What makes an animal a pest, vs. a potential pet? Atlas Obscura's Andrew Coletti spoke with science journalist Bethany Brookshire, who has written a book about the subject, to find out. "India has way more venomous snakes than the U.S. does, and yet people there are not as utterly terrified, screaming 'Go chop its head off with a hoe!' about snakes [like Americans do]," says Brookshire. "And that’s because they have different ideas about what snakes are, and what snakes do, and where snakes belong."
I used to complain about bad #science in #movies and #tv shows, but I recently found myself complaining that a character was using a blade #coffee grinder to prepare espresso, and I'm not sure how I feel about this side of me...
Alvan Graham Clark discovers the white dwarf star Sirius B, a companion of Sirius, through an 18.5-inch (47 cm) telescope now located at Northwestern University.
This discovery of Sirius B, or affectionately "the Pup", proved an earlier hypotheses (Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel in 1844) that Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky with an apparent magnitude of −1.46, had an unseen companion disturbing its motion.
Vera Rubin Was a Pioneering Female Astronomer. Her Federal Bio Now Doesn’t Mention Efforts to Diversify Science. —
The edits to the webpage offer a glimpse into how far the Trump administration will go in refusing to acknowledge today’s inequalities as it purges federal initiatives promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
Please share: Our Max Planck Institute recently left X and is present here on Mastodon. Give them a follow! Beautiful pictures from the science of light!
The “study” that spearheaded this cascade of concern in 2005, and is still quoted today, claimed that using email lowered IQ more than cannabis. But Shane O’Mara, prof of experimental brain research at Trinity College, smelled a rat when he couldn’t find the original paper. It turns out there never was one.
The National Science Foundation funds a huge amount of science in the US, and this appeared on their website 7 hours ago (at https://new.nsf.gov/executive-orders )
This is telling people to stop work on existing grants if the work might touch on equality or diversity considerations (keep reading down).
I’m pretty sure that every grant application had to have a section on how those considerations were being addressed. This is mindblowingly disruptive and destructive.
You've probably heard that "we are stardust," but this graphic breaks it down further & tells you what kind of stars your dust came from--and which elements didn't come from stars at all.
My name is Alex Doppelgänger and I'm passionate about #science, #culture, #history and #boardgames. In my spare time I write on my personal website and on Substack (in Romanian) about board games and their role in the development of culture, history and society.
A moving story behind a beautiful snapshot of #Comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS:
“We took the photograph while we were en route from northern #Chile to Santiago, travelling to attend the first workshop on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for the Chilean astronomical community at ESO-Vitacura. Little did we know that this journey would present us with a once-in-a-lifetime observational opportunity!
The flight was delayed, and as the plane ascended, the timing coincided perfectly with sunset. By pure coincidence, the window seat in our row was unoccupied, providing us an unobstructed view of the breathtaking landscape below. It was then that we noticed a faint but unmistakable glow in the sky: Comet C/2024 G3 Atlas!
Eager to share this spectacle, we informed the flight attendants, who promptly passed on the news to the pilots. They were as enthusiastic as us, and they made an announcement to the passengers, describing the …
A moving story behind a beautiful snapshot of #Comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS:
“We took the photograph while we were en route from northern #Chile to Santiago, travelling to attend the first workshop on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for the Chilean astronomical community at ESO-Vitacura. Little did we know that this journey would present us with a once-in-a-lifetime observational opportunity!
The flight was delayed, and as the plane ascended, the timing coincided perfectly with sunset. By pure coincidence, the window seat in our row was unoccupied, providing us an unobstructed view of the breathtaking landscape below. It was then that we noticed a faint but unmistakable glow in the sky: Comet C/2024 G3 Atlas!
Eager to share this spectacle, we informed the flight attendants, who promptly passed on the news to the pilots. They were as enthusiastic as us, and they made an announcement to the passengers, describing the rare sight visible outside the plane. The pilots dimmed the cabin lights and even turned off the wing lights to enhance visibility, allowing everyone onboard to experience the comet in its full glory.
The cabin was filled with awe as passengers took pictures of the comet. This moment was a testament to how celestial events can bring people together, even at 30,000 feet!”
🥲
Thanks for sharing this wonderful image and story, Virginia Cuomo from the Astronomy Department of La Serena University in Chile and the Chilean Astronomical Society, and Annagrazia Puglisi from the School of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Southampton!
With autism and ADHD diagnoses on the rise in recent decades, researchers continue to look at the factors involved. A study published in 2023 revealed that there’s a difference in how children with autism or ADHD clear the common plastic additive bisphenol A (BPA) from their systems compared to neurotypical children. @ScienceAlert has more:
