The US is currently facing a serious heatwave, but one state is unique in receiving a warning for widespread droughts across the whole state. Every county in the state of Virginia either has a drought-watch warning or must prepare for conditions of low precipitation. This is likely to cause rare and serious issues for local agriculture and water supply. States Across US Facing Drought Raimond Klavins Unsplash Virginia is not the only state facing drought conditions right now, with states across the country on alert. In fact, 10% of the 48 mainland states have a form of drought or low-precipitation…
Author: Benjamin Carter
After years of drought, the state of Minnesota has recently been facing excess rainfall leading to flooding. Several suggestions have been offered up for the extreme weather, from climate change to typical multi-year weather patterns. Recent Floods Have Been Severe Kelly Sikkema Unsplash The floods over the past few days have been both widespread and severe. The floods are now affecting almost half of Minnesota. Homes have been damaged and the Rapidan Dam, near Mankato, has been partially damaged. State Leadership Taking Action United States Congress Wikimedia Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz, held a press conference on Wednesday to let citizens…
Early on Tuesday, China’s Chang’e probe touched down in the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia, carrying what could be vital evidence supporting the prevailing theory of the moon’s formation. As we await assessment of the evidence from China and NASA, let’s take a look at some interesting theories on the origins of that mysterious glowing orb in the sky. Moon Came From a Super-Collision of the Earth and Another Planet-Sized Object Nox Box Pixabay The current prevailing theory is a wild enough tale in itself, positing that the moon was formed through a massive collision. The massive collision broke off…
The winner of this year’s World’s Ugliest Dog in Petaluma, California is a Pekinese breed called Wild Thang. The dog, which had been a runner-up in 3 previous editions, took home the prize check for its appearance, judged to be the most unpleasant at the show. Winning Dog is Pekinese Vianney Cahen Unsplash Pekinese dogs are a Chinese breed with a distinctive gait and a small, robust-looking body. They often suffer from health problems, but all dogs at the show are required to be checked by a vet before they can be entered into any World’s Ugliest Dog competitions. Distinctive…
Celebrity competitive eater Joey Chestnut has been booted out of America’s top hot dog eating contest. He had accepted a sponsorship from Impossible Foods, which produces vegan hot dogs. Impossible Foods produce plant-based alternatives for meat products. Which Contest Was He Banned From? Sebastien Cordat/Unsplash Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest is the top hot dog eating competition in the US. It’s a televised contest that attracts around 40000 visitors each year. It requires contestants to eat as many hot dogs as possible within 10 minutes. What is Competitive Eating? Fitnish Media/Unsplash Hot dog eating is a form of…
The Pope has been invited to speak at the G7 world leaders conference in Italy and is expected to talk about Artificial Intelligence to gathered state officials. But what relevance does the role of the Pope have to AI, and why are world leaders (and tech giants) looking to the religious figurehead for answers on technology? The Pope Is Intimately Aware of the Potential of AI Fakes Coronel/Unsplash The Pope himself was the subject of AI mischief last year when a fake image was widely shared. The image of the Pope in a white puffer jacket went viral, and many…
Chiquita, the US’s leading banana distributor, was fined $38 million for the funding of the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC), a designated terrorist group operating in Colombia. The firm had to pay out compensation to the families of 8 victims of the AUC, who Chiquita had funded to the tune of $1.7 million over the course of 7 years. Victory for Human Rights Advocates Colin Lloyd/Unsplash This is a major victory for international human rights advocates as it’s the first time a US corporation has been held legally accountable for human rights violations abroad. A spokesperson for Earthrights, a…
For various reasons stretching back centuries, humans have added substances to food. Additives such as vinegar, sugar and salt have allowed for longer-lasting and better looking and tasting foods. However, in the past few decades there has been a rise in ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which are industrially-produced edible substances that regularly contain both natural and artificial additives. Some of these additives can lead to dangerous side effects and, while often banned elsewhere, can still be found on our shelves. Artificial Sweeteners May Make You Eat More Alexander Grey/Unsplash Artificial sweeteners use chemicals to simulate the familiar sweet flavour we get…
Alex Lundberg, a fossil hunter in Florida, has found an extremely well-preserved Mastodon tusk while diving off the Florida coast. The experienced diver found the huge fossil back in April at Manasota Key, in southern Florida. The Mastodon is an ancient, excinct relative of modern-day elephants. A Significant Find Pawan Sharma/Unsplash The fossil is rare not just for the animal it belonged to, but for the condition it remains in. The tusk is notable for being largely intact despite its age. As Lundberg puts it, “Finding small pieces and chunks of tusk is common, but finding one this large and…