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☆ Tiny backpacks reveal newfound species of the world’s largest hummingbird
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Now, new research has revealed that there are two distinct species of giant hummingbird in South America — the northern giant hummingbird that lives year-round in the Andes, and the migratory southern giant hummingbird — and they have been evolving separately for millions of years. A southern giant hummingbird is seen flying from its breeding grounds in central Chile. “We wanted to finally solve this mystery.”Designing backpacks for hummingbirdsGiant hummingbirds differ from hundreds of other hummingbird species in many other ways. A southern giant hummingbird is fitted with a tiny backpack-like geolocator tracking device in central Chile. “The two forms of giant hummingbird look almost identical — for centuries, ornithologists and birders never noticed that they were different.

Persons: Charles Darwin, Darwin, Chris Witt, ”, Jessie Williamson, “, ” Williamson, Emil Bautista, Williamson, Christopher Witt, birders, ” Witt, chaskis, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, HMS, National Academy of Sciences, National Science Foundation, Cornell, of Ornithology, Swifts, Centro, Biology, Museum of Southwestern, University of New Locations: New York City, Buenos Aires, South America, Chile, Ithaca , New York, Peru, Biodiversidad, Lima, Peruvian, Chilean, University of New Mexico, Inca

☆ Recursion Pharmaceuticals CEO explains how AI could make drug development faster and less costly
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In a Friday interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer, Recursion Pharmaceuticals CEO Chris Gibson discussed how his company is using artificial intelligence and machine learning to make the process of developing drugs faster and less expensive. Recursion Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biotech company that received a $50 million investment from Nvidia last summer. "I think with clinical trials, there's still going to be a few years to get through the clinical trial space," Gibson said. Before Recursion's AI-focused approach, there wasn't a clear path toward making a drug to successfully tackle this disease, he said. "Think of it as, like, Google Street View driving around taking pictures of everything," he said.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, Chris Gibson, Gibson, there's Organizations: Pharmaceuticals, Nvidia Locations: U.S

☆ Generative AI will be designing new drugs all on its own in the near future
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

An analogy for understanding the development of AI drugs can be found in the mechanisms of ChatGPT. As a result, it's a drug discovery process that has a 90% failure rate. Some of the noted flaws of generative AI, its propensity to "hallucinate" for example, could prove to be powerful in drug discovery. AI is learning to distinguish drugs from non-drugs, and to create new drugs, in the same way that ChatGPT can create sentences, Ellington said. Now, AI models are helping narrow down the possibilities, so scientists more quickly know the optimal modifications to try.

Persons: ChatGPT, Kimberly Powell, Google's, —, AlphaFold, Powell, Rau, Lilly, Eli Lilly, Diogo Rau, It's, Amgen, Andy Ellington, Ellington, Daniel Diaz, Diaz, We've Organizations: Nvidia, CNBC Technology, Summit, University of Texas, Austin, NVIDIA, biosciences, UT's Institute, Foundations of Machine, Cadence Locations: Nature

☆ Scientists identify ‘degrees of Kevin Bacon’ gene
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Even humble fruit flies organize themselves into regularly spaced clusters, researchers have found. Within those social networks, certain individuals will often stand out as “gatekeepers,” playing an important role for cohesion and communication within that group. New research published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications has identified a gene responsible for regulating the structure of social networks in fruit flies. The study opened up new opportunities for exploring the molecular evolution of social networks and collective behavior in other animals. FLPA/ShutterstockThe gene behind fruit fly social networksThe researchers investigated a number of gene candidates in fruit flies, a common lab organism used in the study of genetics.

Persons: ”, Kevin Bacon, Bacon, Joel Levine, Rebecca Rooke, ” Levine, Levine, “, ” Allen J, Moore, wasn’t, ” Moore Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, University of Toronto, University of Georgia’s Locations: Philadelphia, University of Toronto Mississauga

☆ Cicadas 2024: What to expect from the 2024 periodical cicada emergence and how to prepare
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The insects will infiltrate a much bigger geographical area than similar occurrences in most years because they’re part of the dual emergence of two particular periodical cicada broods. Although the full-scale emergence isn’t underway yet, experts have some guidance on how to prepare for cicada season. A periodical cicada that has just shed its outer skeleton crawls among holes dug by emerging cicada nymphs on May 20, 2021, in Takoma Park, Maryland. A young tree in Takoma Park, Maryland, is draped in netting in May 2021 to protect its small branches from being damaged by periodical cicadas laying their eggs in them. It’s not clear why periodical cicadas evolved to emerge every 13 or 17 years.

Persons: Louis —, Chip Somodevilla, “, ”, Paula Shrewsbury, ” Shrewsbury, John Lill, sapling, Lill, Jason Whitman, Shrewsbury, They’re Organizations: CNN, Naturalists, Southern, University of Maryland, North, George Washington University, US Food and Drug Administration Locations: Chicago, Nashville, St, Northern Illinois, Takoma Park , Maryland, North America, United States

☆ 16,000 plastic chemicals exist, many of them hazardous and unregulated, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

And with new plastic chemicals entering the market all the time, it’s been difficult for regulators and policy makers to determine the scope of the problem. Now, for the first time, researchers have pulled together scientific and regulatory data to develop a database of all known chemicals used in plastic production. It’s a staggering number: 16,000 plastic chemicals, with at least 4,200 of those considered to be “highly hazardous” to human health and the environment, according to the authors. Although grouping would capture about 1,000 of the most toxic chemicals in plastics, Wagner said, that still leaves about 2,600 chemicals that still need to be regulated. Missing hazard dataIn addition to the massive number of toxic chemicals, the report found that detailed hazard information is missing for more than 10,000 of the 16,000 chemicals.

Persons: it’s, It’s, “, ”, Martin Wagner, Wagner, Philip Landrigan, Landrigan, Matt Seaholm, ” Kimberly Wise White, ” Wagner, ” Landrigan, Tasha Stoiber, Stoiber, Jane Houlihan Organizations: CNN, Norwegian University of Science, Technology, Program, Global Public Health, Global, Planetary Health, Boston College, – Monaco, Plastics, Human, Plastics Industry Association, American Chemistry Council, International, United Nations Environment, Global Plastics, Environmental, Healthy Locations: Trondheim, United States

☆ Nanoplastics linked to heart attack, stroke and early death, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“Should exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics be considered a cardiovascular risk factor? Nanoplastics have been found in human blood, lung and liver tissues, urine and feces, mother’s milk, and the placenta. The examination found “visible, jagged-edged foreign particles” scattered in the plaque and external debris from the surgery, the study said. Presence of microplastics and nanoplastics, and subsequent inflammation, may act to increase one’s susceptibility to these chronic diseases,” Stapleton said in an email. However, calling the study results “a direct link to cardiovascular disease is a stretch for the findings,” she added.

Persons: ”, Raffaele Marfella, Marfella, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Philip Landrigan, ” Landrigan, nanoplastics, Landrigan, Mary Conlon, —, that’s, Andrew Freeman, Phoebe Stapleton, Rutgers University’s Ernest Mario, “, ” Stapleton, Leonardo Trasande, don’t, Trasande Organizations: CNN, New England, of Medicine, University of Campania, Boston College, Program, Global Public Health, Global, Planetary Health, International, Water Association, Surgeons, Jewish Health, Rutgers, Rutgers University’s Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Getty, American Academy of Pediatrics, NYU Langone Health, Natural Resources Defense Council, Invest Locations: Naples, Italy, Denver, Piscataway , New Jersey

☆ ‘Amusing insight’ revealed in Marx’s ‘Das Kapital’ gift to Darwin
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Karl Marx once gifted a signed copy of “Das Kapital” to scientist Charles Darwin, but the book remained largely unread, providing an “amusing insight” into the dynamics between these two intellectuals, according to experts. In “Das Kapital,” economist and philosopher Marx explored how the capitalist system works and, he argued, its tendencies toward self-destruction. The gift copy of "Das Kapital" with Marx' inscription top right. Down House, Darwin's former home, in Kent, southern England. The catalog includes 9,300 links to copies of the library contents that are available for free online, inviting the public to peruse what Darwin read.

Persons: CNN — Karl Marx, “, Charles Darwin, Marx, Darwin, Karl Marx, ”, Mankind, Darwin's, Tal Cohen, Reuters Tessa Kilgarriff, Kilgarriff, Francis Darwin, Francis Organizations: CNN, Heritage, Down, Cambridge University Library, Reuters, Kapital, Darwin Locations: Darwin, Kent, England

☆ Romantic kissing’s earliest record dates to 4,500 years ago, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Romantic kisses have long been celebrated in songs, poems and stories, commemorated in art and film. Modern scholars therefore concluded that romantic kisses likely originated in India. Across thousands of cuneiform tablets kissing isn’t the most mentioned topic, “but it is attested regularly,” he said. But Arbøll and Rasmussen suspected that romantic kissing became accepted in Bronze Age Europe, and not because of migration alone. Even today, many cultures shun romantic kissing, Arbøll and Rasmussen reported.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Guy de Maupassant, Troels Pank, Assyriology, Justin R, Garcia, ” Garcia, de Maupassant, Arbøll, Dr, Sophie Lund Rasmussen, ” Arbøll, “, primatologist Frans B.M, De, Rasmussen, isn’t, It’s, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, University of Copenhagen, Indiana University, Kinsey Institute, Oxford University, Emory University, Scientific Locations: Mesopotamia, Bloomington, India, De Waal, Atlanta, Europe, Russia

☆ ‘Moths to a flame’: Insect behavior around light isn’t about attraction, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Gaining a better understanding of the impact of artificial light on these winged creatures is crucial as light pollution plays an increasing role in the decline of global insect populations, the researchers wrote. Artificial light confuses nocturnal insectsWhen artificial light does not interfere, nocturnal insects keep their backs pointed toward whatever direction is brightest, which is typically the sky versus the ground. By using insect-scale motion-capture cameras, the researchers determined that the flying insects exhibited three consistent behaviors: orbiting, stalling and inverting. Moths and other insects can become trapped in a disorienting orbit around artificial light sources such as street lamps and porch lights. The new findings could help with conservation by fueling research on how to minimize the effects of light pollution on the insects, Dombroskie said.

Persons: it’s, critters, Samuel Fabian, Sam Fabian “, … It’s, ” Fabian, that’s, ”, Yash Sondhi, Sondhi, Sam Fabian, Fabian, Floyd Shockley, Shockley, ancestrally, “, Jason Dombroskie, Dombroskie Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, Imperial College London’s, Florida Museum, Florida International University, Smithsonian National Museum of, Cornell, Insect, National Wildlife Foundation Locations: bioengineering, Miami, Washington , DC

☆ Spiders spin webs to catch prey. They’re also trapping a wealth of DNA
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

They’re also trapping a wealth of DNA from the surrounding environment, a hidden resource that Australian scientists said could be used to track endangered animals and monitor ecosystems. From airborne DNA collected by the spiderwebs, the researchers were able to detect animals of varying behavior and lifestyle. Creatures great and smallAt Perth Zoo, species that were detected spanned in size from the pygmy marmoset to the Asian elephant. The different types of spiderweb collected may also affect the types and quantity of DNA collected, the study noted. By contrast, the majority of webs collected at Perth Zoo were from the Desidae and Theridiidae families, both with tangled, irregular web arrangements.

Persons: Joshua Newton, ” Newton, Austracantha, Newton, “, Princess Fiona, That’s, ”, eDNA, Joshua Newton Elizabeth Clare, wasn’t, Organizations: CNN —, Perth Zoo, Curtin University’s School, Molecular, Sciences, Copenhagen Zoo, Hamerton, York University Locations: Western, Perth, Denmark, United Kingdom, Australian, Ontario, Canada

☆ First ever sighting of newborn great white reported
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Drone footage shot off the coast of Southern California may have revealed the first ever glimpse of a newborn great white shark in the wild. Adult great white sharks are gray on top and white underneath. “I believe it was a newborn white shark shedding its embryonic layer.”The case for the baby great white sightingWhile in utero, embryonic sharks feed on unfertilized eggs for protein. If their assessment is correct, it’s the first time that a newborn great white shark has been observed in the wild. In addition, other researchers have suggested this location off the coast of central California is a birthing ground for great white sharks.

Persons: Carlos Gauna, Phillip Sternes, Sternes, ” Sternes, “, ”, ” Gauna, Gavin Naylor, ” Naylor, wasn’t, Nicholas Ray, Ray, Greg Skomal Organizations: CNN, University of California, Florida Program, Shark Research, University of Florida, Florida Museum, Nottingham Trent University, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Locations: Southern California, Carpinteria , California, University of California Riverside, California, South Africa

☆ 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, ”

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Teachers and science advocates are voicing skepticism about a Maine proposal to update standards to incorporate teaching about genocide, eugenics and the Holocaust into middle school science education. The Maine Science Teachers Association testified before the state that adding the proposed content to education standards without providing professional training for teachers could jeopardize science education. The recommended updates that are up for adoption were made by teachers, and the education department opened up the revision process to any science teachers who wanted to be involved, Mrowka said. A group of two dozen Maine science educators met several times over the summer to lead the review of the science standards, Mrowka said. The state sought public comments about the current science standards earlier in the year and received numerous comments from educators about the importance of challenging students.

Persons: —, ”, Tonya Prentice, ” Prentice, “, Joseph Graves Jr, ” Graves, Marcus Mrowka, Mrowka, ” Mrowka, Robert Ripley, ” Ripley, Alison Miller, ” Miller Organizations: —, Maine Science Teachers Association, National Center for Science Education, Maine Department of Education, Maine Legislature, The Maine Department of Education, Legislature's, Cultural Affairs Committee, Schools, Legislature, Oxford Hills School District, Bowdoin College Locations: AUGUSTA, Maine, Africa, Europe

☆ Scientists create tiny living robots from human cells
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Scientists have created tiny living robots from human cells that can move around in a lab dish and may one day be able to help heal wounds or damaged tissue, according to a new study. The scientists used adult human cells from the trachea, or windpipe, from anonymous donors of different ages and sexes. Earlier studies had also shown that the cells can form organoids — clumps of cells widely used for research. “Nothing happened on day one, day two, day four or five, but as biology usually does, around day seven, there was a rapid transition,” she said. They are not made from human embryos, research that is tightly restricted, or genetically modified in any way, he said.

Persons: Harvard University’s, ”, Michael Levin, Vannevar Bush, “, Levin, Gizem Gumuskaya, Gumuskaya, Falk Tauber, Tufts University Tauber Organizations: CNN —, Tufts University, Harvard, Harvard University’s Wyss, Tufts ’ School of Arts & Sciences, Tufts, Freiburg Center, Interactive Materials, Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg Locations: “, Germany, —

☆ Starfish bodies are really just heads, new research says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The heads of most animals are easily identifiable, but scientists haven’t been able to say the same for sea stars until now. But new genetic research suggests the opposite — that sea stars are largely heads that lack torsos or tails and likely lost those features evolutionarily over time. There, they go through a process that transforms a bilateral body into a star shape, or pentaradial body. But echinoderms also share a common ancestor with bilateral animals, which adds to the puzzle researchers are trying to solve. Specific molecular markers act like body plan blueprints, directing each cell to the body region where it belongs.

Persons: haven’t, It’s, ”, Laurent Formery, “ It’s, Christopher Lowe, Jeff Thompson, “, ” Lowe, Formery, Chan Zuckerberg, Dr, Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg, Laurent Formery “, ” Thompson, Daniel Rokhsar Organizations: CNN, Stanford University, University of California, University of Southampton, NASA, National Science Foundation, Leverhulme Trust Locations: Berkeley, San Francisco

☆ High mobile phone use may impact sperm count, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Male sperm count has fallen by more than 50% globally in the last 50 years, leaving researchers scrambling to understand why. The men also had a 30% higher risk for a low sperm concentration, a less important measure of sperm count in a milliliter of semen. On the positive side, researchers found that as phone technology improved over the 13 years of the study, the impact on sperm count began to ease. As cell phone usage climbed, sperm count dropped, with the lowest levels among men using their phone 20 or more times a day. The greatest association between low sperm count and concentration and phone use were between 2005 and 2007.

Persons: ”, Allan Pacey, Alison Campbell, Campbell, Alexander Pastuszak, Pastuszak, Luis Alvarez, ” Pacey, “, it’s, ” Pastuszak Organizations: CNN, University of Manchester, Mobile, “, The University of Utah School of Medicine, California Department of Public Health Locations: United Kingdom, Salt Lake City

☆ Climate Change Is Keeping Therapists Up at Night
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Brooke Jarvis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

His clients didn’t just bring up the changing climate incidentally, or during disconcerting local reminders; rather, many were activists or scientists or people who specifically sought out Bryant because of their concerns about the climate crisis. According to a 2022 survey by Yale and George Mason University, a majority of Americans report that they spend time worrying about climate change. A poll by the American Psychiatric Association in the same year found that nearly half of Americans think climate change is already harming the nation’s mental health. Climate change, in other words, surrounds us with constant reminders of “ethical dilemmas and deep social criticism of modern society. In its essence, climate crisis questions the relationship of humans with nature and the meaning of being human in the Anthropocene.”

Persons: Bryant, Susan Clayton, Thomas J, Doherty, George Mason, ” Organizations: Climate Psychology Alliance North America, American Psychological Association, Yale, George, George Mason University, American Psychiatric Association, of Biology

☆ Tyson is investing in insect protein
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Tyson, a major US producer of beef, pork and chicken, is betting on protein that comes from insects. “Today, we’re focused on more of [an] ingredient application with insect protein than we are a consumer application,” said John R. Tyson, chief financial officer of Tyson Foods. A business opportunity“One feature of being in the animal protein business is having to figure out … how to derive value from” waste, Tyson said. Picard helped create the Center for Environmental Sustainability through Insect Farming, a partnership between academia and industry members including Tyson and Protix. “There are more and more startups coming into the space because there’s so much demand for insect protein,” she said.

Persons: New York CNN — Tyson, Tyson, we’re, ”, John R, Kees Aarts, Aleks, hasn’t, Mars, Tyson doesn’t, “, Protix, Christine Johanna Picard, Picard, Kaan Mika, iStockphoto, ” Aarts, Reza Ovissipour Organizations: New, New York CNN, Tyson Foods, Rabobank, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis School of Science, for Environmental Locations: New York, Protix, Netherlands, Springdale , Arkansas, Texas

☆ An orca mysteriously died thousands of miles from home after swallowing 7 sea otters whole
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scientists were surprised to find seven fully intact sea otters in the orca's stomach. Combined, the sea otters weighed a whopping 242 pounds. But why sea otters? One of the sea otters was found lodged in the orca's esophagus, blocking her respiratory tract. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhy she swam all that way and why she seemingly swallowed seven otters whole may never be entirely clear.

Persons: —, Alex Ford, Sergey V, LiveScience Organizations: Service, University of Portsmouth, Newsweek, Reuters Locations: Russia, Eastern Pacific, Gulf of Alaska, California

☆ Positivity alone won't increase your lifespan, experts say—you must also possess these key personal traits
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Aditi Shrikant | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Staying positive is also a key piece of advice for anyone hoping to live a long, healthy life. Centenarians, or those who reach 100 years old, frequently credit their lengthy lifespan to their positive attitude. Personality can be a "big factor" when it comes to longevity, says Petr Sramek, CEO of Healthy Longevity Clinic, a medical practice that seeks to extend clients' lives. Don't miss: 100-year-old sisters share 5 simple tips for leading a long, happy life Let's say a client has chronic inflammation, Sramek says. But they must possess the type of personality that is willing to seek and accept help.

Persons: Ruth Sweedler, Madeline Paldo, doesn't, Petr Sramek, Sramek, — Organizations: CNBC, Healthy Longevity Clinic

☆ Scientists recover RNA from an extinct species for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Geneticists have for the first time isolated and decoded RNA molecules from a creature that died out long ago. “This will add significant depth to our understanding of the biology of extinct animals and help us to build much better extinct genomes,” he added. Mármol Sánchez said this study is a proof of concept, and his colleagues now hopes to recover RNA from animals that died out much longer ago, such as the woolly mammoth. Recipe bookThe research team was able to sequence RNA of the skin and skeletal muscle tissues from the specimen and identify thylacine-specific genes. Understanding RNA allows scientists to put together a more complete picture of an animal’s biology, Mármol Sánchez said.

Persons: ”, Emilio Mármol Sánchez, Benjamin, Mármol Sánchez, Andrew Pask, “, Pask, that’s Organizations: CNN, Swedish Museum of, Stockholm —, Genome Research, Palaeogenetics, Beaumaris, University of Melbourne Locations: Stockholm, SciLifeLab, Sweden, Tasmania, Hobart , Tasmania, Australia

☆ New York has tried poison, traps, and birth control to fix its pest problem. Rat researchers say the city should focus on its people instead.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

New York City has a pest problem so prolific, the mayor hired a dedicated rat czar earlier this year. Previous efforts to reduce the rat problem include brutal traps, poison, and birth control bait. The city has historically focused on population control methods, including brutal spring traps and hazardous poisons to keep the pests at bay. AdvertisementAdvertisementParsons previously told Insider the "real city rats" are "the men and women of bureaucracy and their two-and-a-half centuries of bad practice." To really have fewer rats, New York norms of takeout and eating outside would have to change."

Persons: Eric Adams, that's, Kathleen Corradi —, Department of Education —, Corradi, Jason Munshi, Michael Parsons, Parsons, Munshi Organizations: Service, New York City, Big Apple, Waste, Department of Education, New, New York Mayor's, Department of Sanitation, The New York Times, Fordham University, NYT Locations: York City, Wall, Silicon, New York

☆ Extreme heat could make photosynthesis impossible for tropical trees and plants that may all die as a result, a new study found.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Trees stop making food for themselves when they get too hot, a new study shows. AdvertisementAdvertisementFor a new Nature study, scientists across the country found that photosynthesis begins to fail in tropical trees at 116 degrees Fahrenheit (46.7 degrees Celsius). NNehring/ Getty ImagesScientists already knew extreme heat makes leaves unable to photosynthesize, said Goldsmith, a co-author of the study. But "this study is really the first study to establish how close tropical forest canopies may be to these limits," he said. If all the trees in the tropical rainforests died off, that would release an estimated 228.7 petagrams of carbon into the atmosphere, according to a 2012 study.

Persons: It's, Gregory Goldsmith, Goldsmith, ScienceAlert, Justin Sullivan, Christopher Doughty, Doughty, Ignacio Palacios, it's Organizations: Service, Chapman University, Getty, Northern Arizona University Locations: —, Brazil , Puerto Rico, Panama, Australia, San Francisco

☆ Fresh look at Ötzi the Iceman reveals his true appearance and other surprises
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Viking arrows, an Iron Age tunic and prehistoric wooden skis are some of the artifacts recovered from melting ice patches. This week, learn more about Ötzi the Iceman, a scientific celebrity. A long time agoA 2016 reconstruction of Ötzi the Iceman is shown on display at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy. South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology/OchsenreiterHikers found the mummified body of Ötzi in a gully high in the Italian Alps in 1991. Now, a new analysis of DNA extracted from Ötzi’s pelvis has revealed fresh details, including his true appearance — and it’s not what scientists first thought.

Persons: Edgar Lehr, Harrison Ford, —, Lehr, Ford, Indiana Jones, Samuel Peralta, Cornelia Sattler, NASA’s James Webb, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, NASA, Illinois Wesleyan University, BMC, National Museum Wales, NASA’s James Webb Space, CNN Space, Science Locations: Bolzano, Italy, Tyrol, Italian, deadwood, New York, Alabama

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