The asteroid collision that
half a billion years ago that triggered one
changed life on Earth
forever—without killing the
dinosaurs
● September 20, 2019
Something mysterious happened nearly
of the most important changes in the
history of life on Earth. Suddenly, there
was an explosion of species, with the
biodiversity of invertebrate animals
increasing from a very low level to
something similar to what we see today.
The most popular explanation for this
"Great Ordovician Biodiversification
Event" is that it was a result of an
uncomfortably hot Earth cooling and
eventually heading into an ice age.
But what actually triggered the change in
temperature? In our new paper, published
in Science Advances, we show that its
onset coincided exactly with the largest
documented asteroid breakup in the
asteroid belt during the past two billion
years, caused by a collision with another
asteroid or a comet. Even today, almost a
third of all meteorites falling on Earth
originate from the breakup of this 150
kilometer-wide asteroid between Jupiter
and Mars.
23 ways alcohol could save Most bourbon brands are around 80 proof
(40 percent alcohol by volume), and while
your life this mixture contains more water than
ethanol, it’s still flammable. The only trick
September 20, 2019 when using liquor to kindle a fire is to be
ready for the water. Liquor will light
quickly but, as soon as the alcohol is
gone, all that’s left is water. This means
that if you dump this booze onto a pile of
damp sticks, the alcohol will burn off
quickly—leaving the sticks wetter than
they were before.
Bourbon’s generous alcoholic content can
do more than get you drunk quickly; It can
prevent deadly infections when applied to
cuts, scrapes, and scratches. Yes, it will
sting like hell, especially on larger
wounds, but few things kill microbes as
effectively as liquor. Pour some across
the injury, or dribble it on a piece of gauze
to be left in place.
While it’s not the ideal ingredient for
making your own homemade medicine,
bourbon can be used instead of clearer
liquor to create medicinal tinctures. Select
a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid
(preferably a wide-mouth jar). Cut, crush,
chop, or otherwise break up the dried
plant material you wish to use, and then
pack it tightly into the jar. Pour enough
bourbon over the medicinal herbs to
cover them slightly, and then put the lid
on it.
We’ve lost almost 3 billion
birds in the U.S. and
Canada since 1970
September 20, 2019
In 1962, Rachel Carlson warned about
the dangers of the pesticide DDT in the
classic Silent Spring. The book helped
launch an environmental movement and
stop the use of DDT, which had nearly
decimated iconic raptors like the
peregrine falcon and the bald eagle.
While eagles and falcons have made a
remarkable recovery and continue to
grow in numbers, a new study reveals a
greater crisis, renewing Carlson's
message about our ability to destroy
nature. In the United States and Canada,
almost three billion birds have been lost
since 1970—or about 29 percent of birds
that once lived in those countries. "It's
really quite frightening," says Rachel
Buxton, conservation biologist at Carleton
University, who was not involved in the
research. "We know that we're facing a
biodiversity crisis, but the most jarring
thing is putting a number on it."
The biodiversity crisis is often defined by
extinctions, the many species that are
being completely lost. And that's
important: the extinction rate today is
estimated to be 1,000 times greater than
that before humans. But the new study,
published Thursday in the journal
Science, shows that counting individuals
of more common species can paint a grim
picture. "The overwhelming focus on
species extinctions, however, has
underestimated the extent and
consequences of biotic change," write the
authors in the paper. As Arvind Panjabi,
co-author and avian conservation
scientist at the Bird Conservancy of the
Rockies, says: "For the first time, we've
combined estimates of [bird] population
size with trends of population change."
5 deals to improve the If you struggle to sleep when it's too quiet
or the neighbors are being too loud,
quality of your sleep DOZZI can help. This small device lives
on your nightstand and generates
September 19, 2019 soothing white noise while filling your
room with relaxing light. Right now,
DOZZI is 60 percent off at $19.99.
With hypoallergenic rayon bamboo
covers and shredded memory foam filling,
these pillows provide incredible comfort.
They have antimicrobial, dust mite-
resistant properties, and the foam adapts
to your shape. Worth $80, they are now
just $34.99.This smart ring gathers data
while you sleep. When you start snoring,
GO2SLEEP vibrates, prompting you to
turn into a better position. In the morning,
you can see all your sleep metrics via the
companion app. You can pick up the ring
now for $129.
DNA databases may deter
criminals, but at what cost?
September 25, 2019
On October 31, 2016, a 21-year-old man
from Indiana named Damoine Wilcoxson
was arrested after a three-hour standoff
with police and charged with two crimes:
the murder of John Clements, an 82-year-
old man gunned down while getting the
mail outside his home in Zionsville, a
suburb 15 miles northwest of
Indianapolis, and two shootings at local
police stations.
The violent crimes, which took place from
late September to mid-October 2016,
were not initially believed to be
connected. But investigators determined
that multiple shell casings from the bullets
fired at all three crime scenes matched
up.
With no obvious connection between
Clements' murder and the police
shootings, detectives sent the shell
casings, along with other crime scene
evidence, to the forensics lab, where they
were able to identify a clear genetic
profile left behind on some items. These
genetic samples were then scanned
against the Combined DNA Index System
(CODIS), a national forensic DNA
database used by law enforcement
across the country, which led to a direct
match with Wilcoxson, whose genetic
material was already stored in the police
index. On the basis of this evidence,
Wilcoxson was charged, tried, and found
guilty of both crimes, eventually receiving
two consecutive prison sentences totaling
102 years.
These newly discovered
iridescent bees are already
at risk of extinction
September 24, 2019
The native bees of Fiji don't bear much
resemblance to their black-and-yellow
cousins in the West. Instead, these
southwest Pacific insects are colorful and
metallic, adorned in brassy tones of
green, blue, black, and bronze. They're
also much more biodiverse than scientists
originally thought.
Researchers recently identified nine
previously unknown species of these
opalescent bugs, showcased in detailed
macrophotography by biologist James
Dorey (the photographs and their findings
were described this week in the journal
Zootaxa). In addition to the nine new
species, Dorey and his colleagues also
redescribed four known species of native
bees, locating new specimens and
updating their descriptions with a more
current sense of their geographic
diversity.
All of these new and recently updated
bees belong to the same genus,
Homalictus. Altogether, this brings the
total number of Homalictus on the Fijian
archipelago up to 13, still a relatively
small genus.
As is the case with most scientific
discoveries, there's good news as well as
bad. The good news is that for many
years, the Fijian archipelago was thought
to be lacking in bee diversity. Prior to this
current research, scientists hadn't
checked in on the taxonomic status of this
genus in Fiji in over 40 years.
The iPhone 11 Pro camera
is amazing, but it has a few
notable issues
September 24, 2019
Let's get it out of the way first: The new
iPhone 11 Pro has the best overall
smartphone camera system I've used.
That may change when Google releases
the Pixel 4 next month, but for now, the
iPhone 11 Pro is the champ. And while I
have no problem giving credit where it's
due, I'm left with some extremely
complicated feelings about Apple's new
flagship imaging devices. Even beyond a
few notable drawbacks, I wish it was
simpler to know what's actually going on
inside the camera.
If you only hope to point the camera at a
subject and get usable—and often pretty
impressive—shots, then the 11 Pro is
unbeatable. But if you already know how
to use a camera—even a previous
iPhone camera—there’s a learning curve
that might change at any time thanks to
software updates, and it could have a real
effect on the look of your photos and
videos. Plus, the new phone is a reminder
that iPhone photography—and
smartphone shooting on the whole—is
increasingly different than typical
photography.
Everything we know about After eight deaths related to a mysterious
lung illness linked to vaping that has also
the outbreak of mysterious sickened more than 500 people across
vaping-related diseases the United States and more in other
countries, the CDC is everyone abstain
from vaping until the source can be
September 20, 2019
identified.
"Until we know more, if you are
concerned about specific health risks,
CDC recommends you do not use e-
cigarettes or vaping products," said CDC
principal deputy director Anne Schuchat
in a statement to reporters yesterday.
At press time, eight outbreak-related
deaths have occurred in the continental
United States. The latest was a Missouri
man in his mid 40s, according to an
official statement released Friday. "No
infectious diseases have been identified
with the illness, meaning it doesn't spread
from person to person," the Missouri
Department of Health and Senior
Services said in the statement. "These
lung illnesses are likely associated with a
chemical exposure from vaping." Missouri
counts 22 cases of the illness since late
August, with patients sharing a symptoms
like elevated heart rate, cough, chest
pain, fever, and diarrhea," according to
the statement. They all reported that they
had used e-cigarettes around the time
they became ill .
Many questions remain about what
compounds and in what types of vaping
cartridges are causing these acute
illnesses, says Sanjay Sethi, chief of
pulmonology at the University of Buffalo
clinical research office. Some—though
not all—of the people who got sick were
using vapes that included THC, the main
psychoactive compound found in
marijuana, according to the CDC.
Car jump starters that will
bring your auto's battery
back to life
September 24, 2019
There's no good time or place for your car
battery to go dead, but there's a way for
you to prepare. Not only can these car
jump starters charge up your car’s
battery, most of them can also charge
your phone. Some can even pump air into
your tires, too.
This kit can jump start your car 20 times
from a single charge. The portable 6.7-
inch starter comes with a durable
protective bag and lighting that features
seven different settings. It also boasts a
spark-free technology, meaning it’s safe
to use even for those who aren’t car
savvy.
The Tacklife jump starter weighs just one
pound, which makes it one of the most
compact options available. It can charge
a vehicle as large as a van up to 30
times. It also has dual charging ports, just
in case you need to charge up to two
phones, too. If you’re likely to forget to
charge your jump starter, this one is a
great option: it will stay charged for up to
12 months.
At 18 pounds, the Stanley jump starter is
significantly larger, but more powerful
than the others. It's also a phone charger,
an air compressor, and a pressure gauge
all in one. It also features a 270-degree
LED light to help you fix up your car in the
dark. Just remember to charge this one
every 30 days when it’s not in use.
Is corn a fruit, a vegetable,
or a grain?
September 24, 2019
We all know the is-a-tomato-a-fruit debate
(correct answer: yes, but you still
shouldn’t put it in a fruit salad). Now we’d
like to bring you a whole new botanical
question you never knew you had: Is corn
a fruit or a vegetable—or is it a grain?
The answer is more technical than you
might think, and to fully understand it
you'll need a little primer on corn biology.
So away we go!
A single corn stalk grows several ears,
which are the female bits of the plant, and
has one tassel up top, which as you can
guess is the male part. The tassel
produces pollen, which is the semen of
the plant world. Before those ears look
anything like the thing you eat, they're
essentially a hard cylinder covered in
hundreds of unfertilized ovules. Each of
these ovules grows a single silk, which
reaches up and out of the top of the husk,
where it dangles in the hopes of catching
a bit of pollen on its little sticky hairs. If it
does, the silk grows a pollen tube,
enabling the male genes to travel towards
the ovule and fertilize it. That fertilized
ovule will grow into a single kernel.
That only has to happen 400-600 more
times to make a whole ear of corn.