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☆ 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

☆ The life of Rupert Murdoch's new girlfriend Elena Zhukova — a scientist who used to be mother-in-law to oligarch Roman Abramovich
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Tom Porter | Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

She is the mother of Dasha Zhukova, the ex-wife of the oligarch Roman Abramovich. The pair had a daughter, Dasha Zhukhova. Per the Financial Times, Zhukova left the Soviet Union in 1990, when she was in her thirties. Elena also has twins, a boy and a girl, from another relationship, according to a Guardian profile of Dasha Zhukhova. Murdoch has been married five times, divorcing Jerry Hall, ex wife of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, in 2022.

Persons: Rupert Murdoch, Elena Zhukova, Dasha Zhukova, Roman Abramovich, Ann Leslie Smith, Murdoch, Zhukova, Wendi Deng, Alexander Zhukhov, Dasha Zhukhova, Alexander, Elena, Abramovich, Dasha, Stavros Niarchos II, Stavros Niarchos, Deng, Jerry Hall, Mick Jagger Organizations: Daily Mail, Guardian, British, Yorker, Soviet, Financial Times, Baylor College of Medicine, University of California, Chelsea FC, The New Locations: Russian, Moscow, Soviet Union, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City

☆ Harrison Ford gets a new snake species named for him
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But the highlight of the trip to South America was discovering a species of snake new to science, which the team named for action icon Harrison Ford — a moment of levity in an otherwise dramatic excursion, noted Dr. Edgar Lehr, the lead author of a scientific paper describing the snake species. At the time, Lehr, who is a professor of biology at Illinois Wesleyan University, thought: “Wouldn’t this be cool to dedicate this new species to Harrison Ford? The national park is near “the VRAEM (Valley of Rivers Apurímac, Ene, Mantaro) area, which is the center of Peru‘s coca production and narco-trafficking,” according to the study. Otishi is considered “Peru‘s least scientifically surveyed national park,” according to the study. “This is very important (work), because we can only protect what is known,” Lehr said of documenting species new to scientists.

Persons: Harrison Ford —, Edgar Lehr, Lehr, Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones ’, Harrison, — Juan Carlos Cusi, Ricardo Vera, Maura Fernandez, Otishi, ” Lehr, “, ”, Ford, Indiana Jones, Tachymenoides, ” Ford Organizations: CNN, Illinois Wesleyan University, Historia, US Department of State, Embassy, Conservation, “ Locations: South America, Peruvian, Peru, Lima —, Peru’s Junín, Cusco, Rivers Apurímac, Mantaro, Embassy of Peru, Washington , DC

☆ Congress's UFO hearing shows the hardest part of discovering alien life may be announcing it. Here's how NASA might break the news.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

An illustration of the CoLD scale for determining confidence in a detection of alien life. The discovery of extraterrestrial life is likely to be a slow build-up, rather than an explosive eureka moment. The president or other countries could be involved in announcing extraterrestrial life existsPresident Joe Biden speaks at Delaware State University. Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesAnnouncing the existence of alien life would be an "administration-level" affair, Glaze said, referring to the US presidency. Needless to say, any discovery of alien life would likely lead to chaos — at least in public discourse.

Persons: NASA isn't, David Grusch, Randall Hill, UAPs, Elon Musk, John Locher, Karine Jean, Pierre, we've, Lori Glaze, Glaze, James Webb, Jean, Philippe Arles, It's, Aaron Gronstal, Mary Voytek, Joe Biden, Anna Moneymaker, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Stephen Hawking, I'm, we're Organizations: Service, NASA, Beijing, Reuters, Department of Defense, Associated Press, AP, White House, Navy, US Department of Defense, JPL, Caltech, Delaware State University Locations: Wall, Silicon, South Carolina, Surfside Beach , South Carolina, US, Alaska, Canada, Lake Huron, Rachel , Nevada, Bugarach, France

☆ The climate crisis may cause this tiny, ancient species to go extinct
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And despite the fact that this ancient plant is one of the fastest-evolving species of moss known to science, it may not survive the climate crisis. The researchers embarked on multiple expeditions in the Himalayas to study Takakia moss. As the local temperature average increased each year, the population of Takakia moss decreased by 1.6% annually, the study authors noted. Takakia may die because of climate change, but the other mosses will survive, even if we humans cannot. Takakia may die because of climate change, but the other mosses will survive, even if we humans cannot.

Persons: ”, Ralf Reski, Ruoyang Hu, “, Takakia, ” Reski, Yikun, ” Hu, don’t Organizations: CNN, University of Freiburg, Capital Normal University, “ Locations: Tibetan, Japan, United States, Germany, Takakia, China, Tibet

☆ Ancient reptile was riddled with parasites, fossilized poop reveals
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Researchers didn’t find the parasites in phytosaur bones or teeth; rather, they retrieved them from a nugget of fossilized feces, known as a coprolite. For example, certain fish with spiraling intestines poop out what eventually become spiral-shaped coprolites, according to Nonsrirach. “Studying the remains of parasites in coprolites is important since it provides us with rare insights into ancient parasite-host relationships,” Qvarnström said. “This event raises interesting questions about how prey animals and parasites interact with each other. It suggests that parasites may have been inside the bodies of prey before they were eaten,” Nonsrirach said.

Persons: didn’t, ”, Thanit Nonsrirach, “, Nonsrirach, Coprolites, Martin Qvarnström, Qvarnström, ” Qvarnström, ” Nonsrirach, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Mahasarakham, Uppsala University, University of California Museum of Paleontology, Scientific Locations: Thailand, Asia, Kham Riang, Sweden, Berkeley, coprolites

☆ Invasive hammerhead worms are longtime New Yorkers, and they may be here to stay
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Invasive hammerhead flatworms have distinctive curved heads, striped bodies ranging in color from light yellow to dark brown, and they can secrete tetrodotoxin — a neurotoxin found in puffer fish and blue-ringed octopuses. Five species of invasive hammerhead worms — four in the genus Bipalium and one in Diversibipalium — are established in North America, said Bruce Snyder, an associate professor of biology at Georgia College and State University. Today, most hammerhead worms (also known as broadhead planarians) are concentrated in the Southeast, where they favor warm, damp habitats. Bazzano Photography/Alamy Stock PhotoTo date, more than 3,000 sightings in southeastern states of just one invasive hammerhead species — Bipalium kewense — have been shared to the citizen scientist database iNaturalist. Hammerhead tetrodotoxin, which disrupts neurons’ signaling to muscles, can sicken pets if they eat the worms, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Persons: CNN —, they’ve, Peter Ducey, ” Ducey, “, Bruce Snyder, they’re, ” Snyder, ”, Hammerhead tetrodotoxin, Ducey, adventitium, Libbie Hyman, Hyman, Snyder, it’s, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, State University of New, Georgia College, State University, US Department of, Species Information, “, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Forestry, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, ”, hammerheads, Pennsylvania State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Scientific Locations: Washington , DC, Yorkers, New York, State University of New York, Cortland, “, North America, Southeast Asia, California, Oregon, Maine, New Jersey, Long, Westchester County, New York City, Europe, Asia, Pennsylvania

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