Why Are Sharks Swarming in Florida?
Posted on June 30, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 719 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
Seeing one shark is enough to scare most swimmers out of the water. Seeing thousands of sharks in the water — and many leaping into the air as they hunt for prey — could be enough to keep a swimmer out of the water for life.
That's the scenario greeting beachgoers this week in Palm Beach County, Fla., where as many as 15,000 sharks are swarming in the area's warm shallow waters, the Palm Beach Daily News reports.
[Read More]'Warm Blob' in Pacific Ocean to Blame for Wonky US Weather
Posted on June 29, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 613 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
A blob of warm water in the Pacific Ocean may be to blame for some of the bizarre weather in the United States this year, a new study suggests.
From the dry spell in the West to the East Coast's endless snow season, the country has seen its share of weird weather so far in 2015. For that, scientists say, you can thank (or curse) a long, skinny blob in the Pacific Ocean about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) off the West Coast, stretching all the way from Mexico to Alaska.
[Read More]Alan Alda Asks: 'What Is Time?'
Posted on June 29, 2023
| 2 minutes
| 349 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
Actor Alan Alda has a question for scientists around the world. He wants to know what time is.
Oh, and he wants the explanation in words an 11-year-old would understand.
Alda, known for his roles on the television show "M*A*S*H" and "The West Wing," has turned his interest toward science communication as a founding member of the Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University in New York. Last year, he challenged scientists to answer the question "
[Read More]Eerie Dark Swath Extends Across Arabian Satellite Photo
Posted on June 29, 2023
| 2 minutes
| 241 words
| Patria Henriques
The forces of darkness seem to be coalescing in the Arabian Sea in a spooky satellite image taken from space.
But the eerie supernatural effect, in which the tentacles of darkness seem to be intruding into regions of light, has a completely ordinary cause: normal weather patterns in the area.
The image was taken on April 11 using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer aboard NASA's Terra satellite. When satellites gather light from above smooth waters, the light reflects upward like a mirror.
[Read More]Hormone Pill Seems to Help Ease Phobias
Posted on June 29, 2023
| 2 minutes
| 395 words
| Trudie Dory
Pills made up of a stress hormone could actually help one fight anxiety and fears.
Nowadays clinical psychologists often treat phobias by using "exposure therapy," in which the patient is repeatedly exposed to frightening scenarios in a controlled manner. This gradually replaces the memories of being afraid in similar circumstances with ones in which there was no reason to be scared. Recently, such techniques have been augmented with virtual reality, which immerses patients in computer-simulated, three-dimensional versions of these situations.
[Read More]How to Get Started on a Weight Loss Program
Posted on June 29, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 636 words
| Arica Deslauriers
If you've made the decision to lose weight, you might be wondering where to begin.
To help you get started, Live Science spoke with many weight loss experts and combed the literature on the topic. Here are some tips for getting started on a weight loss program:
Take a close look at your current lifestyle
Before you embark on a weight loss program, it's a good idea to think carefully about your current lifestyle and to identify behaviors that might have contributed to weight gain.
[Read More]Humans May Have 'Magnetic' Sixth Sense
Posted on June 29, 2023
| 2 minutes
| 421 words
| Trudie Dory
Humans may have a sixth sense after all, suggests a new study finding that a protein in the human retina, when placed into fruit flies, has the ability to detect magnetic fields.
The researchers caution that the results suggest this human protein has the capability to work as a magnetosensor; however, whether or not humans use it in that way is not known.
"It poses the question, 'maybe we should rethink about this sixth sense,'"
[Read More]Ice World: Gallery of Awe-Inspiring Glaciers
Posted on June 29, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 526 words
| Trudie Dory
Mountains of IceAlthough they've been on the retreat since Earth's last ice age, glaciers still have the power to amaze. These frozen masses of ice cover 10 percent of Earth's land area, appearing on every continent, even Africa, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Here are a few notables. (Above, glacial ice at Parque Nacional los Glaciares in Argentina.)
Aletsch Glacier, SwitzerlandThe largest and longest glacier in Europe snakes among mountain peaks like a river frozen in time.
[Read More]If the Sun Is 93 Million Miles Away, Why Can't We Look Directly at It?
Posted on June 29, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 839 words
| Trudie Dory
During next month's Great American Total Solar Eclipse, you may be tempted to take in the historic event by gazing directly at the sun, but you absolutely should not do this without the proper eye protection, experts say.
That's because, even though the sun is some 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) away, it can still cause serious, and sometimes irreversible, eye damage.
"Even very short direct observation of the sun has the potential to cause damage,"
[Read More]Like Humans, Rats Experience Regret, Study Suggests
Posted on June 29, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 656 words
| Trudie Dory
Just as humans lament not pursuing a lover or bemoan having eaten that extra slice of chocolate cake, rats may experience feelings of regret, too, new research suggests.
When rats were given the option of visiting rooms that contained different foods, and they skipped a good deal for a worse one, they glanced back at the former room, rushed through eating the snack and were more likely to tolerate longer wait times for what they considered the more desirable food , researchers found.
[Read More]