Photos: Drilling into Antarctic Subglacial Lake Mercer

 Posted on May 5, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  506 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Extreme ErthThe team of scientific researchers and technicians flew into their camp on the West Antarctic ice sheet above subglacial Lake Mercer in mid-December. The expedition included one planeload and several snow-tractor loads of equipment that would be used to drill down to the subglacial lake, more than 3,500 feet (1068 m) below the surface. [Read more about the Lake Mercer expedition] Quick drill?The expedition used hot-water drilling equipment to bore a hole through the ice sheet to the subglacial lake. [Read More]

Photos: June Snowstorm Hits Glacier National Park

 Posted on May 5, 2023  |  1 minutes  |  188 words  |  Patria Henriques

Snow Storm StrikesA surprise late-season snow storm pummeled Montana's Glacier National Park and parts of Utah and Idaho on June 17. Glacier National Park is notorious for its unpredictable weather. The Snow Fall BeginsHere the snow is just beginning to fall. The snow storm delayed the opening of the popular Going-to-the-Sun Road in the park. Sperry Chalet Gets BuriedSperry Chalet in the northern part of the park was blanketed with over a foot (0. [Read More]

Sexism and Racism Linked to Personality

 Posted on May 5, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  518 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Sexism and racism go hand-in-hand, suggests new research that finds sexist and racist people are those who are likely to approve of hierarchies. The results suggest that racist and sexist attitudes are linked to personality, said study researcher Maite Garaigordobil, a psychologist at the University of the Basque Country in Spain. "Sexism is linked to authoritarianism and a leaning towards social dominance," Garaigordobil said in a statement. "In other words, sexist people accept hierarchies and social inequality, they believe that different social groups have a status that they deserve, and they feel that the social class to which they belong is the best. [Read More]

Space Radiation Doesn't Seem to Be Causing Astronauts to Die from Cancer, Study Finds

 Posted on May 5, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  461 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Outer space is a notoriously harsh environment, exposing astronauts to high levels of radiation. And radiation exposure can increase cancer and heart disease rates in earthbound humans. But a new study has some good news: Space radiation doesn't seem to increase astronauts' risk of death from cancer or heart disease, at least not at the doses they experienced during historical missions. Still, longer missions — such a mission to Mars — will likely come with much greater radiation doses that could pose larger health risks, the authors said. [Read More]

Trump Holds Up Doctored Hurricane Map, Meteorologists Cringe

 Posted on May 5, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  426 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

As Hurricane Dorian bore down on the Atlantic coast on Wednesday (Sept. 4), meteorologists suddenly found themselves facing an unexpected hurricane hazard: a president with a Sharpie pen.  In a White House briefing, President Donald Trump held up a hurricane advisory map from Thursday (Aug. 29) showing Dorian's five-day "cone of uncertainty" potentially passing over Florida. At the end of the cone was a addendum: a loop drawn with a black Sharpie covering Alabama. [Read More]

Why Don't Monkeys Talk Like Us?

 Posted on May 5, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  804 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

There is little doubt that non-human primates like Koko the gorilla are very intelligent. Koko, for example, uses sign language to communicate with people, telling them that she loves her pet cats, Miss Black and Miss Grey. Koko, however, is noticeably the strong and silent type, at least when it comes to speaking our language. She doesn't say a word. They may not always show it, but new research, published in the journal Science Advances, suggests that non-human primates, even monkeys down on the food chain, have the vocal anatomy to produce clearly intelligible human speech. [Read More]

Big Lots Recalls Floor Lamps

 Posted on May 4, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  282 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Big Lots, of Columbus, Ohio, announced a voluntary recall of about 43,700 Five-Light Floor Lamps. Hazard: The wiring for the lamp’s light sockets can become exposed, posing a risk of electric shock to consumers. In addition, use of the recommended standard 40 watt light bulbs can generate excessive heat, which can melt the double plastic shades over the bulbs. Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received four reports of melting lamp shades. [Read More]

Contaminated Cocaine: Docs Puzzled Before Realizing Patient's Habit

 Posted on May 4, 2023  |  5 minutes  |  929 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

A woman who developed a rare type of skin lesion mystified doctors, until they realized she was using cocaine that was tainted with a very common contaminant, according to a recent report of her case. The 42-year-old woman came to the hospital suffering from joint and muscle pain, abdominal pain, and sores on her skin. Although she said she wasn't using drugs, a hair test eventually revealed that she had both cocaine and a drug called levamisole in her system. [Read More]

Dieters, Beware: 9 Myths That Can Make You Fat

 Posted on May 4, 2023  |  6 minutes  |  1080 words  |  Patria Henriques

IntroAs if dieting wasn't hard enough. Even if you have the will power to stick to a diet plan, you may come across much misinformation that could prevent your diet from being truly effective. Here are nine common myths that could derail your diet plans. Myth: A big breakfast will keep you from eating too much later in the day.It's a bad idea to skip breakfast because you're more likely to reach for extra morning snacks but this doesn't mean a big breakfast is good idea either. [Read More]

Earth tipped on its side (and back again) in 'cosmic yo-yo' 84 million years ago

 Posted on May 4, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  690 words  |  Fernande Dalal

(opens in new tab)Earth has not always been upright. Turns out, the planet's crust tipped on its side and back again around 84 million years ago, in a phenomenon that researchers have dubbed a "cosmic yo-yo."  The actual name for the tipping is true polar wander (TPW), which occurs when the outer layers of a planet or moon move around its core, tilting the crust relative to the object's axis. [Read More]