Dec 21, 2023 | Salon.com
The Endangered Species Act celebrates its 50th birthday in December 2023, and there is good reason for environmentalists to cheer its legacy. Later described by the Supreme Court as “the most comprehensive legislation for the preservation of endangered species enacted by any nation,” the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has helped protect iconic animals like humpback whales, sea otters, whooping cranes and West Indian manatees....
Originally posted on salon.com
Dec 20, 2023 | Salon.com
As the year 2023 comes to a close, scientists repeatedly draw attention to the numerous climate change records that were broken over the previous 12 months. There were new records set in global surface temperature, ocean heat content and ice melt — and humans everywhere felt the consequences. Our species just survived the hottest summer on record, complete with deadly heatwaves, intensified wildfires and worsened floods and flood-related events....
Originally posted on salon.com
Dec 20, 2023 | Salon.com
When scientists search for extraterrestrial life, they invariably focus on the sixth element on the periodic table: Carbon.
At first glance, such a choice seems random. What is it about this atom that contains six protons, six neutrons and six electrons that makes it of such interest to scientists seeking aliens?...
Originally posted on salon.com
Dec 19, 2023 | Salon.com
Uranus is not the first planet that comes to astronomers’ minds when they hear about rings; its more spectacular celestial cousins like Saturn and Jupiter earn that distinction. Yet the rings around Uranus are quite magnificent in their own, as revealed among other things by recent images taken by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)....
Originally posted on salon.com
Dec 16, 2023 | Salon.com
American culture is dominated by cars, so much that not driving or being unable to operate a vehicle can attract stigmatizing attitudes.
“Clarifying my inability to drive in a society focused on driving results in diverse responses, ranging from dismissive comments to inquiries about when I’ll learn to drive,” Ashley Glears told Salon, adding that “some may misunderstand, suggesting I’m ‘overthinking’ or ‘being lazy.'”...
Originally posted on salon.com
Dec 15, 2023 | Salon.com
A nonprofit that specializes in protecting endangered species filed legal challenges with a US District Court on Thursday, accusing the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) of failing to comply with required environmental reviews. The Center for Biological Diversity alleges that, in their quest to build a 280-mile-long highway in Arizona, the FHA’s proposed Interstate 11 will destroy the habitat of one short and fluffy animal in particular: the yellow-eyed, brown-and-white feathered cactus ferruginous pygmy owl (Glaucidium brasilianum)....
Originally posted on salon.com
Dec 15, 2023 | Salon.com
Fifty years ago, the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) began surveying the sexual activity of the American public, ultimately studying tens of thousands of people. The research is conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and periodically the NSFG releases reports focusing on their agency’s most recent results....
Originally posted on salon.com
Dec 15, 2023 | Salon.com
Politicians often speak of climate change as a problem for future generations to solve, but many scientists say the time to act is now and that the climate has already changed — it’s not a far-off scenario. Never before has the devastation of global heating been more clear than in 2023, which is the hottest year in recorded human history....
Originally posted on salon.com
Dec 14, 2023 | Salon.com
MDMA, the popular psychedelic-like drug also called “ecstasy” or “molly,” has a storied reputation in underground rave culture but also has a long-established history of clinical use before it was banned in the 1980s. Officially known as 3,4-methyl?enedioxy methamphetamine, researchers have been exploring its possible effectiveness at treating alcoholism and social anxiety in autism....
Originally posted on salon.com
Dec 13, 2023 | Abortion, Salon.com
The Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that it would issue a ruling on whether a commonly used abortion pill should be widely available. Specifically, the court said that it would review earlier decisions by various appeals courts that held the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) overstepped its authority in broadening access to mifepristone....
Originally posted on salon.com