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GENERAL INTEREST
Ancient Ingenuity Revealed: Archaeologists Unveil Secrets of Tartessian Construction
Sci-Tech Daily, November 19, 2024
The Tartessians’ use of sustainable construction techniques and organized labor at the Casas del Turuñuelo site in Spain has been detailed in recent research, offering valuable lessons for modern construction.
A New Theory About How Social Media Interactions Affect People’s Brains
Cosmos, November 16, 2024
The hypothesis posits that while digital platforms create new opportunities for interaction, they fundamentally differ from traditional, in-person social engagement. Researchers say this can have major psychological and social consequences.
Mathematical Thinking Isn’t What You Think It Is
Quanta, November 18, 2024
The mathematician David Bessis claims that everyone is capable of, and can benefit greatly from, mathematical thinking.
90-Million-Year-Old Amber Reveals Antarctica's Secret Past
Earth, November 18, 2024
Amber, the fossilized “blood” of ancient coniferous trees, holds the key to an extraordinary chapter of Earth’s history.
The discovery reveals that between 83 and 92 million years ago, coniferous trees once thrived on what is now the planet’s southernmost continent [Antarctica].
Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning: Your Questions Answered
Plus, February 29, 2024
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning – these ideas now frequently appear in the news, are part of important debates in government, and a growing discussion in wider society. We all need to know what they mean so we too can be part of the conversation.
COSMOS
Scientists Discover Monster Galaxies Lurking in The Early Universe
Science Alert, November 19, 2024 (w/video)
In the early Universe, long before they should have had time to grow, astronomers have found what they're calling 'red monsters': three large galaxies, almost as big as the Milky Way.
NASA Still Piecing Things Together But Remains Coy on Astronaut Hospitalization
Cosmos, November 15, 2024
Last month, when the crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 International Space Station mission finally returned from a mission that was extended from 180 days to 235 days, the splashdown and recovery were initially described as safe and apparently uneventful.
What Is Dark Energy?
Astronomy, November 12, 2024
astronomers now think 68.3 percent of the mass-energy content of the cosmos consists of this dark energy and that it is the force accelerating the universe’s expansion. If dark energy is as dominant as astronomers believe it is, it will eventually force the universe into a cold, dark, ever-expanding end to space and time.
New DESI Results Weigh In On Gravity
Symmetry, November 20, 2024
Gravity's attractive influence turned tiny differences in the amount of matter present in the early universe into the sprawling strands of galaxies we see today. A new study using data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI} has traced how this cosmic structure grew over the past 11 billion years, providing the most precise test to date of gravity at very large scales.
The Biggest Black Holes May Start From The Tiniest Seeds
Universe Today, November 19, 2024
The existence of gigantic black holes in the very early universe challenges our assumptions of how black holes form and grow. New research suggests that these monsters may have found their origins in the earliest epochs of the Big Bang.
INNOVATION
From Using Plant Rinds to High-Tech Materials, Bike Helmets Have Improved Significantly Over the Past 2 Centuries
The Conversation, November 18, 2024
As paved roads grew more common across the U.S. and Europe, bicyclists started to suffer gruesome skull fractures and other serious head injuries during falls. As head injuries became more common, people started seeking out head protection.
Mathematicians Devised Novel Problems to Challenge Advanced AIs' Reasoning Skills — And They Failed Almost Every Test
Live Science, November 19, 2024
Current AI models struggle to solve research-level math problems, with the most advanced AI systems we have today solving just 2% of the hundreds of challenges faced.
As Ocean Waters Warm, a Race to Breed Heat-Resistant Coral
e360 Yale, November 14, 2024
Around the world, researchers are working on a range of projects that aim to enhance corals’ resistance to marine heat waves. In a promising sign, a U.K. team recently became the first to quantify an uptick in heat tolerance among adult corals selectively bred for the trait.
Geothermal Power Is Vying to Be a Major Player in the World’s Clean-Energy Future
Nature, November 14, 2024
With technical advances and enthusiasm from policymakers, advocates say the time for next-generation geothermal has come.
The Artificial State
New Yorker, November 04, 2024 (Jill Lapore)
As American civic life has become increasingly shaped by algorithms, trust in government has plummeted. Is there any turning back?
HEALTH
Sitting Too Long Can Harm Heart Health, Even for Active People
Science Daily, November 15, 2024
More time spent sitting, reclining or lying down during the day may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death, according to a new study. More than roughly 10-and-a-half hours of sedentary behavior per day was significantly linked with future heart failure (HF) and cardiovascular (CV) death, even among people meeting recommended levels of exercise.
Everything You Need to Know about Eggs
Medical News Today, July 24, 2024
In the past, there was some controversy about whether eggs are healthful or not, especially concerning cholesterol. The current thinking, however, is that, in moderation, eggs are healthful, as they can be a good source of protein and other essential nutrients.
14 Tips to Improve Your Concentration
Healthline, November 14, 2024
Several techniques may help improve concentration, some with more research support than others. However, different methods work for different people, so it may help to try a range of techniques.
What Is the Healthiest Type of Rice? 4 Healthy Types of Rice
Medicine Net
Rice is a staple around the world and a rich source of carbohydrates. Although white rice can be part of a healthy diet, there are other varieties of rice that are far more nutritious. Here are 4 of the healthiest types of rice.
Muscle Cramp
Mayo Clinic
A muscle cramp is a sudden, unexpected tightening of one or more muscles. Sometimes called a charley horse, a muscle cramp can be very painful. Self-care measures can treat most muscle cramps.
NATURE
Chicken or Egg Debate Finally Solved With Astonishing New Findings
The Science Times, November 19, 2024
Researchers have discovered that the genetic tools necessary for embryonic development existed long before the first animals appeared on Earth.
The World’s Largest Coral, a Single Organism, Can Be Seen From Space
Atlas Obscura, November 18, 2024
Recently discovered in the Solomon Islands, the mega coral is likely centuries old.
What Is Sand?
Sand Atlas
Sand is a natural unconsolidated granular material. The majority of sand is dominantly composed of silicate minerals or silicate rock fragments. By far the most common mineral in sand is quartz.
Camels Are Adapted to Desert Life: Lifeform of the Week
EarthSky, November 18, 2024
Camels can tolerate both extreme heat and cold and go several weeks without drinking a drop of water. They eat whatever Is available, including plants with thorns or the bones and skins of dead animals. And they have a translucent eyelid to protect their eyes and help them see in sandstorms.
Walking on Water —No Miracle Needed!
Archimedes Lab, November 08, 2024
Paper wasps (Polyistes dominula) stand on the water’s surface while drinking. The ‘surface tension‘ of the water, a property that causes water molecules to stick together, acts like an elastic sheet, supporting the wasp’s weight.
ENVIRONMENT
COP Summits ‘No Longer Fit for Purpose’, Say Leading Climate Policy Experts
The Guardian, November 14, 2024
Future UN conferences should only be held in countries that show support for climate action, urge influential groups. Over 1,700 coal, oil and gas lobbyists were granted access to COP29.
He’ll Try, but Trump Can’t Stop the Clean Energy Revolution
Yale Climate Connections, November 14 2024
The cost of renewables is plummeting, heat pumps are selling like crazy, and red states are raking in cash from the IRA.
The US’s Eastern-most City Could Be a Model for the Country’s Renewable Future
Inside Climate News, November 14, 2024
Tidal power and solar would fuel a community microgrid protecting the island of Eastport, Maine, from outages.
'The Sixth Great Extinction Is Happening', Conservation Expert Warns
BBC, November 16, 2024 (Jane Goodall)
“We’re in the midst of the sixth great extinction,” Dr Goodall tells BBC reporter. “The more we can do to restore nature and protect existing forests, the better.”
Ban New Intensive Poultry Farming
The Ecologist, November 04, 2024
Chicken is not the clean meat people think it is – and our rivers are paying the price.
CLIMATE
Mapped: How Climate Change Affects Extreme Weather Around the World
Carbon Brief, November 18, 2024
This latest iteration of the interactive map (below) includes more than 600 studies, covering almost 750 extreme weather events and trends.
Across all these cases, 74% were made more likely or severe because of climate change.
Why It’s in Rich Nations’ Interests to Fund Climate Finance
Nature, November 13, 2024
Wealthy countries face a stark choice — pay poorer ones to help them decarbonize now or face escalating climate damages at home.
Picture an All-Seeing Eye Scanning the Dying Earth – and Then Lighting on Our ‘Solutions’ at COP29
The Guardian, November 15, 2024 (George Monbiot)
What would it witness in Azerbaijan? A species that knows it is destroying itself but is too greedy to change course.
The Fossil Fuel Industry Continues to Exert Undue Influence Over COP29, Activists Say
Inside Climate News, November 19, 2024
High-emitting developed countries prevented the UNFCCC from adopting conflict-of-interest guidelines for the annual climate talks from the very beginning.
Countries Spend Huge Sums on Fossil Fuel Subsidies – Why They’re So Hard to Eliminate
The Conversation, November 12, 2024
Although many countries have explicitly promised to reduce fossil fuel subsidies to combat climate change, this has proven difficult to accomplish. As a result, fossil fuels remain relatively inexpensive, and their use and greenhouse gas emissions continue to grow.
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