Nov 27, 2023 | Salon.com
Tobacco’s popularity has long been a scourge of public health advocates, from the idea that smoking is “cool” to Big Tobacco spreading pseudoscience. Now public health advocates in New Zealand are grappling with a new headache: The reversal of a law intended to phase out tobacco use among young people....
Originally posted on salon.com
Nov 27, 2023 | Salon.com
In her new book “I Am Bunny: How a ‘Talking’ Dog Taught Me Everything I Need to Know About Being Human,” author and dog trainer Alexis Devine discusses — what else? — the story of her “talking” pet Sheepadoodle, Bunny.
Although Bunny does not literally use her mouth to speak human language, the canny canine has a series of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) buttons....
Originally posted on salon.com
Nov 26, 2023 | Salon.com
The shape and function of a penis is unique among some animals. Not every creature has one — birds, for example, simply eject sperm from their cloaca. But among male mammals, penises are widespread and quite useful for reproduction. If you need a refresher, the standard model of a penis is one that penetrates a female in order to spread biological material, continuing the cycle of life....
Originally posted on salon.com
Nov 26, 2023 | Salon.com
Cat owners and cat admirers alike tend to be intrigued by their enigmatic companions. When we see an intrepid feline carefully stalking its prey or happily playing with other cats, we ponder the mysteries of its mind and the depths of its soul. What manic misadventures do cats engage in when we’re not around?...
Originally posted on salon.com
Nov 25, 2023 | Salon.com
As fall weather bleeds into winter, it can be hard to remember that humanity just experienced its hottest summer in recorded history. We now hear news of billion dollar climate disasters on a regular basis, whether it’s heatwaves or flash floods or wildfires. Of course, all these things happened before the Industrial Revolution, but the amount of heat we’ve added to the planet has supercharged these natural events, making them more destructive and more common....
Originally posted on salon.com
Nov 21, 2023 | Salon.com
All drugs have side effects, including medical marijuana; the question is whether or not these side effects are manageable or outweighed by the benefits of the drug. For example, ibuprofen can cause liver damage, but used as directed, it’s very rarely going to cause harm. When it comes to cannabis, however, there is still a prevailing stigma that the “medical” part is just a euphemism and that the drug can cause significant cognitive impairment....
Originally posted on salon.com
Nov 20, 2023 | Salon.com
Although climate change activists encourage everyone to reduce their carbon footprint, it is objectively true that some individuals contribute more to global warming than others. Specifically, the ultra-rich far outweigh regular people when it comes to climate impacts, a fact supported by much scientific research. A new exclusive report by The Guardian revealed that the world’s top twelve richest individuals, all billionaires, contribute as much to climate change as 2.1 million households....
Originally posted on salon.com
Nov 19, 2023 | Salon.com
Trauma is an experience so harrowing that it can alter our gene expression — and in some cases, these changes can be passed down to future generations. But if the traumas experienced by our parents, grandparents and other ancestors can be directly transmitted to us through our genes — and presumably, we pass down our own psychological residue to our kids — what does that mean exactly?...
Originally posted on salon.com
Nov 18, 2023 | Salon.com
One of the great pleasures of autumn is its colorful aesthetics. The phenomenon in which normally green leaves transition into shades of red, orange, yellow and eventually brown is known officially as “leaf phenology,” which some people eagerly anticipate each year. But like many ways in which climate change is radically altering our weather patterns — from blistering heat waves to sea level-induced floods — autumn itself is changing....
Originally posted on salon.com
Nov 17, 2023 | Salon.com
As the world’s ice sheets melt, they cause the Earth’s sea levels to rise, putting billions of people at risk for flooding and displacement. The only question is how much time humanity has to arrest climate change and thereby halt or even reverse this process. Now a group of policy experts and researchers known as the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative have released a report that offers a disturbing answer to that question: People have much less time than initially thought....
Originally posted on salon.com