On Monday, the Imperial College report on COVID-19 was released and the results are terrifying. For those who may not know, the Imperial College in London “has advised the government on its response to previous epidemics, including SARS, avian flu and swine flu,” reports The New York Times. “With ties to the World Health Organization and a team of 50 scientists,…
Tag: civil war
South Sudan Is Building Its Electric Grid Virtually From Scratch
After years of civil war, South Sudan is beginning to build the nation’s electric sector from the ground up. “With only a handful of oil-fired power plants and crumbling poles and wires in place, the country is striving for a system that runs primarily on renewable energy and reaches more homes and businesses,” reports IEEE Spectrum. From the report: Today, only…
‘Witch bottle’ found in Virginia dates to the Civil War
A Civil War artifact found in Virginia could represent a type of talisman that was popular for protection against evil: a so-called witch bottle. Source: https://www.livescience.com/witch-bottle-civil-war.html
98.6 Degrees Fahrenheit Isn’t the Average Anymore
schwit1 shares a report from The Wall Street Journal: Nearly 150 years ago, [German physician Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich] analyzed a million temperatures from 25,000 patients and concluded that normal human-body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. In a new study, researchers from Stanford University argue that Wunderlich’s number was correct at the time but is no longer accurate because the human…
Artifacts Shipped from Sri Lanka to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Raise Eyebrows
A massive trove of potentially stolen “artifacts” has been shipped from Sri Lanka, a country recovering from a civil war, to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! — a company known for its unusual objects. Source: https://www.livescience.com/sri-lanka-artifacts-shipped-ripleys.html
Cut Undersea Cable Plunges Yemen Into Days-Long Internet Outage
Last week, the internet went dark for Yemen and its 28 million citizens. It’s still not fully back today. In fact, the entire Red Sea region has dealt with slow to nonexistent connectivity since the severing of a single submarine cable on Thursday. Wired reports: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Ethiopia all felt major effects from last week’s cut of the…
Today in science: Happy birthday Albert J. Myer
As you check your local weather forecast today, give a nod to Albert J. Myer, born on this date in 1828, who helped to establish the US National Weather Service. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/albert-j-myers-birthday-national-weather-service…