Earth Day: Planet vs. Plastics

Earth Day

• Earth Day serves as an annual reminder of the need to protect the planet, celebrated every April 22.
• The global movement began on April 22, 1970, when US lawmaker Gaylord Nelson mobilized over 20 million people to support environmental protection.
• Earth Day Network (EDN) has over 50,000 partners in over 190 countries.
• EDN led to the passage of landmark environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 in the US, and the 2015 Paris Agreement.
• The theme for Earth Day 2024 is "Planet vs. Plastics," highlighting the annual production of over 380 million tons of plastic, with 50% for single-use.
• EDN demands a 60% reduction in the production of plastics by 2040.
• EDN aims for countries to phase out single-use plastics by 2030.
• EDN also aims to urge governments to implement policies to end fast fashion.
• EDN wants corporations to invest in innovative technologies to create sustainable materials to substitute plastic.
• Plastic pollution has been linked to health risks, including cancer in humans and deaths in marine wildlife.
• Companies can reduce their plastic footprint by choosing natural or recycled fabrics and using compostable paper containers for food delivery.
• Individuals can avoid single-use plastics by using reusable cutlery sets, containers for leftovers, and reusable water bottles.

Rare Nova Outburst

• NASA predicts a rare nova outburst which will be visible from Earth without special equipment between now and September 2024.
• A nova occurs in a star binary system with a red giant and white dwarf, where material from the red giant accumulates on the white dwarf's surface and explodes.
• The explosion results in a sudden and dramatic increase in brightness.
• T Coronae Borealis (T CrB) is a binary star system 3,000 light-years from Earth known for periodic nova outbursts approximately every 80 years.
• The last T CrB outburst was in 1946.
• NASA expects the nova explosion to occur sometime before September 2024, but the timing is hard to determine.
• The nova outburst will be visible to the unaided eye for several days and with binoculars for over a week.

Taiwan Earthquake

• A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan's east coast on April 3, 2024, the most powerful in 25 years.
• The quake was centered 11 miles south of Hualien and felt as far away as Hong Kong and Shanghai.
• At least 13 people were killed, and over a thousand were injured.
• Preemptive measures, including seismic sensors and phone alerts, helped reduce fatalities compared to the 1999 earthquake.
• Strict building codes also contributed to the low fatality rate.
• Taiwan's earthquake preparedness is among the most advanced in the world.
• Earthquakes are common in Taiwan due to its location along the "Ring of Fire."
• Over 90 percent of the world's earthquakes and 75 percent of volcano eruptions occur along the Ring of Fire.

Cole Brauer's Solo Sailing Achievement

• Cole Brauer became the first American woman to sail alone around the world without stopping.
• She completed the 30,000-mile Global Solo Challenge on March 7, 2024, in 130 days, placing second among 16 sailors.
• Brauer was the only woman, the youngest racer, and the smallest competitor.
• The journey began from A Coruña, Spain, on October 29, 2023.
• Sailors must navigate Africa's Cape of Good Hope, Australia's Cape Leeuwin, and South America's Cape Horn.
• Brauer faced difficulties, including injuries from 30-foot waves and dehydration.
• She is preparing for her next adventure and hopes to inspire other young girls to consider professional sailing.

Chimpanzee Military Tactics

• Chimpanzees employ human-like military tactics to evaluate risk and expand their territories.
• Researchers observed two western chimpanzee groups at West Africa's Tai National Park from 2013 to 2016.
• Both groups regularly patrolled the edges of their territories in small, coordinated groups.
• The chimps sought out higher ground along borders to listen for rivals.
• Chimpanzees are the first animals, other than humans, to strategically use elevation to assess conflict risks.
• Tactical warfare is considered a driver of human evolution.

Revolutionary War Sketch Discovery

• Judith Hernstadt, an avid collector of 18th-century artifacts, bought a set of sketches, including one from the Revolutionary War.
• Matthew Skic, a curator, identified a soldier wearing a shirt typically worn by the Continental Army, the army that defeated the British in 1783.
• The paper and ink were confirmed to be from the Revolutionary era.
• The inscription matched a recorded event of the North Carolina army marching through Philadelphia in August 1777, before the Battle of Brandywine.
• The sketch is the first known wartime drawing of the North Carolina troops and one of only two artworks featuring the female followers of the Continental Army.
• Pierre Eugene du Simitiere was identified as the artist.
• Hernstadt donated the drawing to the museum, and it was put on public display in April 2024.

Crab Spider Mimicry

• A male and a female crab spider were discovered resembling a single flower in a rainforest in China's Yuan Province.
• The male spider was disguised as the pistils and stamens, while the female looked like the flower's petals.
• This is the first evidence of cooperation mimicry in spiders.
• Female crab spiders camouflage themselves to blend in with their floral environment.

Ichthyosaur Discovery

• Justin Reynolds and his daughter Ruby found fossils leading to the discovery of a new ichthyosaur species.
• The fossils were discovered on Blue Anchor Beach in Somerset, England.
• The new species was named Ichthyotitan severnensis.
• The marine reptile's jaw would have measured over six feet long, estimating its length to be 80 feet.

Cicada Emergence

• Sixteen US states are bracing for the simultaneous emergence of two cicada broods: Brood XIX (13-year cycle) and Brood XIII (17-year cycle).
• This last occurred 221 years ago, in 1803, and won't happen again until 2245.
• The two broods are expected to come close in many states, overlapping only in Illinois and Iowa.
• Periodical cicadas spend most of their lives underground, emerging to reproduce and die.
• Since 13 and 17 are prime numbers, any predator dependent on the cicadas must match those lifespans.
• Cicadas are harmless to humans but can damage young trees.
• Adult cicada bodies provide a feast for animals and nitrogen for growing trees.

New Olympic Sports

• The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will include breaking, surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing as additional sports.
• Breaking, will make its Olympic debut at the Paris Games.
• The breaking competition will feature two events — one for men and one for women.
• Surfing returns for a second time in Paris.
• The 2024 surfing events will be hosted by the South Pacific island of Tahiti.
• Skateboarding also returns and competitors will have a choice of two disciplines: park and street.
• Two type of sport climbing Boulder and lead climbing scores will be combined and Speed climbing will be an independent event with its own medal.

Orangutan Wound Treatment

• A Sumatran orangutan named Rakus was observed treating a cheek wound with a medicinal plant, which is the liana vine.
• Locals know of the liana vines healing properties
• The orangutan spent time chewing the leaves and rubbing the juice on his injury.
• Within five days, the wound closed and completely healed within a month
• This case represents the first known case of active wound treatment in a wild animal with a medical plant.
• Sumatran orangutans are a critically endangered species.

Tornado Outbreak - April / May 2024

• Tornadoes are most active from March to July, with "Tornado Alley" being the most susceptible.
• In April 2024, over 300 tornadoes were reported across the nation.
• From April 25 to 28, 2024, about 100 of those tornadoes occurred.
• Marietta, Oklahoma, was struck by an EF-4 twister with winds between 166 mph and 200 mph.
• Minden, Iowa, suffered substantial damage after a powerful tornado ripped through the small town.
• Tornado activity remains robust in May, including three different tornadoes striking Tallahassee, Florida on May 10, 2024.
• A tornado is a very powerful rotating column of air that starts at the base of a thunderstorm cloud.
• The US experiences the most tornadoes, with about 1,200 annually.

Zombie Wildfires in Canada

• Canada's 2023 wildfire season was the worst on record, with over 6,500 blazes scorching more than 48 million acres.
• “Zombie” fires from 2023 have roared back to life, forcing mass evacuations in British Columbia and Alberta.
• Zombie fires, also known as holdover or overwintering fires, burn underground for weeks, months, or even years.
• Zombie fires are sustained by organic matter such as peat.
• Officials estimate that there are currently 93 zombie fires raging in British Columbia and over 55 in Alberta.
• The underground fires are mainly flameless.
• Alaska, Northern Europe, and Siberia are also prone to zombie fires.

NASA's X-59 Aircraft

• NASA's X-59 aircraft is designed to fly at supersonic speeds without producing the characteristic sonic boom.
• The prototype is part of the US Space Agency's Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) mission.
• Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that is faster than the speed of sound at about 768 mph.
• X-59's "quiet" supersonic flight can be credited to a unique design, its long, pointed nose that breaks up the shock waves that create the noise.
• NASA plans to begin testing the X-59 in California in late 2024.

Floating Cities

• Rising sea levels, fueled by global warming, are escalating at an alarming rate, putting coastal communities worldwide at risk.
• By 2050, experts predict that nearly 300 million people living in coastal areas will face annual flooding.
• Japan's N-Ark designs innovative floating city, Dogen City, to combat the impact of climate change.
• Dogen City will measure roughly 1 mile in diameter and 2.5 miles in circumference.
• The floating city will have a unique two-layer design.
• New technology will enable residents to produce up to 7,000 tons of food annually using seawater.
• In 2022, the South Korean city of Busan also unveiled plans for a sustainable maritime metropolis that will when built can house up to 100,000 people.
• Netherlands has been home to a thriving floating community since 2021.

Personalized Cancer Vaccines

• Dr. Catherine Wu and her team at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, aim to develop custom vaccines to fight cancer.
• Dr. Wu's first study included six people suffering from advanced melanoma, a type of skin cancer.
• In 2015, individuals were given a seven-shot course of their personalized vaccines.
• By 2021, all six patients were declared cancer-free.
• Her pioneering work has earned her numerous awards, most recently, in February 2024, she received the prestigious Sjöberg Prize.

Las Vegas Sphere

• Sphere, a new entertainment venue in Las Vegas, Nevada, is a 366 foot tall and 561 foot wide structure.
• The exterior is wrapped in a massive 580,000 sq. foot LED screen.
• The theater inside features a high-resolution wrap-around LED screen and an advanced audio system comprising over 160,000 speakers.
• The world's largest auditorium boasts 17,500 seats.
• Sphere opened to the public on September 29, 2023, with Irish rock legends U2 as its first performers.
• Those not interested in the live shows can buy tickets for "The Sphere Experience." This interactive two-hour program is hosted by five humanoid robots.

Cheese Rolling Competition

• The annual Cheese Rolling competition requires participants to run down Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire, England, to catch an 8-pound wheel of cheese.
• The event is believed to have started in the 1800s.

First Female President elected in Mexico

• Claudia Sheinbaum became the first female president of Mexico on June 2, 2024.
• Sheinbaum is also the first person of Jewish heritage to lead this primarily Catholic nation.
• The 61-year-old president-elect most recently served as head of government of Mexico City.
• Sheinbaum is a climate scientist with a PhD in energy engineering.
• She plans to combat the rising violence in Mexico and has also pledged to reduce Mexico's reliance on fossil fuels by 50 percent in the next six years.

Chinese Lunar Probe

• China's Chang'e 6 lunar probe brought back soil samples from the Moon's far side.
• The spacecraft landed at the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin.
• China's national flag on the crater's surface measures about 12 by 8 inches and was made entirely from basalt.
• The capsule, carrying about four pounds of lunar material, landed safely in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia on June 25, 2024.
• Scientists expect the materials to reveal information about the evolution of the Moon's far side.
• China plans to explore the Moon's south pole.

US Olympic gymnastics Wins

• The USA men's and women's gymnastics teams won a total of 10 medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
• The US men's team had not medalled in the Olympic team event since the 2008 Games.
• Brody Malone led his five-person team with a flawless routine on the still rings and high bar, improving both his personal score and the team's overall score.

Buried Fruit Finds

• Archaeologists found 35 glass bottles dating back to the 18th century in George Washington's Mount Vernon home.
• Twenty-nine bottles were intact and contained perfectly preserved cherries and berries, likely gooseberries or currants.
• The discovery was made during the excavation of six storage pits in the cellar.
• Principal archaeologist Jason Boroughs said the bottles were all buried before 1776.

Elephant "Names"

• New study suggest elephants may have "names" for each other, which would make them the first non-human species to exhibit this unique capability.
• The research team included Dr. Joyce Poole, co-founder of ElephantVoices.
• Computer model correctly guessed the receiving elephants identity over 28% of the time.
• To verify the findings, some of the rumbles were played back to 17 wild elephants through a speaker.
• The researcherers said the mammals were likelier to address each other by name over long distances or when calling out to their calves.
• Dr. Pardo and his team aim to explore whether elephants also "name" other important elements, like food, water, and locations.

Open Ancient Beach

• The ancient city's beach was opened to the public on June 19, 2024.
• Visitors can not only enjoy the restored beach but also explore the ancient city's other impressive attractions, including remarkably well-preserved baths, an underground theater, and luxurious homes.
• Named after the Greek god Hercules, Herculaneum was once a popular holiday destination for Rome's upper-class families due to its mild weather.
• The city lay hidden under more than 150 ft of ash until its accidental discovery in 1709.

Ant Amputations

• The tiny insects work together to build homes, find food, and care for their young.
• Florida carpenter ants even perform life-saving "surgeries" amputate legs to save their nestmates.
• For those with femur injuries, the ants would carefully bite off the leg, completely removing it.
• Each amputation took at least 40 minutes and involved multiple "surgeons." Resulting in a 90 percent survival rate.

2,492-Carat Diamond

• On August 22, 2024, Lucara Diamond revealed the discovery of a massive 2,492-carat diamond in Botswana.
• The gemstone is the second biggest one ever found and the biggest one found in the Southern African nation.
• The largest diamond discovered to date is the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond in 1905.
• The Karowe mine in Botswana is known for its exceptionally large diamonds.

Boeing Starliner

• On August 25, 2024, NASA officials announced that Boeing's Starliner spacecraft will return to Earth in early September without its crew members Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams.
• NASA's decision is based on lingering concerns about the spacecraft's safety. Wilmore and Williams will remain at the International Space Station (ISS) until February 2025.
• They launched aboard the Starliner on June 5, 2024, for an eight-day mission to test the new spacecraft's safety and capabilities.
• As the Starliner approached the ISS, it experienced helium leaks and thruster failures.
• NASA plans to bring the astronauts back home aboard the SpaceX Dragon.
• The SpaceX Crew-9 mission will comprise two astronauts instead of the original four.
• Wilmore and Williams will transition from being guests to full-time crew members.

Bansky's London Art

• From August 5 to 13, 2024, the anonymous British street artist revealed animal sketches at various locations around London city.
• The first artwork appeared August 5, 2024, silhouette of a mountain goat.
• Residents of Kew awoke to a silhouette of a mountain goat perched on a structure supporting a factory wall.
• The different artworks appeared for nine straight days.
• The ninth and final piece of Banksy's animal series appeared on the shutters of the London Zoo.
• The final piece shows a gorilla lifting up the shutter to allow a sea lion and several birds to escape

Big Basin Redwoods

• The Big Basin Redwood State Park in Santa Cruz, California is home to the tallest and oldest redwood trees on Earth.
• The CZU Lightning Complex Fire that burned 97 percent of the park in August 2020.
• Researchers found the redwoods have two additional strategies to cope with adversity: They store that energy from leaf photosynthesis & leaf regrowth.
• They also learned that the tissue to enable leaf regrowth was nearly as old as the tree itself.

Friday The 13th Myths

• Millions of people worldwide consider Friday the 13th the unluckiest day of the year.
• 13 is considered unlucky because it follows the the "complete" number 12.
• Many people avoid having 13 guests at a party.
• Friday has its own negative associations: Jesus was crucified on a Friday & biblical scholars believe Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit on a Friday.
• Businesses lose about $900 million on this day as believers avoid working, traveling, or making big purchases,.
• The fears are however, unfounded; A 2008 study found that fewer traffic accidents occur on Friday the 13th than on other Fridays.

World's Largest Air Capture Plant

• Companies such as Climeworks are developing innovative solutions to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
• On May 8, 2024 Switzerland-based startup turned on Mammoth, the world's largest direct air capture plant.
• Located in Iceland, Mammoth is similar to an in-home air purifier.
• It uses fans to pull air through specialized filters, trapping carbon molecules & These molecules are mixed with water and pumped deep underground where they react with volcanic rocks and eventually turn into stone.
• Mammoth can absorb up to 39,000 tons of carbon from the air annually. This is the equivalent of removing over 7,000 cars from the road.
• The company is planning to expand its operations in Louisiana, USA.
• The new location is expected to capture over a million tons of CO2 annually. That is about 30 times more than the Mammoth capture plant

Space X

• On September 15, 2024, SpaceX's Polaris Dawn completed the first of three commercial space missions.
• There mission set several altitude records & conducted pioneering spacewalk.
• Crew reached its highest point, 870 miles above Earth.
• The purpose of high altitude was to asses impact of increased radiation levels on Dragon capsule
• Following a successful 100-minute spacewalk, the astronauts safely re-entered the Dragon space craft.

Vesuvius Challenge

• Vesuvius Challenge has a collection of 1800 papyrus scrolls from the 79AD volcanic wreckage site.
• Brent Seales' goal is to decode the ancient scrolls. With help from competitors, he released an AI program. Along with 3D imaging for two rolled-up scrolls and three papyrus fragments. In order to decode the ancient scrolls.
• The winners of "first letters prize" decoded the word "porphyras" which translates to the English word "purple". Seales says is far from done and challenges contestants To decode an entire scroll by years end.
• Prizes & Funding : $100,000 Cash prize will be given to the first team that can decipher a least 90% of all the four scrolls.

Retiring Alex Morgan Legend

• American soccer icon Alex Morgan has decided to retire from professional soccer. Morgan broke the news to her fans on social media on September 5, 2024.
• She began with the US Women's National Team in 2009.
• Her debut year she scored four international goals and earned the nickname "Baby Horse"
• Over the next 15 years Morgan helping the USA win back to back FIFA Woman's Worlds Cup titles in 2015 and 2019.
• Making 176 combined goals and assists.
• In 2023, Morgan found the Alex Morgan Foundation to promote equality and opportunities for girls and women both on and off the field

Sword Discovery

• Egyptian archaeologists reveled a discovery of a gleaming bronze sword on September 5, 2024
• The weapon was marked with the insignia of Ramses' II.
• Even buried for over 3000 years, the sword has retain its reflective shine
• The sword suggest that fort was well defended. Possibly an onsite weapons production area.
• It served as a status symbol increasing the high ranking officers respect. As well as advertising the kings wealth and power
• Remains of large clay pots containing bones of fish and animals suggesting a diver diet
• Two limestone blocks were also found. One with with the name of bay While the other mentioned Ramses.

Hurricane Helen

• Category 4 hurricane named Helen to make landfall at Perry, Florida. Helen has sustained winds of over 140 miles per hour.
• Causing widespread damage. The journey consisted of several states including Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.
• 170 storm-related deaths. Numbers still could rise.
• The city of Asheville in western North Carolina had already received rain over four inches.
• Flooding was devastating to town of Chimney Rock 25 miles from Asheville. Roads and bridges were destroyed.
• 1000 soldiers were deployed to get supplies and other equipment to communities. People are given shelters and meals as well food for those in need.

Earthworm benefits

• Earthworms are well-known for their ability to enrich and improve soil. Researchers finding Earthworms helped increase grain yields to 10 percent in Africa and eight percent in Latin America.
• Other benefits, according to CSU's Steven Fonte, involves creation of tunnels for water and air to enter the soil They also move the soil's organic matter making it more available to plants.
• Scientist found that Earthworms help the tomato plant's immune system to environmental changes.

Clever Spiders

• In the wild animals frequently used deceptive tactics to survive spider species.
• Species has found a way to manipulate the mating signals of male fireflies to catch more prey. The Araneus ventricosus is a nocturnal Orb Weaver spider. The spiders mostly catch male fireflies and very few females to attract mates which made them easy prey.
• the signal was the reason for a larger group of males as a result. 161 Orb Weaver webs and divided among four experimental groups were examined
• The spider use of venom to manipulate the male fireflies. Scientists revealed their findings.
• ""When we removed them from the web and allowed a short recovery period, the male fireflies often resumed their normal multi-pulse flashing pattern",""" Dr. Li (Co-Author) states.