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☆ A herd of orphan elephants could be the key to bringing back the woolly mammoth
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. But a key question is whether such animals could survive if they roamed the Arctic tundra as their ancestors did thousands of years ago. Eventually, the bonded herd will make its way into the wild, where its progress can be monitored for the next decade. Sign up here to receive in your inbox the next edition of Wonder Theory, brought to you by CNN Space and Science writers Ashley Strickland and Katie Hunt. They find wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.

Persons: paleobiologist Jordan Mallon, It’s, Esme Ashe, Jepson, Katie Jones, J, Robert Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s, “ Oppenheimer, ”, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Canadian Museum of Nature, University of Cambridge, Southern Resident, for Whale Research, Virgin Galactic’s, CNN Space, Science Locations: Botswana, China, Ottawa, Chile, Chicago . Wild, Pacific Northwest, North America

☆ Missing genes in ‘mind-controlling’ worms pose an evolutionary puzzle
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

However, when the scientists compared their horsehair worm genomes with genomic information from other animals, something was missing, Cunha told CNN. Two live tangled freshwater horsehair worms, scientifically called Gordionus violaceus, were found in Germany. Mysteries remain about the worms’ movementsAs useful as cilia are, horsehair worms seem to be doing just fine without them, the scientists reported. To date, scientists have identified several hundred species of freshwater horsehair worms and five species of marine horsehair worms. Marine horsehair worms spend their entire lives in water, but freshwater species are only aquatic as adults.

Persons: —, australiensis, munidae, Tauana Cunha, Cunha, “, ”, “ It’s, Gonzalo Giribet, nematomorphs, Keiichi Kakui, Kakui, ” Kakui, Martin Sørensen, Ophiocordyceps, Bruno de Medeiros, California’s Organizations: CNN, Chicago’s Field, Harvard University, Hokkaido University, HBO, Field, Monument Locations: Germany, Japan, nematomorphs, California’s Muir

☆ Some Squirmy Stowaways Got to the Arctic. And They Like It There.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Sofia Quaglia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Worms are on the move, and people are nervous. That’s because they’re taking over territory in the Far North that’s been wormless since the last ice age. Scientists say the expansion will inevitably change northern ecosystems, with implications for the whole planet, in ways we don’t fully understand and probably can’t undo. Earthworms actively contribute to soil health by munching on decaying organic matter and pooping out nutrient-rich fertilizer. But that means worms also have the potential to upend the natural balance of ecosystems in Arctic and sub-Arctic zones.

Persons: ”, Jonatan Klaminder Organizations: Umea University Locations: Worms, Sweden

If you're looking to score the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your pet, now is a great time to shop for flea and tick medicine. Today, an eight-pack of Frontline Plus for Cats is down to $62.50 on Amazon. Frontline Plus is a budget-friendly medicine that kills five types of pervasive parasites: adult fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae, ticks, and chewing lice. It's important to keep in mind that Frontline Plus doesn't get rid of worms and isn't safe for kittens under 8 weeks of age. A great deal on Frontline Plus flea and tick treatment for Prime DayIs flea medicine necessary for cats?

What lies at the bottom of the oceanWhile what’s considered the deep ocean extends from 3,280 feet to 19,685 feet (1,000 meters to 6,000 meters) beneath the surface, deep-sea trenches can plunge to 36,000 feet (11,000 meters), according to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. Alessandro Mancini/Alamy Stock PhotoWhy mapping the ocean is so challengingFrom a strictly scientific perspective, touristic trips to the ocean floor do little to advance our understanding of the ocean’s mysteries. “We want to go to the highest, the lowest, the longest.”But only a “very small percentage of the deep ocean, and even the middle ocean, has been seen by human eyes — an infinitesimal amount. “However, 150 years of modern oceanography have led to better understanding of many aspects of the ocean such as the life it contains, its chemistry and its role in the Earth system.”Mapping the ocean “helps us to understand how the shape of the seafloor affects ocean currents, and where marine life occurs,” Rogers added. Researchers say the ocean and the life it contains could provide answers to some of medicine’s biggest challenges, such as antibiotic drug resistance.

Persons: ”, Gene Feldman, Jamie Pringle, Pringle, Cornelis Drebbel, Auguste Piccard, Feldman, ” Feldman, Jacques Piccard, Don Walsh, what’s, “, Robert Ballard, Alvin, Ballard, Alessandro Mancini, Alamy, Alex Rogers, ” Rogers Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Oceanographic, NASA, OceanGate Expeditions, England’s Keele University, bathyscaphe, Keystone, Hulton, NOAA, Bluegreen, Sea Ventures, of Ocean Exploration, Research, University of Oxford Locations: Cape Cod , Massachusetts, Washington, Dutch, Trieste, bathyscaphe Trieste, Italy, Massachusetts, Japan, United Kingdom

☆ Three decades ago, a reporter took a plunge into wonder, and danger.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( William J. Broad | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

We fell for an hour, the views out of our observation ports fading slowly to pitch darkness. It was my first submersible dive, in 1993. Now it was the expedition’s last dive after days of frustration caused by bad weather and struggles to find what the scientists were hunting for. My experience also illuminates the risks that the passengers of the Titan submersible ran when they decided to dive on the resting place of the Titanic. But so far they had struck out because of poor weather and equipment difficulties.

Persons: Alvin, John R, Delaney Organizations: Oceanographic, Titan, University of Washington Locations: Oregon, Alvin, Massachusetts

☆ In Love, on the Road and Undead
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Dwight Garner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But it doesn’t say what should happen if the character dies and comes back to life as a tree — or at least a treelike variety of zombie. Then the love of his life, an ex-girlfriend named Lily, dies by suicide. But lo, somehow, here she is after her burial, undead, with dirt in her mouth and worms wriggling on her neck. Finn is still in love with Lily. Lily is still in love with Finn.

Persons: Lorrie Moore There’s, Vladimir Nabokov, Lorrie Moore’s fluky, Finn, Finn’s, Lily Organizations: IF Locations: Bronx

☆ Is taurine the ‘elixir of life’? Maybe, if you’re a worm, mouse or monkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“This study suggests that taurine could be an elixir of life within us,” Yadav said in an earlier news release on the study, which published Thursday in the journal Science. Considered a non-essential amino acid, taurine exists in the brain, retina and nearly every muscle and organ tissue in the body. Taurine-fed worms lived longer and appeared healthier, but taurine “had no effect on yeast,” Yadav said. More than one solutionThe field of anti-aging is exploding, with taurine just one of many potential pathways to the holy grail of longer life. In the end, science is going to need “100 different kinds of taurine,” Lithgow said.

Persons: CNN —, taurine, Vijay Yadav, ” Yadav, Henning Wackerhage, “, ”, Walter Willett, Harvard T.H, ” Willett, Gordon Lithgow, I’m, it’s, Lithgow, ” Lithgow, “ You’ve, taurine “, Wackerhage, Yadav, Taurine, Pieter Cohen, Cohen, ” Cohen, There’s, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Columbia University, Technical University of Munich, Harvard, of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Buck Institute, Disease, US Food and Drug Administration, Research, Cambridge Health Alliance, taurine Locations: New York City, Germany, Chan, Novato , California, Somerville , Massachusetts

☆ A pristine region of the Pacific Ocean targeted for deep-sea mining contains 5,000 new marine species, say scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scientists have discovered thousands of new species in an area of the Pacific Ocean. They found 5,578 species in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a 1.7 million square mile region. Of the 5,578 new species discovered, around 88% to 92% were "new to science," the report says. An array of crustaceans found in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. A discovery in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.

Persons: —, Adrian Glover, Muriel Rabone, Glover Organizations: Service, Privacy, United States Department of, Natural Environment Research Council, Guardian, International, Authority Locations: Hawaii, Mexico, Clarion, Zone

☆ Scientists have discovered over 5,000 new species in the Pacific Ocean, from sea cucumbers to 'gummy squirrels' — check them out
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scientists have discovered thousands of new species in an area of the Pacific Ocean. They found 5,578 species in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a 1.7 million square mile region. Of the 5,578 new species discovered, around 88% to 92% were "new to science," the report says. The new species were found in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), an area of the ocean floor between Hawaii and Mexico that spans 1.7 million square miles. A discovery in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.

☆ In Sierra Leone, 50 Cents Can Change a Life - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Nicholas Kristof | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

MAKENI, Sierra Leone — Brace yourself for a gross fact: Some 1.5 billion of the world’s people have worms living in their bodies, weakening them and occasionally disfiguring them. Yet eliminating the worms is one of the most tantalizing and inexpensive of health fixes. Think of it this way: For the cost of keeping a single American dog dewormed, we could free more than 100 children abroad from the burden of worms. My student winner is Maddie Bender, a recent graduate of Yale University — the trip was delayed by the pandemic — and I brought her to rural Sierra Leone because what’s happening in these villages underscores how cheap it can be to register progress: Children can be dewormed for about 50 cents each. At a typical two dewormings a year, that’s $1 annually, compared with almost $140 a year for the Heartgard deworming medicine that my dog gets.

☆ PDD, Shein, Binance: These hugely successful companies were born in China. They don't want you to know that
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Hong Kong CNN —Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, doesn’t want to be called a Chinese company. “Our opposition in the West bends over backward to paint us as a ‘Chinese company,’” he wrote in a blog post last September. Zhao has been vocal about how he feels his firm is misrepresented as a "Chinese company." The same concern could, in theory, apply to any Chinese company. TikTok CEO Shou Chew testifying before US Congress in March.

☆ Unique fossil site discovered in Wales reveals early life
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Exceptionally well-preserved fossils of tiny worms, starfish, sponges, barnacles and other creatures with no modern parallel discovered at a quarry in Wales are painting a picture of life on Earth 462 million years ago. The fossils come from a period of time known as the Ordovician when life was becoming more complex. Most of the 170 animals discovered so far from the fossil site were tiny (1-5 millimeters) and many were either completely soft-bodied when alive or had a tough skin or exoskeleton. It’s a completely unique site,” said Lucy Muir, study coauthor and also an honorary research fellow at Amgueddfa Cymru Museum Wales. A crowdfunding project to buy microscopy equipment helped them identify the animals and understand the importance of the site.

☆ A Litany of Clichés - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Michael Massing | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Ramped up, amped up, ratchet up, gin up, up the ante, double down, jump-start, be behind the curve, swim against the tide, go south, go belly up, level the playing field, open the floodgates, think outside the box, push the edge of the envelope, pull out all the stops, take the foot off the pedal, pump the brakes, grease the wheel, circle the wagons, charge full steam ahead, pass with flying colors, move the goal posts, pour gasoline on, add fuel to the fire, fly under the radar, add insult to injury, grow by leaps and bounds, only time will tell, go to hell in a handbasket, put the genie back in the bottle, throw the baby out with the bathwater, rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic, have your cake and eat it too, a taste of one’s own medicine, stick to one’s guns, above one’s pay grade, punch above one’s weight, lick one’s wounds, pack a punch, roll with the punches, come apart at the seams, throw a wrench into, caught in the cross hairs, cross the Rubicon, tempt fate, go ballistic, on tenterhooks, hit the nail on the head, a nail in the coffin, joined at the hip, welcome with open arms, rub shoulders with, shoot oneself in the foot, dip one’s toes into, have a leg up, dance to the tune of, the next shoe to drop, in the DNA of, the gold standard, a gold mine, land mines, a run for the money, money to burn, penny-wise and pound-foolish, lap of luxury, off the charts, over a barrel, late to the party, it takes two to tango, behind the eight ball, pride of place, final straw, full throttle, no holds barred, red flag, silver lining, on a silver platter, in the rearview mirror, bargain basement, silos, morph, meme, trope, mind meld, warp speed, inner demons, have skin in the game, game changer, change agent, strong suit, ground game, ground zero, inflection point, tipping point, playbook, page turner, singing from the same hymnal, singing a new tune, straight out of central casting, the devil’s in the details, take the bull by the horns, the canary in the coal mine, chickens coming home to roost, beat a dead horse, pony up, the straw that broke the camel’s back, open a can of worms, buy a pig in a poke, cash cow, rabbit hole, dog days, dog whistle, bells and whistles, tool kit, third rail, the tip of the iceberg, the light at the end of the tunnel, the arc of history, speak truth to power, break the glass ceiling, the writing’s on the wall, between a rock and a hard place, beyond the pale, take the wind out of the sails of, that ship has sailed, sinking ship, tidal wave, roller-coaster ride, gravy train, tanked, cratered, Rubik’s Cube, Rosetta Stone, Rolodex, poster child, problem child, rock star, pundit, national treasure, charter member, heavy hitter, heavy lifting, political football, throw a Hail Mary, full-court press, hit a home run, play with house money, laser-focused, secret sauce, red meat, piece of cake, bread and butter, cherry-pick, low-hanging fruit, sticker shock, kick-start, kick into overdrive, kick the tires, kick the can down the road, where the rubber meets the road, an albatross around the neck, a feather in the cap, long in the tooth, armed to the teeth, cut one’s teeth, rib tickler, spine tingling, pull the wool over the eyes of, pull the plug on, pull the trigger, loosen the reins, sweep under the carpet, throw under the bus, throw for a loop, read the riot act, lead the pack, the short end of the stick, at the drop of a hat, the jury is still out, hung out to dry, as if that weren’t enough, it would be an understatement to say, it would be no exaggeration to say, despite or perhaps because of, what goes around comes around, for all intents and purposes, make a long story short, the fact of the matter, to be sure, truth be told, a who’s who, famously, arguably, literally, zeitgeist, mantra, optics, granular, narrative, interrogate, paradigm, venue, robust, compelling, fever pitch, pitch perfect, picture perfect, perfect storm, take by storm, eye of the storm, back burner, petri dish, echo chamber, hot button, hard wire, go viral, bingeable, blockbuster, on steroids, testosterone-laced, metastasize, contextualize, preternaturally, outsize, gobsmacked, turbocharged, weaponized, apocalyptic, existential …

☆ SpaceX Starship’s explosion is not the failure it appears to be, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Rocket launches are like opening a box of chocolates, only riskier — you never know what you’re going to get. When a rocket is set to leap off the launchpad, there’s a good chance of seeing a stunning liftoff or a spectacular failure. The lead-up to this week’s launch of SpaceX’s Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, was a dramatic roller coaster. The rocket blasted off from the launchpad in South Texas and roared 24.2 miles (39 kilometers) over the Gulf of Mexico. Now, researchers have a new theory about why the Vikings abruptly departed in the mid-15th century: rising sea levels.

☆ Worms get the munchies, too, study reveals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

It turned out the worms did respond, and cannabinoids made them hungrier for their favored foods and less hungry for their non-favored food. The research ultimately revealed that the worms, like humans, engage in hedonic feeding — a phenomenon more commonly known as the munchies. Fluorescent wormsBy measuring the swallowing rate of the worms, Lockery and his team determined that the cannabinoids were increasing how much of a particular bacteria blend the worms ate, making them hungrier. At the molecular level, the cannabinoid system in these worms looks a lot like that in people and other animals. Despite having a small number of neurons (302 neurons versus 86 billion neurons in humans), the worms have a nervous system that includes a primitive brain.

☆ Japan nuclear disaster: Fukushima's fishing industry fears Tokyo's next move may finish it off
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Emiko Jozuka Krystina Shveda Junko Ogura Marc Stewart Daniel Campisi | Emiko Jozuka | Krystina Shveda | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Ocean currents have since dispersed the contaminated water enough that radioactive Cesium is nearly undetectable in fish from Fukushima prefecture. A year before the 2011 disaster, government data shows Fukushima’s coastal fishing industry landed catches worth around $69 million. At the same time, ground and rainwater have leaked in, creating more radioactive wastewater that now needs to be stored and treated. This isotope is radioactive tritium, and the scientific community is divided on the risk its dissemination carries. He argues TEPCO should build more storage tanks to allow for the decay of the radioactive tritium, which has a half-life of 12.3 years.

☆ The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is actually a unique ocean ecosystem teeming with sea creatures that cling to the plastic trash
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Great Pacific Ocean Patch refers to a big swirling soup of plastic in the ocean. The findings challenged the assumption that coastal species couldn't survive in the open ocean. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch typically refers to an area of the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii in which floating trash concentrates due to factors like wind and currents. The findings also contradicted the assumption that coastal species could not survive in areas of open ocean. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch refers to areas of marine debris concentration in the North Pacific Ocean.

☆ Dominion’s case against Fox News goes to trial next week. Is the First Amendment really on the line?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

But even by the standards of the profession, the language in Dominion's $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox News has been downright apocalyptic. A victory for Dominion against Fox, they say, could wreak havoc for other journalism organizations across the country. The sheer closeness between Trump and Fox News makes a case like this unlikely to harm journalism organizations down the line, Goodale said. The vast majority of defamation cases against media organizations are settled, which gives few high-profile precedents to the Dominion lawsuit. "And that's the balance that the Sullivan court strike tried to strike in 1964.

☆ These organizations are trying to tackle plastic pollution and poverty at the same time
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Katie Brigham | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

"All the plastic we've ever produced since the inception of the material is still here," said David Katz, CEO of Plastic Bank, a company that's trying to implement plastic recycling systems in developing nations. It's usually because it's not economically feasible to collect, clean and sort plastic waste — at least not in the U.S., where new plastic is cheaper. Asis Wijayanto and his wife Atmawati support themselves and their daughter by collecting plastic with Plastic Bank. Plastic creditsBut only about 20% of Plastic Bank's partners are actually buying recycled plastic for use in new products. The other 80% are buying plastic credits, meant to help offset their new plastic production by funding recycling efforts in the countries where Plastic Bank operates.

☆ Analysis: After extraordinary rally, bonds' fate now with bank stability and inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Yoruk Bahceli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Alongside that dash for safe havens was a rapid repricing of rate-hike bets as banking turmoil raised financial stability risks, fuelling the rally in government debt. But coming so soon after markets had positioned for bigger U.S. rate hikes to tame inflation, bonds swung wildly. March's sharp drop in two-year yields followed a 59 bps jump in February. Two-year Treasury yields are down 24 bps this quarter, their biggest quarterly drop since the 2020 COVID-19 crisis. The likes of JPMorgan, BofA and Morgan Stanley, expect Treasury yields to end 2023 lower; others such as Goldman Sachs and BNP Paribas expect a rise.

☆ TikTok pile-on opens two cans of worms
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Yet the bipartisan attack on the short-form video app, owned by China-based ByteDance, really points to two different complications – and each, in turn, opens up a much bigger can of worms. The overarching reason for Chew’s appearance is that President Joe Biden’s administration, and many in Congress, think TikTok’s Chinese backing makes it a dangerous tool of the People’s Republic. Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers accused TikTok of collecting biometric data and manipulating what information users see. It’s not just TikTok that potentially vacuums up consumer details while having close links to China. Follow @jennifersaba on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSTikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew appeared before the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee on March 23.

☆ The bank panic is subsiding just in time for the Fed to
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —One week ago, right in this here newsletter, I wrote about how Wall Street was having a Zen moment. In the optimistic camp: “The bank crisis-ette is over,” Daniel Alpert, managing partner at Westwood Capital, told me. And it will be the first time the world hears from Fed officials since the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, thanks to a cosmic twist of timing. But because of the banking turmoil, there is a chance the Fed would decide not to raise rates this time around. If the Fed feels the crisis has passed, Alpert said, it will be emboldened to go for the quarter-point hike.

☆ Fact Check-Viral clip shows tree catkins, not ‘rain of worms’ in China - scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A viral clip online likely shows the catkins, or flower spikes, of poplar trees covering cars in northern China, not a “rain of worms” as social media posts and some news reports have claimed, experts told Reuters. One tweet saying: “China citizens told to find shelter after it looked like it started to rain worms” has been viewed more than 18 million times at the time of writing (here). There can be thousands of poplar catkins per tree, Claire Thomas Federici, a botanist and plant geneticist at the University of California, Riverside (here), said by email. China has a “distinctively rich” variety of trees in the poplar family, particularly in northern China, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (here), (here). Experts say the video from China likely shows catkins from poplar trees instead of a “rain” of worms or caterpillars.

☆ War of the worms: Polish politicians give each other a mouthful over edible insects
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WARSAW, March 3 (Reuters) - Polish voters were given food for thought on Friday, as politicians from the two main parties traded accusations that the other side planned to push meat-loving citizens into eating worms ahead of elections this autumn. "For the upcoming elections, PO politicians should write on each poster 'Instead of chicken eat a worm', because this is their real election programme," PiS lawmaker Bartosz Kownacki told reporters. State-run broadcaster TVP Info accompanied Kownacki's press conference with a news ticker reading "The opposition's proposals for Poles: worms instead of meat". TVP Info has been regularly criticised by the opposition as being a mouthpiece for government propaganda. However, PO politicians and city hall officials say this does not mean proposals to force people to lower meat consumption and eat worms are under consideration.

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