As more and more plastic trash permeates the oceans, microplastics are making their way into fish and shellfish, and potentially into humans. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/hundreds-fish-species-consume-microplastics-including-human-food…
Tag: scientific study
New strain of Covid-19 explained
A new strain of the virus that causes Covid-19 appears to be spreading fast in the the UK. Why it matters that the coronavirus is changing, and what it means for vaccine effectiveness. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/new-strain-of-covid-19-explained…
Leonid meteor shower is building to a peak
The peak of the Leonids is likely to be before sunup on November 17, 2020. But people already catching some Leonids. Keep an eye out this weekend. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/leonid-meteors-before-dawn-november-17…
Independent review indicates NASA prepared for Mars sample return campaign
NASA released an independent review report Tuesday indicating the agency is well positioned for its Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign to bring pristine samples from Mars to Earth for scientific study. The agency established the MSR Independent Review Board (IRB) to evaluate its early concepts for a groundbreaking, international partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) to return the first samples from…
Earth’s glaciers and ice sheets are melting
Several new studies released in recent weeks paint a dire picture of the ongoing melting of Earth’s freshwater ice sheets and glaciers, 99% of which are found in Greenland and Antarctica. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/ice-sheets-glaciers-tearing-loose-worst-case-vulnerable…
Borneo’s ‘carnivorous’ squirrel actually mainly eats one kind of seed
The Bornean tufted ground squirrel reputedly kills and eats deer – but the first scientific study of the rodent suggests it mainly feeds on the seeds of one tree Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2251844-borneos-carnivorous-squirrel-actually-mainly-eats-one-kind-of-seed/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Woman Who Harassed Starbucks Barista Now Wants Half the Money He Raised
destinyland writes: Amber Lynn Gilles walked into a Starbucks without a mask, later complaining on Facebook about the server who’d asked her to wear one. (“Next time I will wait for cops and bring a medical exemption!”) She says she’s surprised by the attention “my little review” attracted. A GoFundMe campaign supporting the Starbucks barista who had to deal with her…
Insects have declined worldwide since 1925
A new study has offered the clearest indication yet of how insects all over the world are faring. The researchers studied data on the numbers and total weight of insects and arachnids (spiders and mites) sampled in 41 countries on five continents. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/insects-declined-worldwide-since-1925…
Snopes Disputes ‘Shakiness’ of COVID-19 Origin Story Claimed By Washington Post OpEd
Thursday an Opinion piece in the Washington Post touted what the paper’s own health policy reporter has described as “a conspiracy theory that has been repeatedly debunked by experts.” That conspiracy theory argues that instead of originating in the wild, the COVID-19 virus somehow escaped from a research lab. Now the fact-checking web site Snopes has also weighed in this week,…
How Did Covid-19 Begin? WaPo OpEd Calls Its Origin Story ‘Shaky’
The story of how the novel coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China, has produced a nasty propaganda battle between the United States and China. Columnist David Ignatius writes in an opinion piece for The Washington Post: The two sides have traded some of the sharpest charges made between two nations since the Soviet Union in 1985 falsely accused the CIA of manufacturing…