Wildfire prompts evacuation at Turkey power plant

 Posted on February 8, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  387 words  |  Fernande Dalal

(opens in new tab)One of the many raging wildfires in Turkey reached a coal-fired power plant on the country's southwestern coast on Wednesday (Aug. 4), prompting evacuations, according to recent news reports. In the past week, Turkey has been battling intense wildfires, most of them along the Mediterranean Sea and Aegean Sea coasts, according to NASA's Earth Observatory.   Extreme heat, low humidity and strong winds are fueling the fires. [Read More]

Yoga: Benefits, Risks & Different Types

 Posted on February 8, 2023  |  5 minutes  |  1007 words  |  Patria Henriques

Almost every gym and fitness center nowadays offers at least one class in yoga, a workout that involves performing a series of flexibility- and strength-building poses. But yoga is more than just an exercise. It's also a spiritual discipline with a long history — and aspects that don't involve downward-facing dog poses. In fact, the word "yoga" translates loosely to "to yoke" or "hitch up," a phrase that emphasizes the practice's focus on mind-body unity. [Read More]

Your Dog Can Get Sick from Marijuana. Here's How to Prevent Pot Poisoning.

 Posted on February 8, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  807 words  |  Fernande Dalal

If you live with a pet, there is a good chance you consider it to be a member of your family. It is well established that companion animals, ranging from cats and dogs through to birds and rodents, can have a positive health benefit in our lives. When cannabis was legalized in the parts of the United States, there were substantial increases in marijuana-related visits to children's hospitals and calls to poison control centers. [Read More]

'The Martian' Locales on Mars Revealed in NASA Spacecraft Photos

 Posted on February 7, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  356 words  |  Trudie Dory

Newly released photos taken by a NASA spacecraft provide a real-world look at the Red Planet locales where much of the action takes place in the sci-fi epic "The Martian." NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has photographed a plain called Acidalia Planitia and the southwest corner of the 285-mile-wide (460 kilometers) Schiaparelli Crater, the landing sites of the Ares 3 and Ares 4 missions, respectively, in the "The Martian." [Read More]

15 Million Pages of Historic Medical Books to Go Online

 Posted on February 7, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  481 words  |  Trudie Dory

Some 15 million yellowed pages of text and images from arcane 19th-century medical books are about to go digital. Nine British universities and research institutions are sending their collections of important texts from the history of medicine and science to the London-based Wellcome Library so that their rare books and pamphlets can be made freely available online. The digitized collection, dubbed the U.K. Medical Heritage Library, will live on the Internet Archive, which already houses digital copies of hundreds of books in the Wellcome Library that were printed between 1800 and 1900. [Read More]

Aahhhhh! 5 Scary Shark Myths Busted

 Posted on February 7, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  693 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

Something in the waterSharks have a reputation (at least in popular culture) for being fearsome creatures, prone to attack with their sharp, scary teeth. But despite all the interest surrounding sharks, there are many misconceptions about these predators and the important role they play in marine communities. Here are five myths about sharks to celebrate these fascinating creatures during the Discovery Channel's "Shark Week." Myth #1: All sharks eat peopleActually, they don't. [Read More]

Acupuncture Causes Bacterial Infection in Rare Case

 Posted on February 7, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  707 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Acupuncture is usually a safe alternative-medicine treatment, but in rare instances, people who receive the needling technique may develop an infection, a new case report suggests.  In the case, a 67-year-old man in Australia developed a serious bacterial infection after completing a five-week course of acupuncture aimed at relieving the pain and stiffness from his neck arthritis, also known as cervical spondylosis. After feeling feverish and ill for several days and also experiencing worsening neck pain, the man went to the hospital emergency room to find out what was wrong with him, according to the case report, published online Dec. [Read More]

Ancient Megalopolis Uncovered in Israel Was the 'New York City' of Its Time Period

 Posted on February 7, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  654 words  |  Patria Henriques

Archeologists recently discovered an ancient lost city north of Tel Aviv. This large, 5,000-year-old city, bustling with around 6,000 people, was the "early Bronze Age New York," of the region and likely one of the first complex cities in what is now Israel, according to excavation directors at the Israel Antiquities Authority. The archeological site, En Esur, located near the valley of Wadi Ara in northern Hasharon, is around 35 miles (57 kilometers) north of Tel Aviv, and has been undergoing excavations for the past couple of years in preparation for the construction of a new road. [Read More]

Do Mouthwashes Work?

 Posted on February 7, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  395 words  |  Trudie Dory

Over-the-counter mouthwashes do put a stop to bad breath. But some of them also stain teeth, according to a new report on mouthwash effectiveness. The report involved a review of past studies on mouth rinses and bad breath. Up to half of the U.S. population and between 50 percent and 60 percent of the population in France say they suffer from halitosis, or bad breath. The offensive odor is produced by bacteria and food residues that accumulate in the little furrows etched into the tongue and in teeth crevices. [Read More]

Earthquakes Could Trigger Massive Supervolcano Eruptions, Study Suggests

 Posted on February 7, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  707 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Supervolcanoes, such as the one dormant under Yellowstone National Park, may erupt when cracks form in the roofs of the chambers holding their molten rock, according to a new study. If scientists want to monitor supervolcanoes to see which ones are likely to erupt, this finding suggests they should look for telltale signs, such as earthquakes and other factors that might crack the magma chambers of these giant volcanoes. Supervolcanoes are capable of eruptions overshadowing anything in recorded human history — ones in the past could spew more than 500 times more magma and ash than Mount St. [Read More]