Today: October 06, 2024
Today: October 06, 2024

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Education

Now that President Biden's student loan cancellation program has been canceled, here's what's next

The Supreme Court rejected President Joe Biden’s plan to eliminate $430 billion in student loan debt Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images The Supreme Court has struck down the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness plan. In Biden v. Nebraska, the court ruled 6-3 on June 30, 2023, that the secretary of education does not have the authority to forgive US$430 billion of student loans under the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act. That kills the president’s proposed plan to forgive up to $10,000 in student loans per borrower for those with incomes under $125,000 per year, or $250,000 per

Now that President Biden's student loan cancellation program has been canceled, here's what's next
Education

Affirmative action lasted over 50 years: 3 essential reads explaining how it ended

Harvard students protesting on July 1, 2023, after the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action. Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Ever since U.S. President Lyndon Johnson enacted affirmative action in 1965, white conservatives have challenged the use of race in college admissions. Their arguments against such policies are typically based on the use of the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which prohibits discrimination against American citizens on the basis of their race, religion or sexuality. According to this conservative thinking, race-based solutions are discriminatory by their very definition and, as such, are unconstitutional.

Affirmative action lasted over 50 years: 3 essential reads explaining how it ended
Education

Why putting off college math can be a good idea

Research shows that at least 17% of the population experiences high levels of math anxiety. Emilija Manevska/Moment via Getty Images The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Putting off college math could improve the likelihood that students remain in college. But that may only be true as long as students don’t procrastinate more than one year. This is what colleagues and I found in a study published in 2023 of 1,119 students at a public university for whom no remedial coursework was required during their first year. Enrolling in a math course during

Why putting off college math can be a good idea
Education

The Power of Positive Parenting: Shielding Your Child from Stress

Warm, supportive caregiving can help counteract the effects of stress during childhood and development. The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Warm and supportive parenting may buffer against the effects of stress during childhood and adolescence. That is the key takeaway of our recent study, published in the journal PNAS Nexus. Some children and adolescents who experience stressful events such as physical abuse or neglect have less tissue in a brain region called the hippocampus. The hippocampus plays a critical role in learning and memory and is also highly susceptible to stress. However,

The Power of Positive Parenting: Shielding Your Child from Stress
Education

Female physicists aren't represented in the media – and this lack of representation hurts the physics field

Lise Meitner, in the front row, sits alongside many male colleagues at the Seventh Solvay Physics Conference in 1933. Corbin Historical via Getty Images Christopher Nolan’s highly-anticipated movie “Oppenheimer,” set for release July 21, 2023, depicts J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb. But while the Manhattan Project wouldn’t have been possible without the work of many accomplished female scientists, the only women seen in the movie’s trailer are either hanging laundry, crying or cheering the men on. The only women featured in the official trailer for Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ are crying, hanging laundry

Female physicists aren't represented in the media – and this lack of representation hurts the physics field
Education

Classic literature still offers rich lessons about life in the deep blue sea

Novels about underwater adventures offer a glimpse at oceanic life. fotograzia via Getty Images When OceanGate, the deep-sea exploration enterprise, created a promotional video for its ill-fated US$250,000-per-head trip to see the wreck of the Titanic, it told prospective passengers to “Get ready for what Jules Verne could only imagine – a 12,500-foot journey to the bottom of the sea.” Those behind the video hoped viewers would recognize the allusion to the author of one of the most influential and widely read oceanic novels of all time, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” There are indeed eerie similarities between the 1870

Classic literature still offers rich lessons about life in the deep blue sea
Education

Support for legacy admissions is rooted in racial hierarchy

Critics of legacy admissions argue they maintain racial hierarchies that disproportionately benefit white students. YinYang/iStock via Getty Images Not long after the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2023 decision to ban the use of race in college admissions, people began to ask questions once again about the fairness of legacy admissions. Legacy admission is a practice in which colleges give a preference to the children of graduates when deciding which students to let in. As a researcher who specializes in education and workplace policies, I have examined why people support legacy admissions and not affirmative action. I found that even though

Support for legacy admissions is rooted in racial hierarchy
Environment|WrittenByLAPost

Scientists Discover Microplastic Contamination in Secret Cave

Even a cave that has been completely isolated from human activity for the past three decades is not safe from the pervasive plague of microplastics. Plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters in size, or “microplastics,” are cropping up everywhere. From the highest reaches of contaminated clouds to the recesses of human psyches, the discovery of these particles in a remote cave has heightened the severity of this environmental calamity. The Missouri attraction known as Cliff Cave will be the topic of this talk. This cave has been inaccessible since 1993. Its secluded position, combined with its proximity to a human

Scientists Discover Microplastic Contamination in Secret Cave
Environment|WrittenByLAPost

Deep Sea Exploration Uncovers the Secret World of the Dumbo Octopus. Watch the Video.

The adorable dumbo octopus, known by its scientific name Grimpoteuthis, inhabits the dark, murky depths of the ocean, where sunshine is but a distant memory. This marine species’ ear-like fins have enthralled audiences around by drawing comparisons to Disney’s Dumbo the elephant. It has become a symbol of the ocean’s vast diversity because of its singular look and hauntingly beautiful journey through the water. Dumbo octopuses come in a wide variety of hues, from almost white to pink and even crimson. The elephant-ear-shaped fins that are its most distinguishing characteristic let it glide ghostlike across the icy waters of the

Deep Sea Exploration Uncovers the Secret World of the Dumbo Octopus. Watch the Video.
Environment|WrittenByLAPost

Recycling Electronics Made Simple: The Solution to Sustainable Disposal

The use of electronic devices has become ubiquitous in modern society. But what happens when the usefulness of these gadgets has run its course? Putting electronic waste in conventional garbage cans is illegal in certain areas, but few people know this. The good news is that there’s a simple way to recycle these things without leaving your house. In March, Love of Earth Co. (@loveofearthco), a TikTok user, introduced her followers to Redwood Materials, a firm that recycles e-waste in partnership with Panasonic, through a video she posted to the platform. The video explained how to securely dispose of old

Recycling Electronics Made Simple: The Solution to Sustainable Disposal
Environment

What Arizona and other drought-ridden states can learn from Israel's pioneering water strategy

Suburban development in Maricopa County, Arizona, with lakes, lush golf courses and water-guzzling lawns. Wild Horizon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Arizona is one of the fastest-growing states in the U.S., with an economy that offers many opportunities for workers and businesses. But it faces a daunting challenge: a water crisis that could seriously constrain its economic growth and vitality. A recent report that projected a roughly 4% shortfall in groundwater supplies in the Phoenix area over the next 100 years prompted the state to curtail new approval of groundwater-dependent residential development in some of the region’s fast-growing suburbs. Moreover,

What Arizona and other drought-ridden states can learn from Israel's pioneering water strategy
Environment

The US is spending billions to reduce forest fire risks – we mapped the hot spots where treatment offers the biggest payoff for people and climate

A forest-thinning project in Arizona leaves more open canopy and clearer ground. David McNew/Getty Images The U.S. government is investing over US$7 billion in the coming years to try to manage the nation’s escalating wildfire crisis. That includes a commitment to treat at least 60 million acres in the next 10 years by expanding forest-thinning efforts and controlled burns. While that sounds like a lot – 60 million acres is about the size of Wyoming – it’s nowhere close to enough to treat every acre that needs it. So, where can taxpayers get the biggest bang for the buck? I’m

The US is spending billions to reduce forest fire risks – we mapped the hot spots where treatment offers the biggest payoff for people and climate
Environment

Invasive species cause billions of dollars in damage worldwide: 4 essential reads

Invasive species – including plants, animals and fish – cause heavy damage to crops, wildlife and human health worldwide. Some prey on native species; other out-compete them for space and food or spread disease. A new United Nations report estimates the losses generated by invasives at more than US$423 billion yearly and shows that these damages have at least quadrupled in every decade since 1970. Humans regularly move animals, plants and other living species from their home areas to new locations, either accidentally or on purpose. For example, they may import plants from faraway locations to raise as crops or

Invasive species cause billions of dollars in damage worldwide: 4 essential reads
Environment

California and Florida grew quickly on the promise of perfect climates in the 1900s – today, they lead the country in climate change risks

Iconic California from a 1920s orange box label. Covina Citrus Industry Photographs Images of orange groves and Spanish-themed hotels with palm tree gardens filled countless pamphlets and articles promoting Southern California and Florida in the late 19th century, promising escape from winter’s reach. This vision of an “American Italy” captured hearts and imaginations across the U.S. In it, Florida and California promised a place in the sun for industrious Americans to live the good life, with the perfect climate. But the very climates that made these semitropical playgrounds the American dream of the 20th century threaten to break their reputations

California and Florida grew quickly on the promise of perfect climates in the 1900s – today, they lead the country in climate change risks
Environment

The US broke global trade rules to try to fix climate change – to finish the job, it has to fix the trade system

U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act on Aug. 16, 2022, including electric vehicle subsidies with ‘buy American’ rules. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, President Joe Biden’s landmark climate law, is now expected to prompt a trillion dollars in government spending to fight climate change and trillions more in private investment. But the law and Biden’s broader “buy American” agenda include measures that discriminate against imports. One year in, these policies, such as the law’s electric vehicle subsidies, appear to be succeeding at growing domestic clean energy industries – consider the US$100 billion in

The US broke global trade rules to try to fix climate change – to finish the job, it has to fix the trade system
Environment

North America’s summer of wildfire smoke: 2023 was only the beginning

Canada’s seemingly endless wildfires in 2023 introduced millions of people across North America to the health hazards of wildfire smoke. While Western states have contended with smoky fire seasons for years, the air quality alerts across the U.S. Midwest and Northeast this summer reached levels never seen there before. The smoke left the air so unhealthy in Philadelphia on June 7, 2023, that the Phillies-Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball game was postponed. That same week, New York City residents hunkered down indoors for several days as a smoky haze hung over the city, turning the skies orange and exposing millions

North America’s summer of wildfire smoke: 2023 was only the beginning
Environment

Hurricane Idalia intensifies over extremely warm Gulf waters, on track for Florida landfall as a dangerous major hurricane

Forecasters expected Hurricane Idalia to intensify into a major hurricane as it headed over exceptionally warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, on track for landfall in Florida on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. Hurricane warnings were posted along a wide stretch of Florida’s Gulf coast, from near Sarasota to the Panhandle, including Tampa Bay. Hurricane scientist Haiyan Jiang of Florida International University explains how two conflicting forces – record-high ocean heat and wind shear, the latter influenced by El Niño – were determining Idalia’s future, and how they have made the 2023 hurricane season overall difficult to forecast. What role

Hurricane Idalia intensifies over extremely warm Gulf waters, on track for Florida landfall as a dangerous major hurricane
Environment

Giraffes range across diverse African habitats − we’re using GPS, satellites and statistics to track and protect them

An average giraffe has a home range almost as large as Philadelphia. Michael Brown, CC BY-NC Nearly 6,000 years ago, our ancestors climbed arid rocky outcrops in what is now the Nigerian Sahara and carved spectacularly intricate, larger-than-life renditions of giraffes into the exposed sandstone. The remarkably detailed Dabous giraffe rock art petroglyphs are among many ancient petroglyphs featuring giraffes across Africa – a testament to early humans’ fascination with these unique creatures. We are still captivated by giraffes today, but many of these animals are at risk, largely due to habitat loss and illegal hunting. Some are critically endangered.

Giraffes range across diverse African habitats − we’re using GPS, satellites and statistics to track and protect them
Environment

50 years after the Bunker Hill mine fire caused one of the largest lead-poisoning cases in US history, Idaho's Silver Valley is still at risk

Waterways and communities for miles around Idaho’s Bunker Hill mine were contaminated with lead after the 1973 fire. gjohnstonphoto/iStock/Getty Images Plus On Sept. 3, 1973, a fire swept through the baghouse of the Bunker Hill mine in Idaho’s Silver Valley. The building was designed to filter pollutants produced by smelting, the melting of rocks that separates metal from its ore. The gases produced in this process carried poisons, including lead. At the time, the prices of lead and silver were climbing toward all-time highs. Rather than wait for new filters and repairs, company officials kept the mine running. They increased

50 years after the Bunker Hill mine fire caused one of the largest lead-poisoning cases in US history, Idaho's Silver Valley is still at risk
Environment

Hurricane Idalia forecast to intensify over extremely warm Gulf waters, on track for Florida landfall as a dangerous storm

Forecasters expected Hurricane Idalia to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane as it headed over exceptionally warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, on track for landfall in Florida on Wednesday, Aug. 30. Hurricane warnings were posted along a wide stretch of Florida’s Gulf coast, from near Sarasota to the Panhandle, including Tampa Bay. Hurricane scientist Haiyan Jiang of Florida International University explains how two conflicting forces – record-high ocean heat and wind shear, the latter influenced by El Niño – were determining Idalia’s future, and how they have made the 2023 hurricane season overall difficult to forecast. What role

Hurricane Idalia forecast to intensify over extremely warm Gulf waters, on track for Florida landfall as a dangerous storm
Environment

Machines can't always take the heat − two engineers explain the physics behind how heat waves threaten everything from cars to computers

Extreme heat can affect how well machines function, and the fact that many machines give off their own heat doesn’t help. AP Photo/Abdeljalil Bounhar Not only people need to stay cool, especially in a summer of record-breaking heat waves. Many machines, including cellphones, data centers, cars and airplanes, become less efficient and degrade more quickly in extreme heat. Machines generate their own heat, too, which can make hot temperatures around them even hotter. We are engineering researchers who study how machines manage heat and ways to effectively recover and reuse heat that is otherwise wasted. There are several ways extreme

Machines can't always take the heat − two engineers explain the physics behind how heat waves threaten everything from cars to computers
Environment

Tropical Storm Idalia is forecast to intensify over extremely warm Gulf waters, on track for Florida landfall as a powerful hurricane

Forecasters were closely watching Tropical Storm Idalia as it passed Cuba and headed toward exceptionally warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm was on track to intensify rapidly before making landfall on the Florida Panhandle, possibly as a major hurricane, on Wednesday, Aug. 30. Hurricane scientist Haiyan Jiang of Florida International University explained the conflicting forces of unusually high ocean heat and wind shear, which typically accompanies El Niño climate patterns, that have made the 2023 hurricane season and even individual storms difficult to forecast. What role is ocean temperature playing in Idalia’s forecast? Forecasters are watching several

Tropical Storm Idalia is forecast to intensify over extremely warm Gulf waters, on track for Florida landfall as a powerful hurricane
Environment

What social change movements can learn from fly fishing: The value of a care-focused message

Fly-fishing in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. Joseph/Flickr, CC BY-SA Summer and fall are prime times for getting outdoors across the U.S. According to an annual survey produced by the outdoor industry, 55% of Americans age 6 and up participated in some kind of outdoor recreation in 2022, and that number is on the rise. However, the activities they choose are shifting. Over the past century, participation has declined in some activities, such as hunting, and increased in others, like bird-watching. These shifts reflect many factors, including demographic trends and urbanization. But outdoor activities also have their own cultures, which can

What social change movements can learn from fly fishing: The value of a care-focused message
Environment

Shutting off power to reduce wildfire risk on windy days isn’t a simple decision – an energy expert explains the trade-offs electric utilities face

Power lines spark a large number of U.S. wildfires. AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli Maui County is suing Hawaiian Electric, claiming the utility was negligent for not shutting off power as strong winds hit the island in the hours before the city of Lahaina burned. While the cause of the devastating Aug. 8, 2023, wildfire is still under investigation, forecasters had warned that powerful winds were expected, and West Maui had exceptionally dry conditions that put it at high risk for wildfires. In many cases, however, deciding to shut off power isn’t as simple is as it might sound. We asked Tim

Shutting off power to reduce wildfire risk on windy days isn’t a simple decision – an energy expert explains the trade-offs electric utilities face
Environment

Secrets of the Octopus Garden: Moms nest at thermal springs to give their young the best chance for survival

Female pearl octopus nest at the Octopus Garden off California. Credit: © 2019 MBARI Two miles below the ocean surface off Monterey, California, warm water percolates from the seafloor at the base of an underwater mountain. It’s a magical place, especially if you’re an octopus. In 2018, one of us, Amanda Kahn, was aboard the research vessel E/V Nautilus when scientists discovered the “Octopus Garden.” Thousands of pearl octopuses (Muusoctopus robustus) were curled up into individual balls in lines and clumps. As Nautilus Live streamed the expedition online, the world got to share the excitement of the discovery. We now

Secrets of the Octopus Garden: Moms nest at thermal springs to give their young the best chance for survival

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