mastodon 4.7.3Flipboard's page for news about science including space, climate change and more — from trusted sources. All posts written by human editors, especially for Mastodon.
For more science coverage, follow Flipboard's federated Science Desk (@science@flipboard.com).
Get the Flipboard app to explore all your interests in one place: https://about.flipboard.com/download-flipboard/
Header photo: Warming stripes for New York City, 1869-2023. Source: Climate Central.
One thing about America: No modern city has ever run out of water. That could be changing in Texas. The reservoirs of Corpus Christi, a city with a population of around 317,000, are on track to completely dry up by next year. @InsideClimate@flipboard.com has more:
Alcohol is perhaps the world's deadliest drug, causing millions of deaths, destroying lives and families. Yet in the U.S., at least, it's not seen as a public health emergency. @STAT@newsie.social has created this @Flipboard@flipboard.social Storyboard about the booze epidemic, and how mass death and sickening of Americans due to drinking is a generational failure of health, industry and government systems, not an inevitability.
City birds appear to be more afraid of women than men, and scientists have no idea why.
From @SciAm@flipboard.com: "I fully believe our results, that urban birds react differently based on the sex of the person approaching them,” said a co-author of a study that made this finding, “but I can’t explain them right now."
"Seismic data have captured the tense quiet of the COVID-19 lockdowns and the thunderous excitement of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. And now, another human experience has been written in seismic signals: the shock and awe of witnessing a total solar eclipse."
From Science News: https://flip.it/.8_R9N
The wide-brimmed Sombrero galaxy is revealed in all its splendor by a telescope in Chile.
@AssociatedPress@flipboard.com reports: "Located approximately 30 million light-years away, this spiral galaxy — formally known as Messier 104 — is one of the largest in the constellation Virgo cluster."
Tiny organs are about to hit the big time. @BeGiant2026@flipboard.com talks to Professor Milica Radisic, who leads a lab that creates microscopic hearts, kidneys and lungs that can then be used to test new drugs.
The Trump administration fires independent board overseeing the National Science Foundation in the U.S.
@AssociatedPress@flipboard.com reports: "It’s typically made up of 25 members appointed by the president who serve staggered, six-year terms. The fired scientists hail from academia and industry and specialize in areas including astronomy, math, chemistry and aerospace engineering."
When a species goes extinct, not only does the animal vanish, but its relationships to surviving species often becomes complicated, too. So, imagine between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago, when many of the world’s largest creatures — elephant-sized sloths, three-ton wombats, massive saber-toothed cats — were wiped out. Phys.org tells us how those extinctions are still being felt today:
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) moves warm, salty water northward from the tropics, where it sinks and shifts cold water south, benefiting marine life and regulating the climate. However, this huge system of currents may be on the verge of collapse. Could building a giant dam between Russia and Alaska save it? Read more from @LiveScience@flipboard.com:
"An analysis of ancient teeth is giving scientists a rare peek into interactions between human relatives hundreds of thousands of years ago that have left a lasting imprint on our species."
@AssociatedPress@flipboard.com reports on a new study that reveals genetic clues about a human ancestor called Homo erectus.
Running has become increasingly popular in recent years. But rising temperatures and air pollution are making it harder to put in that extra mile — or get out there at all. @TheConversationClimate@newsie.social has more, including how “the relationship between running, climate change and consumption is wickedly ironic.”
#Science #ClimateChange #Running #Fitness #Exercise #GlobalWarming
This might sound crazy but imagine if the name you gave your newborn affected the shape of your offspring’s face over time. After all, George Orwell once famously said “At 50, everyone has the face he deserves.” Research supports Orwell’s observation. But do names play a role? Read more from @sciencefocus@flipboard.com: