A new report from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service shows that the global average temperature from January to October of this year is the highest ever recorded, dangerously close to the 1.5 degree Celsius warming threshold. October was 0.4 degrees Celsius (0.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the previous record for the month in 2019, and it is virtually certain that 2023 will be the hottest year on record. This could bring about significant challenges for people worldwide, so it is important that governments and citizens take action to reduce emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Posts published in “Science”
The European Space Agency's Euclid telescope has released its first color images, showcasing galaxies, clusters of stars, and stellar nurseries. The telescope is part of a mission to probe the nature of dark energy and dark matter, and one of the images is of the Perseus galaxy cluster, containing thousands of galaxies embedded in a vast cloud of hot gas. The mission is expected to provide new insights into the nature of dark energy and dark matter, and will be launched in 2022.
An analysis presented at the American Heart Association's annual meeting revealed that there can be up to five years' difference between a person's chronological and biological age, and that having high cardiovascular health may slow the pace of biological aging. The study found that following the Life's Essential 8 behaviors may be an effective way to slow the aging process and improve overall health.
Stephen Tyler Bieneman has been accused of assaulting a woman at a U.S. research station in Antarctica and has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge. Despite this, he was sent to a remote icefield for a week to protect the safety of a professor and three graduate students. Questions have been raised about the decision-making of the National Science Foundation and the safety of those in the field, but the agency has yet to comment on the incident.
The Pentagon has launched a new online tool to report government activity related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs), commonly known as UFOs. The All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) has created a form for current or former government employees, contractors, and service members to submit information related to UAPs. The information submitted through the website will be used in a report on UAPs, and is part of the AARO's increased interest in the phenomenon.
The FDA is considering the approval of exa-cel, a new drug developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals that could be the first cure available for many patients with sickle cell disease. The illness affects an estimated 100,000 people in the U.S., mostly Black, and causes anemia, pain, and organ damage. If approved, exa-cel would be the first drug to use the groundbreaking gene-editing tool CRISPR and provide a universally available, potentially curative option for individuals with sickle cell. The FDA is expected to make a decision on the drug in the coming months.
Unprecedented Discovery of Ancient Landscape Beneath East Antarctic Ice Sheet Revealed by Scientists
Unprecedented Discovery of Ancient Landscape Beneath East Antarctic Ice Sheet Revealed by Scientists
Scientists have discovered a hidden landscape of hills and valleys beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, estimated to be at least 14 million years old. The landscape was mapped using radar data from the European Space Agency's CryoSat-2 satellite, and the researchers warn that human-driven global warming could threaten to expose the ancient landscape. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications and could help to better understand the history of the Antarctic ice sheet and how it has responded to climate change in the past.
On October 14th, 2023, the United States experienced a rare "ring of fire" annular solar eclipse, visible from Oregon to Texas. The moon passed between the Earth and the sun while at its farthest point, creating a crescent-shaped shadow and a "ring of fire" in the sky. Crowds gathered along the narrow path of the eclipse to cheer, and the eclipse coincided with an international balloon fiesta in Albuquerque. The next annular solar eclipse visible from American skies will be in June 21, 2039, passing only over Alaska.