GOP candidate Donald Trump has called climate change “a hoax.” Kamala Harris, who appears likely to claim the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, has said “the urgency of the moment is clear.” Yale Climate Connections moves beyond the rhetoric to compare both candidates on climate. https://flip.it/bKvViS #Science#ClimateChange#KamalaHarris#DonaldTrump#GlobalWarming#Politics
Sometimes an accident leads to a positive outcome. Take the Mars Curiosity Rover, which mistakenly rolled its 1,900-pound body over a rock, causing it to crack open and reveal yellow crystals of elemental sulfite brimstone. Science Alert has more on this rare finding: https://flip.it/juFZ0B #Science#Space#NASA#Mars#Curiosity#SpaceExploration
Metallic nodules scattered across the seabed in the Indian and Pacific oceans are a source of oxygen for nearby marine life — a finding that could upend our understanding of the deep ocean. It also raises concerns about the impact of deep-sea mining. New Scientist explains: https://flip.it/cB-2p0 #Science#Ocean#Geology#MarineLife
Crocodiles that were nearly extinct make a comeback in Cambodia.
CNN reports: "Siamese crocodiles are a freshwater species that can grow up to 4 meters (13.1 feet) in length. ... hunting and large-scale farming, which impacted its wetland habitat, drove the species to the brink of extinction."
The James Webb Space Telescope has shown some of the earliest and most distant galaxies ever seen. Many believed that the revelations were “breaking” our understanding of the Big Bang. Live Science tells us how the truth is much more nuanced — and much more interesting. https://flip.it/x-KSX- #Science#Space#JWST#SpaceExploration
Things just got a little easier (too easy?) for U.S. students taking the ACT exam, the standardized test for college admissions. The science section will now be optional. Read more from NPR: https://flip.it/Ne9fEA #Science#Education#USA#College#School
You probably haven’t noticed, but the days are getting a bit longer. The reason is climate change. Two new studies suggest that as polar ice sheets rapidly melt, the planet is changing shape, which is slowing its rotation. Hence, longer days, if only by a few milliseconds per day. USA Today reports: https://flip.it/guQhJy #Science#ClimateChange#Earth#GlobalWarming
Next time you’re flying about near Venus, keep your ears open for some Missy Elliot. NASA has recently made special use of its communication system, called the Deep Space Network, by sending the lyrics of Elliot’s song “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” to Venus. “Both space exploration and Missy Elliott’s art have been about pushing boundaries,” said Brittany Brown, director of NASA’s Digital and Technology. Read more from DigitalTrends: https://flip.it/i1x8Z1 #Science#Space#SpaceExploration#Music#MissyElliot#HipHop
Let’s talk about one of the Science Desk’s “favorite” subjects: bowel movements. How often you go, or don’t go, might say a lot about your long-term health, a new study says. Researchers put their participants’ self-reported frequencies into four groups: constipation, low-normal, high-normal and diarrhea. Not too difficult to see which categories you want to be in. Science Alert has more, including what you can do to improve your prospects. https://flip.it/lG2PN8 #Science#Health#Humans#Biology#Nutrition
Sotheby's has auctioned off the skeleton of a dinosaur named Apex, billed as "the finest for Stegosaurus to ever come to market," for almost $45 million, a record.
USA Today says it's the most expensive fossil ever sold.
Fixing Boeing's leaky Starliner — and returning NASA's stranded astronauts to Earth — is much harder than it sounds.
Live Science reports: "Astronauts are stuck on the International Space Station after yet more problems with Boeing's beleaguered Starliner. Here's why an investigation into the issues is so difficult, even for NASA."
Uncontacted Amazon tribe photographed in unusual sighting near logging area in Peru
NBC News reports: "More than 750 people strong, [the Mashco Piro people] are believed to be the world’s largest uncontacted tribe, having survived massacres and enslavement during the rubber boom of the 19th century."
NBC News reports: "Researchers have been racing to determine what kind of temperatures humans can survive in without air conditioning in a warming world."