Retreating Ice Exposes Arctic Landscape Unseen for 120,000 Years
Posted on March 17, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 700 words
| Trudie Dory
The retreat of Arctic glaciers is exposing landscapes that haven't seen the sun for nearly 120,000 years.
These rocky vistas have very likely been covered in ice since the Eemian, a period in which average temperatures were up to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) warmer than present, and sea levels up to 30 feet (9 meters) higher.
"The last century of warmth is likely greater than any century prior to this going back 120,000 years,"
[Read More]Salton Sea Volcano Mystery Solved
Posted on March 17, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 813 words
| Trudie Dory
Earthquake swarms and a region-wide rotten egg smell recently reminded Southern California residents they live next to an active volcano field, tiny though it may be.
At the time, scientists said the phenomena did not reflect changes in the magma chamber below the Salton Sea. But now, researchers may need to revise estimates of the potential hazard posed by the Salton Buttes — five volcanoes at the lake's southern tip.
[Read More]Silent But Deadly: Half of All Heart Attacks Have No Symptoms
Posted on March 17, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 647 words
| Trudie Dory
Nearly half of all heart attacks may have no symptoms at all — but that doesn't mean they're any less deadly than heart attacks with symptoms, a new study finds.
"Silent" heart attacks account for 45 percent of all attacks in the U.S., according to the study, published today (May 16) in the journal Circulation.
In addition, the researchers also found that silent heart attacks raise a person's risk of dying from heart disease by three times, compared with if they had not had a heart attack.
[Read More]This Florida City Is Nation's Happiest for 3rd Year in a Row
Posted on March 17, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 583 words
| Patria Henriques
Residents of the Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island metro area reported the highest scores on a Gallup-Sharecare's survey of well-being, conducted in 2016 and 2017. The survey included people in 186 U.S. metro areas, and the scores were averaged over a two-year period.
Overall, the Naples metro area scored 67.6 out of 100 on the survey's measure of well-being. Runners-up in the poll include Barnstable Town, Massachusetts, in the second position, and Boulder, Colorado, in third, according to Gallup-Sharecare.
[Read More]Traces of Earth's Oldest Animals Possibly Found
Posted on March 17, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 728 words
| Fernande Dalal
When did animal life first emerge on Earth?
The long-buried answer to that question lies not in fossilized shells or bones, but in the preserved chemicals from animals' bodies that have been found in ancient rocks.
Ancient chemical traces, known as biomarkers, have revealed that sponges existed at least 635 million years ago and perhaps as far back as 660 million years ago, making them the oldest known form of animal life, a new study finds.
[Read More]What Is Vitamin D?
Posted on March 17, 2023
| 8 minutes
| 1502 words
| Fernande Dalal
Vitamin D is the only vitamin we can make by standing in the sun. We can also eat it in fish, beef liver and mushrooms. Most milk, cereal and orange juice is fortified with vitamin D, so many people supplement their vitamin D without even thinking about it. Yet there is a growing debate among doctors over whether Americans are getting enough vitamin D.
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and is crucial to building healthy bones.
[Read More]What's Behind the Recent Rise in Autism in the US?
Posted on March 17, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 674 words
| Arica Deslauriers
The percentage of kids with autism in the United States continues to rise, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The report found that, in 2014, an estimated 1 in 59 children had autism, up from 1 in 68 children in 2012, and 1 in 88 children in 2008. The findings are based on data from more than 300,000 8-year-old children living in 11 diverse communities across the United States.
[Read More]Zepp Golf Swing Analyzer: Sports Tracker Review
Posted on March 17, 2023
| 8 minutes
| 1704 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
The Zepp sensor is a small, wearable device that clips onto the top of your golf glove, and tracks all of the components of your swing — including club speed, swing plane, hip rotation, tempo and backswing position. The device is an option for any golfers who want a few pointers on improving their games, and it would be useful for avid golfers as well as those who only hit the green a few times a year.
[Read More]13 Facts About Friday the 13th
Posted on March 16, 2023
| 5 minutes
| 902 words
| Patria Henriques
If you fear Friday the 13th, then batten down the hatches. This week's unlucky day is the first of three this year.
The next Friday the 13th comes in March, followed by Nov. 13. Such a triple whammy comes around only every 11 years, said Thomas Fernsler, a math specialist at the University of Delaware who has studied the number 13 for more than 20 years.
By the numbers
Here are 13 more facts about the infamous day, courtesy of Fernsler and some of our own research:
[Read More]A Speck of Weapons-Grade Plutonium Is Missing in Idaho
Posted on March 16, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 433 words
| Trudie Dory
Today in jeepers: There's a speck of weapons-grade plutonium missing in Idaho.
According to a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) statement, 1 gram (0.04 ounces) of plutonium-239 — about the weight of a paper clip — disappeared from Idaho State University. It last turned up in the university's records in 2004, along with 13 other gram-size pieces of plutonium that are still accounted for.
Victor Dricks, an NRC spokesperson, said that university staff identified a problem with the now-missing speck of plutonium in 2004, so they triple-bagged it in clearly marked protective covers and set it aside for disposal.
[Read More]