Hot weather will also disturb the sex ratios of reptiles, which depend on temperature instead of x and y chromosomes to determine if they will be male or female.
Sadly (unless you want to be a female turtle) , experts predict the weather will get even hotter in the next five years.
Changes in glacial ice means faster melting in the coming years, too.
2. Ulcerative Colitis, a form of Irritable Bowel Syndrome appears to be caused by a bacteria found in fresh and brackish water, at least in some cases. The bacteria (Aeromonas) produces a toxin which kills intestinal macrophages, large germ-eating cells. This leaves the intestine vulnerable to inflammation and damage. (Bacteria are also implicated in colon cancer.)
3. Nitrate sensing drones are coming! Nitrates come from fertilizer and fecal matter among other sources and are associated with cancer including ovarian cancer. They are known to cause poor thyroid function. Even low level exposure to nitrates disrupts thyroid function.
Nitrates are water soluble and that’s where they pose damage to populations. They are not hard for a chemist or even an amateur to detect but getting to the polluted waterways isn’t easy. Iowa has a sensor network but since ignorance is bliss for some of our elected officials, it is not going to be funded beginning this July. Also, local elected officials have claimed that geese are the source of the pollution (probably at least true in part) and that the majority of the local lake water is not polluted—only the shoreline where people take water samples (and go swimming). A few drones can at least overcome some of our misconceptions and shoreline sampling issues.
4. There’s no doubt about it. Doge and the reckless firings of government scientists, grant cuts, and misinformation pouring from the White house has been an epic tragedy for science in the US. However, there’s hope. Lawmakers are poised to restore science funding. And if you want to read about and follow a champion, Patty Murphy is the GOAT.
5. I’ve written a novel based on gene editing. The current technique, relying on cutting genes out and inserting new ones, might have a breakthrough gene-modifying partner to fight genetic diseases. This new technique relies on silencing bad genes without removing them all together.
Meanwhile, the first gene edited baby is taking his first steps.
6. Smiling Medusa artifact has been found in Amastris, Turkey. I’m a Medusa fan. A gorgon professor is part of my Monster College Chronicles series. Book 2, Monsters Play the Field, has been accepted for publication. All you monster romance and dark academia fans–I’ll keep you posted!
7. A long-lost coffee bean has been rediscovered in Sierra Leone. Coffea stenophylla produces coffee that’s “sweet with notes of chocolate and caramel and a hint of jasmine.” In addition to containing our favorite drug—caffeine—it also holds another stimulant, theacrine. It can grow at warmer temperatures, too. (read about it here and here.)
These were the top midyear science news stories:
1. Many men wish to control their fertility, and a few new products might be on the market soon. Some work by changing hormone balance, including a cream, and a newly developed pill might block the gene that directs sperm production. The later has just passed human safety standards in clinical trials.
2. July was one of the worst flooding seasons in global history. At last 134 people were killed in Texas, 34 in China,69 in the Himalayas, and in early August, hundreds were missing in Pakistan and India. The chemistry of why flash flooding is getting worse is outlined here. “Though floods naturally occur, increased moisture and rising temperatures from climate change are in some cases supercharging storms. According to a study in Nature, between 2020 and 2100, the size of the global population exposed to flood hazards is estimated to increase by 15.8%.”
3. Uncontrolled rage has sweeping societal consequences. A new study confirms that childhood aggression that persists into adulthood can be caused by early trauma. “Trauma during childhood can alter brain circuits that regulate attention and impulse control, increasing the risk of pathological aggression and cognitive decline in adulthood.”
5. The mysterious Shroud of Turin has captivated Christians for a long time. Is it really the burial garment laid over Jesus following his crucifixion? Radiocarbon dating has been inconclusive. Now, the art world steps forward to suggest that the image was made from a statue and not a body.
6. Trump is dismantling science in the US . Why do we have a government that no longer serves the people and our futures? Because this is the will of at least one political party.
7. mRNA vaccines are being badmouthed for no good reason. A detailed analysis of their promises and mild perils is presented here.
8. As the saying goes, we are done with COVID but COVID is not done with us. Since the government no longer approves COVID vaccines for many of us despite CDC warnings, the pharmaceutical industry is coming up with a new anti-viral drug, ibuzatrelvir. (Perhaps not in time for the COVID vaccine to be banned altogether!)
Catherine Haustein 