Topics for this edition include:
- Building a home that can withstand natural disasters
- Emerging health threats in the United States — candida ear
- neolithic temples of malta
- Highly toxic substances found in human urine
- Why chocolate prices have soared
- Before and after garden renovation photos
- The hidden cause of Alzheimer’s disease may have been discovered a century ago
- Earth’s rotation is slowing down
- Demographic tipping point could arrive by 2030
- Turning plastic waste into a solution to climate change
cool down
Written by Jeremiah Budin
Unfortunately, homeowners across the country have more to worry about than ever before. Abnormal weather Events caused by changing weather patterns. And some of those homeowners take action By purchasing a disaster-resistant residence called a Q cabin.
Q Cabin was created by an architect and entrepreneur named Vern Sneed and consists of a frame made of semicircles of noncombustible steel.as needed explained According to the East Bay Times, the most vulnerable part of a traditional home to fire is the roof. In the Q Cabin, the curved, non-combustible roof prevents fire from getting sucked in anywhere.
The end result may look a little strange, but the New York Times explained It’s “a bit like a small, smartly designed airplane hangar. One person’s airplane hangar can be another person’s futuristic, modern home.”
cool down
Written by Tina Danes
candida auris, Potentially deadly pathogens have adapted to “climb” the human temperature barrier. grist report. Presents as a fungal infection C.Auris They started showing up in New York hospitals. 2016But researchers have discovered that it has been present in the country ever since. 2013.
Since then 2017the number of infected people in the US is rapidly increasing 1,200%, and some scientists believe this growth is related to global warming.as Grist explains, as temperatures rise, fungi can develop tolerance to warmer environments. This helps them invade the bodies of humans and other mammals. Its naturally high temperature usually protects it from fungal pathogens. Eventually, humans may lose resistance to these fungi and become more vulnerable to infections.
meanwhile new york It remains a confirmed fungal hotspot. 29 states and most 2023 items According to news outlets, they were in Nevada and California. Washington state recently faced its first outbreak. Four people He tested positive in January.On the other hand, the infection is spreading all over the world, with cases of infection occurring in Europe as well. almost doubled From 2020 to 2021.
discover magazine
Written by Emile Le Beau Lucchesi
The Neolithic Zigantiya temple has a sculpture resembling the Venus of Willendorf.
When people think of ancient structures, they often think of the pyramids of Egypt or the standing stones of Stonehenge. They might think of the giant Olmec heads in Mexico or the hundreds of statues on Easter Island.
However, Malta’s Neolithic temples are older than all these famous sites, having been built between 5,600 and 4,500 BC. Despite its age, many have survived.
Although the building has survived, any understanding of how the structure was once used has been lost to history. Were they also temples? Or did people use it differently?
cool down
Written by Mike Taylor
Scientists discover highly toxic substance in human urine: ‘important new questions arise’
Scientists detected all types of particles in urine samples of healthy participants and patients with endometriosis, a chronic disease in which endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus.of the study The paper was published April 1 in the journal Ecotaxology and Environmental Safety.
Although there were no significant differences in the levels of microplastics in each group, there were differences in the types of microplastics.
Samples from healthy participants contained primarily polyethylene (27%), whereas samples from participants with endometriosis contained primarily polytetrafluoroethylene (59%). The healthy samples also contained polystyrene (16%), resin (12%), and polypropylene (12%). According to , 16% of the microplastics found in samples from participants with endometriosis were composed of polyethylene. study.
salon
Written by Matthew Roza
Why chocolate prices have skyrocketed: How climate change causes inflation
Blending raw cocoa and sugar yields one of the most universally sought-after products on the planet, whether as part of a corner store candy bar or as part of high-end artisan chocolate that costs many times more. Masu. But there’s a problem. Cocoa beans, which are essential for making real chocolate, are becoming more and more expensive, and prices are soaring. 136% increase From July 2022 to February 2024.
This is primarily about the large-scale cocoa tree plantations in West Africa, which provide much of the world’s supply. As climate change becomes increasingly unstable and extreme weather events, especially heat waves, changing rainfall patterns, and other climate-related risks become more common, trees will be damaged and crops will become less predictable. Cocoa production for the 2023-2024 season is expected to be 374,000 tonnes lower than usual, a significant drop from the previous season when it was 74,000 tonnes below normal levels.
cool down
Written by Jennifer Kodros
One homeowner found that small changes can make a big difference when it comes to landscaping.
In the post of r/organic gardening1 Redditor share Before and after photos of their garden.
The difference is overwhelmingly beautiful. What once looked sparse, weedy, bland and barren has been magically transformed. The space is now a garden packed with lush plants, flowers and vegetables, complete with wood chip paths and stone paths.
science alert
Written by David Nield
The hidden cause of Alzheimer’s disease may have been identified a century ago
Alzheimer’s disease the disease is common related to lumps and protein tangles Accumulates in brain cells. But for more than a century, accumulations of entirely different substances have also been associated with neurodegenerative conditions.
A study led by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine returned to looking at large droplets of fat. alois alzheimer When he wrote critical descriptions of pathology in the early 20th century.
For many years, these lipid deposits have received less attention than other biological changes. associated with Alzheimer’s disease – such as bundles of amyloid beta and tau proteins in the brains of sick people. A new study was trying to change that.
popular mechanisms
Written by Darren Orf
Earth’s rotation is surprisingly slow
- In recent years, the dynamics of the Earth’s liquid outer core have accelerated the Earth’s rotation.
- This increase indicated that scientists may soon remove leap seconds.
- But a new study says the effects of global warming on polar ice sheets are preventing that rate from increasing, and the need to remove leap seconds will likely be delayed until 2028 or 2029.
science
Written by Tyler Santora
Demographic tipping point could arrive by 2030
2 points 1: To keep the human population from starting to decline, everyone who can give birth must give birth to that many children. Demographers have long predicted that the world will fall below this magical number (known as the replacement level) in the coming decades. But a new study published last month in The Lancet suggests that that tipping point could be alarmingly close – as early as 2030.
It’s no surprise that birth rates are declining in many countries, and demographers say this is due to factors such as the higher education levels of those giving birth, rising incomes, and greater access to contraceptives. thinking. For example, the United States is at 1.6 instead of the required 2.1, and China and Taiwan are hovering around 1.2 and 1, respectively. However, other predictions estimate that it will take even longer for humanity to reach a crisis point. In its 2022 report, the United Nations Population Division pegs this turning point at 2056, but earlier this year Wittgenstein Demography and World Humanity, an interdisciplinary research organization specializing in the study of population dynamics, The capital center is predicted 2040.
Christopher Murray, co-author of the new study and director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, suspects his study’s predictions are conservative. “Year after year, it becomes clearer that birth rates are falling faster than we expected,” he says. Because the 2030 numbers have already accelerated his IHME predictions. previous estimate In 2034, he says, “I wouldn’t be surprised at all if things unfolded at an even faster pace.”
cool down
Written by Wes Stenzel
Scientists have developed a way to make that possible. plastic Waste used in chemical reactions that make toxic compounds safer – the process involves grinding plastic A bag containing metal balls.
Plastic bags, like those sold in grocery stores, have long had a negative impact on human, animal, and environmental health because they pose a choking hazard and take hundreds of years to decompose.
Now, researchers at Hokkaido University’s Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (ICReDD) have found that when plastic bags are placed in a ball mill (which rapidly mixes solids using steel balls), chemical bonds break and radicals are created. I discovered that. According to , these are agents that cause chemical reactions that lead to dehalogenation. interesting engineering.
This is an open thread that welcomes everyone, especially night owls and early risers, to share and discuss the day’s science news. Please share your articles and stories in the comments.
I’m releasing this on Thursday so I can go to the Allentown Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Beethoven’s Ninth on Saturday. I plan to be here on Sunday morning.
