The Earth isn't perfectly round IT'S FLAT. Ok not really‚ but it isn't as perfectly round as you'd expect from lessons in primary school or glancing briefly at a globe‚ either.First of all‚ why are planets round(ish)? This one is relatively simple: our old friend (and dastardly nemesis) gravity is the culprit. Planets are formed by bits of matter bumping into each other over time‚ forming bigger clumps. As the mass increases‚ so does the new planet's gravitational pull‚ drawing in even more matter.Congratulations‚ you now have a planet-sized clump. Gravity then sets to work smoothing it into the roundish objects we know and like to stand on/gawp at."An object’s gravitational pull will always point towards the centre of its mass. The bigger something is‚ the more massive it is‚ and the larger its gravitational pull‚" Jonti Horner‚ professor of astrophysics at the University of Southern Queensland‚ explained in a piece for The Conversation. "But the thing is‚ gravity is actually surprisingly weak. An object must be really big before it can exert a strong enough gravitational pull to overcome the strength of the material from which it’s made. Smaller solid objects (metres or kilometres in diameter) therefore have gravitational pulls that are too weak to pull them into a spherical shape."  This is why smaller objects and planets have less of a uniform shape‚ for instance Comet 67P which looks a little like a rubber duck.Ok‚ so why isn't Earth a perfect sphere?Gravity is too weak to pull the Earth into a perfect sphere‚ but it also isn't the only force affecting a planet's shape. In 1671‚ astronomer Jean Richter traveled from Paris‚ France‚ to Cayenne‚ French Guiana in South America. With him‚ he took a pendulum clock. While the clock had been accurate in Paris‚ he noticed that in Cayenne it ran slowly‚ losing a full two and a half minutes every day. No biggie‚ the pendulum was shortened to make the clock accurate. However‚ when he returned to Paris he found that the clock was running too quickly‚ by two and a half minutes each day.Though it may feel the same when you jump up and down in Brazil or Canada‚ the rate at which you fall is not uniform. What mathematician Christiaan Huygens realized after hearing of Richter's clock was that it was experimental evidence that the Earth was rotating. The clock's change of pace was not due to some weird error‚ but because of the shape of the Earth itself.Later‚ Newton showed using data from a similar pendulum clock and Jupiter's equatorial bulge‚ that the Earth bulged at the equator due to the centrifugal force (think about how you are pushed to the outside edge of a roundabout as it spins) of its rotation‚ and estimated by how much. Near the equator‚ gravity acts upon you less than it does near the poles‚ as you are further away from the bulk of the Earth's mass‚ explaining why the pendulum ran differently.The faster the centrifugal force‚ the more likely you are to see these bulges. Dwarf planet Haumea‚ a planet roughly the size of Pluto‚ is shaped much like an egg due to how fast it is rotating. Earth‚ while not completely egg-like‚ bulges at the equator about 43 kilometers (27 miles).

Glaring artificial lights caused the death of nearly 1‚000 birds after they accidentally slammed into a brightly lit building in Chicago. These types of accidents are becoming increasingly common and it’s leaving scientists to wonder whether we need to seriously reconsider our relationship with artificial lighting.Some 960 migratory birds were recovered from the land around McCormick Place Lakeside Center‚ a large convention center made of glass panels in Chicago‚ on October 5‚ according to Chicago’s Field Museum. Dozens of species were affected‚ but the majority appear to have been palm and yellow-rumped warblers.Most birds migrate at night and artificial lighting can dazzle their nighttime navigation‚ leading to collisions with reflective surfaces or glass buildings. Indeed‚ this is not the first time the lights of McCormick Place’s glass-clad building have been blamed on a mass die-off of migratory birds. “Every day during spring and fall migration seasons‚ our scientists and volunteers have gotten up at sunrise in search of birds that have flown into the center’s windows‚” Field Museum posted on X (formerly Twitter).“Collections data have proved many migratory birds are shrinking due to climate change. They’ve also helped scientists make the case for turning off city lights to help migrating birds: Illuminated windows can disorient birds‚ resulting in more collisions‚” they added.     IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.McCormick Place has acknowledged the problem‚ posting on Instagram that they’re currently “consulting with experts to identify the best options for both immediate and long-term solutions.”Aptly‚ a new study was published this week that looked at how light pollution is posing a growing threat to migrating birds. Using weather radar data‚ scientists found that artificial light is a main indicator of where birds will land on their lengthy journeys. With city lights acting like glowing beacons‚ migratory birds are being lured to urban areas‚ which are risky places filled with threats like people‚ cats‚ scarcer food‚ and plenty of shiny buildings to collide with. Light pollution is continuing to increase sharply with the ongoing urbanization of the planet and our ever-expanding development‚ creating a noticeable impact on human and ecological health."We don't often think about light as a pollutant‚ but it checks all the boxes of what pollution is‚” Kyle Horton‚ study author and an assistant professor at Colorado State University’s Department of Fish‚ Wildlife and Conservation Biology‚ said in a statement. “If we turned off all lights tonight‚ there would be no birds colliding because of lights tonight. The impact is immediate and positive for birds‚" said Horton. The new study is published in the journal Nature Communications.

Originally developed as a test of consciousness in different species‚ the mirror test has since become an indicator that a creature recognizes its reflection as itself. Now‚ researchers have potentially welcomed a new member to the self-recognition club: mice.Placing a dollop of black or white ink on the foreheads of black-furred mice‚ a team of researchers then placed individual mice in a box with a mirror and started recording them. Observations revealed that mice with white spots on their heads spent more time grooming their heads whilst in front of the mirror. On the surface‚ this would suggest that the mice were able to detect the change in their appearance‚ and thus are capable of self-recognition‚ joining the likes of humans‚ chimpanzees‚ and fish.However‚ the researchers caution that this doesn’t necessarily mean that mice are “self-aware”. They also found that the mice could only detect the spots under certain conditions: being accustomed to mirrors‚ having spent time socializing with other mice that looked like them‚ and if the blob of ink on their heads was relatively large.  “The mice required significant external sensory cues to pass the mirror test – we have to put a lot of ink on their heads‚ and then the tactile stimulus coming from the ink somehow enables the animal to detect the ink on their heads via a mirror reflection‚” said first author Jun Yokose in a statement. “Chimps and humans don't need any of that extra sensory stimulus.”The team also sought to identify the neural basis for the behavior resembling self-recognition. They identified a subset of neurons in the hippocampus‚ which they found were activated when the mice appeared to recognize themselves in the mirror. To confirm the neurons played a role in this behavior‚ the team made them non-functional‚ after which the mice stopped displaying it.The researchers further suggest that socialization may be key to the mice developing self-recognizing behaviors‚ with socially isolated mice displaying no increase in grooming behaviors during the mirror and ink test. There were also clues in the analysis of neurons. “A subset of these self-responding neurons was also reactivated when we exposed the mice to other individuals of the same strain‚” said senior author Takashi Kitamura. “This is consistent with previous human literature that showed that some hippocampal cells fire not only when the person is looking at themselves‚ but also when they look at familiar people like a parent.”The next step for the team is to figure out if mice can still recognize changes to their appearance in the absence of tactile stimulation; cold‚ wet ink on their heads may well have alerted them to the fact. One suggestion is to use filters similar to those seen on social media – a study with images of mice with little bunny ears or cartoonishly large eyes would be worthwhile indeed. It’s also hoped they can identify other brain regions that could be involved in self-recognition.“Now that we have this mouse model‚ we can manipulate or monitor neural activity to comprehensively investigate the neural circuit mechanisms behind how self-recognition-like behavior is induced in mice‚” said Yokose.The study is published in the journal Neuron.

In August‚ India became the fourth nation to touch down on the Moon‚ and the first to land near (but definitely not on) the lunar south pole. The mission was an overwhelming success‚ with the lander and rover conducting experiments to measure the temperature at the landing site and analyze the composition of the lunar soil‚ before shutting down in the lunar night.Now‚ in a surprise move (even to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)‚ given that they weren't expecting to have the fuel for such a maneuver)‚ the propulsion module that took the lander to the Moon has returned to Earth orbit. The propulsion module's primary objective was to deliver the Vikram Lander to the Moon – but it also had another payload. After separation‚ the Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload was deployed and operated for a planned lifespan of about three months. As the end of the mission neared‚ they realized they had fuel spare for a bonus end to the mission."The precise orbit injection by LVM3 and optimal earth / lunar burn maneuvers‚ resulted in the availability of over 100 kg [220 pounds] of fuel in the PM [Propulsion Module] after over one month of operations in the lunar orbit‚" ISRO said in a statement. "It was decided to use the available fuel in the PM to derive additional information for future lunar missions and demonstrate the mission operation strategies for a sample return mission."After a few maneuvers‚ the module made four last Moon fly-bys before leaving its orbit and heading out on a trajectory taking it into Earth's orbit. Here‚ it is orbiting us around every 13 days‚ with no threat to any other orbiting satellites‚ ISRO says.    IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.SHAPE will now be repurposed for Earth observations whenever it is close enough to observe us. In a tantalizing hint of science to come‚ ISRO added that SHAPE carried out a "special operation" on October 28‚ 2023‚ during a Solar Eclipse. Solar eclipses are especially useful for space scientists‚ particularly for studying the Sun itself – but for now‚ we'll have to wait and see what they were up to.

A model for a predecessor of life can protect proteins against radiation when it includes manganese ions –without these ions‚ the radiation degrades any life-forming potential. Although there is no proof that actual predecessors of life had this form of protection‚ the findings from this model provide the first possible explanation for how this specific obstacle to life’s appearance might have been overcome.One of the many puzzles about the origins of life is how the molecules needed to get things started survived the harsh radiation they would have been exposed to at the time. Space can host surprisingly complex chemistry. We’ve found many of the amino acids needed for life in asteroids‚ suggesting these could have peppered the Earth‚ once conditions cooled down enough that complex organic molecules like this could survive.However‚ heat is only one of the threats to such delicate structures. Gamma radiation is another‚ and the early Earth is known to have had a lot of it. A team led by Professor Bing Tian of Zhejiang University explored how well proteins and other molecules survived large doses of ionizing radiation.Radiation’s threat to organic molecules is not always direct. It can cause water to break down‚ producing reactive oxygen species that do even more damage through oxidative stress. Deinococcus radiodurans is a bacterium that‚ as the name hints‚ is capable of surviving radiation that would be lethal to almost all other known living things. It’s also particularly impervious to other threats like dehydration and acidity. To work out how the first organisms‚ and their non-living predecessors‚ survived in conditions deeply inhospitable to life‚ studying D. radiodurans could be a good place to start.The Murchison meteorite proved many of the building blocks of life were available on the early Earth‚ but only now do we understand why they weren't destroyed.Image credit: James St. John via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)Studies have previously shown that one of D. radiodurans’ tricks is to use manganese 3+ ions. These shield the bacterium’s vulnerable molecules from oxidative stress‚ leading Tian to wonder if they might do the same thing for pre-biological molecules. Moreover‚ other forms of life with unusual resistance to radioactivity also accumulate a lot of manganese ions.The researchers suspected that phosphate residues‚ known as polyphosphates‚ might also play a part. Polyphosphates are known to have been present on Earth long before life began‚ probably produced in volcanoes‚ and are suspected of having donated phosphates to vital molecules such as ATP‚ which cells use to store energy.The team formed model protocells from liquid droplets known as coacervates and blasted them with enough gamma radiation that if this was a Marvel film‚ they would have acquired superpowers. One type of coacervate‚ containing polyphosphate-manganese‚ survived unscathed‚ including proteins it attracted from the surrounding environment. The other‚ which still had the polyphosphates‚ but paired with a peptide instead of the manganese‚ was annihilated. Manganese antioxidants are so good at scavenging reactive oxygen species that there is nothing left to damage the proteins‚ the team concluded. They repeated the experiment with DNA in the coacervates‚ and once more observed radiation-resistance. It’s still a long way from this work to knowing how life could have got started. Many steps would have gone into combining the manganese ions and polyphosphates with the other ingredients needed for self-replication to occur. Nevertheless‚ one more seemingly insurmountable obstacle to the vast challenge of life arising from non-life may have been resolved.The study is published in Nature Communications.

Ever heard of the Krebs cycle? How about the citric acid or tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle? If the answer’s no‚ you’re not on your own. The process is essential for keeping us‚ and all other aerobic organisms‚ alive‚ and yet relatively few of us actually know the ins and outs of what it is and how it works. But don’t worry‚ all that’s about to change…What is the Krebs cycle?If you cast your mind back to your school days‚ you may remember the Krebs cycle from science class. Perhaps you recall something about respiration‚ energy generation‚ and the “powerhouse of the cell” mitochondria – and you would be correct.Named after the first person to propose its existence‚ Hans Krebs‚ it is also known as the citric acid cycle or the TCA cycle‚ and is a series of chemical reactions in the mitochondria that generate energy during aerobic respiration. This occurs through the oxidization of acetate derived from carbohydrates‚ fats‚ and proteins into carbon dioxide. The Krebs cycle is used by all aerobic organisms – organisms that survive and grow only in the presence of oxygen – and is present in every cell that uses oxygen to produce energy.As we just mentioned‚ the cycle is a key step in cellular respiration – the process by which organic compounds release energy. When this requires oxygen‚ it is known as aerobic respiration‚ which occurs in four stages: glycolysis‚ the link reaction‚ our friend the Krebs cycle‚ and oxidative phosphorylation.How does the Krebs cycle work?The Krebs cycle is an eight-step process‚ which‚ essentially‚ converts a molecule called acetyl-CoA into carbon dioxide‚ in the process producing the energy-carrying nucleotide adenosine triphosphate (ATP). To kick things off‚ acetyl-CoA‚ which has been derived from glucose‚ fatty acids‚ or proteins‚ reacts with a compound composed of four carbon atoms called oxaloacetate. This forms citrate (comprised of six carbon atoms) and releases coenzyme A (CoA-SH). Coenzymes are organic compounds required by many enzymes to help them function.Then‚ citrate is rearranged to form isocitrate‚ before isocitrate loses a molecule of carbon dioxide and undergoes oxidation to form the five-carbon molecule alpha-ketoglutarate (steps two and three). Alongside this‚ the coenzyme NAD+ is reduced to NADH.In step four‚ alpha-ketoglutarate loses a molecule of carbon dioxide and is oxidized‚ forming succinyl-CoA‚ which has four carbon atoms. Again‚ NAD+ is converted to NADH.Next‚ succinyl-CoA forms succinate and‚ at the same time‚ a molecule called GDP is phosphorylated to get GTP. GTP then transfers its phosphate to ADP‚ forming the all-important ATP.We then take succinate (step six) and oxidize it to make fumarate. Meanwhile‚ FAD is reduced to FADH2.Adding water to the fumarate creates malate in step seven‚ and‚ in the eighth and final step‚ malate is oxidized to oxaloacetate and the cycle can start again. Malate also loses hydrogen‚ which is transferred to NAD+ to form NADH.Overall‚ therefore‚ one cycle produces: two molecules of carbon dioxide‚ one molecule of ATP‚ three NADH‚ and one FADH2.And all of this takes place in the matrix of mitochondria.It’s a lot to take in‚ we know – to really get to grips with the intricacies of the cycle‚ it can help to visualize it:The Krebs cycle‚ also known as the citric acid cycle or TCA cycle.Image credit: hakan.demir/Shutterstock.comWhy is the Krebs cycle important?Now you know what the cycle is‚ you may be wondering why you should care about it in the first place. And the answer is ATP. ATP is an energy-carrying molecule found in the cells of all living things – it drives many processes in living cells‚ including muscle contraction‚ ion transport‚ nerve impulse propagation‚ and chemical synthesis.The cycle itself produces a molecule of ATP‚ but the reduced coenzymes (NADH/FADH2) can also go on to generate even more ATP in something called the electron transport chain.The Krebs cycle‚ therefore‚ provides aerobic organisms with the energy they need to survive. It also plays a role in producing the precursors needed for the synthesis of substances such as amino and fatty acids.So we guess you could say it’s pretty important – a matter of life or death‚ even.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. 

“Rescue doesn’t mean damaged. It signifies that they’ve been failed by humans.” This poignant quote captures the essence of countless animal rescue stories that have gone viral. Each of these tales paints a picture of abandonment‚ survival‚ pain‚ and ultimately‚ redemption. It’s heartbreaking to see these animals‚ their eyes reflecting years of pain and betrayal.... The post Neglected dog with incredibly matted fur gets ‘lifesaving’ makeover from shelter appeared first on Animal Channel.

The heartwarming journey of Simon‚ a once-neglected petting zoo cow‚ unfolds in a captivating video. This touching story‚ narrated by Tracy‚ a volunteer at the rescue center‚ begins with the discovery of Simon in a dire state – alone‚ undernourished‚ and visibly unhappy. Initially‚ Simon required intensive care‚ a testament to his poor condition upon... The post Lonely petting zoo cow can’t contain emotions when he takes first steps to freedom appeared first on Animal Channel.

There are only three things certain in life: death‚ taxes‚ and professional fact-checkers condemning Republican politicians for lamenting the small size of the U.S. Navy. The latest installment in this nearly-decade long exercise of opinion-checking disguised as fact-checking came on Monday as PolitiFacat’s Louis Jacobson only gave presidential candidate Nikki Haley a “half-true” rating for her comparison of the American and Chinese navies‚ despite conceding she was completely correct. The exact quote from Haley was that China has "the largest naval fleet in the world. They had 370 ships. They'll have 400 ships in two years. We won't even have 350 ships in two decades." Seems like a pretty straightforward fact-check and in the “if your time is short” summary‚ Jacobson writes‚ "Numerically‚ Haley is on target with both countries’ ship counts." However‚ Jacobson was unwilling to give Haley a true rating‚ "Military experts caution that other factors‚ including ships’ capabilities and advanced technologies‚ are just as important‚ if not more so. The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service has called ship counts ‘a one-dimensional measure.'" This is not a fact-check; it is an opinion-check. But Jacobson’s opinionating was just getting started: China is surely gaining ground on the U.S.‚ both in ship counts and overall tonnage — the combined weight of all ships‚ which helps quantify how many assets a navy has. When Michael O’Hanlon‚ a senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution‚ compared the two countries’ ship tonnage a decade ago‚ the U.S. had a roughly 3-1 edge. Now‚ he said‚ it’s closer to a 2-1 margin. Although ‘tonnage is not a perfect metric‚’ O’Hanlon said‚ simply counting ships 'is a terrible one.' Tonnage is a 1920s—or even 1820s—way of looking at a 2020s problem. A proper 2020s way of looking at combat strength is missile capacity and one missile from a cheap‚ Iranian speedboat does just as much damage as one missile from a major American surface combatant and it takes just one missile for a ship’s crew to have a very bad day. So‚ not only is PolitiFact opinion-checking Haley‚ it is not even good opinion-checking. Moving right along‚ Jacobson cites Cameron University’s Lance Janda‚ “Ours is a true blue water navy capable of deploying anywhere in the world for an extended period‚ and we have many more aircraft carriers‚ far more naval aircraft‚ more advanced submarines and a larger Marine Corps.” He also cites the Center for Strategic and International Studies’s Mark Cancian saying "The U.S. Navy has global responsibilities‚ whereas (China’s navy focuses) exclusively on the region." Jacobson meant that as a criticism of Haley‚ but it actually makes her point more relevant as China’s larger fleet is concentrated in the likely area of combat operations‚ while the U.S. fleet is dispersed across the world on a wide variety of assignments. PolitiFact should not be in the business of opinion-checking‚ but if it is going to insist‚ at the very least it should quote experts on both sides of the debate and let readers make up their own minds.

Police attempted to execute a search warrant Monday at a duplex in a Washington‚ D.C.‚ suburb wherein a man was said to be barricaded and firing off a flare gun into the surrounding neighborhood. However‚ before officers could make entry‚ an explosion blew the structure sky-high. According the Arlington County Police Department‚ officers were dispatched to the 800 block of N. Burlington Street in Bluemont around 4:45 p.m. on Monday in response to a report of possible shots fired. On the scene‚ officers learned that the suspect had allegedly fired a flare gun into the surrounding neighborhood an estimated 30-40 times. Fortunately‚ no one was injured and no property was damaged as a result of the discharge of the flare gun. Police soon obtained a search warrant for the suspect's home. Before approaching‚ officers attempted to communicate with the suspect by phone and over loudspeakers. However‚ police indicated the suspect failed to respond and "remained barricaded inside the residence." After failing to get through to the suspect‚ police prepared to execute the search warrant and make entry. However‚ when they initially attempted to do so‚ the suspect allegedly opened fire‚ this time with what was suspected to be a gun. Alex Wilson‚ a neighbor who filmed the incident from his rooftop‚ told WTTG-TV the barricaded resident shot at police with what appeared to be a high-caliber weapon. "Three hours later‚ at least‚ we saw the SWAT truck arrive‚ and when the SWAT trucks arrive‚ you know‚ you're like‚ 'Oh‚ things are getting escalated at that point‚'" said Wilson. Police reportedly continued to urge the suspect inside to come outside‚ but their implorations proved fruitless. "The guy inside wasn't responding‚ and they drove a SWAT truck through the front door and then shots were being fired‚" said Watson. The initial attempts to breach the front were ineffective‚ so the tactical team reoriented the vehicle and attempted to burst through the window. "As the SWAT team were driving forward to the window‚ that's when the whole place went up‚" added Wilson. At 8:25 p.m.‚ the house exploded‚ injuring three officers. None of the officers required treatment at a hospital. Footage of the incident shows fire belch from the side of the two-story brick duplex‚ a cloud of debris punch out the front of the structure‚ then the roof and much of the interior thrown hundreds of feet into the air. Car alarms ring out while flaming debris rains down into a plume of smoke. — (@) Carla Rodriguez of South Arlington indicated she could hear the blast over two miles away‚ reported the Associated Press. "I actually thought a plane exploded‚" said Rodriguez. Blake Thompson‚ another nearby resident‚ told WTTG‚ "I thought it was a sonic boom at first‚ but I looked out of my window and I saw burning stuff in the sky‚ in a sense. It looked like ash‚ but of course‚ it was much farther away so it was probably debris." The house next door was reportedly all but demolished in the explosion. Power was also knocked out to multiple homes in the neighborhood. The Arlington County Fire Department responded to the scene to put out the inferno and were able to tame it around 10:30 p.m. — (@) Capt. Nate Hiner‚ a spokesman for the ACFD‚ noted that it is not yet clear what caused the explosion. The Bureau of Alcohol‚ Tobacco‚ Firearms and Explosives and other federal agents have joined the investigation. While the suspect has not yet been identified by police‚ WTTG and local news website ARLnow.com both indicated that public records suggest a man named James W. Yoo is linked to the residence. Yoo's LinkedIn page‚ which was deleted overnight‚ indicates he was previously a landlord who also worked in telecommunications and security. It's not clear whether Woo was in the house at the time of the explosion or involved in the incident. Yoo's YouTube channel details various legal complaints he has apparently filed in recent years. Documents shared in a number of the videos indicated his address was 844 N. Burlington Street. In a Nov. 3 video‚ Woo shared images of his correspondence with various attorneys and federal officials regarding his complaint alleging Rochester General Hospital illegally held him for five days against his will. The letter indicates those who allegedly detained him did so citing a state law enabling a temporary hold of a mentally compromised individual who is at risk of doing harm to himself or others. Apparently convinced LinkedIn was suppressing his content — including Woo's suggestion that his supposed poor treatment by the police and government was "how White people operate" — Woo shared videos of various now-deleted posts‚ including criticism of former President Donald Trump‚ California Gov. Gavin Newsom‚ and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The "About" section on his YouTube page states‚ "I gave THEM / Y'ALL every opportunity to 'do the right thing' and all I see is America's hypocrisy‚ corruption‚ fraud‚ conspiracy‚ CHICKENSHAT. ... #NoneOfTheAbovePARTY #MontyBrewsterish 'U.S. is the world's biggest TERRORIST' (N.Chomsky‚ ~2015)." "This guy has been cooped up for years‚" Wilson said. "He's closed off his windows‚ no one has really seen him for years." Ashley Savage‚ spokeswoman for the ACPD‚ told the New York Times‚ "We have not been able to access the home at this point‚ so I don't have the status of the suspect." Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) wrote on X‚ "This is very‚ very scary‚ and my profound thanks go out to first responders working to secure the area and keep everyone safe." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!