DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ These executives say psychedelics like LSD and MDMA made them better managers — and transformed how they think about fulfilling work
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Rachel Nuwer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Siskind is one of a growing number of entrepreneurs and executives seeking out psychedelics — including LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca, and MDMA — for work-related inspiration and guidance. AdvertisementA Manhattan psychedelic sound bathSarah Rose Siskind says one year after her psychedelic-induced revelation, work is going better than ever. When Siskind arrived at work on Monday, she called a staff meeting to share the company's new value-oriented direction. While Zillmer's breakthroughs came in Peru and with ayahuasca, these types of retreats for business professionals are popping up all over and with a variety of psychedelics. Beyond bottom linesThe location where Kiyumí Retreats will host a psychedelic retreat for business professionals later this year.

Persons: —, Sarah Rose Siskind, she'd, I'd, psychedelics, Steve Jobs, Mike Bryk, Siskind, David Luke, psychedelics Henrik Zillmer, Michael Costuros, Henrik Zillmer, Zillmer, It's, John Gilmore, Gilmore, Gül, Dölen, Isabel Wiessner, AirHelp, Kiyumí, Bennet Zelner, Zelner, they'd, John Allison, Allison Organizations: Service, Business, University of Greenwich, Sun Microsystems, University of California, Federal University of Rio, University of Maryland Locations: New York City, Silicon, Peru, Mexico, Noho, Manhattan, Bay, London, Berlin, Berkeley, Federal University of Rio Grande de Norte, Brazil, Netherlands, Brooklyn

☆ The Amazon has survived changes in the climate for 65 million years. Now it’s heading for collapse, a study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Rosa Rahimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“Our findings revealed how the Amazon forest system could enter a phase of self-reinforced collapse sooner than previously thought.”Previous studies had not predicted a collapse of this scale could happen in the 21st century. “The Amazon forest is a major pump of moisture into the atmosphere, contributing to circulation processes that transfer moisture across the globe,” Flores said. Douglas Magno/AFP/Getty ImagesThe authors of the study noted that water stress was a common factor in the disturbances to the Amazon. Water stress occurs when there is not enough water to meet human or ecological needs. Global warming is intensifying the effects of water stress by causing the Amazonian climate to become drier and warmer.

Persons: “, ” Bernardo Flores, ”, ” Flores, Douglas Magno, Richard Allan, Flores Organizations: CNN, Federal University of Santa, Paraguay —, South, Getty, Science, University of Reading Locations: Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil, South America, Bolivia, Paraguay, Plata, Labrea, Amazonas, AFP

The Pantanal holds thousands of plant and animal species, including 159 mammals, and it abounds with jaguars, according to the World Wildlife Fund. In the dry season, wildlife enthusiasts flock to see the normally furtive jaguars lounging on riverbanks, along with macaws, caimans and capybaras. Political Cartoons View All 1256 ImagesMuch of the Encontro das Aguas (Meeting of the Waters) park, located at the border of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul states — known for its large jaguar population — had turned from emerald green to dark brown. “This is so atypical,” said Renata Libonati, who coordinates the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro's alert system for fires in the Pantanal. The neighboring state of Mato Grosso said it had also strengthened its workforce, with about 200 federal and state firefighters on the ground.

Persons: —, they’ll, Leonisio da Silva, ”, Renata Libonati, ” Libonati, Angelo Rabelo, Mato Grosso, Enderson Barreto, “, ” Barreto, Barreto Organizations: — Firefighters, Facebook, Federal University of Rio, Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, World Wildlife Fund, Mato Grosso, Associated Press, ” Jaguars, Firefighters, El, Environment, Federal Highway Police, Waters, ” Locations: POCONE, BRAZIL, Brazil's, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Waters, Mato Grosso, Mato, Sul, Brazil, Porto Jofre

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — It’s still spring in Brazil, but a dangerous heat wave is sweeping across large swathes of the country, forcing Rio de Janeiro’s vendors off the streets due to health alerts and driving up energy demand amid reports of power outages. Most Brazilian states face “great danger” from the heat, according to the National Institute of Meteorology. Actual temperatures dropped slightly on Wednesday, but were forecast to rise again to 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) on Thursday. In Sao Paulo, temperatures reached 37.7 degrees Celsius (99.9 F), just short of a record, according to meteorology company MetSul. In Brazil, El Niño has historically caused droughts in the north and intense rainfall in the south, Ferreira said.

Persons: — It’s, Cariocas, Núbia Beray, “ Cariocas, ” Beray, Danielle Ferreira, ” Ferreira, El Niño, Ferreira, hydrologist Javier Tomasella, ” Tomasella Organizations: RIO DE, Rio de, National Institute of Meteorology, Mato Grosso, Federal University of Rio, National Institute for Space Research Locations: RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Rio’s, Sao Paulo, Mato Grosso, Sul, Portuguese, Mato, Cyprus, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, South America, Equatorial Pacific, Inmet, El, Rio Grande do Sul, Bahia

☆ Exercise or medication: Which is best for depression?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

What the research showsWhich treatment option works best partly depends on personal perceptions or preferences, including a person’s motivation to exercise or concern about potential side effects of a medication, experts said. For people with severe depression, exercise alone typically isn’t enough. Some experts also wonder which exercise is best for patients who benefit most from such physical activity, Schuch said. While exercise and medication are both viable options, it’s important to note that “none will work for all patients,” Schuch said. If you’re thinking of trying to alleviate depression with fitness, know “the time it takes for someone to experience relief from depression through exercise can vary widely,” Choi said.

Persons: ”, Brenda Penninx, Karmel Choi, Choi wasn’t, ” Choi, Felipe Barreto Schuch, Schuch wasn’t, Schuch, Ben Singh, wasn’t, Parco Siu, ” Singh, “, ” Schuch Organizations: CNN, European College of, Disorders, Vrije University, Harvard Medical School, Federal University of Santa, University of South, University of Hong Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, Boston, Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil, University of South Australia, University of Hong Kong

And senior U.S. administration officials who previewed the meeting said the two nations are rolling out a partnership on workers' rights. Lula quickly traveled to Washington, where he and Biden bonded over the challenges to democracy they had both overcome. Labor is an issue dear to Lula, who got his start in politics as leader of a powerful metalworkers' union. They noted that the Biden administration has lifted travel restrictions to Cuba imposed by the prior administration and is also in the process of restarting remittances to that country. He declined to say whether Biden would broach the subject of Venezuela in their bilateral meeting.

Persons: Joe Biden, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Lula, Biden, “, Thomas Traumann, Jair Bolsonaro, Donald Trump, Trump, Traumann, Dilma Rousseff, Lula’s, Paulo Peres, Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, Jake Sullivan, ___ Boak, Eléonore Hughes Organizations: Brazilian, General, U.S, White, Labor, Federal University of Rio, Amazon Fund Locations: New York, Ukraine, Washington, U.S, Cuba, Brazilian, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Venezuela, Rio de Janeiro

☆ Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks: Historic Ohio landmark inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A huge prehistoric structure in Ohio has become the 25th US landmark to be awarded a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Historic siteNational Archaeological Park Tak’alik Ab’aj in Guatemala has also been named a UNESCO World Heritage site. “This inscription on the World Heritage List highlights the important work of American archaeologists, who discovered here remains dating back 2,000 years, constituting one of the largest earthwork constructions in the world. J.B. Barret/DEAL Martinique/Courtesy UNESCO World Heritage Nomination OfficeEstablished in 1978, the World Heritage List has inscribed well over 1,000 sites of “outstanding universal value” in the more than four decades since then. Only countries that sign the convention creating the World Heritage Committee and list can nominate sites.

Persons: ”, “, Audrey Azoulay, Israel, Frank Lloyd Wright, Solomon, Pelée, J.B . Barret, Ethiopia’s Bale, Cambodia’s Koh, CNN’s Francesca Street, Marnie Hunter Organizations: CNN, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage, US, Guggenheim Museum, Heritage, Kazan Federal University Locations: Ohio, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Hopewell, Guatemala, Cheops, United States, Israel, American, New York, Yellowstone, Martinique, Kazan, Russia, France, Phrygia, Turkey, Gaya, South Korea, Denmark

He has sought to boost Brazil's cred with each state visit and speech, one multilateral forum after another. PUSHING FOR GLOBAL GOVERNANCE — BRAZIL-STYLEDuring Lula’s travels, he has pushed for global governance that gives greater heft to the Global South and advocating diminishing the dollar’s dominance in trade. After the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin's arrest, Lula said he would review Brazil's membership in the court. Some in Washington had initially hoped Lula could be helpful in advancing a shared agenda in Venezuela, Winter said. As they stood embracing, Lula remained seated while applauding a few feet away and nearly out of the camera frame.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Brazil —, —, Lula, Bolsonaro, ”, Oliver Stuenkel, Getulio Vargas, Ukraine’s, Vladimir Putin's, “, Brian Winter, Biden, Winter, ” Biden, Jake Sullivan, Narendra Modi, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Cuba “, ” Lula, Nicolás Maduro, LULA, Lula isn't, Modi, Thomas Traumann, Azali Assoumani, Assoumani's, Paulo Peres, Said Peres, Eleónore Hughes, Madhani, David Biller Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, —, General, Getulio, Getulio Vargas Foundation, Global, . National, Bolsonaro, Indian, Saudi Crown, Biden, Federal University of Rio, . Security, Associated Press Locations: Brazil, United States, China, Italy, India, Argentina, Angola, Sao Paulo, — BRAZIL, Washington, Western Europe, U.S, York, Americas, New York, Ukraine, New Delhi, Cuba, Havana, Venezuela, ”, Brazilian, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro

☆ Russian landmark added to UNESCO World Heritage List
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A university observatory in Russia has been inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List. The astronomical observatories of Kazan Federal University, located in the city of Kazan, were added to the esteemed list on Monday as UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee continued its deliberations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. New additionsEthiopia’s Bale Mountains National Park has been inscribed on the coveted UNESCO World Heritage List. ‘Outstanding universal value’Maison Carrée, an ancient Roman temple in Nîmes, southern France, was added to the World Heritage List. Dominique Marck/Ville de Nîmes/UNESCO World Heritage Nomination OfficeThe committee is to review the remaining nominations, which includes Ohio’s Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, over the next few days.

Persons: Bale, Daniel Rosengren, Ethiopia’s Bale, Mount Pelée, Maison Carrée, Dominique Marck, Sophia Cathedral, ”, CNN’s Marnie Hunter, Francesca Street Organizations: CNN, UNESCO, Kazan Federal University, Heritage Committee, Observatory, de Nîmes Locations: Russia, Kazan, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, France, Phrygia, Turkey, Gaya, South Korea, Denmark, Odzala, Congo, Mount, Martinique, Nîmes, Ukraine, Kyiv, Pechersk, Lviv

☆ North Korea's Kim heads home after final stop in Russia's Vladivostok, KCNA reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Kim spent two days in Vladivostok while inspecting various facilities in the fields of military, economy, science, education and culture, before bidding farewell at a send-off ceremony at the Artyom station, KCNA said. It wrapped up Kim's unusually lengthy, week-long trip to Russia, during which he pledged to step up military and economic cooperation with President Vladimir Putin. He also met North Korean students studying science and technology at the university, KCNA said, learning about their lives there and taking a photo together. Kim inspected a Russian fighter jet factory that is under Western sanctions, nuclear-capable strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles and warships last week, though Putin has said Moscow would not "violate anything." Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Lidia Kelly Editing by Sandra Maler and Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim Jong Un, Kim, KCNA, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Alexandr Kozlov, Hyonhee Shin, Lidia Kelly, Sandra Maler, Diane Craft Organizations: North, Russia's, Natural Resources, Eastern Federal University, Maritime Territorial, Thomson Locations: Artyom, Vladivostok, Primorsky, Russia, SEOUL, Russia's, North, Korea, Kim, United States, South Korea, Ukraine, North Korea, Washington, Seoul, Moscow, Pyongyang, Russian

☆ North Korea's Kim Heads Home After Final Stop in Russia's Vladivostok -KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Hyonhee ShinSEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was headed home after making a final stop in Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok, where he visited a university, an aquarium and an animal food plant, state media KCNA reported on Monday. Kim spent two days in Vladivostok while inspecting various facilities in the fields of military, economy, science, education and culture, before bidding farewell at a send-off ceremony at the Artyom station, KCNA said. It wrapped up Kim's unusually lengthy, week-long trip to Russia, during which he pledged to step up military and economic cooperation with President Vladimir Putin. He also met North Korean students studying science and technology at the university, KCNA said, learning about their lives there and taking a photo together. The rare summit between Kim and Putin has prompted the United States and South Korea to warn against any weapons trade and other military cooperation as Russia presses its invasion of Ukraine and North Korea races to advance its nuclear programmes.

Persons: Shin, Kim Jong Un, Kim, KCNA, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Alexandr Kozlov, Hyonhee Shin, Lidia KellyEditing, Sandra Maler, Diane Craft Organizations: Eastern Federal University, North, Maritime Territorial Locations: Shin SEOUL, Russia's, Vladivostok, Russia, North, Korea, Kim, United States, South Korea, Ukraine, North Korea, Washington, Seoul, Moscow, Pyongyang, Russian

Russia’s RIA Novosti state news agency released a video of Kim dressed in a black suit and accompanied by his top officials arriving at the university on Russky Island. U.S. and South Korean officials have said North Korea could provide badly needed munitions for Moscow’s war on Ukraine in exchange for sophisticated Russian weapons technology that would advance Kim’s nuclear ambitions. Kim and Shoigu later traveled to Vladivostok, where they inspected the Admiral Shaposhnikov frigate. Russia’s navy commander, Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov, briefed Kim on the ship’s capabilities and weapons, which include long-range Kalibr cruise missiles that Russian warships have regularly fired at targets in Ukraine. Later Saturday, Kim visited a local theater to watch Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty ballet performance.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim’s, Sergei Shoigu, Kim, Vladimir Putin’s, Oleg Kozhemyako, Putin, Sergei Kobylash, Shoigu, Shaposhnikov, Adm, Nikolai Yevmenov, ” KCNA, Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s, KCNA Organizations: Eastern Federal University, Russian, Korean Central News Agency, RIA, West, MiG Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Vladivostok, Moscow, Ukraine, RIA Novosti, Russky, Russia’s Primorye, West ., North Korea, Komsomolsk, Russian, Shoigu, Russia, Korean, Pyongyang, United States, Soviet Union

☆ The global treasures in the running for UNESCO’s World Heritage status
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

This year, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee is reviewing nominations from both 2022 and 2023, with participants from across the world attending the session in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to examine almost 50 contenders. According to UNESCO, sites must be of “outstanding universal value” to be included on the World Heritage List. So far, the World Heritage Committee has inscribed approximately 1,157 sites in 167 different countries onto the World Heritage List. Seo Heun Kang/UNESCO World Heritage Nomination OfficeOnly those countries that sign the convention creating the World Heritage Committee and list are permitted to nominate sites. Gordion, the capital city of ancient Phrygia in Ankara, Turkey, is also nominated for a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Persons: John E, Seo Heun Kang, Bale, Gordion, Mustafa Ciftci, Midas, Morten Rasmussen, Sarah Langrand, Dominique Marck, Bani Ma’arid, Bani Ma'arid, Hamad Al Qahtani, Koh Ker, Mount Pelée, Canada Bale, Francesca Street Organizations: CNN, UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Cultural Organization, UNESCO World Heritage, Heritage, World, Anadolu Agency, Danish Agency for Culture, Fine Arts Department, de Nîmes, National Center for Wildlife, Architectural Museum, Kazan Federal University, Khinalig, Tunisia ESMA Museum, Clandestine Center of Detention, Wooden Posts, Greece Historic Center of Guimarães Locations: Gaya, Denmark, Thai, Ohio, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Hancock, United States, Goryeong, South Korea, Addis Ababa, Phrygia, Turkey, Ankara, B.C.E, Madagascar, Si Thep, Thailand, Si, Nîmes, France, Gorokhovets, Russia, Vladimir Oblast, Erfurt, Germany, Cambodia, Khmer, Courland, Latvia, Kaunas, Lithuania, Ab’aj, Guatemala, India, Karakum, Tajikistan, Menorca, Spain, Ethiopia, Iran, Klondike, Canada, Czech, Odzala, Kokoua, Congo, Mount, Northern Martinique, Benin Ha Long, Ba Archipelago, Vietnam, Forests, Azerbaijan, Jericho, Palestinian Territories, Kazan, Tunisia, Argentina, Belgium, Suriname Royal, Netherlands, Anatolia, Bisesero, Rwanda, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Masouleh, Turan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Northern Apennines, Italy, Tajikistan Highlands, Mongolian, Mongolia, Greece, Portugal

☆ How Kim Jong Un’s meeting with Putin could shake up North Korea-Russia relations
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un departs Pyongyang, North Korea, to visit Russia, September 10, 2023, in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on September 12, 2023. “North Korea has basically been on its own, without any true allies,” said Artyom Lukin of Russia's Far Eastern Federal University. Early in his rule, Kim's relations with Beijing and Moscow were chilly, with both countries joining international sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and missile programs. The few reports in Chinese state media have referred only to official statements from Russia and North Korea on the meeting. "Trust is so low among Russia, North Korea, and China that a real alliance of the three isn’t credible or sustainable."

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Kim, Putin, Donald Trump, ”, Artyom Lukin, Russia's, Xi, John Delury, Kim Il Sung, Leif, Eric Easley, Easley, Josh Smith, Martin Quin Pollard, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, Rights, China -, Eastern Federal University, Studies, Yonsei University, Ewha University, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, Russia, Rights SEOUL, Moscow, Beijing, North Korea's, China, Ukraine, South Korea, Japan, China - U.S, Korea, United States, Russian, Vladivostok, Seoul

Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, plans to travel to Russia this month to meet with President Vladimir V. Putin to discuss the possibility of supplying Russia with more weaponry for its war in Ukraine and other military cooperation, according to American and allied officials. Mr. Kim could possibly go to Moscow, though that is not certain. Mr. Putin wants Mr. Kim to agree to send Russia artillery shells and antitank missiles, and Mr. Kim would like Russia to provide North Korea with advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, the officials said. Mr. Kim is also seeking food aid for his impoverished nation. Mr. Kim also plans to visit Pier 33, where naval ships from Russia’s Pacific fleet dock, they said.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir V, Putin, Kim Organizations: Mr, Eastern Federal University, Eastern Economic, Russia’s Locations: North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Pyongyang, North, Vladivostok, Moscow, Korea

☆ Merle Liivand: Meet the eco-friendly ‘mermaid’ cleaning oceans one record-breaking swim at a time
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Charlie Webster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Courtesy Michael A. SamwayThe Tallinn-born competitor moved to the US in 2011 and, as she tired of only competing in breaststroke, started doing triathlons and then tried open water swimming. After seeing first-hand the scale of water pollution, Liivand was determined to take on a fight tougher than any competitor. The Jamaican sprint icon recognized Liivand for her open-water swimming exploits and mermaid school but confused the two. “It was like, here we are, testing waters, but we still don’t address that open water sport is in real danger because of pollution,” she said. Marco Bello/ReutersIn a grueling 14-hour swim, at times, Liivand will have to swim against the current.

Persons: Merle Liivand, ” Liivand, Liivand, ‘ Merle, “, ”, Michael, “ It’s, ’ ”, Mario Tama, microplastics, Usain Bolt, Marco Bello, ’ Liivand, “ I’m, I’m, Richard Branson, Liivand’s Organizations: CNN, Guinness, CNN Sport, Federal University of Rio, Rio, UNESCO, Environmental International, Records, Reuters Locations: Estonian, Biscayne Bay , Miami, California, Florida, Tallinn, Guanabara Bay, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Leblon, Jamaica, Biscayne, Los Angeles, Miami, Paris ’

Minister of Indigenous Peoples Sonia Guajajara said more Indigenous people felt comfortable identifying themselves as such. Tebet told reporters the new population numbers will allow for improved budget funding for policies to help Indigenous communities, in education but mainly in health services and basic sanitation to make up for government neglect. Half of Brazil's Indigenous communities live in the Amazon region, some 867,900, with the highest urban concentration in the city of Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state. But the main reason for the exponential growth in numbers, besides higher fertility rates among Indigenous communities, is the rise in visibility of Brazil's Indigenous movement, he said. "When you have strong Indigenous leaders bringing positive connotations to being Indigenous, this encourages people to begin identifying themselves," Barros said by telephone.

Persons: Vanderlecia Ortega dos Santos, Vanda, Ueslei Marcelino BRASILIA, Sonia Guajajara, Guajajara, Simone Tebet, Tebet, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Jair Bolsonaro, Lula, Leonardo Barros, Barros, Anthony Boadle, Aurora Ellis, Jamie Freed Organizations: Brazilian Institute of Geography, Teatro, REUTERS, Ueslei, IBGE, Government, Indigenous, Federal University of Viçosa, Thomson Locations: Belem , Para, Brazil, Belem, Portugal, Venezuela, Manaus, Amazonas, Minas Gerais

☆ 27,000-year-old pendants crafted from the skin of extinct giant sloths could help rewrite the human history of the Americas
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Researchers found what appeared to be pendants made from the now-extinct giant sloth. It suggests humans lived in South America thousands of years earlier than previously thought. "It's very likely that multiple waves of people came to Americas," she said, according to The AP. Giant ground sloths could reach 13 feet long, weighed more than a thousand pounds and were equivalent in size to an Indian elephant. It walked on all fours and was one of the largest creatures in South America, per the report.

Persons: Mirian Liza Alves Forancelli Pacheco, Jeffrey Greenberg, Briana, paleoanthropologist Organizations: Service, Royal Society B, Royal, North America, Federal University of Sao, Associated Press, Universal, AP, Smithsonian Institution's National, of Locations: South America, Wall, Silicon, Siberia, Alaska, South, North, Federal University of Sao Carlos, Brazil, Florida, Americas, Washington

☆ Student Loan Repayments Are Dwindling - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Laura Beamer | Marshall Steinbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +16 min

2013 was the first year when over half of all student loans carried a balance greater than originally borrowed. The 2020 student loan repayment pause shook up this unhealthy dynamic. But student loan repayment had been dwindling for at least a decade before the pause. But an important additional source of student loan misery is the widening and diversifying nature of the Americans who take them out. Our student debt research uses credit reports, both from an annual, representative cross-section of student borrowers and from a single group of borrowers we’ve been following since 2009.

Persons: couldn’t, Laura Beamer, Marshall Steinbaum, doesn’t, It’s, —, Biden, we’ve, they’re, “, Bill, ’ Organizations: Jain, Institute, University of Utah, White, American, Black, Women, Congress, Department of Education

☆ Ancient pendants made from giant sloth bones suggest humans were in Americas earlier than thought
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

While G. phoenesis was thought to have been a relatively small species of giant sloth, some ancient sloth species were so big that their fossilized burrows are now caves in southern Brazil that humans can walk through. One of the three pendants made from giant sloth bone. However, Pansani said the team dated other material — sediment, charcoal and other giant sloth bones — from the same layer as where the artifacts were recovered. Many experts are skeptical that humans occupied the Americas any earlier than 16,000 years ago, the study noted. For the new study, Pacheco said the team hadn’t considered the possibility of trying to extract genetic material from the sloth-bone pendants.

Persons: —, Thais Pansani, Federal University of São Carlos, phoenesis, Thaís Pansani, Pierre Gueriau, Mírian Pacheco, Pacheco, ” Pansani, Pansani, “, ” Pacheco, hadn’t, ” Organizations: CNN, Federal University of São, Paleobiology, Royal Society Locations: Brazil, Santa, Americas, South America, New Mexico, Russia

☆ Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro is barred from running for office until 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro leaves his home following a search operation, in Brasilia, Brazil May 3, 2023. Far-right former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was barred Friday from running for office again until 2030 after a panel of judges concluded that he abused his power and cast unfounded doubts on the country's electronic voting system. Five judges on the nation's highest electoral court agreed that Bolsonaro used government communication channels to promote his campaign and sowed distrust about the vote. Speaking to reporters in Minas Gerais, Bolsonaro lamented that the trial was unfair and politically motivated. Brazilian law forbids candidates with criminal sentences from running for office.

Persons: Jair Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro, Carlos Melo, Judge Carmen Lucia —, —, Alexandre de Moraes, Melo, Fernando Collor de Mello, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Sen, Sergio Moro, Maria Maris, Maris, Lula, Swift jailing, Gleisi Hoffmann, mongers, Donald Trump, Marie Santini, Katia Caminha, Caminha, Bolsonaro's, Thomas Traumann, didn't, Traumann Organizations: Insper University, Liberal Party, Federal, Lula's Workers ' Party, Federal University of Rio, Bolsonaro, Associated Press, Sao Paulo Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de, Copacabana, Sao, decamp, Florida

☆ Neo-Nazi groups multiply in a more conservative Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Steven Grattan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] Items seized from a neo-Nazi group who call themselves Crew 38 are displayed in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina state, Brazil April 24, 2023. "Santa Catarina is a land of WHITE PEOPLE, FOR WHITE PEOPLE," the anonymous sender wrote, signing off with the Nazi salute "SIEG HEIL." Researchers at Sao Paulo state's Unicamp university have tracked a more than 10-fold rise in the number of neo-Nazi cells in Brazil since 2015. SOUTHERN HATEThe problem of neo-Nazism is particularly acute in Santa Catarina, a state where many have German and Italian ancestry. The state has the largest proportion of white residents in Brazil, with 84% declaring as white in the last census.

Persons: Cristiano Estrela, Andrea Muller, Jair Bolsonaro's, Adolf Hitler, Bolsonaro, Flavio Dino, CONIB, Guilherme Franco de Andrade, Bolsonaro's, Arthur Lopes, Lopes, Luis Eduardo de Quadros, de Almeida, Steven Grattan, Gabriel Stargardter, Deepa Babington Organizations: Nazi, REUTERS, Reuters, Reuters Graphics, Federal Police, Nazism, Santa, Brazil's, Sao Paulo state's Unicamp, Federal University of Mato, Blacks, Haitian, Thomson Locations: Florianopolis, Santa Catarina state, Brazil, Itajai, Santa Catarina, Haiti, Nazi, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Sul, U.S, United States, Europe

☆ Birds With a Taste for Flesh Threaten Whale Calves
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Annie Roth | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Thousands of colossal southern right whales travel to the calm waters of Península Valdés off the coast of Argentina each year to breed and give birth. The cetaceans, which can reach 56 feet in length, are a sight to behold, especially with their calves in tow. For the past 50 years, the kelp gulls of Peninsula Valdés have been mercilessly pecking at any southern right whale that dares to swim to the surface to breathe. The birds gorge on skin and blubber ripped from the whales’ backs. Over the past few decades the problem has escalated, and is now so severe that it’s causing young southern right whale calves to die prematurely, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Biology Letters.

Persons: Península Valdés, “, ”, Macarena Agrelo Organizations: Federal University of Santa Locations: Península, Argentina, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil

☆ Bats carry killer viruses. Scientists suggest ways to cope.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

“I have to think on a landscape scale.”Research in Australia also is deepening scientists’ understanding of bats. Flying foxes travel long distances in search of food, dispensing seeds and pollinating trees along the way. As deforestation destroyed habitats and further disrupted the food supply, the bats have increasingly formed year-round roosts near people, they noticed. Native gums flowering around Gympie lured the flying foxes away from horse paddocks and more urban areas. In fact, the most dangerous areas for spillover aren’t rare, pristine habitats absent of humans, scientists say.

☆ Deep in the Amazon, scientists race to find unknown bat viruses
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Some scientific studies have found that deforestation causes stress in bats, and stressed bats carry more viruses and shed more germs in their saliva, urine and feces. It spiked following the highway’s construction, making the Amazon in the early 1980s a rallying cry for the global environmental movement. When examining spillover risk, scientists use the number of bat species in a given area as a key variable. When humans encroach on their habitat, and bat species commingle, the viral cocktail intensifies. “Odds of it being documented are very slim,” said Caio Graco Zeppelini, an ecologist and bat researcher at the Federal University of Bahia.

Search resuls for: "Federal University"

25 mentions found