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The Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa contains some of the oldest exposed rocks on Earth‚ some over 3.6 billion years old. It also contains some layers‚ a bit younger than that‚ which have perplexed geologists as they looked like a jumble of different rocks put together. Researchers now have a proposal: That portion is evidence of an ancient submarine landslide caused by an ancient quake.If their theory is correct‚ this is the oldest evidence of an earthquake. The rocks are portions of an ancient and deep seafloor aged about 3.3 billion years. But among them‚ there are sedimentary rocks that could not have formed on the ocean floor. Those are rocks that formed either on land or in shallow water‚ such as barite crystals that formed as evaporites – rocks produced by the evaporation of water. Definitely not something that happens at the bottom of the sea.So‚ the question is: how did those very different types of rock get together? Researchers Simon Lamb and Cornel de Ronde realized that the mix of rocks resembled the structures seen off the coast of New Zealand‚ where powerful earthquakes produce the sort of marine landslide that brings material from land and shallow water onto the deep ocean floor.“We realised this map looked remarkably similar to a geological map (by Simon Lamb) made of the aftermath of much more recent submarine landslides. These were triggered by great earthquakes along New Zealand’s largest fault‚ the megathrust in the Hikurangi subduction zone‚” the authors wrote in The Conversation.“The importance of this lies in the fact that New Zealand’s geological record is uniquely created by the profound effects of large earthquakes in a subduction zone. This is still happening today‚ most recently in November 2016‚ when the magnitude 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake set off vast submarine landslides and debris avalanches that flowed down into deep water‚” the authors continued. “We found the oldest record of these earthquakes‚ hidden in the highveld of southern Africa.”This hypothesis is consistent with evidence from other regions of the world that plate tectonics and quakes from the motion of the plates started around that time. But there’s more. The Barberton Greenstone Belt shows evidence of underwater volcanism similar to the dramatic Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption.It is believed that the turmoil of our planet played an important role in the formation of life on Earth – although life might have predated the formation of tectonic plates.A paper on this work is published in the journal Geology.[H/T: The Conversation]

A book bound in human skin has been stripped by Harvard University's Houghton Library following a review prompted by the recommendations put forward in 2022 regarding human remains in museum collections. Harvard Library states the “ethically fraught nature” of the book’s origins and history made it inappropriate for stewardship at the library‚ and are in the process of determining a final respectful disposition of the human skin.Anthropodermic bibliopegy is the name given to the process of binding books in human skin‚ and there are examples housed in museums across the globe. As you might expect for such grim artifacts‚ the portfolio is made up of strange origin stories‚ including several examples – such as the copy of An Authentic and Faithful History of the Mysterious Murder of Maria Marten pictured above – that are allegedly made from the skin of murderers.The book bound in human skin at Houghton Library‚ home to Harvard’s rare books at manuscripts‚ was a copy of Arsène Houssaye’s book Des destinées de l’âme. It was owned by French physician and bibliophile Dr Ludovic Bouland (1839–1933)‚ whose apparent love of books led to the problematic decision to bind his copy in human skin.The skin came from the body of a deceased female patient whose remains were at the hospital where Bouland worked. He took it without consent‚ the patient's identity not known‚ and the book has been in the collections of Harvard Library since 1934."A handwritten note by Bouland inserted into the volume states that 'a book about the human soul deserved to have a human covering'‚" said Tom Hyry‚ Associate University Librarian for Archives and Special Collections and Florence Fearrington Librarian of Houghton Library‚ in a Q&;A with Harvard Library Communications. "Evidence indicates that Bouland bound the book with skin‚ taken from a woman‚ which he had acquired as a medical student. A memo accompanying the book written by John Stetson‚ which has since been lost‚ told us that Bouland took this skin from the body of an unknown deceased woman patient from a French psychiatric hospital."   Rights around human remains came to the fore in 2004 when the Human Tissue Act set firm guidelines as to the proof of consent required to display human remains like the Body Worlds exhibition. Then‚ in 2022‚ further regulations for human remains in museum collections were put forward by the Steering Committee Report.“We must begin to confront the reality of a past in which academic curiosity and opportunity overwhelmed humanity‚” said Lawrence Bacow‚ president of Harvard University‚ in the report.The report triggered a review that exposed several ways in which the stewardship of the human-skin-bound book failed to meet ethical standards. This included the book’s role in an old hazing ritual in which students were dared to retrieve the book‚ not realizing what the binding was made of. When it was confirmed that the binding on the book was indeed human skin back in 2014‚ the Houghton Library also published several blog posts that they say “utilized a sensationalistic‚ morbid‚ and humorous tone.”“Harvard Library acknowledges past failures in its stewardship of the book that further objectified and compromised the dignity of the human being whose remains were used for its binding‚” they said in a statement. “We apologize to those adversely affected by these actions.”There is a rich history of human remains being displayed in ethically dubious ways‚ from the exhibition hall of La Morgue in Paris in 1860‚ to Body Worlds in the modern era. As Bacow said‚ academia has had a significant part to play in the acquisition of human remains through unethical means‚ such as the 130-year-old dissection of the human nervous system‚ believed to have been taken from the body of Harriet Cole.  

Imagine being capable of surviving being frozen to almost absolute zero as well as being put in a kitchen oven on the highest setting; going without water and food for decades; being blasted with radiation; and even being exposed to the vacuum of space (and maybe spread to the Moon). No humans can do that‚ but there is an animal that can: the tardigrade. And their secrets might help with treatments for humans.When environmental conditions get tough‚ tardigrades get into a special type of suspended animation. They enter a state known as tun where their metabolism slows to 0.01 percent of its normal rate and they dehydrate themselves‚ losing up to 99 percent of their water. The proteins responsible for that transformation were introduced in human cells in the lab and started working in a way similar to how the tun state works.The proteins kept the volume of the cells constant as they experienced environmental changes‚ and they also massively slowed down the metabolism of the cell. The former didn’t seem to do much in terms of cellular survival but the latter was very important.“Amazingly‚ when we introduce these proteins into human cells‚ they gel and slow down metabolism‚ just like in tardigrades‚” lead author Dr Silvia Sanchez-Martinez‚ from the University of Wyoming‚ said in a statement. “Furthermore‚ just like tardigrades‚ when you put human cells that have these proteins into biostasis‚ they become more resistant to stresses‚ conferring some of the tardigrades’ abilities to the human cells.”The process was shown to be reversible‚ which is another excellent piece of news. The team is looking at how these proteins could be used in technologies or therapies that slow down the aging process. They also think it could be used for storing human cells over long periods of time‚ as well as making treatments available to people who don’t have access to refrigeration.“Our findings provide an avenue for pursuing technologies centered on the induction of biostasis in cells and even whole organisms to slow aging and enhance storage and stability‚” the researchers added.The team‚ also led by Assistant Professor Thomas Boothby‚ has shown in previous research that both natural and engineered versions of tardigrade proteins can stabilize the pharmaceutical Human Blood Clotting Factor VIII. This compound is used to treat hemophilia and other conditions and by using tardigrades proteins‚ it doesn’t need refrigeration.A paper describing the results is published in the journal Protein Science.

Songwriters may be Under Pressure‚ but they just don’t get Into The Groove like they did back in the 1980s. That’s the conclusion of a new study looking at the evolution of song lyrics from 1980 to 2020‚ which found that while the meaningful verses created by earlier artists could sound Like A Prayer‚ more recent efforts are often just a Careless Whisper.The researchers examined the lexical complexity of 12‚000 songs spanning genres such as rock‚ pop‚ rap‚ country‚ and R&;B – a task that one would Imagine took them All Night Long. The Message is that lyrical intricacy has been Free Fallin’ for over 40 years‚ with songs becoming increasingly simple and repetitive.Time After Time‚ their analyses revealed that the proportion of lines that are repeated in songs has been steadily growing across all five genres‚ with more chorus and less verse than in times gone by. A noticeable decline in “vocabulary richness” was also noted‚ meaning that while the stars of the 80s devised creative phrases to describe Two Hearts‚ modern singers are more likely to just Say You‚ Say Me.Seeking an explanation for this trend‚ the researchers say that “more repetitive music is perceived as more fluent and may drive market success.” In other words‚ modern artists may be trying to earn Money For Nothing.Not wanting to Push It without showing A Little Respect to modern listeners‚ the researchers note that not all of the music you might hear In The Air Tonight is quite so vapid. For instance‚ their data showed that‚ Against All Odds‚ people more frequently look up the lyrics of older rock songs than newer ones. This‚ they say‚ may reflect the genre’s tradition of “defeating capitalism”‚ bucking the trend of more “commercial” musical styles like pop.“Furthermore‚ our analysis shows that lyrics have become angrier across all genres‚ with rap showing the most profound increase in anger‚” write the study authors. Who knows why they’re So Emotional‚ perhaps they should just Relax.Putting it all together‚ the study authors conclude that “the lyric’s lexical component‚ structure‚ and rhyme‚ for all investigated genres‚ generally shows that lyrics are becoming simpler over time.”“This is shown by a decline in vocabulary richness for some specific genres‚ i. e.‚ rap and rock‚ and by a general increase in repetitiveness for all the evaluated musical styles‚” they Say‚ Say‚ Say.The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Five years ago‚ the idea that the whole world could be shut down for weeks on end would be unthinkable. But then‚ so would the notion of mass graves in New York City‚ a US Republican government issuing what looked similar to a universal basic income‚ and a few thousand people poisoning themselves with entirely useless horse dewormer to treat a virus.Today‚ however‚ all that seems not just plausible‚ but old news. We’ve been there‚ done that‚ caught the Covid – so what’s next on the pandemic cards? Where will the next pandemic come from?Here’s the thing: if we knew what the next pandemic was going to be‚ and when it was going to turn up – well‚ we would do something about it. As it is‚ though‚ the best we can do is hope for the best – and prepare for the worst.“Of course‚ there are some people who say‚ ‘oh this may create panic‚’” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus‚ Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO)‚ in a January 2024 panel on the so-called “Disease X” – the placeholder name for the as-yet-unknown disease which will next sweep the planet.“No‚” he argued. “It’s better actually to anticipate something that may happen – because it has happened in our history‚ many times – and prepare for it. We shouldn’t face things unprepared.”So‚ what do the experts think Disease X is likely to be? Well‚ there are a few contenders in the mix: “We annually list the emerging diseases‚” Ghebreyesus explained‚ “and MERS could be one‚ Zika‚ Ebola […] You may even call Covid the first Disease X.”Potential scenarios for the birth of the next pandemic range from hypothetical doomsday scenarios in which global warming causes previously unknown viruses to be released from arctic ice – you know‚ like that Chris Pratt time travel movie made real – to worryingly plausible disease spillovers from the animal kingdom – you know‚ like that thing that happened just before the last pandemic.If you’ve spotted a recurring theme between those options‚ you’re not off-base: with climate change‚ deforestation in the Amazon and Africa‚ and human habitation encroaching ever further into the natural world‚ many experts think the next zoonotic disease pandemic is something of a foregone conclusion. “We're creating a situation that is rife for outbreaks‚” Nathalie MacDermott‚ clinical lecturer in infectious diseases at King's College London‚ told Sky News. “It might be two years‚ it could be 20 years‚ it could be longer – but we can't afford to let our guards down‚” she said. “We need to stay vigilant‚ prepared‚ and ready to make sacrifices again.”What can we do about it?If we don’t know what the next pandemic is going to be – or even when it will hit – how can we prepare for it? In fact‚ it’s easier than you might think: “We can prepare for some unknown things‚” said Ghebreyesus; “there are basic things you can do.”That could be the creation of an early warning system‚ he suggested‚ or work beefing up preparedness planning. “With Covid […] our hospitals were stretched beyond their capacity‚ both in terms of space and also workforce‚” he pointed out. It may be tightening holes in medical supply chains‚ he continued – and let’s face it‚ the Covid pandemic certainly revealed some shortcomings in those systems. Other experts have pointed to the rise of contact tracing apps designed to limit the spread of the pandemic: the UK’s NHS COVID app‚ for example‚ “had a lot of promise‚” Adam Kucharski‚ co-director of the Centre for Epidemic Preparedness and Response at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine‚ told Sky News.It would necessitate some “hard conversations” about the tradeoffs between public health and personal privacy‚ he admitted. “But with the digital contact tracing infrastructure that some Asian countries had‚ you can limit disruption to those people at higher risk in a particular outbreak rather than reverting to blanket measures.”To be honest‚ it all sounds eminently doable. So… are we doing it?Living through the next pandemicIf all that’s needed is a little logistics planning and some AI ethics classes‚ then surely we should sail through the next pandemic. Right?Unfortunately‚ that seems unlikely right now. “Despite everything we have learned‚ we are not ready for the next pandemic‚” wrote John Bell‚ a leading immunologist and a member of the UK’s Covid vaccine taskforce during the pandemic‚ in The Independent last year. “The next pandemic could be even more devastating than the last‚” he warned. “We must be in a constant state of readiness for the next big health crisis – if we do not act now‚ we will not be forgiven.”Over in the US‚ the creation of a new government agency focused directly on global health and pandemic prevention may seem like a step in the right direction. But many commenters have pointed out that much of the infrastructure for surviving a pandemic is virtually unheard of in the country: famously‚ there is no universal healthcare system‚ for example‚ and (European readers‚ you may want to sit down for this) neither is there a right to paid sick leave. Indeed‚ even amid the Covid pandemic‚ almost one in four Americans were forced to choose between working sick or losing a day’s wages.And despite suffering one of the worst impacts globally from the spread of Covid‚ the US as an institution seems loathe to learn very much at all from the pandemic. Analysis has shown that interventions such as social distancing and mask-wearing were enormously successful in lowering the spread of the pandemic; so too were vaccines‚ which saved nearly 20 million lives in the first year of their existence‚ according to recent modeling estimates. Nevertheless‚ anti-vaxx and anti-science movements are continuing to grow in the country‚ infiltrating politics and even influencing laws at local and state levels.In other words: it’s not looking good.The next lockdownsWe were caught off guard by Covid‚ and we may well be caught off guard again. So‚ what will that look like? A repeat of 2020 – or something completely different?In some ways‚ it’s undeniable that things have changed since 2019‚ before any of us had heard the phrase “novel coronavirus” or “Covid-19”. Regardless of how successful or widespread they ended up being‚ it’s true that many countries do now have pandemic infrastructure that did not exist before – the contact tracing apps‚ for example‚ or even just the option for more flexible home-working at their jobs.Vaccine rollouts – assuming those supply chain issues are resolved in time – should be quicker. “Most governments are working towards the 100-day challenge: that is‚ how to contain a virus spreading while a scientific response‚ such as a vaccine‚ diagnostic or treatment‚ can be approved‚ manufactured and delivered to the public‚” wrote Devi Sridhar‚ chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh and co-chair of the US National Academy of Sciences’ committee on advancing pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccine preparedness and response in 2021‚ in The Guardian this week.“In the US‚ the suggested timeframe is 130 days from detecting a pathogen until the entire US population is offered a vaccine‚” she explained‚ “and 200 days until there’s enough of a supply for the entire world.” Depending on where you live‚ future lockdowns might be very different‚ too – or perhaps we won’t see lockdowns at all. “Shutdowns are an extreme policy response‚ and a lever that many governments used in 2020 when faced with healthcare collapse‚” Sridhar wrote. “We now have time to develop better ways of containment and examine how to safely keep schools and businesses open using more precise public health interventions‚ including on knowledge of transmission (such as more ventilation)‚ diagnostics (testing for infectiousness) and better data (surveillance on prevalence in the community).”Of course‚ that all depends on governments‚ as well as the private sector where appropriate‚ actually putting into action the preparedness protocols that public health bodies have been urging for years now. All of which means that – well‚ the next pandemic? Who knows what it’ll look like‚ really?All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current.  

Isn’t it wonderful to make new friends? Picture this underwater scenario where Elora‚ fondly known as Elora Explora and a former diving instructor‚ finds joy in the aquatic realm. Her passion for the deep blue is not just a hobby. It’s a journey of exploration‚ bonding with the marine life‚ capturing mesmerizing photos‚ and cherishing... The post Tiny octopus melts hearts with adorable greeting for his diver best buddy appeared first on Animal Channel.

Men can’t breastfeed. End of story. A transgender woman‚ with the help of Duke University researchers‚ breastfed “her” grandchild. In plain English‚ researchers gave the biological man an experimental hormonal drug so that he could feed his grandkid through his hairy man boobies. Talk about a dystopian universe! The transgender woman had five children of his own and when his grandkids came around and he identified as a she‚ the individual had a strong desire to breastfeed since he couldn’t with his own kids‚ Daily Mail reported. Researchers‚ who published their study in the journal Breastfeeding Medicine‚ helped the patient accomplish his dream. “The patient first expressed the unique desire to breastfeed her expected grandchild at an appointment with her endocrinologist in the spring of 2022‚” researchers wrote‚ later adding‚ “Her primary motivation for inducing lactation was to experience the bond from breastfeeding that she had not been able to experience with her own five children.” Apparently‚ after taking galactagogue domperidone‚ the 50-year-old trans woman was able to produce 30mL of milk at a time after being on the hormonal treatment for four weeks. “The patient had modifications to her hormone therapy with estrogen and progesterone while remaining on antiandrogen therapy with spironolactone‚” the abstract of the study indicated. The patient breastfed her grandchild for two weeks.  “She was moved to tears by the experience‚” Daily Mail reported before adding that the experience “had the added benefit of affirming her female gender and making her breasts larger.” Apparently‚ he also developed a “special bond” with his grandchild after forcing the baby to suck from his man nipples.  This is freakin’ weird if you ask me. I mean‚ imagine being breastfed by your grandpa. Ew. Just ew. “Babies cannot consent to being participants in a study which sets aside biological reality to define treatment protocols relating to so-called ‘gender medicine‚’” Maya Forstater‚ executive director of campaign group Sex Matter‚ said. “Men should not be permitted‚ still less supported‚ to get between babies and their mothers‚ or to use babies as props to validate their beliefs that they are women.” Couldn’t have said it better myself. This is absolutely disgusting and is abusive to the baby all for the sake of affirming your delusion? How utterly sick.

Jennifer Ruziska resigned from Springfield High School in Ohio after being put on administrative leave when sexual content from her OnlyFans‚ Fansly and Instagram accounts were leaked. Guess you shouldn’t try to teach kids English and work as an online porn star at the same time. Ruziska‚ 50‚ was an English teacher for 9th graders at the school‚ as well as the cheerleading coach and yearbook advisor‚ local news station WTVG reported. She served nearly 30 years with the school and made $74‚720 annually. But apparently that wasn’t enough‚ so she supplemented her income with her online porn work. Her Instagram account was called “jenniferssecrets” and the profile picture was her kneeling down in the bathroom in a red undie/bra set. The bio on the social media account‚ which has a link to her page‚ read‚ “If you like what you see but want more of me‚ check me out on Fansly and be one of my best kept secrets." Superintendent Matt Geha sent a letter to Ruziscka when her images and accounts began to spread. He told Ruziscka in an email that “an online account which is open and available to the public for view that is maintained by you and includes sexualized images and videos of you.” Geha said that Ruziscka violated the Licensure Code of Professional Conduct for Ohio Educators‚ Sections 1‚ 8 and 9 (h). As Daily Mail noted‚ “Section 9‚ which is labeled ‘Appropriate and Responsible Use of Technology’ stated: ‘While maintaining their constitutional rights‚ educators recognize that when using technology‚ the words they choose and the context of their statements can reflect negatively on the positions‚ schools and the profession.'” Yeah‚ I’d say Ruziscka’s posts are in violation of that… She was placed on administrative leave as of Monday‚ January 29 with her last day in the classroom being the Friday before‚ January 26. In a February 2 letter to the Ohio Board of Education‚ Geha said that he became aware of the poor conduct on January 26 when he got word that Ruziscka was operating a “pornographic/sexually explicit website.”  Ruziscka had a disciplinary hearing set for January 31‚ but ended up resigning before the hearing. Here’s what Ruziscka said in a statement she told WTOL 11‚ another local news station.  In William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet‚ as Juliet laments Romeo being a Montague‚ the only son of her family's great enemy‚ she recognizes‚ "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet". Likewise‚ people can label me anything they want to; however‚ it doesn't change the commendable level of dedication and exemplary work ethic I execute as an educator.  Regardless of what I do in my private life for the sake of keeping a roof over my family's head and a car parked in the garage‚ I remain one of the greatest English teachers ever to serve in the Springfield Local School District. My students learn to value their personal and academic growth in my classroom‚ which is an environment where they are embraced for their individuality‚ they are engaged to apply their talents‚ and they are enlightened about their true potential. The numerous accolades and recognition I have earned over the 28 years I spent in SLS is evidence of that. The fact that this educator was acting in such a way is really disturbing considering the authority and influence she had over kids. But the fact that she seemed to express no guilt or remorse is even more troubling.