Iconic amphibians took an unexpected path across the globe, study finds—with toxins as a “game changer”|Science

Quartz with biotic goethite filaments. Photograph: Manfred Heising

Architectural immunity: Ants alter their nest networks to prevent epidemics | Science 🧪

November, December, January temperature and precipitation predictions by NOAA

Oldest woman to complete the Ironman World Championship.

Three Charts To Set The Record Straight On Climate Change

52 Places to Go in 2025 Some very interesting vacation trips.

Dr Archie Murchie, senior principal scientific officer at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, said the Asian or yellow-legged hornet is an apex predator that preys preferentially on honey bees but on other insect and spider species as well.

Fall colors in the Sierra Nevada. Photo by Carter Murphy

This is how I felt when I sat in on organic chemistry in grad school. Cartoon by Gary Larson

Everything Everywhere All At Once

MRI brain scans show premature babies who regularly listen to recordings of their mothers' voices develop stronger language pathways; intervention could be used to mitigate risk of language delays often associated with premature birth 🧪

Like Mark Twain said, “I support my country all of the time but only my government when I agree with it.”

“In the last, say, 2,500 years, all eight of the largest Cascadia earthquakes have a matching San Andreas earthquake, or appear to,”

In ancient times cat were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this. - Terry Pratchett

This is a Maureen Dowe must read: “This is one piece of gold that President Trump is never going to get his short, stubby fingers on: an 18-karat gold medal with three naked men embracing, awarded to those who promote peace, democracy and human rights.” — a Nobel Peace Prize

Scientists identify brain area linked to chronic pain, which affects one in five people worldwide; finding could lead to interventions that mute pain signals. 🧪🧪

According to a new study of 211 dog breeds published in the journal Scientific Reports, adverse experiences such as abuse or being given up during a dog's first six months of life mean they are more likely to be fearful and aggressive as adults.

“It was never about gifting humanity a way to reach each other across the globe. It was about collecting and selling data to people who want to sell you stuff better. It has evolved into wearable AI products sold as your "friend" but really exist to collect your data at all times.”

Paleontologists revise evolutionary timeline for freshwater fish after analysis of 67-million-year-old ear bone fossil suggests they inherited their powerful hearing from marine ancestors 🧪

"Work hard, do the best you can, don't ever lose faith in yourself and take no notice of what other people say about you." - Noel Coward

Jane Goodall, Who Chronicled the Social Lives of Chimps, Dies at 91

Geochemists unearth over 541-million-year-old chemical fossils suggesting ancestors of modern-day sea sponges were among the first animals on Earth 🧪

A Far Side comic by Gary Larson

This is a new NYT series on global politics. Venezuela, America and the Specter of Regime Change

NYT reporter tags along with wildfire fighters and is only one wearing a mask. Firefighters are suffering from rare cancers and other health problems from inhaling toxic chemicals from burning EV batteries.

Would you support this? Yes or no?

Where does the US get its goods (with quiz)

Geoscientists find proof that an asteroid hit the North Sea over 43 million years ago, settling decadeslong debate about the origins of a nearly 2-mile-wide crater over 2,200 feet below the seabed

Don't forget: Charlie Kirk disparaged LGBTQ people, called the Civil Rights Act a "huge mistake," believed women should "submit" to their husbands, and said that Haitian immigrants were "raping your women" and "coming for your daughter next." [source: The Week]

"Myanmar has become one of the biggest hotbeds of sprawling centers that 'use enslaved workers' to run complex online fraud & scamming schemes. These centers make $millions for the crime syndicates who run them. Sat images show that these centers have doubled since 2021." - Rebecca Ratcliffe

The neighborhoods of Manhattan

President Frump has issued 188 executive orders during his 243 days in office beating even FDR’s record-setting pace

Some dogs—dubbed "gifted word learners"—can extend word meanings to new objects based on function, not just appearance; the skill is considered a cornerstone of early language development in toddlers

Scientists have discovered prehistoric insects preserved in amber for the first time in South America, providing a fresh glimpse into life on Earth at a time when flowering plants were just beginning to diversify and spread around the world.

“However much you deny the truth, the truth goes on existing.” - George Orwell

Unlike past surveillance methods, new digital tools allow law enforcement agencies to conduct surveillance persistently, universally, at an astounding scale. This results in a digital time machine that not only makes our past constantly available but also can provide predictions about our futures.

Patagonia Changed the Apparel Business. Can It Change Food, Too? The outdoor apparel maker from California wants to fix farming. The first challenge is convincing consumers to think of it for sardines and beer.

A New, ‘Adorable’ Deep-Sea Fish Swims Into View The bumpy snailfish was among three new snailfish species discovered off the coast of California, at a depth of over 10,000 feet, from an expedition led by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Dr. Gerringer and her team

Bill Bramhall cartoon

Do You See the Same Colors That I Do? The data suggests that if I were looking at something red, and the nerve signals from my optic nerves were diverted to your brain, you would probably say the color was recognizably red. (Unless you are colorblind and see red as a dark green.)

Wall Street Journal reporters have witnessed the world’s largest animal migration—a movement of over 6 million mammals, almost triple the size of the Serengeti wildebeest trek.

The Spectacular Comeback Tour of a Crypto Overlord Ross Ulbricht, who created the Silk Road dark web marketplace and was serving a life sentence for drug distribution, has embarked on a strange and unexpected comeback after President Trump pardoned him in January.

Fine particle air pollution linked to Lewy body dementia; particles can trigger formation of protein clumps in the brain, a hallmark of the disease

A new study is proposing that two inextricable forces underlie evolution. While natural selection ensures fitness, a previously unrecognized internal force operates inside the organism, putting together genetic information that has accumulated over generations in useful ways.

…killer T cells can be activated by a protein that forms a part of the shell that protects the virus's genetic material, like the yolk of an egg. "Because this protein is inside the virus, it mutates much less frequently—knowledge which could guide the development of vaccines

An all-female research group, As Meteoriticas, scours the South American country’s interior aiming to preserve meteorites for scientific study and public display. 🧪

Behold the massive talons of the golden eagle. This photo from the US Fish and Wildlife Service clearly shows these long, sharp weapons that are perfect for snatching a variety of prey, small and large. Photo: Golden eagle foot with talons, USFWS, Public Domain

Boomer Sooners!