Pets are capable of adding so much joy into our lives! Sure‚ they might not always have a good understanding of personal space‚ but any happy pet parent will tell you that the pros outweigh the cons. It’s no wonder‚ then‚ that some folks choose to have multiple pets. Giving your four-legged friend a “sibling” can be loads of fun — that being said‚ the little animals in your life need to be a bit more careful. You know how I said that animals don’t always respect personal space? Yeah… that also applies to their fellow animal friends. This means that when you’re a particularly small creature‚ the chances of getting sat on‚ both intentionally and not‚ increases considerably. Keep scrolling for the adorable proof. 1. Although Ranga the cat was startled by Indigo’s seat choice‚ they’re doing just fine. Though‚ they might be the slightest bit annoyed. @equine.wilkinson Ranga the cat is ok for those wondering #foryoupage #fyp #foryou #cat #animals ♬ mr. saxobeat – tooturntteebird 2. “And that’s an accurate re-creation of the day that you were born!” @hilariouscatclips Crazy Cat Sitting On Kitten #cat #cats #fyp ♬ original sound – Hilarious Cat Clips 3. Little animals don’t stand a chance when giant‚ floofy boys like this are around! The way the cat looks directly at their owner‚ as if saying‚ “REALLY!?” kills me. @dogofuny Swipe left for more dogos  #dog #dogsofttiktok ♬ original sound – dogo 4. What else is a cat mom to do when her little one needs a bath? @ro_the_dough I can't cope with them #kitten #cats #cat #catsoftiktok #kittensoftiktok #kitty #tongue #bathtime #grooming #funny #funnycat #stupidcat ♬ Frolic (From “Curb Your Enthusiasm") – London Music Works 5. Even fairly little animals have the power to sit on their four-legged friends. I almost didn’t see him for a second! @hanndogg #cat #IceCream #kittens ♬ original sound – HannDogg The ways in which our pets interact with us and other animals can be a bit much sometimes. Luckily‚ just like us humans‚ the little animals in our lives seem to have an abundance of patience for the ones they love. You can find the sources of this story’s featured image here and here! The post 5 Little Animals That Have Found Themselves A Little Too Up Close And Personal appeared first on InspireMore.

Our partner Rob Brezsny‚ who has a new book out‚ Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle‚ provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology‚ is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote […] The post Your Weekly Horoscope – ‘Free Will Astrology’ From Rob Brezsny appeared first on Good News Network.

Though millions of people across North America will be looking up to the sky to witness April 8’s total solar eclipse‚ some scientists will have their sights elsewhere: on animals‚ especially those of the flying variety.A team of researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology will be keeping a particularly close eye on birds‚ bats‚ and insects‚ after these creatures exhibited some pretty strange behavior during North America’s last total solar eclipse.“At sunset‚ there is typically a big pulse of movement showing insects‚ birds and bats either going to ground to settle for the night or just beginning nocturnal activity‚” said Andrew Farnsworth‚ senior author of a study on flying animal behavior during the 2017 eclipse‚ in a statement.“During the 2017 eclipse‚ we saw a decrease in flying insects‚ flying birds – but we didn’t see anything like the typical pattern of movement when it gets dark at night.”The upcoming eclipse presents the team with a chance to build upon these findings. To do so‚ they’re planning to use weather radar stations across the path of totality in the US to measure airborne activity. By removing signals from weather events‚ they can measure the movements of flying animals – like birds – during the brief three to four minutes of totality.Then‚ at sunset‚ they’ll measure activity again to compare any changes in behavior during the eclipse’s totality to their usual activity in response to changing light levels. There were only eight stations across the route of 2017’s eclipse‚ compared to 13 this time‚ so it’s hoped they’ll get a fuller picture of any differences.“There will be more birds on the move‚ seriously motivated to get to their breeding grounds‚” said Farnsworth. “In theory‚ if there’s any significant change in their behavior because of unexpected darkness and the accompanying drop in temperatures‚ we’re much more likely to see it during this event.”  Though the eclipse might see animals engaging in some bizarre behavioral phenomena – tortoises suddenly shagging‚ for example – it’s actually hoped that it’ll deepen our understanding of how flying animals respond to light normally.“[I]t’s pretty hard to manipulate light at large scales. Here we have this unique natural phenomenon setting up a huge ‘experiment’ for us‚” said Cecilia Nilsson‚ a behavioral ecologist who led the 2017 study.“By seeing how animals react to the total eclipse we can get clues to how they perceive and use light under normal circumstances. Birds and insects might use cues from light differently‚ for example.”If it seems like animal scientists will be having all of the fun during the eclipse‚ don’t worry – you can join in too. Citizen science projects like the Solar Eclipse Safari are asking members of the public in the path of the eclipse to gather behavior data on any animal they like‚ from those in nature to our pets. And if you’re planning on looking up at the sky at the same time‚ please remember to do so safely!

In the United States‚ the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is one of the big cheeses of public health‚ responsible for regulating a whole bunch of products that people use every day. These products are either “cleared” or “approved” (or neither) – but what do these terms actually mean? Is there any difference between the two?The FDA can hand out clearances or approvals for all sorts of things‚ from certain food products and additives in cosmetics (although they do not approve cosmetics themselves) to drugs and biologics like vaccines. On the face of it‚ it would be easy to presume that there’s not much difference between a product being cleared or approved‚ but they are in fact distinct from one another.Which process is required also depends on the product; all new human drugs and biologics have to go through approval‚ for example‚ whereas which process medical devices go through is dependent on their level of potential risk. Medical devices are split into three categories‚ with the highest risk (category 3) generally requiring approval‚ moderate-risk devices (category 2) generally needing clearance‚ and low-risk devices (category 1) needing neither.FDA clearedGaining FDA clearance typically has the shortest timeframe out of the two – usually within 90 days of submission – primarily because it doesn’t involve as rigorous testing as approval. Rather than having to prove the safety and efficacy of the product itself‚ companies instead have to demonstrate that their product is “substantially equivalent” to an existing cleared or approved product.The clearance processImagine you’re the creator of a new medical device (dream up whatever fantastical or incredibly boring thing you can). If it’s low-risk enough that you won’t need approval‚ this is the process you’ll have to go through:Submit an application known as a 510(k) or premarket notification – the various parts of this submission “must compare their device to one or more similar legally marketed devices and make and support their substantial equivalence claims.”The FDA conducts a review of the application‚ aiming to reach a decision within 90 days.If deemed to be as safe and effective as the device it’s being compared to‚ the product is cleared and allowed to be marketed and sold in the US.FDA approvedFor high-risk (Class III) medical devices and new human drugs and biologics‚ manufacturers must acquire what’s known as “premarket approval”‚ which is a much longer and more stringent process.According to the FDA‚ to gain approval‚ “a company must demonstrate that its drug or biological product is safe and effective for the intended use‚ and that it can manufacture the product to federal quality standards.”The successful approval of a product means that the FDA has been satisfied by the safety and efficacy (the level to which a product achieves its desired result) evidence presented to it and that “the benefits of the product outweigh the risks for the intended use.”      The approval processThis time‚ let’s pretend you’ve developed a new drug (of the pharmaceutical kind‚ of course). By this point‚ you’ve hopefully already got several years’ worth of laboratory and animal testing (although maybe not the latter for much longer) under your belt.Then it’s time to get the first of your FDA approvals from the Investigational New Drug process‚ which requires submission of study data so far (including any information about side effects in animals) and details on how you plan to conduct clinical trials.If approved‚ you can merrily move on to clinical trials. If the data shows that the drug is safe and effective for its intended use‚ thus begins the next process – submitting a New Drug Application (NDA).Submit the application. According to the FDA‚ this has to include everything there is to know about a drug‚ from evidence of its safety and efficacy in all stages of testing through to its proposed labeling.The FDA reviews the evidence – if the application isn’t complete‚ it won’t be filed. If all is well‚ the agency begins evaluating if the drug is safe and effective for its intended use‚ whether its benefits outweigh the risks‚ its labeling‚ and the manufacturing process.After between 6 and 10 months‚ the FDA makes its decision – if the evidence is sufficient‚ the drug is approved for marketing and being sold in the US.Because there’s a limit to how much safety information you can glean before approval‚ the FDA will continue to monitor the drug once it’s on the market.That’s a pretty long process‚ but there are certain circumstances under which it can be sped up‚ such as when it comes to products that can treat serious or life-threatening diseases – this occurs through the Accelerated Approval and Fast Track programs.Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) can be given when "among other criteria‚ there are no adequate‚ approved‚ and available alternatives" based on the best currently available evidence – as was the case for some COVID-19 vaccines – and this process is different than standard FDA approval. As the FDA notes‚ these can be revoked or revised based on continued evaluation of available data.The key differencesThe details of the clearance and approval processes help in understanding how regulated products end up reaching the market‚ but if nothing else‚ these are the three key differences to take away:Time – approval usually takes an awful lot longer than getting clearance.Product type – some products have to go through the approval process‚ whereas others can instead be cleared.Level of scrutiny – clearance requires a product to be similar to an existing one‚ while approval needs years’ worth of supporting evidence.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.  The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice‚ diagnosis‚ or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.  

The Colorado River is perhaps one of North America’s most iconic‚ curving through such natural wonders as the Rockies and the Grand Canyon – but its waters are also historically low‚ to the point where it no longer reaches the sea. In an effort to figure out how best to tackle the problem‚ a new study has examined in fresh detail the reasons why it’s running dry.Running for over 2‚300 kilometers (around 1‚500 miles)‚ the Colorado River is considered a critical source of water to more than 40 million people across seven states. Its waters are also of vital importance to more than 2 million hectares of cropland. The fact that its flow has reduced by 20 percent over the course of just a century‚ therefore‚ means there’s the potential for some pretty significant consequences.The overarching reasons for why the river no longer reaches its previously lush delta in the Gulf of California have already been established: climate change has played a role‚ with an ongoing megadrought‚ and its waters are chronically overused.Policymakers have been squabbling over how to both divvy up the remaining water and stop overuse‚ so researchers set to providing the first complete water budget for the river‚ in the hopes of providing information that would aid in negotiations.“Detailed knowledge of how and where the river’s water is used can aid design of strategies and plans for bringing water use into balance with available supplies‚” the authors write.To calculate the river’s water budget‚ the team conducted a detailed analysis of the average annual water use and loss between 2000 and 2019 and the specific uses that contributed. Importantly‚ this included all direct human uses – not just domestic use of water‚ but also agricultural uses like irrigation – and indirect losses‚ such as evaporation from reservoirs. The researchers also included factors that hadn’t been considered before‚ such as water consumption in Mexico – the Colorado River isn’t just found in the US‚ after all – and the Gila River that feeds the Colorado.The results reinforced the role that humans have to play‚ but unlike previous assessments‚ pinpointed the main culprit: agriculture. “Water consumed for agriculture amounts to three times all other direct uses combined‚” the authors write.Irrigation in agriculture in particular appears to be a problem‚ with the analysis having found it was responsible not just for 74 percent of direct human uses of the river’s waters‚ but also more than half of the overall water consumption. Nearly two-thirds of this water was specifically used to hydrate crops used to feed cattle.The team calculated that an estimated average of 23.7 billion cubic meters of water was consumed from the river each year before it could reach the delta. In order to avoid water shortages‚ they recommend that usage in the Upper and Lower Basin regions of the river will need to be reduced by around 22 to 29 percent‚ just to stabilize reservoir levels alone – and predict it’ll need to be reduced even more so by 2050 because of climate change.“We hope that this new accounting will add clarity and a useful informational foundation to the public dialog and political negotiations over Colorado River Basin water allocations and cutbacks that are presently underway‚” the authors conclude.The study is published in Communications Earth &; Environment.

This week‚ the first image of the magnetic fields around Sagittarius A* has been taken using the Event Horizon Telescope‚ male and female crab spiders may be using cooperative mimicry to resemble a full flower in a world-first‚ and climate change is affecting the shape of the Earth which may impact global timekeeping. Finally‚ we ask if women really are less likely to be psychopaths than men.Subscribe to the IFLScience newsletter for all the biggest science news delivered straight to your inbox every Wednesday and Saturday. "Barbie Pigs" Among Strange And Possibly New-To-Science Species Discovered In The PacificBarbie-pink sea pigs‚ rattail fish‚ and a unicumber: these were the unexpected stars of a recent expedition into the Pacific Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) where scientists are studying biodiversity. The region’s animal life is of particular interest because it’s also the proposed site of deep-sea mining‚ being home to a huge volume of “sea potatoes” that contain the precious metals we need for the green revolution. Read the full story hereIncredible First View Of The Magnetic Fields Around Our Galaxy’s Supermassive Black HoleThe team that gave us the first-ever image of a black hole has released a new image of Sagittarius A*‚ the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way‚ this time seen in polarised light for the first time. The image has captured the magnetic field structures spiraling around the black hole‚ similar to those seen around M87*‚ suggesting "strong‚ twisted‚ and organized" magnetic fields might be common among black holes. Read the full story hereMale And Female Spider Perfectly Resemble Flower In Potential Cooperative Mimicry World FirstMimicry is pretty common in the animal kingdom. It might involve species mimicking the coloration of trees to better hide from predators‚ or in some cases‚ predators mimic the surroundings to better ambush unsuspecting prey items. One new potential example of mimicry in crab spiders‚ where the male and female together resemble a complete flower‚ could be the first cooperative mimicry to be observed. Read the full story herePotentially Fatal Consequence Linked To Upcoming US Total Solar EclipseWith April’s total solar eclipse fast approaching‚ we’ve had our fair share of warnings already‚ from potential air travel disruption to expected difficulties accessing food‚ water‚ and fuel. Now‚ according to new research‚ we may also need to beware of a spike in potentially fatal road traffic crashes. Read the full story hereEarth's Changing Shape May Cause A Global Timekeeping CrisisUnless we take action‚ global timekeeping could be heading toward a major problem that will upset everything from computer networks to financial markets. New forces are starting to emerge that could meddle with Earth’s rotational speed and upset global timekeeping. The culprit‚ oddly enough‚ is melting polar ice caused by climate change. Read the full story hereTWIS is published weekly on our Linkedin page‚ join us there for even more content.Feature of the week: Are Women Really Less Likely To Be Psychopaths Than Men?Think of all the famous psychopaths you know‚ both real and fictional. Chances are‚ for every Bonnie you’ve got about 10 Clydes. That’s because we tend to think of psychos as being criminally insane men. It’s only in recent years that our understanding of the psychopath has become more nuanced‚ highlighting how the label might apply to greater numbers of unexpected individuals‚ including women. Read the full story hereMore content:Have you seen our free e-magazine‚ CURIOUS? Issue 20 March 2024 is out now. Check it out for exclusive interviews‚ book excerpts‚ long reads‚ and more.PLUS‚ the entire season 3 of IFLScience's The Big Questions Podcast is available now.

Having lost 90 percent of its territory during the 1800s gold rush‚ a historic memorandum signed on March 19‚ 2024‚ will see a region of land returned to the Yurok Tribe‚ with plans for it to serve as a future gateway to the Redwood National and State Parks‚ managed by both the tribe and the National Park Service.“Today we acknowledge and celebrate the opportunity to return Indigenous guardianship to ‘O Rew and reimagine how millions of visitors from around the world experience the redwoods‚” said Sam Hodder‚ president and CEO of Save the Redwoods League‚ in a statement. “Today’s agreement starts the process of changing the narrative about how‚ by whom and for whom we steward natural lands.”The 125-acre site‚ known as ‘O Rew in the Yurok language‚ was taken and exploited for its natural resources‚ including redwood trees back in the 1800s gold rush. In 2013‚ the land was purchased by the Save the Redwoods League‚ who have since worked with the Yurok Tribe to restore and repatriate the land.Those efforts have seen the creation of a new stream channel‚ ponds‚ floodplain habitats‚ and the planting of more than 50‚000 native plants‚ such as the iconic coast redwood. As a result‚ an area that had become degraded has now seen the return of a wealth of species‚ including frogs‚ salamanders‚ and songbirds.“On behalf of the Yurok people‚ I want to sincerely thank Save the Redwoods League for committing to repatriate this critical part of our homeland‚” said Joseph L. James‚ the Chairman of the Yurok Tribe. “Together‚ we are creating a new conservation model that recognizes the value of tribal land management.”That conservation model will see the Yurok Tribe working with the National Park Service and California State Parks‚ marking the first time park services will have supported visitation and stewardship on land owned by a Tribe.“This is a first-of-its-kind arrangement‚ where Tribal land is co-stewarded with a national park as its gateway to millions of visitors. This action will deepen the relationship between Tribes and the National Park Service‚” said Redwoods National Park Superintendent Steve Mietz‚ also noting that the work carried out so far has been “healing the land while healing the relationships among all the people who inhabit this magnificent forest.”The return of the land to the Yurok Tribe is set to be completed in 2026. Until then‚ there are plans to create new accessible trails and exhibits for visitors. After the repatriation‚ the Yurok Tribe is planning to build a traditional village on the site‚ as well as a visitor center that will aim to highlight the culture and history of the Tribe and the land.

On April 8‚ a total solar eclipse will cross North America‚ from the west of Mexico all the way to Newfoundland in Canada. Since solar power continues to grow across the United States‚ the impending eclipse has people wondering how much it will affect power generation across the country. In particular‚ the path of totality will cross Texas and the southern state continues to lead in solar generation‚ having surpassed California in 2022.The good thing about eclipses is that they are extremely predictable. Humans do not even need computers or our current understanding of the cosmos to work out when and where eclipses will happen. We have been predicting them for 25 centuries‚ so grid operators are expecting a drop in power and are planning accordingly.While the Sun will be completely obscured for just over four minutes in the path of totality‚ the whole transit of the Moon lasts a couple of hours‚ certainly reducing the amount of sunlight available for solar panels. Other power plants are ready to provide the energy that is missed during the eclipse. During the 2017 Great American Eclipse‚ natural gas and hydropower resources ramped up to meet demands. On top of that‚ electricity storage solutions are also at the ready.The same factors should apply to households that generate their own electricity with solar panels. They should not experience loss of power‚ as the eclipse is equivalent to a long dark thunderstorm in terms of how much sunlight the panels get. Grid and storage power can easily balance what’s missed out.Though there might be a dip in power generation‚ solar eclipses are not dangerous – unless you look at the Sun without protection before totality. And trust us‚ you’ll know when it’s totality. Still‚ they are rare events‚ so it is expected that millions of people will move into the path of totality‚ and it is very important to be prepared.Authorities are getting ready for the influx of visitors and giving appropriate warnings‚ from telling locals – especially in small towns – to stock up on essentials and fuels‚ to making sure people understand the potential risks of driving after an eclipse. The eclipse might affect air traffic too‚ though again‚ not directly. So if you are planning to be on the path of totality‚ be aware‚ be prepared‚ and please do not look directly at the Sun without proper glasses.

Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League Season 1 is finally here‚ and even as it’s given Rocksteady’s live service superhero game a big spike in players‚ it looks like this isn’t nearly enough to save the dwindling player base. While the Steam player count saw a brief spike of up to ten times more players than the current average‚ the arrival of the Joker has been met with crickets‚ and not the raucous laughter anyone was hoping for. Continue reading Suicide Squad’s 10x player count jump can’t save Season 1 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League system requirements‚ Suicide Squad Kill the Justice review‚ Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League builds

The Terraria 1.4.5 update gets more exciting with every passing month‚ and as developer Re-Logic hones the finishing touches for what might be the final (final‚ final) update for one of the best PC games ever‚ it gives us a look at a couple of big upgrades. The Terraria State of the Game March 2024 is upon us‚ and there are some very welcome additions to the sandbox game‚ including a much-requested inventory change and a new way to get around that I didn’t realize just how much I needed until right this moment. Continue reading Terraria 1.4.5 update makes two incredible quality of life upgrades MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best Terraria mods‚ Terraria happiness guide‚ Terraria bosses guide