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Science (General/Chat)

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  • People are getting an old-timey sailors’ disease on GLP-1s (Ozempic scurvy)

    02/09/2026 6:21:13 PM PST · by Libloather · 15 replies
    California Post ^ | 2/09/26 | Emma Glassman-Hughes
    Time for Ozempic to walk the plank? Top dietitians in Australia this week are waving a red flag about an unforeseen impact of the GLP-1 class of weight-loss drugs, including Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. In a new systematic review of existing research, led by professor Clare Collins of the Newcastle School of Health Sciences in New South Wales, Australia, it appears that very few global trials of the drugs have taken into consideration what and how much patients are eating while using them. This, experts have said, means many patients have been functionally malnourished — sometimes developing serious vitamin deficiencies...
  • Astronomy Picture of the Day - Miranda Revisited

    02/09/2026 1:26:50 PM PST · by MtnClimber · 12 replies
    NASA ^ | 9 Feb, 2026 | Image Credit: NASA, JPL, Voyager 2; Processing & License: Flickr: zelario12; Text: Keighley Rockclif
    Explanation: What is Miranda really like? Visually, old images from NASA's Voyager 2 have been recently combined and remastered to result in the featured image of Uranus's 500-kilometer-wide moon. In the late 1980s, Voyager 2 flew by Uranus, coming close to the cratered, fractured, and unusually grooved moon -- named after a character from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Scientifically, planetary scientists are using old data and clear images to theorize anew about what shaped Miranda's severe surface features. A leading hypothesis is that Miranda, beneath its icy surface, may have once hosted an expansive liquid water ocean which may be slowly...
  • The Forgotten Battle That Saved a Kingdom | Medieval Dead | S2 E3 | Full Episode [44:11]

    02/09/2026 11:11:19 AM PST · by SunkenCiv · 6 replies
    YouTube ^ | December 21, 2025 | Forbidden Mysteries
    In Portugal, archaeologists uncover mass graves from a medieval clash that rewrote European history. The evidence reveals brutal close-quarters combat and the shocking tactics that secured a nation's survival. The Forgotten Battle That Saved a Kingdom Medieval Dead | S2 E3 | Full Episode | 44:11 Forbidden Mysteries | 5.55K subscribers | 9,611 views | December 21, 2025 YouTube transcript can be processed at reformatted at textformatter.ai.
  • I’ve done thousands of fracking jobs — here’s the truth the activists won’t tell

    02/09/2026 9:36:24 AM PST · by Libloather · 35 replies
    Fox News ^ | 2/09/26 | Dan Doyle
    In 1643, Evangelista Torricelli used a tube of mercury to first measure pressure. In 1897, German mechanical engineer Rudolf Diesel invented the diesel engine with financial help from the Krupp family, financiers of the Third Reich. Four thousand years ago, the Egyptians invented the pump. Collectively, the above are the bedrock of fracking. In 1949, Haliburton performed the first frack job ever. In 1865, E.A. Roberts received a patent for loading a torpedo with nitroglycerin and dropping it into shallow Pennsylvania wells. Fracking is science, but not a dark one. To date, there have been about 2,000,000 frack jobs in...
  • SpaceX prioritizes lunar 'self-growing city' over Mars project, Musk says

    02/08/2026 8:58:50 PM PST · by E. Pluribus Unum · 29 replies
    Reuters.com ^ | February 8, 20265:43 PM CST | Reuters
    SummarySpaceX shifts focus to lunar city, Mars project delayed Musk cites civilization's future, Moon is faster than Mars SpaceX plans uncrewed lunar landing by March 2027 Feb 8 (Reuters) - Elon Musk said on Sunday that SpaceX has shifted its focus to building a "self‑growing city" on the moon, which could be achieved in less than 10 years. SpaceX still intends to start on Musk's long-held ambition of a city on Mars within five to seven years, he wrote on his X social media platform, "but the overriding priority is securing the future of civilization and the Moon is faster."...
  • Grave of Early Crusader Unearthed in Finland

    02/08/2026 6:10:03 PM PST · by SunkenCiv · 24 replies
    Archaeology Wiki ^ | November 18, 2013 | editors / unattributed
    Amateurs using metal detector located the tomb and after the initial major finds they contacted the archaeological authorities.The well-preserved grave contained an uncharacteristically large 12th-century sword as well as what appeared to be a Viking-age blade that may have been part of a cremation ceremony.The find was brought to light in a field in Hyvikkälä, Janakkala, which had showed signs of pre-historic settlement, by amateur metal detectorists After uncovering a few minor objects, the metal detector picked up a spear tip and an axe blade. After some digging, the group discovered a broken sword. At this point, the hobbyists broke...
  • How to Teach AI to Reason Scientifically: AI Thinks Differently When Evidence Replaces Consensus

    02/08/2026 5:00:42 PM PST · by SeekAndFind · 36 replies
    Creation Evolution Headlines ^ | 02/07/2026 | Ron Fritz, PhD
    When it comes to our origins, there are two basic possibilities: either reality is the product of intentional design, or it arose through unguided natural processes. Every person, consciously or not, adopts one of these views, and the choice is foundational. It shapes how we interpret the world, whether we see purpose in life, and how we understand its meaning. Given its significance, this question deserves careful and sustained attention.Yet most of us do not approach it as a blank slate. Our culture and educational institutions have largely made the choice for us. Historically, belief in a creator was the...
  • Trump’s Huge AI Project Is Running Into a Major Financial Problem

    02/08/2026 3:09:52 PM PST · by fireman15 · 60 replies
    Futurism ^ | January 26, 2026 | Joe Wilkins
    "The market has indicated this is not investment-grade debt." It’s 2026, and tech companies continue to insist they need to spend staggering amounts of money on AI data centers. Yet for all of its enthusiasm over the past few years, Wall Street is finally starting to squint at the numbers. According to new reporting by Business Insider, JPMorgan Chase is running into trouble finding investors interested in servicing billions in debt backing two of the first five Stargate data centers. Stargate is Donald Trump’s $500 billion AI project led by tech companies Oracle and OpenAI. Its vague goal, OpenAI has...
  • Astronomy Picture of the Day - Active Sunspot Region 4366 Crosses the Sun

    02/08/2026 12:29:22 PM PST · by MtnClimber · 10 replies
    NASA ^ | 8 Feb, 2026 | Image Credit & Copyright: Daniel Korona
    Explanation: An unusually active sunspot region is now crossing the Sun. The region, labelled AR 4366, is much larger than the Earth and has produced several powerful solar flares over the past ten days. In the featured image, the region is marked by large and dark sunspots toward the upper right of the Sun's disk. The image captured the Sun over a hill in Zacatecas, Mexico, 5 days ago. AR 4366 has become a candidate for the most active solar region in this entire 11-year solar cycle. Active solar regions are frequently associated with increased auroral activity on the Earth....
  • They're cured of leprosy. Why do they still live in leprosy colonies?

    02/08/2026 7:17:54 AM PST · by Libloather · 12 replies
    NPR ^ | 2/07/26 | Pam Fessler
    Alamelu, a gray-haired woman who wears a bright pink sari and a gap-tooth smile, has lived in the Kalvari Nagar leprosy colony in India for 22 years and another colony before that. Her family sent her away when she was only 12 years old after she was diagnosed with what is likely the world's most misunderstood and stigmatized disease. They feared her presence in the home would tarnish the family's reputation and her siblings would never be married. Alamelu, who is now 75, never saw her family again. Like most residents of Kalvari Nagar, this woman was cured of leprosy...
  • Chance of El Niño forming in Pacific Ocean may push global temperatures to record highs in 2027 (only 4.97 years left)

    02/08/2026 6:01:10 AM PST · by Libloather · 56 replies
    The Guardian ^ | 2/07/26 | Graham Readfearn
    Weather agencies and climate scientists have pointed to the possibility of an El Niño forming in the Pacific Ocean later this year – a phenomenon that could push global temperatures to all-time record highs in 2027. Both the US government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology have said some climate models are forecasting an El Niño but both cautioned those results came with uncertainties. Experts told the Guardian it was too early to be confident, but there were signals in the spread of sea surface temperatures in the Pacific that suggested an El Niño could...
  • The Hidden Conversation in Breast Milk: Katie Hinde’s Groundbreaking Research

    02/08/2026 5:55:14 AM PST · by Jumpmaster · 20 replies
    Ifeg.info ^ | 15 Dec 2025 | Kate Jamison
    In the world of scientific research, some discoveries change the very fabric of how we understand human development and the intricate connections that shape our lives. Katie Hinde, a pioneering researcher and biologist, is one such figure whose groundbreaking work has reshaped our understanding of breast milk.
  • Astronomy Picture of the Day - Crescent Enceladus

    02/07/2026 10:52:26 AM PST · by MtnClimber · 9 replies
    NASA ^ | 7 Feb, 2026 | Image Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA
    Explanation: Peering from the shadows, the Saturn-facing hemisphere of tantalizing inner moon Enceladus poses in this Cassini spacecraft image. North is up in the dramatic scene captured during November 2016 as Cassini's camera was pointed in a nearly sunward direction about 130,000 kilometers from the moon's bright crescent. In fact, the distant world reflects over 90 percent of the sunlight it receives, giving its surface about the same reflectivity as fresh snow. A mere 500 kilometers in diameter, Enceladus is a surprisingly active moon. Data and images collected during Cassini's flybys have revealed water vapor and ice grains spewing from...
  • Michelangelo's 5-Inch Drawing of a Foot Sells for $27.2M at Auction, Setting New Record

    02/07/2026 10:03:53 AM PST · by SunkenCiv · 36 replies
    People ^ | February 6, 2026 | Abigail Adams
    A newly rediscovered drawing of a foot created by Michelangelo has just been auctioned off, fetching an eight-figure price tag and setting a record.The five-inch chalk drawing of the Libyan Sibyl's foot sold for $27.2 million on Thursday, Feb. 5, according to world-famous auction house Christie's.The subject of the drawing, which shows a foot with its heel off the ground, appears on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, which was painted from 1508 to 1512, the auction house said.This drawing now sets the record for the most spent at auction for a piece of Michelangelo artwork, topping...
  • ADHD Medications May Not Improve Attention, Study Suggests

    02/06/2026 9:33:54 PM PST · by SeekAndFind · 13 replies
    Epoch Times ^ | 02/06/2026 | Rachel Ann T. Melegrito
    Study of nearly 6,000 children shows Ritalin and Adderall activate the brain’s reward centers rather than attention networks, challenging long-held beliefs.For decades, doctors believed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications like Ritalin and Adderall worked by sharpening a person’s focus. They may have been wrong. A study suggests these drugs actually work by making tasks feel more rewarding—basically tricking the brain into caring about homework, chores, and other mundane activities. “Essentially, we found that stimulants pre-reward our brains and allow us to keep working at things that wouldn’t normally hold our interest—like our least favorite class in school,” Dr. Nico Dosenbach, senior...
  • Humanity's Deadliest Day: Shaanxi 1556 [16:28]

    02/06/2026 6:59:24 PM PST · by SunkenCiv · 8 replies
    YouTube ^ | January 23, 2026 | The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered
    The earthquake in Shaanxi China on January 23, 1556 was not, by any means, the most powerful earthquake experienced in human history. Still, an inscription from the time ends, simply, "Since the beginning of time, there has been no earthquake comparable to this one." Note: Just because you can think up a reason to criticize doesn't mean that you are obligated to do so. Pedantic is not a compliment folks. Humanity's Deadliest Day: Shaanxi 1556 | 16:28 The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered | 1.62M subscribers | 311,949 views | January 23, 2026
  • Astronomy Picture of the Day - Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

    02/06/2026 12:30:14 PM PST · by MtnClimber · 16 replies
    NASA ^ | 6 Feb, 2026 | Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; D. Milisavljevic (Purdue University), T. Temim (Princeton Unive
    Explanation: Massive stars in our Milky Way Galaxy live spectacular lives. Collapsing from vast cosmic clouds, their nuclear furnaces ignite and create heavy elements in their cores. After only a few million years for the most massive stars, the enriched material is blasted back into interstellar space where star formation can begin anew. The expanding debris cloud known as Cassiopeia A is an example of this final phase of the stellar life cycle. Light from the supernova explosion that created this remnant would have been first seen in planet Earth's sky about 350 years ago, although it took that light...
  • Rare Roman gold coins discovered in Luxembourg

    02/06/2026 8:24:52 AM PST · by SunkenCiv · 38 replies
    Popular Science ^ | January 14, 2025 | Laura Baisas
    Eight emperors are shown on the coins. However, three of the coins featured an unexpected ruler -- Eugenius, who only ruled the Western Roman Empire from 392 to 394 CE. Eugenius came to power partially due to the support of a powerful general Arbogast. Arbogast was a Frank -- the Germanic-speaking peoples who invaded the Western Roman Empire during the Fifth Century.When Christianity was becoming increasingly dominant in the Roman Empire, Eugenius attempted to restore pagan practices and traditions. His brief reign was marked by conflict and political instability. Eugenius primary opponent -- Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius I -- eventually...
  • Would You Trust The National Academies Of Science To Tell You How Science Works?

    02/06/2026 5:56:40 AM PST · by MtnClimber · 34 replies
    Manhattan Contrarian ^ | 5 Feb, 2026 | Francis Menton
    My last two posts have been about the new Federal Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, just out (December 31) from the Federal Justice Center. The Chair of that Center is U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts. The latest version of the Manual is the Fourth Edition. The prior version in 2011 was the Third Edition; and there were also two prior Editions from 2000 and 1994. In those previous two posts, I principally criticized a newly-added chapter in the Fourth Edition titled “Reference Guide on Climate Science.” Today, I want to take a look at another chapter titled “How Science Works.”...
  • The new Roman emperor discovered from a coin - Domitianus [16:19]

    02/05/2026 8:50:32 PM PST · by SunkenCiv · 17 replies
    YouTube ^ | January 9, 2026 | TopRomanFacts
    In 2003, metal detectorist Brian Malin found the Chalgrove Hoard near Chalgrove, around 10 miles from Oxford. Inside a huge jar were nearly 5,000 late Roman coins, mostly copper-alloy radiates with that familiar "silvered" look that is really just debased coinage from the Crisis of the Third Century. After numismatists worked through the hoard coin by coin, one piece stood out. It looks ordinary, but the legend names an emperor who should not exist: Domitianus.The new Roman emperor discovered from a coin - Domitianus | 16:19TopRomanFacts | 37.2K subscribers | 25,111 views | January 9, 2026YouTube transcript reformatted at textformatter.ai...