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[beginning chopped] ...but along the way some trends have become noteworthy. For instance, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has affected some groups worse than others and this necessitates further investigation as to why. I was made aware of research being done by Dr. Larry Tilley, DVM, a world-renowned expert in veterinary medicine research, Dr. William Baumgartl, MD, MSME, director of Stem Cell Therapies at Nevada Spine Center, and Jeffrey Gold, a computer science and data analyst. Their paper hypothesizes the reason for higher rates of morbidity and mortality in older versus younger patients suffering from COVID-19. They note other trends as well....

The researchers found a Philistine cemetery in Israel – home to 145 human remains dating back to between the 11th and the 8th centuries BC. The discovery, made in 2013 and finally revealed in 2016, may yield answers to an enduring mystery surrounding the origins of the Philistines. It came at the end of a 30-year excavation by the Leon Levy Expedition. The Philistines were an ancient people who lived from the 12th century BC until 604 BC. They are known for their biblical conflict with the Israelites.

Twitter is locking the accounts of users who display the Star of David in their profile image or header, deeming it "hateful imagery." The London-based nonprofit Campaign Against Antisemitism said several Twitter users have contacted them recently to report that their accounts had been locked because various images of the Star of David violated the social media platform's "rules against posting hateful imagery," the Jerusalem Post reported. "You may not use hateful images or symbols in your profile image or profile header. As a result, we have locked your account," Twitter wrote to the users. The Post reported the offending...

Open borders advocate and Trump-hater Sean Buchanan was killed by an illegal alien that had taken advantage of the open borders that Buchanan championed. I feel no sorrow for him, although I have much sympathy for his wife and 5 children. Criminal illegal alien Ramirez Valiente was driving drunk, which his friends say he often does because he is a raging alcoholic, when he crossed into Buchanan’s lane and hit his motorcycle, killing him. Valiente was driving with a suspended license for previous infractions. Ironically, he who lives by the illegal alien died by the illegal alien.

Researchers have identified the remains of the earliest known modern humans to have left Africa. New dating of fossils from Israel indicates that our species (Homo sapiens) lived outside Africa around 185,000 years ago, some 80,000 years earlier than the previous evidence. Details appear in the journal Science. The co-lead researcher, Prof Israel Hershkovitz, told BBC News that the discovery would fundamentally alter ideas of recent human evolution. "We have to rewrite the whole story of human evolution, not just for our own species but all the other species that lived outside of Africa at the time," the researcher, from...

When viewed through the window of the museum’s freezer, where he is kept now, his hands not only appear unusually small, but they also show little sign of hard use, suggesting that Ötzi was no manual laborer. Every modern murder investigation relies heavily on forensic science, but in Ötzi’s case, the techniques have been particularly high tech, involving exotic specialties like archaeobotany and paleometallurgy. From examining traces of pollen in his digestive tract, scientists were able to place the date of Ötzi’s death at sometime in late spring or early summer. In his last two days, they found, he consumed...

After five years ex-Alabama professor who opened fire during faculty meeting killing three colleagues and injuring three more FINALLY apologizes to victims and her family as she challenges her sentence Amy Bishop Anderson killed three colleagues and wounded three more during a faculty meeting at the University of Alabama at Huntsville in 2010 She pleaded guilty to capital murder and attempted murder in 2012 The professor waived her right to appeal with the guilty plea, but she's been challenging the conviction ever since with a number of claims Now she has apologized to the victims, their families and her family...

‘Bottleneck’ dates back 600 to 800 years, genome analysis shows; researcher says among population ‘everyone is a 30th cousin. Illustrative photo of Ashkenazi Jews, taken from Nurit Ben Sheetri's 'The Redheads' exhibit at Dizengoff Center (courtesy Nurit Ben Sheetrit) A new study concludes that all Ashkenazi Jews can trace their ancestry to a “bottleneck” of just 350 individuals, dating back to between 600 and 800 years ago. The study, published in the Nature Communications journal Tuesday, was authored by Shai Carmi, a computer science professor at Columbia University, and more than 20 medical researchers from Yale, Columbia, Yeshiva University’s Albert...

“That hearing was presided over and organized by then-Sen. Timothy Wirth (D-Colo.), who later told an interviewer that, for a bit of stage effect, he chose a particularly hot day in the summer — it turned out to be a record high — and left the windows of the hearing room open the night before. Thus witnesses were sweltering and wiping their brows as they testified about global warming.” — The Fact Checker, “Kerry’s claim that he organized the ‘very first’ hearings on climate change,” March 18, 2015 The Fact Checker recently gave Four Pinocchios to Secretary of State...

Do you have blues eyes? (Lucky you!) Are you dating someone with blue eyes? (Even luckier!) You may think the eye color similarity is no different than dating with someone with a similar hair color or skin tone, but science just revealed that BOOM: All people with blue eyes are genetically linked. Thus, you and your blue-eyed hunny are both definitely related somehow - and even weirder, your shared relative can be narrowed down to one ancestor! A study at University of Copenhagen found that because blue eyes are a genetic mutation — before said mutation, everyone in the world...

LONDON — The United States pressed Argentina to end its investigation of Iranian complicity in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in which nearly 100 people were killed. Western diplomatic sources said the administration of President Barack Obama urged Argentina on several occasions to either stop or limit the investigation into the bombing of the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association in Buenos Aires. The sources said the U.S. appeals marked one of the demands by Iran for a reconciliation with Washington. “Argentina had hard evidence against at least one Iranian leader, which prevented him from traveling abroad,” a source said.

Schools are constantly being ranked on everything from student happiness, campus beauty, success of alums, and professor prestige. But where should you go if you want to be among the most intelligent students in America? Exclusively for Business Insider, Jonathan Wai, a Duke University Talent Identification Program researcher, calculated a ranking of America's colleges and universities based purely on smarts, as reflected by the school's average scores on standardized tests. These tests are often criticized, but research shows that both the SAT and ACT are good measures of general cognitive ability; and the average scores that schools report to U.S....

Full headline: Chemicals in plastic 'are making women less interested in sex': Low libido linked to additives used to soften materials found in every home PVC flooring and plastic shower curtains could lower women's libido Women with high levels of phthalates more likely to say no to sex Additives are man-made chemicals thought to interfere with hormones Tiny particles enter our systems through eating and breathing Chemicals found in PVC flooring, plastic shower curtains, processed food and other trappings of modern life may be sapping women’s interest in sex. A study has linked low libido with the additives used to...

Europe's family tree has a THIRD branch: Link found in genetic connection between Modern Europeans and Native Americans Europeans share DNA with ancient hunters and Middle Eastern farmers Study claims Europeans also share their genes with North Eurasians This group gave their DNA to the people who traveled the Bering Strait Ancient Middle Eastern farmers and their European descendants can trace ancestry to a previously unknown lineage called the Basal Eurasians It has long been believed that modern Europeans descended from indigenous hunters and Middle Eastern farmers. But a new study suggests all Europeans today have DNA from a third...

People who avoid carbohydrates and eat more fat, even saturated fat, lose more body fat and have fewer cardiovascular risks than people who follow the low-fat diet that health authorities have favored for decades, a major new study shows. The findings are unlikely to be the final salvo in what has been a long and often contentious debate about what foods are best to eat for weight loss and overall health. The notion that dietary fat is harmful, particularly saturated fat, arose decades ago from comparisons of disease rates among large national populations. But more recent clinical studies in which...

State Has Awarded $5.5 Million in Grants for Celebrations, Research and Education A historian gives cutlass lessons to children at Fort McHenry in Baltimore on Thursday. Melissa Golden for The Wall Street Journal BALTIMORE—Maryland officials are on a campaign to elevate the profile of the War of 1812, a historically unpopular conflict that ended in a draw with Britain and has long been overshadowed by the Revolutionary and Civil wars. The state is planning a weeklong festival next month to mark the 200th anniversary of the city's defense in 1814, which inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the poem that...

On Aug. 24, 1814, the British started a fire — and ultimately kindled a capital’s future. The day began like so many days in Washington, with a painfully long meeting marked by confusion, misinformation and indecision. The British were coming. They were on the march in the general direction of Washington. The precise target of the invaders remained unclear, but their intentions were surely malign. James Madison, the fourth president of these young United States, had raced to a private home near the Navy Yard for an emergency war council with top generals and members of his Cabinet. The secretary...

Mrs. Pharmboy and I saw Richard Linklater's "Boyhood" a few hours ago. It was brilliant.It took him 12 years to do this movie, following the principles through time with the focus on Mason Jr., who starts out as a 7 year old and finishes with his first day of college. The only actors you would know are Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke, and both are great. But the reason I am writing this is to let you Freepers know that this movie has a huge surprise: at Mason's small birthday party celebrated at stepmother's parent's house, his step grandma gives...

STURBRIDGE, Mass. — Sarah Blanchard was sorry she skipped a worship service. Sarah Wood apologized for denouncing infant baptisms. And as for the Cheneys, Joseph and Abigail? Well, “with shame, humiliation and sorrow,” they acknowledged having had sex before marriage. More than 250 years ago, their confessions of sin were dutifully logged by the minister of the church here, alongside records of baptisms, marriages and deaths, notes about meetings heated and routine, accounts of finances, texts of sermons, and, in some cases, personal accounts of conversion experiences from young adults. Now, in a regionwide scavenger hunt, a pair of historians...

As tea was being dumped in Boston Harbor, momentous changes were taking place across the continent, defining America's future. The year 1776 stands as the most celebrated date on the American calendar, and for good reason. Embraced by those scant 12 months is not only the signing of the Declaration of Independence but also the Redcoats' retreat from Boston, the Continentals' narrow escape from New York, and George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River to snatch a desperately needed victory at Trenton. Those storied episodes unfolded within 50 miles of the Atlantic Coast. In his perceptive and original "West of...