Number 299
Common low-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds
Sugar-free gum and toothpaste are among many consumer products and foods that contain xylitol.
== yjc, for those of us living in or near the Fraser River valley
== makes a certain amount of sense, but then I don’t have a farm on the lake bed
B.C. politicians debate reflooding Sumas Prairie
New UBC report says restoring the lake would help with climate adaptation
Carbon Dioxide Levels In the Atmosphere Are Surging ‘Faster Than Ever,’ Report Finds
One of the major drivers of the exceptional heat building within Earth’s atmosphere has reached levels beyond anything humans have ever experienced.
4 years later, COVID remains a year-round threat. Here’s why this virus isn’t seasonal quite yet
Scientists bracing for another summer wave as virus continues to evolve.
== yjc, was manditory reading in my 1st year english lit class at Royal Roads
How did the Isle of Jura help shape Orwell’s masterpiece?
Nineteen Eighty-Four celebrates 75 years in print on Saturday
== yjc
This elderly, 1-eyed wolf keeps going strong and having pups. And she’s the leader of her pack
At 11, 907F is three times older than the average grey wolf at Yellowstone, and she’s just had her 10th litter
Earth Broke Heat Records 12 Months Straight
May 2024 was the warmest May on record, marking the 12th consecutive month in which the global average temperature reached a record value for the corresponding month.
Radio Signal From Space Repeats Every Hour, Defying Explanation
While they have some ideas about its origin it can’t be explained by our current understanding of physics.
Crossbows and eerie silences – following Antarctic whales for climate change clues
Inside the bodies of humpback whales are clues about how climate change is transforming Antarctica.
Musk’s Starship rocket makes breakthrough ocean landing
SpaceX’s Starship makes a successful launch and splashdown.
Boeing’s Starliner capsule docks with ISS after facing thruster issues
Spacecraft launched with a known helium leak on Wednesday.
New tools—from drones to crossbows to suction-cup cameras—are helping researchers understand bowhead whales in the Canadian Arctic.
Sailing in Alaska? Watch Out for Tsunamis
Tour boat operators and cruise ship captains face a growing hazard: tsunamis generated by collapsing cliffs.
Most Life on Earth is Dormant, After Pulling an ‘Emergency Brake’
Many microbes and cells are in deep sleep, waiting for the right moment to activate. Biologists discovered a widespread protein that abruptly shuts down a cell’s activity — and turns it back on just as fast.
== yjc
Remote Amazon Tribe Connects To Internet, Gets Addicted To Porn and Social Media
A leader of an association of the tribe’s villages lamented that the boys, now with their own group chats, were sharing porn and other explicit videos — which is unprecedented in their culture that considers kissing in public taboo.
== yjc
Shark seen regurgitating echidna in surprising first
A tiger shark in northern Australia has given researchers the surprise of their lives.
== do flu strains talk to each other?
WHO confirms 1st fatal human case of H5N2 bird flu
The death in Mexico was the first laboratory-confirmed human case of infection with A(H5N2) subtype of bird flu reported globally.
Major cause of inflammatory bowel disease found
They found a weak spot in our DNA that is present in 95% of people with the disease.
== wow, 34+ years
Aging Hubble Telescope Moves To ‘One-Gyro’ Operations
Despite gyroscope failures, NASA expects its famed space telescope to last for years.
== whatever internet addiction might be, British perspective, but…
Internet Addiction Alters Brain Chemistry In Young People, Study Finds
Changes in multiple neural networks can result in further addictive tendencies and negative behaviours, researchers say.
== expect this applies to Canada as well
More Than Half of US Adults Will Have Cardiovascular Disease By 2050, Research Finds
By 2050, 61% of U.S. adults will have cardiovascular disease, driven mainly by high blood pressure, according to new American Heart Association research.
No physics? No problem. AI weather forecasting is already making huge strides.
New model that predicts global weather can run on a single desktop computer.
Glitching radio waves from dead stars explained by swirling superfluid
The highly magnetic neutron star underwent two massive shifts in velocity and then slowed down due to powerful magnetar winds.
== AI development may change this lengthy analysis
Monthly Drop Hints That China’s CO2 Emissions May Have Peaked in 2023
Wind and solar growth pushed fossil fuels’ share of electricity generation in China down to 63.6% in March 2024, from 67.4% a year earlier, despite strong growth in demand.
==yjc, I am a regular Stack Overflow user; but possibly worse, Stack Overflow content is going to be used to train AI
Cybercriminal Posed as ‘Helpful’ Stack Overflow User To Push Malware
Cybercriminals are abusing Stack Overflow in an interesting approach to spreading malware — answering users’ questions by promoting a malicious PyPi package that installs Windows information-stealing malware.
Male Birth Control Gel Continues to Show Promise
New research shows that the NES/T gel can effectively suppress men’s fertility in as little as four weeks.
== yjc, lengthy, certainly a little concerning
What Happened After a Reporter Tracked Down The Identity Thief Who Stole $5,000
An identity thief stole $5,000 from me. I spent two years tracking down how.
‘Bee safe’ label on pesticides needs to be re-evaluated, University of Guelph researchers say
The Ontario researchers’ study was released ahead of World Bee Day.
== US perspective, expect it may apply world wide
A Simple Fix Could Double the Size of the U.S. Electricity Grid
As developers rush to install wind farms and solar plants the nation’s sagging, out-of-date power lines are being overwhelmed.
Scientists are on a quest for drought-resistant wheat, agriculture’s ‘Holy Grail’
It would be one of the biggest victories in agricultural research if achieved.
New blood test ‘can predict’ breast cancer return
Lead researcher believes the test lays the groundwork for better monitoring and treatment.
== this result was mentioned in a previous news item
Chinese scientists develop cure for diabetes, insulin patient becomes medicine-free in just 3 months
Patient, treated in July 2021, no longer requires insulin after eleven weeks, and is now medication-free for 33 months.
The chief executive is increasingly imperiled by A.I., just like the writer of news releases and the customer service representative.
Vehicle Electrification Could Require 55% More Copper Mines in the Next 30 Years
Just to meet business-as-usual trends, 115% more copper must be mined in the next 30 years than has been mined historically until now.
China says its spacecraft lands on Moon’s far side
China says its uncrewed craft has successfully landed on the far side of the Moon - an unexplored place almost no-one tries to go.
== rather lengthy, but perhaps worth a read
How Misinformation Spreads? It’s Funded By ‘The Hellhole of Programmatic Advertising’
The internet is a cesspool of misinformation, and the biggest blue-chip brands and their ad agencies are the ones funding it—by stuffing money into a Rube Goldberg machine no one really understands.
Not ‘Quiet Quitting’ - Remote Workers Try ‘Quiet Vacationing’
Unpacking the reasons for ‘quiet vacationing’
World’s First Bioprocessor Uses 16 Human Brain Organoids, Consumes Less Power
Swiss startup claims its Neuroplatform is a first for biocomputing.
Wondered how tomorrow could ever follow today
The mountains and the canyons start to tremble and shake
The children of the sun began to awake (watch out)