Today: September 20, 2024
Today: September 20, 2024

Science

Science

NOAA doubles the chances for a nasty Atlantic hurricane season due to hot ocean, tardy El Nino

Record hot ocean temperatures and a tardy El Nino are doubling the chances of a nasty Atlantic hurricane season this summer and fall, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday. With the Atlantic hurricane season already well above normal so far, NOAA increased how many storms to expect and how busy the season can get. The agency says there’s a 60% chance for an above normal hurricane season, twice the agency’s May forecast which said it was 30%. The earlier forecast leaned more toward a near normal season with a 40%, but the chance for normal has now shrunk

August 10, 2023
NOAA doubles the chances for a nasty Atlantic hurricane season due to hot ocean, tardy El Nino
Science

Off Alaska coast, research crew peers down, down, down to map deep and remote ocean

For the team aboard the Okeanos Explorer off the coast of Alaska, exploring the mounds and craters of the sea floor along the Aleutian Islands is a chance to surface new knowledge about life in some of the world’s deepest and most remote waters. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel is on a five-month mission aboard a reconfigured former Navy vessel run by civilians and members of the NOAA Corps. The ship, with a 48-member crew, is outfitted with technology and tools to peer deep into the ocean to gather data to share with

August 14, 2023
Off Alaska coast, research crew peers down, down, down to map deep and remote ocean
Science

Judge sides with young activists in first-of-its-kind climate change trial in Montana

A Montana judge on Monday sided with young environmental activists who said state agencies were violating their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment by permitting fossil fuel development without considering its effect on the climate. The ruling in the first-of-its- kind trial in the U.S. adds to a small number of legal decisions around the world that have established a government duty to protect citizens from climate change. District Court Judge Kathy Seeley found the policy the state uses in evaluating requests for fossil fuel permits — which does not allow agencies to evaluate

August 14, 2023
Judge sides with young activists in first-of-its-kind climate change trial in Montana
Science

Wildfires in Maui are among the deadliest in US history. These are the other fires atop the list

Wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui killed at least 96 people, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. Emergency management officials say the death toll is expected to rise as cadaver dogs and searchers make their way through the ashes of Lahaina, a historical town of 13,000 where almost every building was destroyed in the blaze. The Maui wildfires are currently the nation’s fifth-deadliest on record, according to research by the National Fire Protection Association, a nonprofit that publishes fire codes and standards used in the U.S. and around the world.

August 14, 2023
Wildfires in Maui are among the deadliest in US history. These are the other fires atop the list
Science

A study of fracking's links to health issues will be released by Pennsylvania researchers

Researchers in heavily drilled Pennsylvania were preparing Tuesday to release findings from taxpayer-financed studies on possible links between the natural gas industry and pediatric cancer, asthma and poor birth outcomes. The four-year, $2.5 million project is wrapping up after the state’s former governor, Democrat Tom Wolf, in 2019 agreed to commission it under pressure from the families of pediatric cancer patients who live amid the nation’s most prolific natural gas reservoir in western Pennsylvania. A number of states have strengthened their laws around fracking and waste disposal over the past decade. However, researchers have repeatedly said

August 15, 2023
A study of fracking's links to health issues will be released by Pennsylvania researchers
Science

Pig kidney works in a donated body for over a month, a step toward animal-human transplants

Surgeons transplanted a pig’s kidney into a brain-dead man and for over a month it’s worked normally — a critical step toward an operation the New York team hopes to eventually try in living patients. Scientists around the country are racing to learn how to use animal organs to save human lives, and bodies donated for research offer a remarkable rehearsal. The latest experiment announced Wednesday by NYU Langone Health marks the longest a pig kidney has functioned in a person, albeit a deceased one -– and it’s not over. Researchers are set to track the

August 16, 2023
Pig kidney works in a donated body for over a month, a step toward animal-human transplants
Science

Fresh look at DNA from Oetzi the Iceman traces his roots to present day Turkey

Oetzi the Iceman has a new look. Decades after the famous glacier mummy was discovered in the Italian Alps, scientists have dug back into his DNA to paint a better picture of the ancient hunter. They determined that Oetzi was mostly descended from farmers from present day Turkey, and his head was balder and skin darker than what was initially thought, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Cell Genomics. Oetzi, who lived more than 5,000 years ago, was frozen into the ice after he was killed by an arrow to the back. His

August 16, 2023
Fresh look at DNA from Oetzi the Iceman traces his roots to present day Turkey
Science

US looks to ban imports, exports of a tropical fish threatened by aquarium trade

The federal government is looking to ban importation and exportation of a species of a tropical fish that conservation groups have long said is exploited by the pet trade. The fish is the Banggai cardinalfish, a small striped saltwater fish native to Indonesia. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration listed the species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2016, saying that the main threats to the fish included harvest for ornamental aquariums. The agency proposed on Tuesday to apply prohibitions under the Endangered Species Act that would make it unlawful to import or export the species in the

August 16, 2023
US looks to ban imports, exports of a tropical fish threatened by aquarium trade
Science

New study finds far more hurricane-related deaths in US, especially among poor and vulnerable

Hurricanes in the U.S. the last few decades killed thousands more people than meteorologists traditionally calculate and a disproportionate number of those victims are poor, vulnerable and minorities, according to a new epidemiological study. A team of public health and storm experts calculated that from 1988 to 2019 more than 18,000 people likely died, mostly indirectly, because of hurricanes and lesser tropical cyclones in the continental United States. That’s 13 times more than the 1,385 people directly killed by storms that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration figures, but the study authors said those numbers aren’t directly comparable. Instead of

August 16, 2023
New study finds far more hurricane-related deaths in US, especially among poor and vulnerable
Science

A Nigerian forest and its animals are under threat. Poachers have become rangers to protect both

Sunday Abiodun, carrying a sword in one hand and balancing a musket over his other shoulder, cleared weeds on a footpath leading to a cluster of new trees. Until recently, it had been a spot to grow cocoa, one of several plots that Abiodun and his fellow forest rangers destroyed after farmers cut down trees to make way for the crop used to make chocolate — driving away birds in the process. “When we see such a farm during patrol, we destroy it and plant trees instead,” Abiodun said. It could take more than

August 17, 2023
A Nigerian forest and its animals are under threat. Poachers have become rangers to protect both
Science

NASA’s Psyche mission is going to unlock the secrets of our planet!

An illustration of the asteroid Psyche, orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. 24K-Production/iStock via Getty Images Plus French novelist Jules Verne delighted 19th-century readers with the tantalizing notion that a journey to the center of the Earth was actually plausible. Since then, scientists have long acknowledged that Verne’s literary journey was only science fiction. The extreme temperatures of the Earth’s interior – around 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,537 Celsius) at the core – and the accompanying crushing pressure, which is millions of times more than at the surface, prevent people from venturing down very far. Still, there are a few things known

August 17, 2023
NASA’s Psyche mission is going to unlock the secrets of our planet!
Science

Stem cells from one eye show promise in healing injuries in the other

Phil Durst recalled clawing at his face after a chemical from a commercial dishwashing machine squirted into his eyes, causing “the most indescribable pain I’ve ever felt — ever, ever, ever.” His left eye bore the brunt of the 2017 work accident, which stole his vision, left him unable to tolerate light and triggered four to five cluster headaches a day. Then he underwent an experimental procedure that aims to treat severe injuries in one eye with stem cells from the other. “I went from completely blind with debilitating headaches and pondering if I could go another day — like

August 18, 2023
Stem cells from one eye show promise in healing injuries in the other
Science

How a family's choice to donate a body for pig kidney research could help change transplants

Mary Miller-Duffy was dazed and grieving. Her brother suddenly collapsed and days later was brain-dead. Now she faced a tough question: Would she donate his body for research? That’s how the body of Maurice “Mo” Miller started its journey to a sunny corner of NYU Langone Health’s intensive care unit — and became part of the quest to one day ease the nation’s transplant shortage with organs from animals. “He always wanted to help people,” said Miller-Duffy, who struggled with the choice but is proud of her brother’s last act. “This tragic death, this fast short

August 19, 2023
How a family's choice to donate a body for pig kidney research could help change transplants
Science

Japan govt makes final plea to gain fisheries' understanding for Fukushima plant water release

Japanese government officials sought understanding from fisheries groups Monday for the impending release of treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea and pledged to support their livelihoods throughout the process that will take decades. Economy and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura met with the head of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives and promised that the government is doing everything it can to ensure the safety of the release and prepared measures to protect the fisheries industry’s reputation. Nishimura told the fisheries official, Masanobu Sakamoto, that the water release is essential for the

August 21, 2023
Japan govt makes final plea to gain fisheries' understanding for Fukushima plant water release
Science

Russian space agency chief blames decades of inactivity for Luna-25 lander's crash on the moon

The head of Russia’s space agency said Monday that the Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon after its engines failed to shut down correctly, and he blamed the country’s decades-long pause in lunar exploration for the mishap. The pilotless Luna-25 had been scheduled to land Monday while aiming to become the first spacecraft to touch down on the south pole of the moon, an area where scientists believe important reserves of frozen water and precious elements may exist. Roscosmos Director General Yury Borisov said the spacecraft’s engines were turned on over the weekend to put Luna-25 into

August 21, 2023
Russian space agency chief blames decades of inactivity for Luna-25 lander's crash on the moon
Science

How a mix of natural and human-caused caused factors cooked up Tropical Storm Hilary's soggy mess

A natural El Nino, human-caused climate change, a stubborn heat dome over the nation’s midsection and other factors cooked up Tropical Storm Hilary’s record-breaking slosh into California and Nevada, scientists figure. Cooked up is the key phrase, since hot water and hot air were crucial in rapidly growing Hilary and then steering the storm on an unusual path that dumped 10 months of rain in a single weekend in normally bone-dry places. Nearly a foot of rain fell along a couple Southern California mountains while cities smashed summertime records. “It was a combination of sort of a perfect situation of

August 21, 2023
How a mix of natural and human-caused caused factors cooked up Tropical Storm Hilary's soggy mess
Science

A failed lunar mission dents Russian pride and reflects deeper problems with Moscow's space industry

An ambitious but failed attempt by Russia to return to the moon after nearly half a century has exposed the massive challenges faced by Moscow’s once-proud space program. The destruction of the robotic Luna-25 probe, which crashed onto the surface of the moon over the weekend, reflects the endemic problems that have dogged the Russian space industry since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Those include the loss of key technologies in the post-Soviet industrial meltdown, the bruising impact of recent Western sanctions, a huge brain drain and widespread corruption. Yuri Borisov, the head of the state-controlled space corporation

August 22, 2023
A failed lunar mission dents Russian pride and reflects deeper problems with Moscow's space industry
Science

Climate change doubled chance of weather conditions that led to record Quebec fires, researchers say

Climate change more than doubled the chances of the hot, dry weather that helped fuel the unprecedented wildfire season in eastern Canada that’s driven thousands from their homes and blanketed parts of the U.S. with choking smoke, according to an analysis released Tuesday. What’s more, human-caused climate change made the fire season in Quebec — from May through July — 50% more intense than it otherwise would have been and increased the likelihood of similarly severe fire seasons at least sevenfold, researchers said. “The biggest takeaway is, this is because of us that we have seen so many fires this

August 22, 2023
Climate change doubled chance of weather conditions that led to record Quebec fires, researchers say
Science

India's spacecraft is preparing to land on the moon in the country's second attempt in 4 years

India was counting down to landing a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole Wednesday — an unchartered territory that scientists believe could hold important reserves of frozen water and precious elements. A lander with a rover inside was orbiting before attempting to touch down on the lunar surface, creating an agonizing wait for India’s space scientists in the southern city of Bengaluru. India is making its second attempt in four years to join the United States, the Soviet Union and China in achieving the landmark. India unexpectedly got into a race with Russia, which had planned

August 23, 2023
India's spacecraft is preparing to land on the moon in the country's second attempt in 4 years
Science

Deep-sea 'hot tubs' help octopus moms hatch their eggs faster

Most octopuses lead solitary lives. So scientists were startled to find thousands of octopus huddled together, protecting their eggs at the bottom of the ocean off the central California coast. Now researchers may have solved the mystery of why these pearl octopus congregate: Heat seeping up from the base of an extinct underwater volcano helps their eggs hatch faster. “There are clear advantages of basically sitting in this natural hot tub,” said Janet Voight, an octopus biologist at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago and co-author of the study, which was published Wednesday in Science

August 23, 2023
Deep-sea 'hot tubs' help octopus moms hatch their eggs faster
Science

Tropical storm hits Caribbean, wildfires rage in Greece. What to know about extreme weather now

Flames devoured forests and homes as dozens of wildfires raged across Greece Wednesday, leaving 20 people dead over the past three days, while major blazes burned in northwestern Turkey near the Greek border and on Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands. A major blaze on the northwestern fringe of Athens was torching homes and heading into Parnitha national park, one of the last green areas near the Greek capital. Associated Press photographer Achilleas Chiras captured the march of fire Wednesday through a forest near the village of Sykorrahi in the northeastern Evros region. Here’s what else is happening related to extreme

August 23, 2023
Tropical storm hits Caribbean, wildfires rage in Greece. What to know about extreme weather now
Science

The Fukushima nuclear plant is ready to release radioactive wastewater into sea later Thursday

The operator of the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant will begin releasing the first batch of treated and diluted radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean later Thursday, utility executives said. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings executive Junichi Matsumoto said its final preparations and testing have cleared safety standards and the release will begin in the early afternoon. The release will begin more than 12 years after the meltdowns of three reactors at the plant that was heavily damaged by the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan’s northeastern coast on March 11, 2011. Radioactive water

August 24, 2023
The Fukushima nuclear plant is ready to release radioactive wastewater into sea later Thursday
Science

New gas pipeline rules floated following 2018 blasts in Massachusetts

Federal regulators are proposing a series of rules changes aimed at toughening safety requirements for millions of miles of gas distribution pipelines nationwide following a string of gas explosions in Massachusetts in 2018. These proposed changes are designed to improve safety and ease risk through the improvement of emergency response plans, integrity management plans, operation manuals and other steps, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. This proposal was prompted by the series of blasts that ripped though parts of the Merrimack Valley region of Massachusetts. The explosions and fires in

August 24, 2023
New gas pipeline rules floated following 2018 blasts in Massachusetts
Science

As research grows into how to stop gun violence, one city looks to science for help

“That’s where I got shot,” said Rashaad Woods, nodding toward a convenience store in Knoxville’s “gun zone.” There were bullet holes in a church’s walls. Nearby was a shuttered nightclub where some people were killed. “There was a point in time I wasn’t comfortable standing here,” said Kodi Mills, 45. “But that time is passing.” The men work for Turn Up Knox, a year-old outreach program that mentors kids and defuses situations that could escalate into violence. It’s a centerpiece of the Tennessee city’s attempt to follow a science-based playbook in fighting a surge in shootings.

August 24, 2023
As research grows into how to stop gun violence, one city looks to science for help
Science

London Zoo's animals, from tarantulas to tigers, get their annual weigh-in

Staff at London Zoo got the measure of giant gorillas, plump penguins and skinny stick insects at the zoo’s annual animal weigh-in on Thursday. Zookeepers tempted squirrel monkeys onto scales, totted up tarantulas and used a curry-scented measuring stick to coax Sumatran tigers to stretch out. Staff at the zoo, which is home to some 14,000 animals, will take several days to weigh and measure every mammal, bird, reptile, fish and invertebrate in its care. The results go into a database that is shared with zoos around the world. Angela Ryan, head of zoological operations at London

August 24, 2023
London Zoo's animals, from tarantulas to tigers, get their annual weigh-in

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