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Above, fish locally caught in rivers and lakes could be a major source of exposure to 'forever chemicals' called PFAS, new research has warned, (Photo source: Iroz Gaizka/AFP/File)

Study: Eating one wild fish is the same as drinking tainted water for a month

January 18, 2023

Eating one freshwater fish caught in a river or lake in the United States is the equivalent of drinking a month’s worth of water contaminated with toxic “forever chemicals,” according to research results released on Tuesday, January 20, reports Raw Story.

The invisible chemicals, called PFAS, were first developed in the 1940s to resist water and heat—and now are used in items such as non-stick pans, textiles, fire suppression foams, and food packaging.

But the indestructibility of PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, means the pollutants have built up over time in the air, soil, lakes, rivers, food, drinking water, and even our bodies.

There have been growing calls for stricter regulation for PFAS, which have been linked to a range of serious health issues including liver damage, high cholesterol, reduced immune responses, and several kinds of cancer.

To find out PFAS contamination in locally caught fish, a team of researchers analyzed more than 500 samples from rivers and lakes across the United States between 2013 and 2015.

The median level of PFAS in the fish was 9,500 nanograms per kilogram, according to a new study published in the journal, Environmental Research.

Nearly three-quarters of the detected “forever chemicals” were PFOS, one of the most common and hazardous of the thousands of PFAS.

Eating just one freshwater fish equaled drinking water with PFOS at 48 parts per trillion for a month, the researchers calculated.

Last year the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lowered the level of PFOS in drinking water it considers safe to 0.02 parts per trillion.

The total PFAS level in the freshwater fish was 278 times higher than what has been found in commercially sold fish, the study said.

David Andrews, a senior scientist at the non-profit Environmental Working Group which led research, recently told Agence-France Presse (AFP) that he grew up catching and eating fish.

“I can no longer look at a fish without thinking about PFAS contamination,” said Andrews, one of the study’s authors.

The findings were “particularly concerning due to the impact on disadvantaged communities that consume fish as a source protein or for social or cultural reasons,” he added.

“This research makes me incredibly angry, because companies that made and used PFAS contaminated the globe and have not been held responsible.”

Patrick Byrne, an environmental pollution researcher at the UK’s Liverpool John Moores University not involved in the research, said PFAS are “probably the greatest chemical threat the human race is facing in the 21st century.”

“This study is important because it provides the first evidence for widespread transfer of PFAS directly from fish to humans,” he told AFP.

Andrews called for much more stringent regulation to bring an end to all non-essential uses of PFAS.

The study comes after Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway. and Sweden submitted a proposal to ban PFAS to the EU’s European Chemicals Agency on Friday.

The proposal, “one of the broadest in the EU’s history,” comes after the five countries found that PFAS were not adequately controlled, and bloc-wide regulation was needed, the agency said in a statement.

Research contact: @RawStory

This entry was posted in Lifestyle and tagged Agence France-Presse, David Andrews, Denmark and Gemany and the Netherlands and Norway and Sweden, Environmental Research, Environmental Working Group, Equivalent of drinking a month's worth of contaminated water, Five nations submitted a proposal to ban PFAS to European Chemical Agency, Liverpool John Moores University, One freshwater fish caught in a U.S. river or lake, Patrick Byrne, PFAS, PFOS, Raw Story, Total PFAS level in freshwater fish was 278 times high than in commercially sold fish, U.S. EPA on January 17, 2023 by Poll-Vaulter.

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Workplace bullying has skyrocketed, and remote work might be partially to blame Top Trump-aligned conservative group buys up prime D.C. office space

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Above, new mom Megan Ferro of South Carolina said she experienced 'pregnancy nose.' Photo comparison from March 2022 (left) to December 2022 while in labor. (Photo source: Megan Ferro)

‘Pregnancy nose’ has expectant moms in a dither—and is going viral on the Internet

March 28, 2023

Many women experience a variety of symptoms during their pregnancies—among them, nausea, fatigue, swollen feet, and what’s now being referred to as “pregnancy nose,” reports Fox News.

This latter—a very odd and unusual symptom—is known to change the shape, size or width of a woman’s nose during a pregnancy. The term has been trending on TikTok, with more than 24 million views on videos discussing the topic.

One video posted by user Reece Wood (@tyreecewood1) received 15.9 million views after she showed photos of her face before and during pregnancy.

Wood, who is based in Minnesota, told Fox News that the change in her nose came as a “huge shock.”

“No one warns you about it and just overnight my nose doubled in size,” she said.  “I couldn’t breathe[for] the remainder of my pregnancy!”

The video stirred conversation on the app, with many users sympathizing with Wood while also wondering how “pregnancy nose” happens in the first place.

“A lot of women have thanked me for my video because it made them feel seen and that’s really important to me,” Wood said, adding, “I wish I would’ve had that while I was going through it.”

Dr. Lauren Demosthenes, senior medical director at Babyscripts, a virtual maternity care company, told Fox News via email that a spike in estrogen causes the dilation of blood vessels—including mucous membranes of the nose.

“This may cause the nose to be a little bit swollen,” said South Carolina-based Demosthenes.

“Also, pregnant women can begin to have some facial swelling later in pregnancy, which may cause the nose to look a little larger,” she added.

Liesel Teen, a labor and delivery nurse and founder of Mommy Labor Nurse, an online resource for expectant parents, told Fox by email that, while pregnancy nose is not an actual medical term or condition, the symptom can be “pretty darn noticeable” in some pregnant women.

Teen, of Raleigh, North Carolina, reiterated that elevated hormone levels during pregnancy lead to increased blood flow, sometimes showing up in the nose.

“Pregnancy affects each person differently,” she said. “No two pregnancies are exactly the same, so the same person might have totally different experiences in different pregnancies.”

She continued, “There are dozens (or more) symptoms that women can experience during pregnancy, but it’s uncommon for someone to experience ALL of them.”

Teen explained that everybody “responds differently to hormones, so not all women will experience this lovely phenomenon during pregnancy.” She said that pregnancy nose most commonly tends to show up toward the end of a pregnancy, as blood volume and overall swelling increase; it generally resolves post-delivery.

Demosthenes also said that pregnancy nose is a “temporary condition,” which will normalize along with estrogen levels. “It’s hard to say exactly when, but during the first weeks postpartum, things should return to normal,” she said.

Nosebleeds may also be a common symptom for pregnant women due to hormones, Teen mentioned.

“Hormone changes and increased blood flow to certain places in your body during pregnancy put you at an increased risk for nosebleeds during pregnancy,” she said.

“The blood vessels in your nose (just like the ones throughout your body) expand during pregnancy because of the additional pressure from an increased volume of blood,” she continued.

“Blood vessels in your nose are fragile and break easily—this coupled with increased blood flow makes nosebleeds pretty common,” she added.

Although there is no way to prevent pregnancy nose from occurring, there are several methods to reduce the swelling should it occur. These include staying hydrated by increasing water intake, limiting sodium consumption, and keeping extremities—especially legs and feet—elevated.

Pregnant women should take breaks from standing for long periods of time, or wear compression socks and comfortable footwear if they need to stand for a long period of time.

Research contact: @FoxNews

This entry was posted in Lifestyle and tagged 'My nose doubled in size', @tyreecewood1, Babyscripts, Caused by dilation of blood veesels including mucous memberane of the nose, Dr. Lauren Demosthenes, Estrogen causes dilation, Fox News, Goes away by a couple of weeks after childbirth\, Increase water intake, Keep legs and feet elevated, Liesel Teen, Limit sodium consumption, Mommy Labor Nurse, More than 24 million videws, Nose gets much larger the closer to childbirth the woman becomes, Odd and unusual symptom of pregnancy, Pregnancy nose, Trending on TikTok on March 27, 2023 by Poll-Vaulter.

Above, 90-year-old Mr. Pickles now has earned a reputation as a 'stud.' (Photo source: Houston Zoo)

Baby boom: A 90-year-old tortoise becomes first-time father to three at the Houston Zoo

March 27, 2023

At 90 years young, Mr. Pickles is the oldest animal at the Houston Zoo—and has now become the wildlife park’s most senior first-time father, the zoo reports.

Radiated tortoises—which can live as long as double Mr. Pickles’ age—are a rare species native to Madagascar. The three Pickles offspring that hatched recently are a big deal (big dill?) for radiated tortoise genetics, as their father, Mr. Pickles, is the most genetically valuable radiated tortoise in the Association of Zoos and Aquarium (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP).

Mr. Pickles has been at the Zoo for 36 years and has been with his companion, Mrs. Pickles, since she arrived in 1996.The new tortoises have been named Dill, Gherkin, and Jalapeño and will remain behind the scenes in the Reptile & Amphibian House until they are big enough to safely join their parents.

Above, meet Dill, Gherkin, and Jalapeno. (Photo source: Jackelin Reyna/Houston Zoo)

The new hatchlings came as a surprise when a herpetology keeper happened upon Mrs. Pickles as the female tortoise was laying her eggs at closing time at the zoo. The animal care team quickly went to work uncovering the eggs and getting them to the safety of the Reptile & Amphibian House. The soil in Houston isn’t hospitable to the Madagascar native tortoises, and it’s unlikely the eggs would have hatched on their own if the keeper hadn’t been in the right place at the right time.

The new brood will help support radiated tortoises in their native homes off the East Coast of Africa. A portion of each zoo membership and admission goes toward helping the zoo’s partners in Madagascar replant wildlife habitats to save animals in the wild.

Research contact: @houstonzoo

This entry was posted in Lifestyle and tagged 90-year-old radiated tortoise who lives at Houston Zoo, AZA, Dill and Gherkin and Jalapeno just hatched, He and Mrs. Pickles are first-time parents, Mr. Pickiles is the oldest animal at the Houston Zoo, Mr. Pickles, New hatchlings came as a surprise to herpetology keeper who happened upon the three eggs at zoo closing time, Radiated tortoises live to be over 180, Rare species native to Madagascar, Reptile & Amphibian House, Species Survival Plan (SSP) on March 24, 2023 by Poll-Vaulter.

Image source: The Daily Beast

A Harvard physicist is racing to prove this meteorite is an alien probe

March 24, 2023

The world’s top alien hunter is about to embark on his most ambitious—and potentially, historical—mission yet, reports The Daily Beast.

Harvard physicist Avi Loeb is organizing a $1.5-million expedition to Papua New Guinea to search for fragments of a very strange meteorite that impacted just off the coast of the Pacific nation in 2014.

There is compelling evidence that the half-meter-wide meteorite, called CNEOS1 2014-01-08, traveled from outside our solar system. And that it’s made of extremely hard rock or metal—a material that’s hard and tough enough to prove the meteorite isn’t a meteorite at all. Maybe it’s an alien probe.

It’s a long-shot effort. After years of work, Loeb and his team have, with a big assist from the U.S. military, narrowed down CNEOS1 2014-01-08’s likely impact zone to a square kilometer of the ocean floor, nearly two kilometers underwater. But the fragments themselves are probably just a few millimeters in size. It’s worse than looking for a needle in a haystack. Loeb is basically preparing to look for big sand in a square-kilometer patch of small sand.

It’s worth the risk, Loeb told The Daily Beast. Any fragments the team recovers could turn out to be “technological”—that is, clearly manufactured and thus strong evidence of the existence of aliens. Or maybe they’re not artificial, but are made of some super-strong material that we’ve never observed until now. A rare metal forged in the hearts of neutron stars, for example.

In any event, “we will learn something new,” Loeb said.

The expedition is almost ready to depart for Papua New Guinea. “We have a boat,” Loeb wrote in on a post on Medium on January 27. “We have a dream team, including some of the most experienced and qualified professionals in ocean expeditions. We have complete design and manufacturing plans for the required sled, magnets, collection nets and mass spectrometer.

“And most importantly,” he wrote, “today we received the green light to go ahead,” referring to the approval of Papua New Guinea’s for the mission.

The plan, Loeb said, is to deploy a variety of custom sand-sifters—some with magnets, others like huge sieves—and methodically search the seafloor for two weeks. The main reason it’s taken eight years to organize the mission is that, first, Loeb and his team had to figure out where the meteorite’s fragments came down to Earth.

It was easier said than done, since no single instrument precisely captured CNEOS1 2014-01-08’s journey to the seafloor. But if anyone was motivated to try, it was Loeb. While these days more and more scientists are coming around to the idea that we’re probably not alone in the universe, Loeb was banging that drum even when it was unpopular.

When a very odd, shiny, football-field-size object streaked across then out of the solar system in 2017, Loeb was among the first scientists to say out loud what others may only have been thinking: This object, which scientists later named ’Oumuamua ( Hawaiian for “scout”), might be an alien probe.

And Loeb isn’t afraid to put his money—well, his donors’ money—where his mouth is. In addition to studying strange interstellar objects such as ’Oumuamua, Loeb through his Galileo Project is painstakingly building humanity’s first global network of small telescopes , which will scan the sky for alien craft, or at least the remains of alien craft.

To narrow down CNEOS1 2014-01-08’s impact zone, Loeb needed data from two sets of instruments. The first set was from U.S. military missile-warning satellites that, thanks to their sensitive infrared sensors, tend to also detect meteorites while scanning for missile-launches.

These satellites can not only provide at least a vague indication of where a meteorite is heading; they also capture images of the fireball that results from a meteorite’s fast, hot trip through Earth’s atmosphere. The timing and intensity of a fireball can tell us a lot about a meteorite’s composition. Basically, the longer it takes for the atmosphere to ignite a meteor, the tougher the meteor is.

After much wheedling, Loeb convinced the Pentagon to release the full fireball data for CNEOS1 2014-01-08. They indicated the 2014 meteorite might be the hardest meteorite on record.

The second set of data Loeb needed was much more precise telemetry for the meteorite’s path than the military could provide. So, he checked on nearby earthquake sensors. “We found that the blast wave from the meteor explosion generated a high-quality signal in a seismometer located at Manus Island,” which is part of Papua New Guinea, Loeb wrote at Medium.

Armed with the two data sets, Loeb and his team were able to narrow the likely impact zone from 100 square kilometers to just one square kilometer. “This reduction in the geographic uncertainty of the … fireball improves the search efficiency in the forthcoming ocean expedition to recover its fragments,” Loeb and company wrote in a study, not yet peer-reviewed, that appeared online on March 13.

After having arranged funding and manpower, narrowing the search zone, and getting the Papua New Guinean government’s approval, Loeb and his team are now putting the finishing touches on their special sand-sifting equipment for recovering magnetic meteoritic debris from the seafloor.

Once it’s all ready, hopefully this summer, Loeb and his team will set sail.

Expectations are running high. But Loeb said he’s bracing for disappointment. “There is a chance it will fail,” he said of his expedition. Even success could be something of a letdown, if the team recovers fragments, but those fragments turn out to be natural in origin rather than artificial.

It’s important to frame even that secondary discovery as a major advancement, Ravi Kopparapu, an astronomer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, told The Daily Beast. “This could give us more confidence on the nature of the interstellar meteor—and could point to whether this meteor is unique or a new class of meteorites.”

Maybe Loeb and his team will go to all that trouble to find the remains of CNEOS1 2014-01-08, only to confirm it isn’t an alien probe. But don’t expect a setback like that to cause Loeb to give up his search for evidence of extraterrestrials. He said he understands how convincing the proof needs to be, and how hard it might be to find it. “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence,” he said.

Research contact: @thedailybeast

This entry was posted in Lifestyle and tagged CNEOSI 2014-01-08\, Evidence meteorite traveled from outside our solar system, Expedition to Papua New Guina, Fragments of very strange meteorite, Galileo Project, Hardest meteorite on record, Harvard physicist Avi Loeb, Made of extremely hard rock or metal, Maybe it's an alien probe, Medium, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, Ravi Kopparapu, The Daily Beast, World's top alien hunter on March 23, 2023 by Poll-Vaulter.

Above, Joel the cockatiel is now back to his normal routine at home in Myrtle Beach. (Photo source: Christine Iturrino)

A pet cockatiel escaped. A Billy Joel song helped return him to his owner.

March 23, 2023

Christine Iturrino got home from the supermarket in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and was about to bring her groceries into her house when she suddenly and unexpectedly saw Joel, her pet cockatiel. He flew out of her open front door and landed on her shoulder as she stood outside.

She gasped.

“In a panic, I tried to grab him, which you’re not supposed to do with birds,” said Iturrino, 58. “That freaked him out and he flew away toward the ocean, screaming all the way. I was heartsick,” she told The Washington Post.

Iturrino had adopted Joel from a bird rescue group 18 months earlier and loved having him as her sidekick around the house. The two got along quite well and were happy in their routine of sharing breakfast and listening to ’80s pop music, she said.

Iturrino spun into action, quickly printing colorful LOST BIRD notices emblazoned with “Parrot alert” and REWARD REWARD REWARD. She tacked them up all over her beachside neighborhood that weekend, Feb. 25.

She took two days off from her job as a regional transit bus driver to dedicate her time to finding Joel. She posted photos of the bird on social media, handed out additional fliers and looked tirelessly around the neighborhood for him.

Joel was a rescue cockatiel, and she didn’t know how old he was, but she figured he had many more years to live as her bird companion. Cockatiels in captivity typically live up to 20 or 25 years.

Joel has the run of the house, she said, and usually only spends time in his cage at night.

“He loves music, especially [Billy Joel’s] ‘Uptown Girl,’ and whistling,” Iturrino posted on Facebook, explaining how she believes the rescue bird acquired the name Joel.

“Most important, please, please keep him safe,” Iturrino added in her post. “I had promised him that and I’ve let him down.”

She was kicking herself for not being more careful as she brought in her groceries.

“He’s very people friendly, so I had a lot of hope,” Iturrino said. “But I was still pretty upset, especially as more time passed. I began to worry I’d never see him again.”

Then on March 6, nine days after Joel flew away, Iturrino was driving a bus when she took a quick break at a stop and glanced at her phone.

She had a text from an employee at SkyWheel Myrtle Beach, a 200-foot ferris wheel with 42 enclosed gondolas. The SkyWheel is a popular tourist attraction on Myrtle Beach’s boardwalk and is located about two miles from Iturrino’s house.

The text said: “I work at the beach — I think we found your bird.”

The employee, Theresa Glazer, added a photo of Joel perched on her shoulder inside the SkyWheel ticket booth.

Iturrino could hardly believe it. “I started shouting out to the passengers, ‘They found my bird!’” she said.

Glazer said she’d keep Joel with her for the day, then bring him to Iturrino’s house that evening. When Iturrino came home from work, Glazer came over with Joel wrapped in a towel. It was an emotional reunion for Iturrino, and perhaps for Joel as well, but a bird’s emotions are harder to assess.

“He squawked at me, then flew over to my shoulder,” Iturrino said. “I kept telling him how much I’d missed him, and what a brave boy he was. It really was a series of miracles that brought him home.”

Glazer told Iturrino the story of how her cockatiel was found: Glazer’s co-worker, Gavin Scire, was about 100 feet up a ladder attached to the Ferris wheel for a morning safety check on March 6 when he heard some loud chirping and noticed Joel hopping around on the bars in the middle of the wheel.

“Everyone at SkyWheel calls [Gavin] their Spider-Man because of all the climbing he does,” Iturrino said. “When he held out his arm, Joel flew right to him.”

It was unclear how much time he’d been there.

“There’s no telling how long Joel was up on the SkyWheel, but he definitely wanted to come down,” she said, explaining that the cockatiel was likely frightened to fly down from such a high perch.

Because cockatiels can survive only 24 to 48 hours without food, Iturrino said Joel probably found some nuts, seeds and greens to eat during his flyaway adventure.

Scire and Glazer declined to be interviewed for this story. But Sean Bailey, marketing manager at SkyWheel Attractions, said Scire told him that the bird seemed happy to see him and walked up his arm to nestle inside the hood of his sweatshirt.

“Joel was clearly happy to see Gavin and wanted to be rescued,” Bailey said, noting that it took about five minutes for Scire to climb down the ladder with the bird inside his hoodie.

At some point, Iturrino said she hopes to get a harness for Joel and take him back to the SkyWheel to personally thank Scire and the others for rescuing him.

“I’ve joked that I should come by and pay for all of Joel’s free rides,” she said.

Bailey said no payment is necessary.

“We’ll give them both a ride,” he said. “And we’ll be sure to play ‘Uptown Girl’ for Joel, so he can rock out to it.”

Research contact: @washingtonpost

This entry was posted in Lifestyle and tagged Christine Iturrino of Myrtle Beach, espcially [Billy Joel's] 'Uptown girl', Facebook, Gavin Scire was about 100 feet up on ferris wheel when he saw and rescued Joel, He loves music, Joel was riding on SkyWheel but wanted to be rescued, Pet cockatiel Joel, Posted reward all over town, SkyWheel Myrtle Beach, The Washington Post on March 22, 2023 by Poll-Vaulter.

Above, a terrifying clown face. (Photo source: markspearsart on Instagram)

Fearsome, not funny: Why are we so scared of clowns?

Mrch 22, 2023

Are you scared of clowns? You are not alone. Coulrophobia, or the fear of clowns, is a widely acknowledged phenomenon. Studies have found that this fear is present among both adults and children in many different cultures. Yet it is not well understood due to a lack of focused research, reports The Conversation.

While numerous possible explanations of the phobia had been put forward in academic literature, no studies have specifically investigated its origins. To do so, The Conversation devised a psychometric questionnaire to assess the prevalence and severity of coulrophobia. The Fear of Clowns Questionnaire was completed by an international sample of 987 respondents, aged between 18 and 77.

More than half of the respondents (53.5%) said they were scared of clowns at least to some degree, with 5% saying they were “extremely afraid” of them. Interestingly, the percentage reporting an extreme fear of clowns is slightly higher than those reported for many other phobias, such as fear of animals (3.8%), blood/injection/injuries (3.0%), heights (2.8%), still water or weather events (2.3%), closed spaces (2.2%), and flying (1.3%).

What’s more, higher numbers of women are afraid of clowns than men. The reason for this difference is not clear, but it echoes research findings on other phobias, such as the fear of snakes and spiders. The researchers also discovered that coulrophobia decreases with age, which again matches up with research into other fears.

Origins of this fear

The researchers’ next step was to explore the origins of people’s fear of clowns. A follow-up questionnaire was given to the 53.5% who had reported at least some degree of clown fear. This new set of questions related to eight plausible explanations for the origins of this fear, as follows:

  • An eerie or unsettling feeling, caused by the clowns’ makeup, which makes them look not-quite-human. A similar response is sometimes seen with dolls or mannequins.
  • Clowns’ exaggerated facial features convey a direct sense of threat.
  • Clown makeup hides emotional signals and creates uncertainty.
  • The color of clown makeup reminds us of death, infection, or blood injury; and evokes disgust or avoidance.
  • Clowns’ unpredictable behavior makes us uncomfortable.
  • Fear of clowns has been learned from family members.
  • Negative portrayals of clowns in popular culture have affected our viewpoints.
  • A frightening experience with a clown.

Intriguingly, we found the final explanation, of having had a scary personal experience with a clown, had the lowest level of agreement. This indicates that life experience alone is not a sufficient explanation for why people are afraid of them.

By contrast, negative portrayals of clowns in popular culture represented a much stronger contributing factor towards coulrophobia. This is understandable, the  researchers say, since some of the most prominent clowns in books and films are designed to be scary— such as Pennywise, the creepy clown from Stephen King’s 1986 novel It. (This character most recently featured in two films, in 2017 and 2019.)

However, some people are afraid of Ronald McDonald, the fast food chain mascot— and he is not meant to scare you. This suggests there might be something more fundamental about the way clowns look that unsettles people.

In fact the strongest factor we identified was hidden emotional signals, suggesting that for many people, a fear of clowns stems from not being able to see their facial expressions due to their make-up. We cannot see their “true” faces and therefore cannot understand their emotional intent.

So, for example, we don’t know whether they have a frown or a furrowed brow, which would indicate anger. Not being able to detect what a clown is thinking or what they might do next makes some of us on edge when we are around them.

Research contact: @TheConversation

This entry was posted in Lifestyle and tagged 5% said they were 'extremely afraid' of clowns, 53.5% said they were afraid of clowns ot some degree, Coulrophobia or the fear of clowns, Exaggerated facial features, Higher numbers of women than men, International sample of 987 respondents between the ages of 18 and 77, Learned from family members, Makeup hides emotional signals and creates uncertainty, Pennywise, Scared of clowns' makeup, Similar to fear of dolls or mannequins, Stephen King's 'It', The Conversation, The Fear of Clowns Questionnaire on March 21, 2023 by Poll-Vaulter.

Above, the extremely rare Serpens Catus. (Photo source: Jeff Kamara/Twitter)

Not ‘fur real’? Amazon ‘snake cat’ photo goes viral and mystifies Internet

March 21, 2023

This unbelievable photo of an “Amazon snake cat” might be just that—unbelievable. A photo of the so-called “Serpens Catus”—a feline with black and neon-yellow stripes resembling a snake—went viral on Tuesday, March14, in social media posts, claiming it was the “rarest species of feline on Earth,” reports the New York Post.

“Serpens catus is the rarest species of feline on Earth. These Animals live in hard-to-reach regions of the Amazon rainforest and, therefore, they are relatively poorly studied,” a Twitter user claimed. “The first images capturing the snake cat appeared only in the [year] 2020. Weighs up the 4 stone [56 pounds].”

One now-deleted “Serpens Cattus” Reddit post caught the eye of several commenters who flagged the feline as not being fur real:

  • “Obvious fake No known gene can produce natural hair or fur of those (navy and bright yellow) colors,” one commenter said.
  • “Really rough attempt at a fake Latin name,” a second person chimed in. “One Google about species naming would have made this a lot less obvious.”

The Post has reached out to zoology experts to verify the authenticity of the photo.

However, the color and patterns in the photo bear a strong resemblance to the reptilian Boiga Dendrophila, which is commonly referred to as the “gold-ringed cat snake.”

According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, the snake is found in the same countries where the Amazon snake cat was rumored to be found. One viewer claimed that the species lives in Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

“He’s in the next ‘Fantastic Beasts,’ joked one user, referencing the Harry Potter spin-off franchise.

Research contact: @nypost

This entry was posted in Lifestyle and tagged 'Obvious fake.', Amazon snake cat, Boiga Dendrophila, Commonly referred to as the 'gold-ringed cat snake.', Fantastic Beasts, Harry Potter, Internet, New York Post, Serpens Catus, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Twitter on March 20, 2023 by Poll-Vaulter.

Above, a new study has found that most reusable water bottles hold 20.8 million CFUs, or colony-forming units, of bacteria. (Photo source: iStock )

Reusable water bottles contain 40K times more bacteria than toilet seats, if not washed daily

March 20, 2023

Making the sustainable decision to carry around and drink from reusable water bottles might not be the cleanest choice ever, reports Fox News.

Reusable water bottles hold 40,000 times more bacteria than toilet seats do , a recent study from WaterFilterGuru of Denver has revealed. After swabbing several different reusable water bottles (and different parts of the bottles), researchers found two types of bacteria present—gram-negative rods and bacillus.

Gram-negative rods are commonly associated with hospital-acquired infections and are increasingly becoming resistant to antibiotics, the study noted.

Bacillus can potentially be helpful as a probiotic—but it also can be food-spoiling and disease-causing, and can lead to gastrointestinal issues.

Reusable water bottles held an average of 20.8 million CFUs, or colony-forming units, which estimates the number of living microbes on a sample. Of all the water bottle types, those with spout-top and screw-top lids contained the most bacteria, with 30 million CFUs each, the study found.

Interestingly, researchers discovered the same number of CFUs after testing a tap water faucet as well.

The research team at WaterFilterGuru, the organization says, “focuses on the latest in water quality, pollution, and residential water treatment. The quality and safety of water varies widely by region, city, and even neighborhood.”

Bacteria is one of four pollutants that may be present in water coming out of taps, the study reported, even though U.S. tap water is considered among the safest in the world.

While comparing water bottles to sink taps, the group compared reusable bottles to other household items as well. This included toilet seats, which hold an average of 515 CFUs—that’s 40,000 times less bacteria than most water bottles were found to have. Specifically, squeeze-top water bottles had 6,000 times the bacteria of a toilet seat.

On average, reusable water bottles had 14 times the bacteria of a pet water bowl and five times that found on a computer mouse.

A spout-top water bottle had three times the bacteria of a kitchen sink—and kitchen sinks have been known to be the most germ-filled surface in many houses, the researchers noted.

After surveying 1,000 Americans, the researchers found that about 13% clean their water bottles only a few times per month, yet 88% “care deeply” about the quality of their drinking water. Members of Gen Z reportedly clean their water bottles the least, with 16% only cleaning their bottles a few times a month.

More than 60% of study respondents said they washed their bottles once or more per day.

Cleaning expert Brandon Pleshek, based in Wisconsin, told Fox News that one of the best ways to ensure that a water bottle is getting a good cleaning is by simply using Dawn dish soap and warm water. To thoroughly disinfect germ-ridden bottles, Pleshek suggested filling up the bottle with warm water and dropping in a denture tablet. After about ten minutes, the bottle can be rinsed out and is ready for use. It’s best to use this disinfecting method about once a week, he recommended.

Experts also suggest washing a reusable water bottle once a day and sanitizing it at least once a week, according to the study.

Sanitation should be increased if there is something other than water in the bottle, if it’s used while eating, or if the bottle user has been sick, the researchers noted.

Reusable water bottle users should check their bottles, if they’ve been feeling under the weather, noted the study; the culprit may be bacteria and mold build-up inside the bottle.

Says WaterFilterGuru.com, “Moist environments are breeding grounds for germs. That’s why washing a reusable water bottle you drink from every day should be part of your daily routine.”

Research contact: @FoxNews

This entry was posted in Lifestyle and tagged 14 times the bacteria of a pet water bowl, 30 million CFUs found in spout-top and screw-top bottles, 40K more bateria than toilet seats, Also drop in a denture tablet to disinfect and wait ten minutes to rinse, Bacillus can lead to gastrointestinal issues, Clean in warm soapy water once a day, Cleaning expert Brandon Pleshek, Colony-forming units of bacteria, Dawn dish soap and warm water, Fox News, Gram-negative rods are associated with hospital-acquired infections, Of 1K Americans about 13% clean water bottles a few times a month, Reusable water bottles, Squeeze-top water bottle had 6K times the bacteria of a toilet seat, Two types of bacteria are present: gram-negative rods and bacillus, WalterFilterGuru, Worst reusable water bottle are those with spout-top and screw-top lids on March 17, 2023 by Poll-Vaulter.

Above, TCE is commonly used in dry cleaning processes. (Photo source: iStockphoto)

Parkinson’s disease linked to common chemical banned in Europe—but allowed in 48 U.S. states

March 17, 2023

A chemical widely used to dry-clean clothes has been linked to the rise in Parkinson’s disease, the world’s fastest-growing brain condition, reports the New York Post.

The connection between Parkinson’s disease and trichloroethylene, or TCE, has been suspected for decades—but a new report delivers damning evidence against the product, which has dozens of military, industrial, commercial, medical and consumer uses.

“For more than a century, TCE has threatened workers, polluted the air we breathe —outside and inside—and contaminated the water we drink,” according to the report’s authors.

The report, published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, includes case studies of people affected by the disease such as former NBA star Brian Grant, who was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s at the age of 36—not unlike actor Michael J. Fox, who was diagnosed shortly before his 30th birthday.

As a child, Grant’s family was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where he and thousands of others drank and swam in the local water supply. Testing later revealed that the water at Camp Lejeune contained astoundingly high levels of TCE — 280 times above current safety standards.

Parkinson’s disease is a condition of the nervous system that can cause tremors, stiffness, or slowing of movement, according to the Mayo Clinic. The disease gets progressively worse over time and there’s no cure, although some medications can help ease the symptoms.

Banned in the European Union, TCE—which has been used in paints, carpet cleaners, pepper spray, degreasers, anesthesia, decaffeinated coffee, inks and dyes, computer electronics and soaps—also has been linked to heart disease, miscarriages, birth defects, and several types of cancer.

Only two US states—New York and Minnesota—have prohibited the use of TCE, which is still permitted for degreasing and spot dry cleaning in most of the United States.

Despite continued warnings about its risks, the use of TCE is increasing worldwide.

“Global use is waxing, not waning,” the report’s authors noted. “Most of this has been invisible, all of it is unacceptable, and none of it will stop until we act.”

The authors call for decisive action to curb the risks of TCE—from cleaning contaminated sites to monitoring TCE levels in groundwater, drinking water, soil, and outdoor and indoor air; and extending to a comprehensive ban.

Research contact: @nypost

This entry was posted in Lifestyle and tagged and computer electronics and soaps, ASlso used in paints and carpet cleaners and pepper spray and anesthesia and decaffeinated coffee, Banned in EU, But IS banned in New York State and Minnesota, Camp Lejeune in North Caroline, Can cause tremors and stiffness and slowing of movement, Chemical widely used to dry-clean clothes called TCE, Linked to rise in Parkinson's disease, Mayo Clinic, Michael J. Fox, NBA star Brian Grant, New York Post, Not banned in 48 U.S. states, Pollutes the air, Progressive disease, Trichloroethylene (TCE), World's fastest-growing brain condition on March 16, 2023 by Poll-Vaulter.

Above, the French Bulldog takes the number-one spot, curtailing the Labrador Retriever’s 31-year run. (Photo source: American Kennel Club)

Top dogs: The AKC’s most popular breeds of 2022

March 16, 2023

The numbers are in! As the world’s largest registry of purebred dogs, the American Kennel Club uses its registration statistics to rank the most popular breeds nationwide of the past year. And in 2022, one breed broke all of the records: For the first time in history, the French Bulldog ascended to AKC’s number-one spot. This ends the Labrador Retriever’s 31-year reign as the most popular dog breed in America.

 

Indeed, the AKC notes, the French Bulldog has moved into the number-one position after climbing the ranks in popularity over the last ten years. In 2012, the Frenchie was ranked at number 14. Since then, registrations have increased by over 1,000%, bringing this playful breed to the top. French Bulldogs held the number-two spot in 2021.

 

Breaking the Lab’s top-dog status of over three decades is no small feat. The Frenchie is a smart, compact breed, and they can fit into various different lifestyles, perfect for people all across the country. This petite dog was first recognized by the AKC in 1898; they are beloved by everyone from families to single owners for their charming and adaptable nature. They have surged in popularity in cities across the country since their small size and generally quiet demeanor make them good fits for apartments and smaller homes.

 

Top five dog breeds of 2022

Aside from this massive move, the top five list looks a bit familiar. The Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd Dog, and Poodle took ranks two through five, respectively.

 

Bulldogs placed at number six; while Rottweilers moved up one spot—from number eight to number seven—and the Dachshund bumped the German Shorthaired Pointer from number nine in 2021 to number ten in 2022. Beagles placed at number eight.

 

Other breeds that made major jumps from 2021 to 2022 are the American Hairless Terrier, the Gordon Setter, the Italian Greyhound, and the Anatolian Shepherd Dog.

 

What’s more, over the past ten years, breeds like the Cane Corso, Belgian Malinois, Giant Schnauzer, and English Cocker Spaniel have been making their way up the rankings in popularity, as well.

 

Newly recognized by the AKC in 2022, the Mudi and Russian Toy debuted at numbers 150 and 144, respectively—not bad for their first year! The Bracco Italiano became the 200th breed fully recognized by the AKC in July 2022; as a result, it will debut in the registration rankings for 2023.

 

Least popular dog breeds of 2022

At the bottom of the list (numbers 197 through 199) are the Sloughi, the Norwegian Lundehund, and the English Foxhound. Last year, the Norwegian Lundehund was at the bottom, but they have surpassed English Foxhounds in registration over the past year. English Foxhounds, like their American Foxhound cousins, were bred as agile, scent-driven hunting dogs.

 
Worldwide favorites

As for the most popular breeds in other countries worldwide, based on Google searches, the Pug rules in Guatamala; the Australian Shepard, in France; the Border Collie in Belgium, Iceland, Israel, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia, the Golden Retriever, in Luxembourg, India, and Canada; the Doberman, in Russia and Lithuania; the Labradoodle, in The Netherlands, the Great Dane, in the Bahamas; the Rhodesian Ridgeback, in Bostwana; the German Shephard, in Germany, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Latvia; and the Cockapoo, in the United Kingdom.

 

Research contact: @akcdoglovers 

This entry was posted in Lifestyle and tagged American Kennel Club, Beagles placed at eight, Bulldogs placed at six, compact breed, Dachsund came in at nine\, For first time, French Bulldog is number one in the Usa, Frenchie is a smart, German Shepherd and Poodle were ranked at three and four, German Shorthaired Pinter was ten, Golden Retriever came in at number two, Largest registry of purebred dogs, Rottweillers placed at seven, This ends the Labrador Retriever's 31-year reign on March 15, 2023 by Poll-Vaulter.

Above, facial recognition can be a super skill. (Photo source: Herta)

‘Super-recognizers’ never forget a face. Now, scientists have uncovered how they do it.

March 15, 2023

Making up just 2% of the population, “super-recognizers” may be the closest we ever get to people with real-life superpowers. They never forget a face, and all they need is a moment or two to commit a new person to their memories. Many are known to help police departments and security agencies to identify suspects, while others work as private detectives and unofficial investigators.

Now, fascinating new research out of Australia is finally revealing how super-recognizers accomplish such feats, reports Study Finds.

Until recently, researchers had largely believed that super-recognizers had such good recall of faces because they processed them holistically—taking a facial snapshot and memorizing it.

However, scientists from UNSW Sydney and the University of Wollongong, have now proven that super-recognizers look at faces the same way anyone else does—but they do so more rapidly and in a more accurate manner.

According to UNSW researcher and study lead author Dr. James Dunn, when a super-recognizer catches a glimpse of a new face, he or she divides it into parts and then store each component in his or her brain as composite images.

“They are still able to recognize faces better than others, even when they can only see smaller regions at a time. This suggests that they can piece together an overall impression from smaller chunks, rather than from a holistic impression taken in a single glance,” Dr. Dunn says in a statement.

Meanwhile, co-lead study author Dr. Sebastien Miellet, UOW researcher in the School of Psychology and an expert in active vision, used eye-tracking technology to investigate and analyze how super-recognizers scan and process faces, both as a whole and divided into parts.

“With much precision, we can see not only where people look but also which bits of visual information they use,” Dr. Miellet notes.

While studying the visual processing patterns of super-recognizers, researchers found that, contrary to typical recognizers, super-recognizers focus less on the eye region and distribute their gaze more evenly. This helps them gather more visual information from other facial features, especially when learning a new face.

“So the advantage of super-recognizers is their ability to pick up highly distinctive visual information and put all the pieces of a face together like a puzzle, quickly and accurately,” Dr. Miellet comments.

Moving forward, scientists at both UNSW and UOW will continue to study super-recognizers. Dr. Miellet posits that super-recognizers’ abilities may stem from a certain curiosity and behavioral interest in other people. Alternatively, super-recognizers may be more empathetic than most of us.

“In the next stages of our study, we’ll equip some super-recognizers and typical viewers with a portable eye tracker; and release them onto the streets to observe, not in the lab but in real life, how they interact with the world,” Dr. Miellet concludes.

The study has been published in the journal, Psychological Science.

 Research contact: @StudyFindsorg

This entry was posted in Lifestyle and tagged Dr. James Dunn, Dr. Sebastian Miellet, Focus less on the eye region and distribute gazze more evently, May be more empathetic than most people, Psychological Science, Study Finds, Super recognizers, Super recognizers divide faces into parts and then store the composite images, University of Wollongong, UNSW Sydney on March 14, 2023 by Poll-Vaulter.
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