recorded as reaching a length of close to 11 centimetres (4.3 inches). "The Japanese trenches were incredible places to explore; they are so rich in life, even all the way at the bottom," said Jamieson, founder of the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre. "We tell people from the very early ages, as young as two or three, that the deep sea is a horrible scary place that you shouldn't go and that grows with you with time," said Jamieson.

☆ A camera caught a fish swimming more than 8,300 meters below the surface near Japan, making it the deepest observation of a fish ever recorded
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Researchers spotted the fish in the Izu-Ogasawara trench near Japan, the outlet reported. Previously, the deepest recorded fish was seen at 8,178 meters in the Mariana Trench in 2018Top editors give you the stories you want — delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Previously, the deepest recorded fish was spotted 8,178 meters down in the Mariana Trench, according to BBC News. The previous deepest recorded fish in the Mariana Trench was identified as a Mariana snailfish, which had been known to scientists since 2014, Insider reported at the time. "We predicted the deepest fish would be there and we predicted it would be a snailfish," Jamieson said according to the outlet.

Researchers found a link between poor emotion regulation strategies and feelings of loneliness. There are many reasons why someone may start to feel lonely. Researchers at Harvard University, Stanford University, Curtin University, and the University of Western Australia have now looked at another factor that they thought might promote loneliness, according to Psychology Today. Dealing with negative feelings is crucialCertain coping strategies were found to significantly increase the risk of loneliness. If you often feel lonely, pay attention to how you behave when a problem is bothering you.

☆ Australia's Scarborough project: Race and power collide in a fight over sacred rock art in remote Australia
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Hannah Ritchie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

More than a million drawings are etched onto rocks on Murujuga peninsula on the Western Australia coast. Resources extracted from the region have powered Australia’s economy and helped create some of the world’s largest mining and energy multinationals. Today, the fight for Murujuga’s rock art reflects long-standing and unresolved issues of race and power. Woodside Petroleum's Pluto development on Murujuga, Western Australia, June 2008. Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Peter Jeffries.

According to a new study, there are estimated to be 2.5 million times more ants on this planet than people. In total, that's 20 quadrillion — or 20,000,000,000,000,000 — ants. Taken together, the total mass of ants on the planet would actually outweigh all of the world’s wild birds and mammals, he added. Jorge Villalba / Getty Images / iStockphotoAnts can be found in nearly all habitats except for polar regions, according to the study. A separate study published in April 2020 in the journal Science found that the planet has lost more than one-quarter of its land-dwelling insects in the past 30 years.

☆ A 31,000-year-old Stone Age skeleton reveals the world's oldest limb amputation
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-17 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The world's earliest limb amputation — dating back 31,000 years — has been discovered in Borneo. It gives a fascinating insight into the medical abilities of people in the Stone Age. Studies on the skeleton buried in a cave found that, after the surgery, they went on to live for six to nine years. Previously, the earliest recorded amputation was carried out 7,000 years ago on a Neolithic farmer from France. They explained that intensive post-operative care of the patient, including temperature regulation, bathing, wound care, and disinfection, would have been vital for the patient.

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