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| Surrounded by water... (Image by NordNordWest) |
Many not only refused to think that climate change could affect them personally, but also refused to think that climate change even exists. There was an overall denial concerning risk to property values, “regardless of political affiliation.”
Which just goes to show what marketers have known right along: “it takes more than facts to sell any product.”
Resources
https://news.yahoo.com/sea-level-rise-wont-affect-135038092.html
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| The Starry Night (Painting by Vincent van Gogh) |
Now up close and personal with the gas giant, Juno has some detailed photos to share. Fans of Vincent van Gogh may note the similarity between these photos and his paintings. Both display eye-popping swaths of color within phantasmagorical settings.
Perhaps Van Gogh’s title, “The Starry Night,” did not quite tell the whole story. Perhaps glowing Jupiter was part of what the artist actually saw. If so, Juno’s more than ready to set the record straight.
Resources
https://news.yahoo.com/10-years-nasa-launched-juno-114900494.html
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| (Fair Use) |
While packing up their classrooms, teachers noticed a mama bear and her cub having a blast out there. Mama was using the big slide and Baby the smaller one. When Baby reached the bottom, Mama was right there with a furry embrace. And the teachers? They remained safely behind windows while thoroughly “enjoying the moment.”
Resources
https://news.yahoo.com/watch-mama-bear-her-cub-213100738.html
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| Indiana Fudge Shop (Photo by Serge Melki) |
Peter J. Weller’s missing tombstone was recently found within the former kitchen of a Michigan matriarch. She had turned the marble slab over and used its hard surface as a base for making fudge.
Talk about a sweet ending! Mr. Weller’s stone was then laid to rest near those of his deceased daughters.
Resources
https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/24/us/gravestone-returned-after-missing-150-years-trnd/index.html
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| Fun on Wheels (Photo by Shleiderbmx) |
Not so in Taunton, Massachusetts. Two police officers, Michael Flynn and Michael Hughes, bought a bicycle for a local boy whose other two-wheelers had recently been stolen. When they surprised the six-year-old with this gift, the youth exclaimed, “It makes me happy!”
The officers then added two sturdy locks to the mix and “gave the family some preventive tips” for keeping the bike safe.
Resources
https://news.yahoo.com/mass-police-officers-surprise-boy-203801610.html
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| Proposed Chromatin Structures (Images by Julien Mozziconacci) |
Within the fossilized remains of “a small peacock-sized omnivore with long tail feathers” lie cells that retain some of their chromatin and biomolecules. Whether they will yield viable DNA remains to be seen. But the outcome looks promising.
What then would be done with such a find? Could dinosaurs actually walk this earth once again? Or will humans decide to leave well enough alone…
Resources
Copyright September 25, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved |
| European Mink (Photo by Nicolai Meyer) |
The fashion world is finally ready to call out fur for what it truly is, the “skins of tortured animals.” Although many a high-end company has already banned its use, there still remains a well-known exception. Louis Vuitton continues to insist that its use of fur is somewhat “ethical and responsible.” But the four-legged stakeholders did not get a vote.
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Copyright September 24, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved |
| Banana Bike in Uganda (Photo by Emesik) |
That’s just not right. Which is why New York City passed legislation that “seeks to improve working conditions” for food deliverers. This not only includes the use of bathroom facilities, but also improves remuneration and overall safety conditions.
Resources
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| (Photo by Plankfad) |
For the first time since the mid 20th century, heart-related fatalities are on the rise within the under-75 population. The sedentary life we lead, coupled with the tendency to overeat, is doing a number on our health. And that number is not a winning one.
Yet studies show that simple steps can be taken to ward off heart disease. Quite literally. Go up the down staircase, then down the up staircase, then… You get the idea. This can be as preventive “as a 45-minute exercise class.”
So the next time someone holds an elevator door open for you, respond with a hearty "Thanks, but no thanks!" Then head for the nearest stairwell.
Resources
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/five-things-five-minutes-improve-112426453.html
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| SSA Headquarters (Photo by Coolcaesar) |
Enter The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). This group has been advocating for benefits such as a generous Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) plus a fourth $1400 federal stimulus check for struggling elders.
Seniors are often on fixed incomes, which comparatively shrink as prices swell. These hoped-for TSCL benefits could go a long way toward turning surviving into thriving.
Resources
https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/4th-stimulus-payment-1-400-120011726.html
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| Round Mound of Guess What (Photo by Vijayakumarblathur) |
Cow pies plus cow pee is a recipe for ammonia, which is then released into the ecosystem. This toxic compound pollutes “lakes and streams via farm runoff.”
Dutch politicians are therefore considering a commonsense approach to decreasing the runoff. Simply put: Less cows, less runoff. Less runoff, less nitrogen. Less nitrogen, cleaner waterways. Cleaner waterways, healthier people.
Resources
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| Perry Lion at the National Zoo (Photo by Reinaldo Lopez-Carrizo) |
They are being treated with medications that decrease nausea and inflammation, as well as with antibiotics to offset possible pneumonia. Their symptoms include “coughing, sneezing and a lack of appetite.”
Because a healthy distance is customarily maintained between big cats and the general public, zoo visitors need not worry about catching the virus directly from them. However, the source of the cats’ infections has not yet been determined.
Resources
Copyright September 19, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved |
| An Escorted Detainee (Public Domain) |
This amazing duality has resulted in Morgan’s donation of art supplies to the very men who allegedly killed his father. Although he hopes that justice will eventually be served, Morgan feels some compassion in the meantime. His donated materials have been sent to the Guantanamo Bay detention center where these “accused 9/11 terrorists” have long been awaiting trial.
Detainee art becomes U. S. government property. Yet its therapeutic value will hopefully remain within the artists themselves.
Resources
https://news.yahoo.com/doesnt-mind-terror-suspects-guantanamo-100249562.html
Copyright September 18, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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| Human Heart and Blood Vessels (by Leonardo da Vinci, 15th century) |
The more that an individual uses, the greater the risk of a heart attack. This is the case “no matter how the cannabis is consumed.”
So weigh the options carefully. What seems to heal may actually do more harm than good.
Resources
Copyright September 17, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved |
| Human Red Blood Cells (Image by John Alan Elson) |
Transporting even one brick to Mars would cost a fortune. Scientists are therefore hoping to create building blocks with a literal dash of human blood, sweat, tears and urine.
These ingredients, when mixed with Martian soil, could form a substance that is stronger than concrete. It’s been officially termed AstroCrete, but you can call it “blood-curdling.”
Resources
Copyright September 16, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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| ET fly home? (Photo by Christopher Michel) |
There’s just no delicate way to say it. Penguin poop might be the equivalent of ET’s ten-four. Traces of a chemical called phospine have been found within it. And the nearest source of phospine that we know of is in the atmosphere of Venus.
So what’s up? Is this the long lost link we’ve been searching for? Or is phospine somehow being created here on Earth? Only time will tell, lots of time, because it’s difficult to get scientific funding for such inquiries.
Resources
Copyright September 16, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved |
| Cats too! (Photo by Ugrashak) |
Thus the MooLoo, which helps train Elsie and friends to make their deposits in discrete ways. Those who get the hang of it are rewarded with sugar water, the bovine version of Pepsi. Those who don’t will get “sprayed with water” (a negative reinforcer unless the barn’s on fire).
Turns out that calves are about on par with toddlers when it comes to potty training. Some even caught on quicker than their two-legged companions. Altogether, about three-quarters of the sample herd earned their Pepsi. That could translate to “reducing ammonia emissions” by more than 50 percent.
Resources
https://nypost.com/2021/09/14/cows-are-getting-potty-trained-over-greenhouse-emissions/
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| Been around for a good long while... (Photo by Jjron) |
Prehistoric humans apparently highlighted significant locations with such sculptures. There are 21 unique reliefs at the Camel Site in northern Arabia.
Although erosion has certainly taken its toll on these carvings, a combination of scientific procedures has enabled researchers to determine their Neolithic origin. They are currently the oldest known “surviving large-scale reliefs.”
Resources
https://phys.org/news/2021-09-life-sized-camel-northern-arabia-date.html
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| (Montage by Chicoutimi) |
We’re talking about squirrels. It turns out that they have many human-like traits. A research study from the University of California found that “some are more outgoing than others.” And guess what? They’re the ones that get more goodies.
Shy squirrels just don’t get around as much. They therefore don’t collect as many nuts and don’t reach as many predator-free spots. Their more aggressive counterparts are greater risk-takers, which could yield its own set of disadvantages.
Whether human or rodent, it takes all kinds to make a balanced society. When diverse personalities work together, chances increase for peace in the valley.
Resources
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/13/squirrels-human-like-personality-traits-study
Copyright September 13, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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| Ouch! (Public Domain) |
The long-held belief that human infants are somehow immune from this affliction has finally been successfully challenged. But not until 1987 was it formally declared “unethical to continue to operate on infants without the use of anesthetics.”
Because infants hadn’t responded the way that adults might to pinpricks, researchers back in the 1940s concluded that babies couldn’t feel pain. Scientists failed to adequately interpret the responses that did occur. And if newborns feel pain, it is quite probable that fetuses do also...
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Copyright September 11, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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| U-rex Reconstruction (Image by Royal Society Publishing) |
A new king of the prehistoric jungle is on the scene. His name is almost as long as his body. Researchers dubbed him Ulughbegsaurus uzbekistanensis, but you can call him U-rex.
Just don’t call him late for dinner. Judging from the size of his razor-sharp teeth, he’s mighty hungry. And you might resemble his favorite appetizer.
Resources
Copyright September 10, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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| Artistic Rendition of Planet Nine (Image by Tom Ruen) |
Which leaves a mighty gap in our solar system. It’s no longer dressed to the nines without Pluto's inclusion. And although eight is great, nine is divine.
So something must be done to fill the gap. And best it be done by Michael Brown, the very culprit who demoted Pluto. Brown is therefore rising to the occasion. He thinks that he’s found a Planet Nine substitute, one that is “many times” larger than Earth. Trouble is, nobody’s (yet?) proven its existence.
Resources
https://news.yahoo.com/astronomers-still-looking-elusive-planet-142159556.html
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| Carbonated Soft Drink (Photo by Spiff) |
That’s exactly what’s been going on in Iceland, where the world’s biggest DAC (“direct air capture”) plant is currently operating. What it does is literally suck carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The CO2 is then “mixed with water” and funneled “into deep underground wells,” where it eventually “turns to stone.” This effectively prevents it from heading right back into the air. With any luck, this solidified CO2 can then be sold to companies such as Coca Cola.
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| What a relief! (Photo by Andrei Niemimaki) |
This holds true for pretty much everything we identify, including chicken nuggets. Those delectable munchies on your plate might instead be plant-based. Impossible Foods has made the seemingly-impossible possible.
Its chickenless delight will soon be found on menus and in markets. Try it, and you just may like it.
Resources
Copyright September 7, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved |
| Selfie time! (NASA photo) |
This cigar-shaped specimen was immediately sealed into an air-tight container. Sometime within the 2030’s, it will be analyzed for hints of a microbial past. Until then, we may continue to wonder whether Earth has a monopoly on life.
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Copyright September 7, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved