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GENERAL INTEREST
US Scientists Feeling ‘Stress and Fear’ As Sweeping Trump Orders Hit Funding
The Guardian, February 05, 2024
Work and payments at universities, businesses and non-profits disrupted nationwide after executive orders
Why Even Physicists Still Don’t Understand Quantum Theory 100 Years On
Nature, February 03, 2025 (Sean Carroll)
Quantum mechanics depicts a counter-intuitive reality in which the act of observation influences what is observed — and few can agree on what that means.
Want a Million Dollars? Get Busy Deciphering This Ancient Script.
New York Times, February 01, 2025
A prize offered by an Indian state leader is intended to shed light on a Bronze Age civilization — and settle a cultural battle.
New Proofs Probe the Limits of Mathematical Truth
Quanta, February 03, 2025
By proving a broader version of Hilbert’s famous 10th problem, two groups of mathematicians have expanded the realm of mathematical unknowability.
Cosquer: Counting by Hand
Plus, January 15, 2025
Stenciled depictions of human hands in the Grotte de Cosquer in France, which may represent the earliest evidence of human counting.
COSMOS
How Did Walking on the Moon Affect the Apollo Astronauts?
Astronomy, February 03, 2025
In a look back at the experiences of Apollo commanders and lunar module pilots, it seems their perception may have depended on where they “sat.”
The Universe Is Becoming More Complex, Cosmological Data Reveals
The Science Times, January 23, 2025 (scroll down)
Recent findings suggest the universe has grown more complex over its 13.8 billion-year history, with cosmic structures evolving in ways that don't fully align with current predictions.
How a Twin Earth Could Detect Earth
Phys.org, February 03, 2025
The findings revealed that radio signals, such as planetary radar emissions from the former Arecibo Observatory, are Earth's most detectable techno-signatures, potentially visible from up to 12,000 light-years away.
The Hubble Space Telescope Is a Powerful Science Instrument Despite Its Age
Universe Today, February 03, 2025
We’re accustomed to the Hubble’s “eye candy” images that have been gracing web pages and magazines for decades now. They’ve transformed our understanding of nature. But the Telescope’s purely scientific side is where some of its real transformative power lies.
Jupiter's 'Tormented Moon' Io Just Unleashed the Most Powerful Volcanic Event Ever Seen
Live Science, February 04, 2025
NASA's Juno spacecraft has discovered a giant volcanic hot spot on the surface of Jupiter's hellish moon Io. The eruptions in this area are chucking out six times the energy being produced by all Earth's power stations, researchers say.
INNOVATION
The Hyperloop: A 200-Year History of Hype and Failure
Popular Science, February 04, 2025 (Vaclav Smil)
Elon Musk's Hyperloop Alpha is another over-hyped venture, recycling 200-year-old dreams and exaggerated claims of innovation.
Interstellar Light-Sails Are a Step Closer
Cosmos, January 31, 2025
Ultra-thin light-sails using lasers to propel probes to the nearest star systems at high speeds are a step closer.
Rice Variant Slashes Planet-Warming Methane Emissions by 70 Per Cent
New Scientist, February 03, 2025
Using traditional crossbreeding, researchers have created a new strain of rice that produces much less methane, a potent greenhouse gas, when it is grown in flooded fields
Revolutionary Biology Discovery Combines DNA and RNA To Fight Cancer
SciTech Daily, February 02, 2025
A study reveals DNA and RNA epigenetics work together as a complementary system for precise gene regulation, crucial for cell function and development, with implications for advanced cancer therapies.
Famous Alvin Submersible Upgraded to Dive More Than 20,000 Feet Under the Sea
Gizmodo, February 04, 2025
The veteran HOV can now officially dive deeper into the sea, broadening the horizons of scientific discoveries under the surface.
HEALTH
Daily Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Help Human Organs Stay Young
Medical XPress, February 03, 2025
Consuming one gram of omega-3 per day may slow down the rate of biological aging in humans, according to an analysis of data from a clinical trial involving over 700 older adults over a three-year period.
The ‘15-15-15’ Workout Is Great Cardio for the Easily Bored
Life Hacker, February 03, 2025
The 15-15-15 is a simple idea: You just do 15 minutes each on three different cardio machines. Like so: 15 minutes on a spin bike; 15 minutes on the elliptical; 15 minutes on a treadmill.
How to Maintain a Healthy Gut
Psyche/AEON, January 29, 2025
With a few lifestyle and dietary changes, you can protect your gut microbiome, boost your immunity and improve your mood
How Doctors May Be Able to Predict Your Stroke Risk Through Your Eye
Medical News Today, January 15, 2025
Changes in the eye can help predict other health concerns in the body, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Nutrition Advice Is Rife With Misinformation − A Medical Education Specialist Explains How to Tell Valid Health Information from Pseudoscience
The Conversation, January 28, 2025
The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated a vast landscape of misinformation about many topics, science and health chief among them. Since then, information overload continues unabated, and many people are rightfully confused by an onslaught of conflicting health information.
NATURE
Pristine Ancient Forest Found Frozen in Time in Rocky Mountains
Scientific American, January 29, 2025
A melting ice patch in the Rocky Mountains uncovered an ancient forest, and these trees have stories to tell about dynamic landscapes and climate change.
‘It’s Incredible, the Place Just Swarms with Bird Life’: Inside England’s Biggest Bird Sanctuary
The Guardian, February 01, 2025
“We are going to achieve an abundance of species and a size that will be unmatched for bird reserves elsewhere. It is going to demonstrate what is possible when it comes to rewilding and protecting birds.”
Why Do We Scratch an Itch?
The Scientist, January 30, 2025
Scratching the skin can make a rash worse, but it also enhances the body’s defenses against bacterial infections.
The Impressive Acoustics of the Great Grey Owl
Canadian Geographic, December 12, 2024
Using their remarkable sense of hearing, great grey owls can pinpoint prey deep beneath the snow, picking up sounds as low as -14 decibels from 50 meters away.
What is Epigenetics?
Earth
Nature vs. nurture is the central question in human development. How much of who we are is predetermined by our genes? How much is created by our environment?
ENVIRONMENT
‘Plastics Are Awesome’: Inside the Energy Department’s Partnership with the Plastics Industry
Grist, February 03, 2025
Critics argue that the agency’s work with a lobbying group is a conflict of interest.
Ningaloo at Risk as Marine Heatwave Kills Huge Numbers of Fish
Cosmos, February 01, 2025
The fish kill is a visible way to glimpse a disaster often out of sight and out of mind. But these marine heatwaves do much more, from wiping out seagrass meadows and kelp beds to trashing fisheries.
Norway Rules Out Fish Farm Ban Despite ‘Existential Threat’ to Wild Salmon
The Guardian, February 04, 2025
Open-net farms to continue despite numbers of wild fish halving as minister looks for ‘acceptable’ pollution levels.
AI’s Energy Demands Threaten a Nuclear Waste Nightmare
Scientific American, January 31, 2025
Reviving nuclear power plants to power AI threatens an avalanche of nuclear waste
As Trump Targets Biden’s Environmental Justice Initiatives, Activists Gear Up for Legal Fights
Inside Climate News, January 26, 2025
Those who have worked to combat climate change for years believe they are well-prepared to challenge executive orders that would leave vulnerable communities more exposed to pollution.
CLIMATE
USDA and Forest Service Ordered to Remove Climate Change References From Websites
Eco Watch, February 03, 2025
According to internal guidelines obtained and reviewed by various sources including Politico, The Hill and The Guardian, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has begun removing references to climate change on its webpages and sites, including the U.S. Forest Service website.
Arctic Geoengineering Experiment Shuts Down Over Environmental Risks
Climate Change News, February 03, 2025
US-based nonprofit Arctic Ice Project has cancelled tests in Alaska because of potential disruption to the food chain
Climate Change Target of 2C Is ‘Dead’, Says Renowned Climate Scientist
The Guardian, February 04, 2025
Prof James Hansen says pace of global heating has been significantly underestimated, though other scientists disagree
New 3-D Study of the Greenland Ice Sheet Shows Glaciers Falling Apart Faster Than Expected
Inside Climate News, February 04, 2025
Crevasses are widening faster as meltwater drives fissures deeper into the ice and lubricates the base of glaciers, increasing concerns about how quickly their melting will raise sea levels.
Half a Degree Rise in Global Warming Will Triple Area of Earth That Is 'Too Hot for Humans’
The Independent, February 04, 2025
Unsurvivable heat thresholds would bring the risk of lethal heatstroke – even in the shade.
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