Two researchers in an inflatable boat glided out onto Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad, California, August 15, looking for eelgrass, an underwater plant that provides a nursery for fish, crabs, shrimp and other sealife. The boaters, equipped with sonar and diving gear, also were looking for any sign of Caulerpa, an invasive seaweed that can spread … Read more
Leila Ais cuts a sample from a book cover to test for toxic dyes. Credit: Kristy Jones If you come across brightly colored, cloth-bound books from the Victorian era, you might want to handle them gently, or even steer clear altogether. Some of their attractive hues come from dyes that could pose a health risk … Read more
Credit: American Chemical Society Artificial intelligence (AI) has exploded in popularity. It powers models that help us drive vehicles, proofread emails and even design new molecules for medications. But just like a human, it’s hard to read AI’s mind. Explainable AI (XAI), a subset of the technology, could help us do just that by justifying … Read more
Firefighters battle a strong forest fire in Turkey’s Aegean city of Izmir for a third day. Firefighters were battling a strong forest fire in Turkey’s Aegean city of Izmir for a third day on Saturday, AFP reporters said, a day after hundreds of local people in nearby villages had to be evacuated. Firefighters said they had … Read more
Hurricane Ernesto made landfall in Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 85 miles (137 kilometers) per hour. Hurricane Ernesto was downgraded to a tropical storm Saturday after it lashed Bermuda with heavy rains and strong winds, leaving much of the British Atlantic Ocean territory without power before continuing on its path toward eastern Canada. The … Read more
Credit: CC0 Public Domain Senegal’s first satellite has been successfully launched into orbit, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said, adding the move marked a major step towards the West African country’s “technological sovereignty”. The GAINDESAT-1A satellite was launched at 18:56 GMT Friday from the Vandenberg base in California, Faye wrote in a post on X late … Read more
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain No one is certain why Stonehenge was built. This world-famous monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire is thought to commemorate the dead, and is aligned with movements of the sun and moon. It consists of an outer ring and inner horseshoe of large “sarsen” and “trilithon” stones, and an inner circle … Read more
Adolescence is often characterized as a time of “storm and stress“. Young people are dealing with physical and cognitive changes and, as they move from childhood, can become increasingly distant from the adults in their lives. In academic terms, this time of major hormonal change is also accompanied by a well-known dip in students’ motivation … Read more
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain How can I improve my English? This was a question frequently posed by my students in South Korea. My initial advice was straightforward—dedicate time and effort. However, both my students and I found this advice unsatisfying and overly simplistic. As a fellow language learner who had reached only an intermediate level … Read more
Credit: RDNE Stock project from Pexels NHS statistics suggest that 20.3%—1 in 5—children and young people aged from eight to 16 years in England had a probable mental disorder in 2023. This a huge rise from 2017, when 12.5% had a probable mental health disorder. Data from social mobility charity The Sutton Trust shows that … Read more
