NASA astronaut Don Pettit recently snapped a photo from the International Space Station (ISS) that shows something quite fascinating. The Betsiboka River estuary in Madagascar, when seen from 250 miles above Earth, looks a lot like the tiny blood vessels in the back of our eyes, known as the retina.
Fish populations in England's rivers have been on a rollercoaster ride over the past four decades. Once struggling due to water pollution and changes in land use, these aquatic creatures have shown remarkable improvements. Scientists looked at data from 16, 124 surveys at 1180 sites across England,
You know how plastic is everywhere and causing big problems? One idea to solve this is a cap-and-trade system, or CAT for short. This system has been used before to manage water and reduce carbon emissions. It works by setting a limit, or cap, on the amount of something, like plastic, that can be pr
Ever wondered how your neighborhood can affect your heart health? The ATTICA study, spanning from 2002 to 2022, dived into this topic. This research aimed to figure out how living in cities versus rural areas impacts your risk of heart disease over time. It also looked at how these effects differ be
Meet Toxoplasma gondii, a tiny critter causing big problems. It infects both animals and humans, with cats being its main spreaders. When cats leave oocysts in their poop, it contaminates our surroundings. We eat, drink, or touch these contaminated things and bam! Toxoplasmosis. Scientists have dev
The Arctic's Hudson Strait is experiencing some big changes due to climate change. It's getting warmer, rivers are discharging more water, and sea ice is melting faster than ever before. This means the area stays ice-free for longer during the summer. Scientists decided to check out the tiny microbe
It's been around 15 years since the introduction of the NOVA food-processing classification. Originally designed to pinpoint ultra-processed foods linked to noncommunicable diseases, NOVA has a broader scope that aligns with sustainable nutrition. But how well does NOVA fit with other indicators of
You might be wondering how urban and rural areas working together can make the air cleaner. Let's take a look at some cities along the Yangtze River. These cities are trying to blend urban and rural life. This blend can make a big difference in how clean the air is. Scientists are trying to figure
Have you ever wondered how fish survive in different types of water? Scientists have been studying this adaptation in Eurasian perch. They looked at the genes of perch from 42 different populations using whole-genome sequencing. By comparing individuals and pooled samples, they found over 2, 600 gen
Generative AI is making waves in the gaming industry, creating characters that can interact and even replace voice actors. But not all developers are thrilled. They're concerned about the quality of content, potential theft of ideas, biases, and the environmental impact. Plus, there's worry about jo
