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Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown
Some of the first people to touch down in Guyana in November 1978 remember what they saw at the scene where over 900 people died.
Art Hotel Pallas: Estonia's animated art hotel
2024 is the year to visit Tartu, Estonia, a hub for intellect and art. Named as one of Europe's Cultural Capitals, it hosts over 1,000 events. Hotels like the Art Hotel Pallas pay tribute to artistic heritage. The Antonius Hotel boasts antique-filled rooms while Villa Margaretha offers art nouveau charm. For nature lovers, ÖÖD at Metsajärve provides cabins immersed in nature. Tartu offers a blend of history, art, and natural beauty.
Regula Ysewijn's summer pudding
Victorian ‘hydropathic pudding’ (summer pudding) is a healthy, 19th-century dessert where bread lines a mold and is filled with fruit.
Jupiter's Great Red Spot Isn't As Old As We Thought
Astronomer Giovanni Cassini observed a "Permanent Spot" on Jupiter in 1665, which was lost for centuries. The current Great Red Spot, thought to be the original, is actually a newer storm that likely formed between the mid-18th and 19th centuries.
Hope Diamond: The curse and the history of the famous blue diamond
The Hope Diamond, a 45.52-carat blue diamond, has a controversial past. Believed to have been stolen in India, it has passed through the hands of royalty and jewelers, with a rumored curse. Currently valued at over $250 million, it's now on display at the Smithsonian Museum.
The Jaguarundi: A Unique Cat with a Diverse Vocal Repertoire
** Jaguarundi (small feline) has unique 13 distinct calls, including bird-like chirps, beyond typical cat noises.
Romans May Have Used Channel Island as a Trade Route Watchtower
Roman coins depicting Valerian II and Valens discovered on Alderney island, suggesting a Roman settlement established for surveillance of a trade route.
Iceland’s Renewable Energy Edge Will Only Grow as Its Glaciers Melt
Iceland's hydroelectricity systems will benefit from glacial melt caused by climate change, leading to increased power production. However, this comes with challenges such as wasted energy and the eventual depletion of glaciers, highlighting the importance of diversifying Iceland's energy sources.
Lucy's Veils
Discovery of Lucy, a 3.2-million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis, led to assumptions about her physical appearance. However, advancements suggest she may have been less furry than previously thought. Depictions of Lucy in the media often reflect cultural biases about nudity, shame, and the nuclear family.
The Strawberry Solstice Moon of June 2024 Shines Tonight for Summer Stargazers
The "Strawberry Moon" of June 2024, the first full moon of summer, delighted skywatchers worldwide, capturing breathtaking images from around the globe, including the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, ancient ruins, and the Sydney Tower Eye.
How a Single-celled Organism Stretches Its Neck 30 Times Its Body Length
Unicellular Lacrymaria olor stretches its 'neck' 30x its length to catch prey. Its folded origami-like membrane, with spiraled tubes, enables this without tearing.
SpaceShipOne at 20: A look back at the history-making rocket-powered flight
** A private space vehicle, SpaceShipOne, successfully completed a suborbital flight in 2004, becoming the first privately funded and operated spacecraft to reach the edge of space.
Dinosaurs Were Warm-Blooded, Too
Dinosaurs were initially thought to be cold-blooded reptiles, but research now suggests they were warm-blooded. Most dinosaurs had a higher metabolism and were more active than modern-day reptiles, similar to birds. While the exact origin of warm-bloodedness in dinosaurs is unclear, scientists believe it emerged before their evolution.
Dreams of the Ravaged
Dreams of the Ravaged is a film about three young survivors of super typhoon Odette. The film explores the lived experience of a natural disaster and its effects on mental health.
Boeing's Starliner Crew Flight Test Mission Extended Again
Boeing's Starliner astronaut mission extended until July 2 due to helium leaks and thruster issues, allowing for further assessments before crew return to Earth.
NASA Delays Starliner's Return to Earth Due to Ongoing Reviews
Starliner return date adjusted to July due to data review and system performance concerns.
AI systems could devour all of the internet's free knowledge by 2026, study warns
AI systems may exhaust publicly available knowledge by 2026, forcing tech companies to seek alternative data sources, potentially including private data, synthetic data, or lower-quality sources.
Jet-Spouting Stars Paint Coordinated Art in Stellar Nursery
JWST captured baby stars forming in a nebula, emitting jets of gas that are aligned in specific directions. This phenomenon is new and challenging scientists to understand its cause.
Welcome to the New Normal: How We've Gotten Used to So Many Bad Things
We've become used to numerous crises and alarming events ("dumpster fire") due to a collective denial process that neutralizes threats (ignoring, minimizing, rewriting the past, silencing truth tellers). To resist this "new normal," we must recognize and challenge our avoidance of confronting problems, hold leaders accountable, and prioritize truth and remembrance.
Listening for Marsquakes Could Reveal Hidden Water on Red Planet
Mars, once blue from ocean water, may still have water underground. Scientists believe they can detect it using the seismoelectrical method, which they'll test using data from NASA's InSight lander.
The ADVANCE Act: Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy
The ADVANCE Act aims to accelerate the development of advanced nuclear energy technology by streamlining permitting, offering cash incentives, and directing the NRC to focus on licensing and research.
FDA Expands Approval for Gene Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Despite Concerns and Objections
The FDA approved expanded use of the gene therapy Elevidys for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, despite negative Phase III trial results and objections from expert review teams and directors within the agency. The decision was largely driven by Peter Marks, who argued that secondary endpoints were convincing enough to warrant approval.
Rapa Nui: The Famous Easter Island of Moai Statues and Deforestation
Rapa Nui (Easter Island) is an isolated island known for its massive moai statues, representing Indigenous culture and history.
GOES-U, the Final NOAA GOES-R Satellite, Set for Launch on SpaceX Falcon Heavy
GOES-U, the final satellite in NOAA's GOES-R series, will launch on SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket on June 25.
Easter Island's Population Was Sustainable Before European Arrival, New Evidence Suggests
Easter Island's population sustained itself by adapting to limited resources through sustainable farming practices, challenging the narrative of environmental collapse prior to European arrival.
ELaNa 43: NASA's Educational Launch of Nanosatellites Mission 43
NASA is launching eight student-made CubeSats with the ELaNa 43 mission, on a Firefly Alpha rocket.
Even ChatGPT Will Run Out of Data to Learn from in a Few Years
AI systems may exhaust publicly available data for training by 2026-2032, leading to a potential plateau in growth. To address this, companies may explore using private data, synthetic data, or lower-quality sources, but these approaches raise concerns about privacy and data ethics.
Easter Island's Population Was Never Catastrophic, Study Suggests
A new study using machine learning suggests the population on Easter Island (Rapa Nui) remained stable at around 3,900 people, countering previous assumptions of a catastrophic decline due to resource overexploitation. However, some experts question the study's conclusions, citing data limitations.
Rapa Nui: Stable population lived sustainably on Easter Island before Europeans arrived
Historical farming analysis challenges the claim of societal collapse on Easter Island due to overexploitation. The island's small population lived sustainably for centuries through low-density rock gardening, supporting up to 4,000 people.
Lynn Conway: A Trans Woman Who Revolutionized Computing
IBM apologized in 2020 to Lynn Conway, a trans woman who was fired in 1968 for expressing her intention to transition. Despite being a computing expert and co-inventor of VLSI (very large-scale integration), Conway faced gender bias and discrimination in the field, leading to the "Conway Effect," where women and marginalized people are often overlooked for their contributions. Conway came out publicly in 1999 and became an advocate for trans rights, helping to pave the way for greater recognition and inclusion in the computing field.
Virgin Galactic Names First Commercial Astronaut Crew for Delta Class
Virgin Galactic has named three astronauts for Delta-class flights, including Kellie (IIAS Director) Gerardi, Shawna Pandya, and Norah Pattan.
Earth's Inner Core Has Been Slowing Down for a Decade, Alter Days
Earth's inner core has slowed its rotation since 2010, altering day length by microseconds due to convection in the outer core and mantle forces.
Antarctic marine worms survive with a little help from their bacterial friends
Antarctic polychaetes survive frigid temperatures due to protective proteins produced by specialized bacteria residing within them, highlighting the crucial role of host-microbe interactions in extreme environments.
Ancient Rapa Nui May Not Have Had Population Boom
Despite their famous stone statues, early Rapa Nui settlers maintained a stable population of around 3,900 through modest farming, challenging the previously held belief of an "ecocide" event due to overpopulation.
Nicodemus, Kansas: A Legacy of the Great Exodus and Black Freedom
Nicodemus, Kansas, founded in 1877, symbolizes the Great Exodus of freed African Americans fleeing post-Reconstruction oppression in the South.
Environmental Concerns Surround New Carbon Capture Technology
Concerns remain over the potential environmental impact of using large-scale technologies to capture carbon dioxide directly from seawater.
New 'Lord of the Rings' Fish Discovered in Amazon River
Newly discovered Amazon fish, Myloplus sauron, resembling "Lord of the Rings" villain, shares striking physical features with two other previously known species.
Stranded in Space: NASA Astronauts Aboard Boeing Starliner Stuck on ISS Due to Faults
Astronauts on Boeing's Starliner face extended stay in space due to helium leaks and propulsion failures on the spacecraft.
Oldest known wine in existence discovered in Roman tomb
2000-year-old liquid wine discovered in Spain, oldest known liquid wine.