Cereal For The Peasants? How The Elites Use “Skimpflation” To Control Our Eating Habits

SCOTUS Weighs How Heavily Govt Can Squelch Online Speech

Larry Summers: Inflation Much Worse Than Government Says

Supreme Court Hears Social Media Censorship Case (The Twitter Files Goes to Court)

Sometimes it pays off to have a second look at something even over 100 years later. The fossil remains of a marine reptile that lived 247 million years ago have been re-examined 106 years after it was first described. The researchers have concluded that this means Trachelosaurus fischeri is the world's oldest long-necked marine reptile. Trachelosaurus fischeri was first discovered back in 1918 in the layers of Buntsandstein sandstone in Bernburg an der Saale‚ Germany. At the time there was some degree of confusion and controversy about what kind of animal this fossil represented. This is because the fossil is something of a mess with remains scattered across the rock in which it was preserved and not arranged in an anatomically organized way. Originally‚ Trachelosaurus fischeri was thought to be a reptile of 150-170 centimeters (4.9-5.5 feet) long with a small head and very long neck with around 21 vertebrates‚ short limbs‚ and a moderately long tail‚ the team write in their paper. However‚ other researchers came to look at the fossil and several revisions and changes to the classification of T. fishceri have been made over the years. Some suggested that the fossil was a protorosaur that fitted into the Squamata order‚ while others thought that T. fischeri should be assigned to its own family the Trachelosauridae. The fossil has always been something of a mystery with various researchers unsure which other specimens it was closely related to. Comparison of Trachelosaurus fischeri with other marine reptile tanysaurians.Image Credit: Image Credit: Spiekman et al.‚ Swiss Journal of Palaeontology‚ 2024 (CC BY 4.0)"Trachelosaurus fischeri is the first fossil of this reptile group to be found outside of China. It is also the oldest long-necked marine reptile known to date‚" Dr Stephan Spiekman‚ an expert on this group of animals at the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart‚ said in a translated statement.Since the discovery of Trachelosaurus fischeri‚ many more fossils of similar looking marine reptiles have been found‚ however‚ most of these are known from Chinese deposits. By looking closely at these fossils‚ the team came up with criteria that group T. fischeri and other Chinese fossils‚ most notably the fully marine reptile Dinocephalosaurus orientalis‚ creating a clade to classify them called Tanysauria. "Through research on Chinese fossils of the long-necked marine reptile Dinocephalosaurus‚ which I published with colleagues just a few weeks ago‚ we were able to solve the mystery of Trachelosaurus fischeri. The anatomy shows us that it is closely related to Dinocephalosaurus‚" continued Dr Spiekman.At the beginning of the Triassic period‚ there was a large increase of new reptile species both in the seas and walking on land after the extinction event approximately 252 million years ago. The team think the marine reptile was washed into shallow waters as tetrapod footprints can also be seen on some of the seven slabs that make up the fossil.The authors emphasize the use of museum collections in the understanding of this fossil and how valuable they are as resources to better understand the fossils that have been discovered in years past.The paper is published in the Swiss Journal of Palaeontology.

Rinsing out your sinuses can be part of ritual ablution‚ and might also be useful when you have a blocked nose. However‚ a new study has illustrated the importance of using sterile liquids to do so‚ as people using unsterilized tap water can become ill with a rare type of amoeba infection.Amoeba species like Naegleria fowleri and those in the genus Acanthamoeba are surprisingly prevalent in the environment‚ found in soil and many sources of water‚ including from the tap. This can make pinpointing the source of an amoeba infection difficult‚ and thus‚ how best to try and prevent them – something that’s pretty important considering how dangerous they can be.However‚ researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) think that bringing awareness to safe nasal rinsing could make a suitable target. According to a 2023 study looking at the US population‚ of 1‚004 respondents to a survey‚ 62 percent thought that tap water is safe for nasal rinsing – despite it not being sterile. Examining 10 patients infected with rare nonkeratitis Acanthamoeba infections – which are fatal 82 percent of the time – the team found that all had performed nasal rinsing prior to infection‚ and at least half had used tap water.Though they couldn’t say definitively that nasal rinsing was the cause of the infections‚ they suggest that the amoeba may well have been transmitted by it. As a result‚ the researchers called for increased awareness of carrying out safe nasal rinsing‚ particularly for people with compromised immune systems – all 10 infected patients were immunocompromised.The US has also seen infections with Naegleria fowleri‚ also known as the “brain-eating amoeba”. Described as primary amebic meningoencephalitis or PAM‚ the amoeba doesn’t technically “eat” the brain‚ but it does destroy brain tissue‚ causing initial symptoms similar to bacterial meningitis. N. fowleri infections are rare – only 29 cases were reported in the US between 2013 to 2022 – but the death rate for the disease is over 97 percent. Again‚ safe nasal rinsing might become a good target; it’s suspected that a Florida man who died last year after infection with the amoeba had been clearing out his sinuses using unsterilized tap water.So how do you make nasal rinsing safer?According to the CDC‚ “it is safest to use boiled‚ sterile‚ or filtered water. If that is not possible‚ disinfect the water using chlorine; the cloudiness of the water can affect the ability to disinfect the water.”The study is published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Shirts designed for men and women button on different sides‚ with men's buttons appearing on the right hand side and women's buttons on the left.This is a bit odd given that humans are predominantly right-handed‚ and women a touch more likely to be right-handed than men. So how have we ended up in a situation where nearly half the population has to button up their shirt using their non-dominant hand?The answer appears to be as old as shirt buttons themselves. One oft-repeated theory is that men had their buttons on the right-hand side just in case they got themselves caught up in a sword fight‚ as is so often the case in modern times."A gentleman's sword was always worn on the left side‚ so that it could be drawn with the right hand‚" Paul Keers‚ author of A Gentleman's Wardrobe‚ explained to The Guardian. "If a jacket buttoned right over left‚ the handle of the sword would be likely to catch in the jacket opening when drawn‚ so any serious swordsman would demand a tunic which buttoned left over right. As an indication of a masculine lifestyle‚ this tradition was then extended to other items of menswear."This could explain why men's buttons are on the right‚ but why make the effort to have them on the other side for women? While it would be nice to provide a definitive answer‚ there are a number of theories why the difference emerged‚ and remained as standard practice.One theory‚ supported by several historians‚ is that buttons were placed on the opposite side on women's clothing to make it easier for somebody else to dress them."When buttons were invented in the 13th century they were‚ like most new technology‚ very expensive‚” Melanie M. Moore‚ founder of women’s blouse brand Elizabeth &; Clarke‚ told Today. “Wealthy women back then did not dress themselves – their lady’s maid did. Since most people were right-handed‚ this made it easier for someone standing across from you to button your dress.”This likely developed into a sign of wealth‚ having buttons on the wrong side to show you're far too rich to dress yourself. Another theory is that women's shirts button on that side as wealthy women tended to ride horses sidesaddle‚ and having buttons the opposite way stopped cold air from getting inside their shirts.It's unclear why this tradition remained‚ as men stopped feeling the need to be prepared for swordplay at all times‚ and the wealthy stopped riding sidesaddle and (presumably) began to dress themselves. There are a number of possibilities though‚ including manufacturing processes.“In the 19th century buttons were incorporated more in everyday women’s clothing due to advances in sewing technology‚” Natalie Hicks‚ a designer at Our Visn‚ told Huffington Post. “The difference in placement between menswear and womenswear is essentially a holdover from the 13th century that has never been corrected. Designers are creating new looks [based] on old patterns.”It could be‚ though‚ partly to do with evading the actual fashion police.“In the 1880s‚ it was fashionable for women’s clothing to look more traditionally masculine‚" fashion historian Chloe Chapin told Today. "However‚ it was illegal in many places to be dressed like a man in public‚ so perhaps having a difference in buttoning confirmed that you were wearing a female dress.”[H/T: Huffington Post]

Marine biologists are trying to make sense of a set of 49 killer whales whose physical characteristics are a mix of those normally associated with separate populations. They have been seen attacking sperm whales‚ a northern elephant seal‚ and a turtle‚ while also carrying the marks of frequent duels with sharks. There’s a reason Orcinus orca have been lumped with the popular name they have – but it looks like even among killer whales‚ this group is fearless.“The open ocean is the largest habitat on our planet and observations of killer whales in the high seas are rare‚” said first author of the new study on the population‚ University of British Columbia masters student Josh McInnes‚ in a statement. Consequently‚ McInnes and colleagues were intrigued by reports of the whales well off the coast of California and Oregon. That interest grew the more information they found on them.Orcas are distinguished by the fact that different populations have highly varied diets and behaviors. Some live on fish‚ but others go for bigger (but rarer) marine mammal prey. Off America’s west coast‚ some are considered "residents"‚ sticking to the same territory‚ while others are classified as “transients” or “offshores”.Although the population in question has been seen since 1997‚ encounters with humans – at least that have been reported – have been rare. McInnes and co-authors have put together nine reports that appear to be of the same group. These come from fishers and whale-watching tourists as well as researchers‚ made between 15 and 370 kilometers (10-220 miles) offshore.Orcas that live closer to shore get seen often enough to become very familiar. Without such reports‚ McInnes and coauthors needed to be sure that reports over that time related to the same population. They were surprised to find traits normally associated with different population types together in the one group.“While the sizes and shapes of the dorsal fins and saddle patches are similar to transient and offshore ecotypes‚ the shape of their fins varied‚ from pointed like transients to rounded like offshore killer whales‚” said McInnes. “Their saddle patch patterns also differed‚ with some having large uniformly gray saddle patches and others having smooth narrow saddle patches similar to those seen in killer whales in tropical regions.”A comparison of known killer whale lifestyles and the newly described population.Image Credit: University of British ColumbiaIf such a mixed population was found among humans‚ one might conclude they were outcasts from different societies‚ coming together as outlaws to make the badlands their own. Too much anthropomorphizing can be dangerous‚ but observations suggest something similar. McInnes stressed to IFLScience this is not a new species‚ as some media outlets have reported.“In one of the first encounters researchers had with a pod of these oceanic killer whales‚ they were observed taking on a herd of nine adult female sperm whales‚ eventually making off with one. It is the first time killer whales have been reported to attack sperm whales on the west coast‚” McInnes said. “Other encounters include an attack on a pygmy sperm whale‚ predation on a northern elephant seal and Risso’s dolphin‚ and what appeared to be a post-meal lull after scavenging a leatherback turtle.”Taking on larger whales such as humpbacks can be dangerous enough for orcas‚ but sperm whales are likely to be tougher again. There’s a reason Moby Dick was not written about a blue whale – sperm whales are not as big as some of their baleen counterparts‚ but they’re much fiercer. It was sperm whales that may have worked out how to fight back against whalers‚ and shared the information around.Nevertheless‚ it is clear from the reports that it was the orcas who had the upper flipper."The sperm whales were in a rosette formation‚" the authors write. "Small concentrated groups of four to five killer whales randomly targeted and attacked individual sperm whales in the rosette [...] rushing in and lunging at the sperm whales or striking them from below. Fresh blood and an oil slick of animal fat could be seen at the surface following each attack. Multiple sperm whales had extensive injuries [...] One of the sperm whales was killed and dragged away from the rosette with several killer whales seen feeding on the carcass. The remaining sperm whales were believed to all have been seriously or mortally injured." On the other hand‚ five days later‚ an attack was foiled – additional sperm whales arrived to relieve a vulnerable group‚ and the orcas retreated.Nevertheless‚ these killer whales are not the only tough guys in the sea. All but three of the 49 carry the marks of bites from cookiecutter sharks. Since cookiecutters favor tropical waters‚ the frequency of the bites indicates that the orcas probably spend a lot of time in deep waters further south.Maybe they should team up with Starboard‚ the orca recently seen consuming a great white on its own‚ although there is the small matter of an ocean and continent between them.“We hypothesize that these killer whales may represent a distinct oceanic subpopulation of transient killer whales or an undescribed oceanic population that feeds on marine mammals and sea turtles in the open ocean beyond the continental shelf break‚” McInnes and co-authors write.Hopefully further observations will reveal more.The study is published in the journal Aquatic Mammals.

A treasure chest of unique biodiversity has been discovered along the strip of mountains that runs from northern Mozambique to Malawi’s Mount Mulanje in southeast Africa. Unfortunately‚ the area suffers some of the highest deforestation rates in Africa‚ leaving this rich array of wonderful wildlife with an uncertain future. The plethora of life was recently documented by an international team of scientists in the South East Africa Montane Archipelago (SEAMA). An "archipelago" typically refers to a cluster of islands‚ but this name has an altogether different meaning.High up in the mountains‚ there are around 30 fragmented pockets of grasslands and evergreen forests that have remained relatively cut off from each other. These isolated "sky islands" provide the perfect setting to harbor unique collections of wildlife.An international team of scientists has been closely researching this exceptional region for decades and recently collated their work in a new study. A newly discovered freshwater crab from Mount Namuli.Image courtesy of Julian BaylissAs per their findings‚ the region is home to over 200 species that can not be found anywhere else on Earth‚ including 90 species of amphibians‚ reptiles‚ birds‚ mammals‚ butterflies‚ and freshwater crabs‚ plus 127 plant species.Among the strictly endemic species – meaning they are unique to the area – there were three species of birds‚ six freshwater crabs‚ four mammals‚ 11 amphibians‚ 22 reptiles‚ and 39 butterflies. Some of these species have never been identified by scientists before and can be considered new species.Off the back of these discoveries‚ the team believes this unique area needs to be recognized as a new ecoregion to receive the protection it deserves. “Ecological regions (ecoregions) are widely used to inform global conservation priorities. They define large expanses of land or water‚ characterised by geographically distinct assemblages of animals and plants. New ecoregion definitions are rare‚ and typically follow many years of research across a range of scientific disciplines‚” Professor Julian Bayliss‚ lead study author from Oxford Brookes University and National Network for Community Management of Natural Resources in Mozambique‚ said in a statement. An endemic species of bird living in the South East Africa Montane Archipelago.Image courtesy of Julian Bayliss“It took decades of international collaboration to gather sufficient evidence to define the ecoregion. We documented hundreds of previously undescribed species‚ and researched the geology‚ climate‚ and genetic history of the ecosystems‚ to piece together what makes these mountains so unique. This new ecoregion will create an important platform from which to develop regional conservation initiatives‚” explained Bayliss.The SEAMA owes its unique biodiversity to its abundance of mountains that were formed hundreds of millions of years ago. On top of hosting heaps of mountainous grasslands‚ the region has the largest and the smallest mid-elevation rainforests in southern Africa: Mount Mabu and Mount Lico‚ respectively. A bush viper found on Mount Mabu.Image courtesy of William Roy Branch“The ecoregion is fragmented across small isolated pockets of rainforest‚ montane grasslands‚ and shrublands‚ each with their own unique‚ but distantly related‚ plants and animals. There is so much more to discover‚ but many of these species may go extinct before we can record them‚” explained Dr Harith Farooq‚ a biologist from the University of Lúrio in Mozambique and co-author of the study.It’s a region that’s facing massive change‚ however. Since 2000‚ the SEAMA has lost 18 percent of its humid forest cover on average – and that figure is as high as 43 percent in certain parts of the region.Most of the region's small mammals‚ birds‚ reptiles‚ and amphibians are dependent on the rich forest‚ underscoring the urgent need for better conservation efforts in the area. The Mabu leaf-nosed bat.Image courtesy of Ara Monadjem“Our study highlights the need to protect this unique‚ rather understudied‚ ecoregion‚” commented Dr Gabriela Bittencourt‚ a co-author‚ and Postdoctoral Researcher at the Natural History Museum in London. "Encouraging conservation of the South East Africa Montane Archipelago is paramount as it's clear we've only begun to scratch the surface of what we can learn about this diverse region as well as consider how these learnings can be applied to global biodiversity conservation efforts.”The new study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

If you’ve got half a million dollars to splash on a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience‚ then you may want to consider eating at the world’s highest table. Carried to the very limit of Earth’s atmosphere by a high-altitude balloon‚ the stratospheric eatery is the work of New York-based SpaceVIP and Florida-based Space Perspective‚ which has been described as “the world's first carbon-neutral spaceflight experience company.”The newly-launched experience will see six guests join Michelin-starred Chef Rasmus Munk from renowned Copenhagen restaurant Alchemist for a unique six-hour sitting‚ all for the price of $495‚000. Taking off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida‚ diners will rise above the clouds aboard the Spaceship Neptune‚ where they will enjoy a multi-course meal before slowly descending  and landing in the ocean.“Featuring a pressurized capsule lifted gently by a SpaceBalloonâ„¢ – not a rocket – the spacecraft will take Explorers and ascend 100‚000 feet [30‚500 meters] above sea level where they will dine as they watch the sunrise over the Earth's curvature‚” SpaceVIP said in a statement. “With no rockets‚ weightlessness‚ heavy g-forces‚ or training required‚ the experience is designed to be as gentle on Explorers as it is on the Earth‚” the company adds.To ascend‚ the space balloon will be filled with hydrogen gas‚ which is lighter than air. When fully inflated‚ the giant balloon has a height of 200 meters (650 feet). According to the company‚ the descent will involve the release of a “tiny amount of gas that turns into water‚ so the vehicle is technically near-zero emissions.”The Spaceship Neptune is described as "near-zero emissions". Image credit: Space VIPAs for the food‚ the precise menu has not yet been shared‚ but apparently will include “dishes inspired by the role of space exploration during the last 60 years of human history.” Based on “Holistic Cuisine”‚ these recipes “will inspire thought and discussion on the role of humanity in protecting our planet‚ challenging the diner to reexamine our relationship with Earth and those who inhabit it.”Having faced criticism for the extravagance of this exclusive endeavor‚ the company has defended the idea by claiming that experiences such as this can enhance “space literacy”‚ which it says can help us to collectively meet the existential challenges faced by our species. “Private sector participation in the space industry is accelerating space-based innovation and giving us a chance to tackle the critical social‚ economic‚ and environmental challenges facing our planet‚” insists SpaceVIP.Moreover‚ it claims that “seeing our planet from the edge of space has the power to create a cognitive shift and inspire a greater appreciation for Earth and a deep connection to humanity as a whole.”“We’re aware that it’s an expensive first journey. But this is after all the first launch with these food experiences on board‚” Munk told Bloomberg.Perhaps most importantly of all‚ though‚ the dining ship does have a “proper restroom”‚ known as the Space Spa.