Cicadas are back, but climate change is messing with their body clocks.
CBS News reports: "Cicada watchers used to be able to predict their emergence as easily as astronomers could predict the recent solar eclipse. But that has become more challenging as the cicadas' patterns are changing as warm spring days happen more often."
Opus caementicium, also known as Roman concrete, was an ultradurable building material used in the construction of countless monumental buildings that survived extremely harsh conditions for thousands of years. What was the Romans' secret? Heritage Daily has more: https://flip.it/ay8Q9N #Science#Construction#Concrete#RomanEmpire
As if the decision to withdraw life support for patients with traumatic brain injuries weren't excruciating enough, a small modeling study suggests that it has at times been withdrawn too early. The American College of Surgeons recommends full ICU treatment for at least 72 hours. But there are no guidelines in the U.S. as to which patients should be taken off life support and when. Live Science reports: https://flip.it/0-aEj2 #Science#Health#Brain#Injury
Martian meteorites are turning out to be quite an asset. These tiny bits of rock were chipped off of Mars, flung into space, and eventually landed on Earth about 11 million years ago. Today they’re giving scientists new insight into the fine structure of the outer later of the red planet. Science Alert explains: https://flip.it/Lb8hDb #Science#Mars#Earth#Meteorites
Panama’s government recently presented keys to the new houses it was providing for about 300 families from a small island in the San Blas Archipelago. What spurred the kind gesture? Increasing floods and damage from storms caused by climate change. The Atlantic shares more in this photo feature that spotlights the country’s relocation efforts for Indigenous communities threatened by a rising sea and staggering lack of space. https://flip.it/3vegLI #Science#ClimateChange#GlobalWarming#Panama
How much does misinformation affect the people who consume it? Researchers at MIT and Penn set out to analyze the impact of 13,000 headlines on vaccination intentions among roughly 233 million U.S.-based Facebook users. Read more from Science Alert, including what type of content had the biggest influence over vaccine hesitancy. https://flip.it/jbP52i #Science#Health#SocialMedia#Misinformation
AI chatbots and large language models struggle to convey genuine empathy, a new study found, but that’s not the worst of it. Research led by a Stanford computer scientist shows that these conversation agents can also encourage toxic belief systems like Nazism, racism, and sexism. Live Science reports: https://flip.it/Q3T4Uu #Science#AI#ArtificialIntelligence#Chatbots#Empathy
On the lunar surface, a single Earth day would be 56 microseconds shorter — a tiny number that can lead to significant inconsistencies over time. That’s why scientists aren’t just looking to create a new “time zone” for the Moon, but an entirely new “time scale” that accounts for the faster speed at which seconds tick by up there. CNN explains: https://flip.it/V_LgSS #Science#Space#Moon#Time#NASA
Super-charged Atlantic hurricane season poised for intense activity.
AccuWeather reports: "The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is likely to be much worse than last year with 20 to 25 named storms predicted, and experts warn now is the time to prepare before the onslaught of storms and hurricanes begins."
Ancient Egyptian skulls show oldest attempt at cancer surgery.
NBC News reports: "The ancient Egyptians were known for their medical know-how. Texts describe how they would treat a range of illness and injuries, in some cases by building prosthetic limbs and inserting false teeth."
"The world's first wooden satellite has been built by Japanese researchers who said their tiny cuboid craft is scheduled to be carried into space on a SpaceX rocket in September."
CBS News reports: "The creators expect the wooden material will burn up completely when the device re-enters the atmosphere -- potentially providing a way to avoid the creation of metal particles when a retired satellite returns to Earth."