A reticulated baby giraffe at Brights Zoo in Limestone, Tennessee, is garnering worldwide attention due to her unusual looks. The female, born on July 31, 2023, lacks her characteristic patches. Instead, she has a plain brown coat. The zoo's officials believe she might be the "only solid-colored reticulated giraffe living anywhere on the planet."...
Read news articleIf this summer feels a little warmer than usual, you are not wrong. The global temperatures in June 2023 far exceeded the previous record set in June 2019. The sweltering weather intensified in July. On August 14, 2023, NASA reported that it was the hottest month since global temperature record-keeping began in 1880. Some experts believe July may have been the hottest month in 120,000 years. If the trend continues into the fall and winter, 2023 may surpass 2016 as the hottest year on record....
Read news articleOn June 21, 2023, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted its first-ever approval of cell-cultured meat. The assent is restricted to products made by GOOD Meat and UPSIDE Foods. It was the final step the California-based startups needed to sell their lab-grown chicken in the US....
Read news articleThere are over 30 meteor showers annually. But few can compare to the spectacular Perseids. The "shooting stars" have been blazing through the sky at a rate of about a dozen an hour since mid-July and will continue until the end of August. But the best time to view them is when Earth passes through the area with the densest comet dust. That's when the meteors' pace increases to between 50 and 100 an hour. This year that will be during the pre-dawn hours of August 13....
Read news articleVisitors to the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers are about to witness the rare blooming of a titan arum, or corpse flower. The massive flower blossoms once every four to five years and lasts only 24 to 48 hours. But that may be a good thing. That's because when the petals unfurl, they emit an odor reminiscent of rotting meat....
Read news articleFish farming is a form of aquaculture in which fish are raised in enclosures to be sold as food. They account for over half of the world's fish supply and are vital for meeting the needs of an ever-growing human population. However, fish farms currently face a big challenge — waste management....
Read news articleA lone wolverine traversing across Northern California is sending ripples of excitement across the Golden State. It is only the second sighting of the mammal in the state in almost a century. The wolverine has been captured on camera multiple times in different areas of the eastern Sierra Nevada mountain range since May 2023....
Read news articleKiller whales, or orcas, are the largest members of the oceanic dolphin family. The intelligent mammals, which hunt in large pods, are known for their coordinated attacks on unsuspecting marine animals. But they rarely pose a threat to humans. However, since July 2020, groups of orcas have been deliberately attacking sailboats off the coasts of Spain and Portugal....
Read news articleCarbon dioxide (CO2), released from burning fossil fuels like oil and coal, is a big contributor to global warming and climate change. Over the years, scientists have come up with several creative ideas to capture the harmful gas. However, implementing them on a large scale has proved elusive. But that may change with Denmark's new, bold initiative, Project Greensand. It involves collecting CO2 before it enters the atmosphere and burying it under the North Sea....
Read news article