The true impacts need to be better determined

Garvey received 27% support compared to Schiff's 25%

Britain’s only leap year quadruplets are celebrating their ‘third’ birthday this week—12 years after birth. Reuben‚ Samuel‚ Zachary‚ and Joshua Robbins were all born within six minutes of each other on February 29th‚ 2012. They celebrate their birthdays on March 1 each year‚ but every four years they get to mark the real day‚ being […] The post 12-yo Leap Year Quadruplets Celebrate ‘Third Birthday’–Brothers Are All Unique But 3 Are Triplets appeared first on Good News Network.

The post Do Lasers Encourage Play or Trigger Obsessive Behavior? How Different Cats React by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it‚ but all of these articles were assigned‚ contracted and paid for‚ so they aren't considered public domain. However‚ we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article‚ then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Hi‚ I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch‚ Cyril‚ Alex‚ Zelda‚ and Zazzles. One of the more challenging aspects of looking after indoor cats is making sure they get enough exercise‚ enrichment‚ and excitement in their lives. It’s easy enough to grab a lead and take the dogs out to the beach or the park‚ but not all cats are amenable to the harness lifestyle. One popular choice is the laser pointer‚ and it’s easy to appreciate why. With very minimal effort on my part‚ I’ve got the cats running upstairs‚ downstairs‚ over the bed‚ and off the walls. Even Cyril‚ who is famous for his dedication to a life lived horizontally‚ cannot resist the flickering allure of that elusive red dot. But after reading about how lasers can negatively affect dogs‚ I started to become worried about my ginger ninja‚ Alex. Why Do Cats Love Laser Toys? Although most of our domestic cats these days are less focused on hunting creatures and more interested in creature comforts‚ they aren’t that far removed from their wild or free-roaming relatives. Buried deep within that lazy exterior are the hunting instincts and prey drive of a lion‚ just waiting to be triggered by some fast-moving beastie. When our cats see the twitching movement of that laser‚ instincts take over‚ and they soon find themselves unable to resist the chase. What is strange about this particular game of cat and …dot‚ is that they never get to catch it‚ so you would think they would eventually grow bored. However‚ as most cat parents (myself included) will tell you‚ each time the laser is retrieved from its draw‚ cats appear to be just as interested as the time before‚ and the dozens of times before that. Zelda‚ in particular‚ sheds her regal and poised demeanor and turns into a playful‚ energetic kitten if she so much as hears the telltale sound of the laser being taken from its hiding place. Are they hoping that this time they will finally catch their prey? Or do they simply enjoy the chase? Unfortunately‚ this is something only a cat can tell us‚ so for now‚ we must use what we know to decide if laser toys are just an engaging way to encourage our cats to play and burn calories‚ or if they are a potential source of frustration‚ anxiety‚ and unhealthy obsession. A Note on Laser Safety: Never point a laser directly at the face or into the eyes. This applies to cats and all other animal species‚ including humans. For more information on laser pointer safety‚ click here. Laser eyes Alex When the Game Becomes Obsession ‘Laser Pointer Syndrome’ is an obsessive-compulsive disorder that has been recognized in our canine friends‚ with dogs becoming so fixated by the rapid movement of laser toys that they are unable to relax. Their inability to complete the chase leaves them on edge‚ constantly on alert for ‘the one that got away’. This has always been something that didn’t exactly worry me‚ but it did make me wonder‚ when I was playing with my cats. It wasn’t until Alex joined our fellowship of cats that I started to become concerned. In the beginning‚ just like all the other cats‚ Alex loved the fast-paced game of chasing the laser pointer‚ darting frantically around the house‚ following it up and down the stairs‚ and over the cat tree. Then I started to notice him becoming fixated on anything with a reflective surface that flickered on a wall or door – watches‚ cutlery‚ even the reflection from our metal door handle. Every night‚ Alex sits poised outside our bedroom‚ waiting for the moment that the light from the bathroom hits our door handle just right‚ sending a shimmer across the wall of the landing. This flash of light lasts moments‚ one or two seconds at most‚ but he waits for it‚ every night. That’s when I started to get worried. How Do I Fix It? The obvious solution was to just throw the laser away‚ give it up cold turkey‚ which is exactly what I did. However‚ this didn’t stop Alex’s light chasing behavior; he was just as obsessed with flickering lights and shiny surfaces as ever before. I had opened Pandora’s sparkling box and now I didn’t know how to close it. Don’t get me wrong‚ Alex was okay. He wasn’t stressed or permanently locked in a state of tense anticipation‚ but it did worry me that he was spending at least an hour or two every night just waiting for a fleeting glimpse of a quarry he would never catch; a hunt that couldn’t ever end in the satisfaction of capture. Or could it? A plan began to take shape in my mind‚ and I came up with a possible way to bring closure to Alex’s unfinished business. I didn’t know if it would work‚ but it was worth a try. Step 1 – Buy a new laser toy It might seem a bit like buying booze for an alcoholic‚ but seeing as cold turkey hadn’t worked‚ I wanted to try weaning him off. Step 2 – Introduce a new toy that he can actually play with Interestingly enough‚ the laser toy I purchased came with a bonus feathery mouse! Step 3 – Start with the laser‚ end with the toy My plan was to end the game with a physical reward‚ so that all the effort of chasing concluded with Alex capturing something he could actually grasp‚ kick‚ and chew. I had to get the timing right‚ making sure that I switched off the laser at the moment he grabs the toy‚ but I felt up to the challenge! But would it work? The Re-education of Master Alex Sometimes it’s about trial and error‚ and it turned out that Alex wasn’t as excited about the new toy as I’d hoped! His best buddy Cyril‚ on the other hand‚ was very interested. It turned out that Alex was more food-motivated‚ so instead of a toy‚ I directed the laser towards a small pile of his favorite treats‚ and voila! His attention immediately zeroed in on the food‚ and the laser was quickly forgotten. I was quite pleased to see that in both instances‚ Alex and Cyril‚ once they were focussed on the treat at the end of the laser game‚ didn’t start looking around for the elusive little dot‚ whereas normally‚ they would remain on high alert‚ waiting for it to move again. I don’t expect that this will completely eradicate Alex’s fascination with all things shiny‚ but the first attempt went better than I thought‚ so I am optimistic that we will be able to change how he views the laser. Alex doesn’t need to hunt for his food… Are Laser Toys a Bad Idea? Not necessarily‚ and in many cases‚ they can actually be one of the best ways to turn a sedentary cat into a fast &; furious feline by providing an outlet for their seldom-used hunting instincts. But I think that‚ in the same way some humans can’t drink‚ gamble‚ or shop without becoming addicted‚ certain cats are predisposed to laser pointer syndrome‚ something that researchers have started to explore. In a suggestion similar to my method‚ others have suggested combining laser play with clicker training‚ giving cats a tangible reward at the end of the game. Early surveys suggest that laser toy obsession is more likely to occur in cats under two years old‚ which fits with Alex’s situation. Obviously‚ I wish I had known about this potential hazard when I first introduced him to the laser four years ago‚ but even as a vet‚ I am constantly learning. And hopefully‚ my experience with Alex can help some of you avoid the same issue. If you’re going to introduce your cat to the thrill of chasing a laser‚ make sure that you can give that chase a satisfying conclusion. The post Do Lasers Encourage Play or Trigger Obsessive Behavior? How Different Cats React by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it‚ but all of these articles were assigned‚ contracted and paid for‚ so they aren't considered public domain. However‚ we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article‚ then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Movies &; TV Dune Arrakis‚ Tatooine‚ and the Science of Desert Planets A geologist looks at the most iconic desert worlds of science fiction. By Alex Acks | Published on March 1‚ 2024 Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures icon-comment 0 Share New Share Twitter Facebook Pinterest RSS Feed Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures “A desolate‚ dry planet with vast deserts… The planet is Arrakis. Also known as Dune.” —Princess Irulan‚ Dune  I’ve been reading science fiction and fantasy almost as long as I’ve been able to read‚ and I’m normally very good at suspending my disbelief. Unfortunately‚ seven years of university schooling and two degrees have now placed some suspension limits on certain areas—namely geology‚ landforms‚ and maps. I tend to notice little things like mountain ranges having ninety degree corners or rivers that flow uphill or maps that don’t have a scale bar. So I want to talk about some things‚ which on-a-geological-scale are very small details that make me tilt my head like a dog hearing a high-pitched noise. Not because I hate‚ but because there is no more honorable nerd past-time than dismantling something we love into its finest details‚ ruminating endlessly on the bark of a single tree while there’s an entire forest planet surrounding us. Which is what I’d like to talk about today‚ incidentally. Single-environment planets. The other stuff‚ including scale bars‚ will come later. I like desert planets‚ and it’s the combined fault of Dune and a semester of examining lithified sand dunes that are now absolutely gorgeous rock formations. Arrakis wasn’t the first desert planet of science fiction—at the very least‚ Altair IV as seen in Forbidden Planet has it beat‚ and I’m sure there’s some pulpy goodness even earlier that involves desert planet adventures. But Arrakis and its direct descendant Tatooine are definitely the most iconic desert worlds of our genre. The Winds of Dune cover art by Steve Stone (Tor Books) As a geologist‚ I have a particular love of the desert and its landforms‚ ones that are normally more shaped by wind than water. (The descriptor for those is eolian‚ which is a particularly lovely word to say.) I did a lot of undergraduate field study out in Moab‚ and I grew up in Colorado‚ which has a lot of near-desert and desert environments. The dry hot-and-cold of the desert shapes you‚ in ways beyond an appreciation for chapstick and a healthy respect for static electricity. There’s an inherent magic to the desert‚ whether you’ve ever been in one or not‚ a grown-in mysticism that comes with the unfamiliar. It’s a landscape that’s entirely alien to most of us‚ unimaginable for its lack of water‚ its alternating burning and freezing temperatures‚ its weird or absent plant life. The horizon in a desert extends on forever‚ because there’s no humidity to get in the way of your vision. The only real limit is the curvature of the planet‚ elevated land features‚ or particulates in the air. Even the sunsets look different‚ if you haven’t lived your entire life where it’s incredibly dry. (Let me tell you‚ the first sunset I saw in a place with humidity actually scared me because it looked so different‚ with the Sun hovering massive on the horizon like a blood-filled Eye of Sauron.) There’s a quiet to the desert that sinks in through your skin‚ a hush that’s only the sound of the wind. Rodents or insects moving around sand grains or pebbles sounds shockingly loud. Birds startle you. And the sky at night? You’ve never seen so many stars in your life‚ if you’ve never been to the desert. Being out in the middle of nowhere cuts out all the urban light pollution‚ but beyond that‚ there’s few clouds‚ no humidity to blur and hide the sky. Of course‚ there’s this common conception that deserts are like very specific portions of the Sahara‚ with undulating dune seas that go to the horizon. Arrakis and Tatooine both have a lot to answer for on that front‚ but I will admit that barchanoid (crescent) and transverse (linear‚ if wavy) dunes are particularly photogenic. And while those are what capture the imagination‚ both Dune and Star Wars admit there’s more to their desert worlds than just endless draas. Arrakis has extensive salt flats (sometimes called “saltpan” colloquially in America) that are the skeletons of extinct oceans and lakes. There are rocks and mesas that poke their heads above the sand. In Star Wars: Episode IV‚ we get a brief look at Sluuce Canyon—which might also mean there was once a fast-moving river there‚ or it could be a tectonic artifact. But either way‚ it’s a change from the dunes. Still from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (Credit: Lucasfilm) And let me tell you‚ there are a lot more landforms in the desert beyond those. There’s hardpan (basically rock-hard clay surfacing) and desert pavements of packed stone‚ with or without desert varnish. There are deflation hollows (where sand has been blown away from rock outcrops‚ leaving a hollow)‚ dry steppes‚ and an assortment of strange rock forms shaped by wind and blown sand (yardangs). For all its many faults‚ Star Wars: Episode I got one thing right—we get to see a scene during the pod races with a hardpan plain riddled with mud cracks and darted with wind-shaped yardangs. Deserts can be as hot as you imagine or impossibly cold. This is because the factor that determines if something is a desert is precipitation. That’s it—everything comes down to how much water falls from the sky. Latitude doesn’t matter‚ sand or lack thereof doesn’t matter‚ just that it’s really‚ really‚ really dry. This is why as a geologist‚ I don’t have to suspend my disbelief very far to journey to a world that’s all desert. I’d like to see more than just sand dunes‚ but I can tell myself that for some reason‚ all the people want to just hang out in the sand and ignore the other areas. They’re believable—they even exist in our very own solar system. Just look at Mars! (Mars is a desert whether it has water hiding under its surface or not; what matters in this case is that it certainly hasn’t rained there in recent geological time.) If you look through many pictures of the red planet‚ you see all that variation in local land forms I mentioned‚ from classic sandy dune seas‚ to dry mountains‚ to empty canyons‚ to rocky landscapes of what might be equivalent to pavements. All you need to get an entire planet that’s a desert is reverse that ubiquitous direction for ready-made products—just remove the water. Voilà‚ instant desert! Then‚ of course‚ you have to address how the hell anyone actually survives on that world‚ but that’s your problem. I just deal in rocks. Mono-environment invented planets don’t work for much else‚ though‚ with the possible exception of the ice ball world. (Even then‚ depending on your land masses‚ there might be more than just glaciers out there. But I’ll give the benefit of the doubt on that one.) The real issue is that worlds are spherical-ish (“oblate spheroids‚” if you’re nasty)‚ and they tend to get their input of light and heat via orbiting a star. The unforgiving realities of geometry—sphere versus what is effectively a uni-directional point source—dictate that the distribution of heat is never going to be even‚ which means you’re going to get atmospheric currents‚ and those mean that the distribution of precipitation is never going to be even‚ and as soon as you add that plus your unevenly distributed landscape and unevenly distributed bodies of water‚ you have environmental trouble. If your entire world is so hot that there are tropical rain forests at the poles‚ what the heck is happening at the equators? How is your rainfall and temperature being so regulated that there’s jungle everywhere? Have you never heard of mountain rain shadow effects? Still from Forbidden Planet (Credit: MGM Pictures) This is why‚ once we leave Tatooine‚ the world-building in the Star Wars universe generally loses me. Having an entire planet that’s made up of rainforest-covered archipelagos as far as the eye can see looks very pretty on the screen with a starship zooming in‚ but it awakens a lot of deep and worrying questions in me‚ including (but not limited to) just what is happening with the plate tectonics? Please don’t think I want a deep‚ loving‚ exhaustive description of how the plate tectonics on your planet work. I don’t‚ and I say this as a geologist—I’m sure no one else does‚ either. But there needs to be a reason‚ a level of believability‚ and if it ain’t a desert‚ it ain’t going to work. And remember even then‚ you’re still not going to have an Arrakis that is one massive dune sea that’s all the same temperature. The landscape varies‚ and that variation provides a certain amount of character and realism—it’s a similar principle to when directors in movies want sets to look “lived in.” The variation in landscape makes the planet alive‚ even in a world that seems as sterile and dead as one giant desert—because trust me‚ deserts are neither sterile‚ nor dead. They never stop moving‚ as long as the wind blows.[end-mark] An earlier version of this article was originally published in May 2017. The post Arrakis‚ Tatooine‚ and the Science of Desert Planets appeared first on Reactor.

Biden Paying College Students to Register Voters

Judge Holds Herridge In Contempt for Refusing to Reveal Source

Antarctica is the coldest‚ driest‚ and windiest place on Earth; inland‚ it can reach highs (no‚ that’s not a typo) of -30°C (-22°F) in the summer and lows of -80°C (-112°F) in the winter; it’s so remote that its permanent population is zero; and if you want to live there long-term‚ you may have to have a body part removed before you go. In short: it’s hard to see why anybody would want it.So how come the whole place is such a clusterfuck of international law and territorial disputes?Who owns Antarctica?Depending on who‚ where‚ or when you ask‚ the answer to who “owns” or governs Antarctica could be anything from “nobody” to “53 different countries".“The [Antarctic] Treaty‚ which dates from 1959‚ governs all activities in Antarctica‚” said Henry Burgess‚ then the Deputy Head of the Polar Regions Department in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office‚ in a 2015 interview with the Royal Geographical Society. Ratified by 56 countries at last count‚ the agreement “puts in place a unique and globally important system of international governance and establishes the continent as a region exclusively for peace and science‚” Burgess explained.In other words – and to take the most literal and international view – nobody owns Antarctica. And we don’t mean that in the sense of “it’s not a sovereign nation‚ but such-and-such country runs it day-to-day”; the Antarctic Treaty specifically prohibits any establishing or expansion of territorial claims on the continent. That’s not all: there is also to be no military activity‚ no weapons tests‚ and no mineral extraction in the region‚ according to the Treaty. In fact‚ the whole planet south of 60° South latitude‚ the agreement states‚ “shall be used for peaceful purposes only.”If it sounds utopian‚ it is. And like all things that seem too good to be true‚ there’s a catch.Who says they own Antarctica?Here’s where things get thorny‚ geopolitically speaking. While nobody officially owns Antarctica‚ there are quite a few countries that would like us to think they do – and even more who seem interested in establishing a prospective future foothold in the region.“Only seven countries have ever formally claimed parts of Antarctica: the United Kingdom‚ Argentina‚ Australia‚ Chile‚ France‚ New Zealand and Norway‚” Burgess explained. “During the 1940s and 1950s the competing claims between the UK‚ Chile and Argentina in the Antarctic Peninsula caused international tension.”Those three countries alone are responsible for some of the more obvious territorial shenanigans. Look at a political map of Antarctica today‚ and you’ll see the upper left quadrant is‚ frankly‚ a bit of a mess: while Norway‚ Australia‚ France‚ and New Zealand all lay claim to discrete sections of the continent‚ Chile‚ Argentina‚ and the UK’s claims all overlap.See? Look at that mess.Image Credit: A loose necktie‚ CC BY-SA 4.0‚ via Wikimedia CommonsOnly the latter nation’s claims are recognized to any international extent‚ though – and even then‚ that recognition is limited to the other four countries on the Antarctic map. As Adrian Howkins‚ associate professor at Colorado State University‚ who wrote his doctoral dissertation on the history of territorial disputes in the Antarctic region‚ told Atlas Obscura: “I think pretty much every other country in the world doesn’t recognize any of these claims.” Why do countries want to own Antarctica?To be fair‚ the US – as well as many other countries – has a vested interest in not recognizing the current territorial claims in Antarctica. Straddling all eight divisions is the Amundsen-Scott research station‚ where the US has maintained an official presence on the continent since 1956; other nations‚ including China and Russia‚ have established more than 75 research stations across the area over the years.Still others‚ like Iran and Turkey‚ have ambitions for future development in Antarctica. Quite a few countries‚ the US included‚ maintain a basis to claim territory in Antarctica‚ despite not having done so; some of those‚ such as Brazil and Ecuador‚ have even marked out the sections of the map they’re hoping to grab.But what is it about this desolate wasteland that’s so enticing? In a word: oil.“For sure‚ [countries involved in Antarctica] have one eye focused on the resources that might be available in the future‚” Máximo Gowland‚ Argentina’s director for Antarctic foreign policy‚ told the Financial Times in 2018. In a world where minerals and water are becoming increasingly scarce‚ “you don’t know how quickly the situation might evolve‚” he said.Antarctic oil would be extremely difficult to extract – the continent’s ice sheets can be up to 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) deep (at the moment) – but should the process become more cost-effective‚ there’s a predicted 200 billion barrels’ worth lurking underneath the landmass. Of course‚ it’s against the rules to mine in the region in any case‚ right? Well‚ yes – but there’s a time limit on the dream. While the Treaty itself doesn’t technically have an expiration date‚ various provisions in it can occasionally be renegotiated – and the environmental protocols banning prospecting are expected to come up for review 14 years from now‚ in 2048.How to claim a piece of AntarcticaSo‚ you might be wondering‚ what does a territorial claim to a snowy desert look like? And let us tell you: the answers range from “yeah‚ that makes sense” to “are you serious right now?”.On the practical side of the spectrum‚ there’s the little things. Passport stamps‚ for example: a number of research stations‚ as well as the UK’s Port Lockroy‚ will stamp your passport as proof of your travel to the world’s most southerly territory. Perhaps slightly less expected is the ability to send a postcard or letter. The “penguin post office”‚ on Goudier Island‚ is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Antarctica – despite by all accounts smelling pretty pungent due to the local populations of Gentoo penguins.But if you really want to commit to the bit‚ there are some more extreme methods available to stake your claim in the Antarctic. And it involves surgery.“Everyone undergoes various health checks before going to work in Antarctica. There is a doctor at each Australian Antarctic and sub-Antarctic station. They are highly skilled‚ and trained in remote medicine including dentistry‚” notes the Australian Antarctic Program.Well‚ that sounds fine and dandy. Sure hope there’s no weird small print that – oh wait.“But doctors who are wintering at Australian Antarctic stations do have to have their appendix removed‚” it continues. “This is because there is usually only one doctor on station during winter. Evacuation back to medical care in Australia is impossible for at least part of the year.”The same is true for the residents of Villas Las Estrellas‚ one of the few settlements on the continent where humans live for years rather than weeks. “The nearest major hospital is more than 1‚000 km (625 miles) away‚” explains a BBC Future article about the town; “There are only a few doctors on base‚ and none are specialist surgeons.”But if major surgery isn’t to your taste‚ there’s always another medical procedure you could undergo: giving birth. In 1977‚ intent on marking their ownership of the continent by‚ essentially‚ creating a native population for it‚ the Argentinian government airlifted the heavily pregnant Silvia Morello de Palma to the country’s Antarctic Esperanza Base.Two months later‚ her son Emilio became the first person in history known to have been born in Antarctica. It may sound a little less than kosher‚ geopolitically speaking – and it is‚ really: “All of the countries involved in the issue of Antarctic sovereignty are kind of making up the rules as they go along‚” Howkins said. But the Argentines had set a precedent: Chile doubled down on the feat‚ and so far at least a dozen births between the two nations have been registered in Antarctica.While none of them are realistically likely to make a difference in any territorial disputes‚ they have given Antarctica one distinguishing honor. All the babies survived‚ giving the continent a zero percent infant mortality rate – the lowest anywhere in the world.Not bad‚ really – you know‚ for a frozen wasteland a thousand miles from anywhere.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.  

Finding a new species can happen in all sorts of different ways from reclassifying species based on new genetic information with a little help from Will Smith‚ finding them hiding in the trees‚ or spending months looking closely at museum specimens. Scientists are always learning more about the animal species that surround us. Now a new species of sea slug has been discovered in British waters almost by accident. Scientists from the UK's Centre for Environment‚ Food and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the University of Cadiz in Spain collected 14 specimens while doing routine surveys of fisheries off the southwest coast of England and one in the Gulf of Cadiz. Over 100 species of sea slugs are known to live in British waters but this one had something a little bit unusual. The new species‚ described as "cream and clay-colored with white specks"‚ has been named Pleurobranchaea britannica and is around 2-5 centimeters (0.7-1.9 inches) long. Initially‚ because of the distinctive side gill on the right side of the creature‚ researchers thought it might be another species of Pleurobranchaea meckeli‚ which is typically found in Senegal. However‚ this species has never been seen before in UK waters leading scientists to start to question the true identity of the sample they had collected."It is exciting to see that routine fisheries surveys can still lead to such discoveries. It only took a brief inspection of two specimens to be confident that we had stumbled upon a species of Pleurobranchaea. This was thrilling because no other species from this genus had been documented in UK waters‚ or even this far north‚” said Ross Bullimore‚ a marine ecologist at Cefas and co-author of the paper describing the sea slug‚ in a statement sent to IFLScience.Eventually‚ the specimens were sent to a team in Spain where the researchers looked closely at both the DNA and compared the structures to that of known species. They concluded that the specimen was a brand new species. This new species increases the number of sea slugs in the Pleurobranchaea genus to three.Image Courtesy of Ross Bullimore ©Sea slugs are one of the most brightly colored and diverse groups of animals with some displaying incredible features and unique appearance. They also can take on parts of their prey‚ either repurposing cells for photosynthesis or becoming toxic by consuming toxic animals.  "When Cefas scientists contacted me and told me that they had collected individuals belonging to the sea slug genus Pleurobranchaea‚ but whose specific identity was not clear‚ I was really surprised‚" said Dr Juan Lucas Cervera Currado of the University of Cadiz. "Firstly‚ because species from this genus have never been found in the British Isles‚ and secondly because the possibility of having found a new species of this genus in European waters was really exciting.” Pluerobranchea are commonly known as side-gilled sea slugs‚ their gills situated on the right side of the body‚ allowing them to extract oxygen from the water. No other groups of sea slugs found in UK waters have this anatomy so the distinct leaf-like – or "canoe paddle" structure as the team describes it – side gill alerted them to the fact they had found something not found in UK waters before. They suggest it could have a range as far south as Spain and even off the coast of Portugal. The two other species in the genus include Pleurobranchaea meckeli and Pleurobranchaea morosa. The first lives in the Mediterranean Sea and can even be found off Senegal. The second is much rarer and less well-known. However‚ this is not good news as the researchers suggest that climate change could be making this species move into more northerly waters as the temperatures increase.The team is thrilled though to have discovered a brand new sea slug species. "There is often an assumption that we know everything there is to know about species found in UK waters‚ but this just goes to show that there is still so much to learn in our own backyard‚" said Bullimore. The study is published in Zoosystematics and Evolution.