Wild Weather & Climate Change
As levels of CO2 in the atmosphere rise from man-made emissions, the likelihood of extreme weather is increasing. Over recent decades, scientists have seen a trend of increased storm activity along with higher temperatures.
Stock Images & Stock Video of Wild Weather
Drought, flooding, deadly hurricanes, and tornadoes are now more common around the world. Along with loss of life and property, animals are also struggling to survive.
Hurricanes, also called typhoons or cyclones, form near the equator, over warm ocean water. As the water evaporates, it creates clouds that rise, allowing cooler air to swirl in beneath them.
As the ascending air cools, it descends, creating moving air masses. The earth's rotation moves them, making the system spin faster. Eventually, the air speeds up and an area of calm air forms in the center, called the eye of the hurricane.
The system continues to move over warm water, picking up more evaporated water and growing stronger.
When a tropical storm reaches 74 mph or higher it becomes a hurricane. Speeds beyond 157 mph or higher make it a category 5 or Catastrophic Storm.
2017 was the costliest hurricane season on record with estimated damages at $282.16 billion. It was also amongst the most active, featuring several category 5 hurricanes.
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Wild Weather Images
Worldwide, heavy rains, tornadoes, floods and other forms of extreme weather continue to increase.
In the Atlantic, hurricane season is from June 1st to November 30th with peaks in August, September & October. If you live or are traveling in the area, stay alert to warnings from your local weather service and be prepared.
globalchange.gov
scientifiamerican.com
e360yale.edspaceplace.nasa.gov
bbcnews.com
Phytoplankton & CO2
One group of creatures produces 70% of the earth's oxygen and also consumes carbon dioxide at an astonishing rate. They are phytoplankton, mostly microscopic, single-celled organisms.
Phytoplankton come in many shapes and forms. The majority are single-celled plants, but some are bacteria, and others are protists. Common types of phytoplankton are cyanobacteria, green algae, diatoms, dinoflagellates, and coccolithophores.
Phytoplankton play an essential role in human life in that they produce 70% of the oxygen we breathe, much more than terrestrial plants.
They are part of the carbon cycle, as they consume atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 resides naturally in the atmosphere, but human beings, mostly through the burning of fossil fuels, have released ever greater amounts into the atmosphere.
Stock Images and Stock Video of Phytoplankton
Along with CO2, phytoplankton need sunlight and other nutrients to survive.
Aside from providing oxygen, phytoplankton are a significant part of the food chain which includes everything from other tiny zooplankton to shrimp, fish, and whales.
At certain times, phytoplankton grow at an explosive rate for days or weeks, creating what is called a 'bloom.' These blooms may last several weeks, even though individual phytoplankton live for only a few days. Despite being microscopic individuals, phytoplankton blooms can be hundreds of square miles and seen from outer space.
Pollution can trigger an algae bloom. Such as when raw sewage is dumped into the local waters, a common occurrence in New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary.
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It sets off the process of eutrophication. Bacteria and other runoff stimulates the overgrowth of algae, these eventually die, and the bacteria eating the dead algae or plankton use up the oxygen in the water. Thereby creating hypoxia, the suffocation of other species living in the water.
Sometimes phytoplankton overgrowth can produce biotoxins, killing marine life and people who eat this marine life. 'Red tide' is a type of toxic algal bloom.
By providing most of our oxygen and being a major food source, these tiny creatures are indeed a fascinating link in the chain of life
www.diatoms.org
earthobservatory.nasa.gov
oceanservice.noaa.gov
Exploding Videos
One of the more fun classes in high school was chemistry lab, especially on the days when you made things explode or catch fire...on purpose.
Relive those good old days with our videos of exploding chemistry experiments.
Stock Videos of Exploding Chemical Reactions
The Barking Dog experiment and the Rainbow Clock were very popular. But it's hard to beat the surprisingly loud explosion of a nitrogen triiodide explosion when it's touched lightly by a feather.
And no one expects a tiny piece of metal dropped into water to steam, hiss, dance about and eventually explode, but lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), and caesium (Cs) do exactly that.
Gifts for the Chemistry Geeks
Here's what happens in each reaction:
Let's check what happens if we would drop a pea-size piece of metal in water.
Lithium just sizzles on top of the water, but doesn't explode.
Sodium floats on top of the water, then ignites with a yellow-orange flame and also doesn't explode.
Potassium floats and skitters around violently, then ignites with a violet flame, and explodes.
Rubidium sinks, reacts very violently and then explodes.
Caesium explodes on impact with the water giving off a huge cloud of smoke.
Kinda makes you want to go back to school and study chemistry again.
The Free Will Debate
While the problem of free will is as old as ancient Greece, modern neuroscience is breaking new ground with the debate, while drawing into question our deepest notions of consciousness, morality and society.
In 1980, Benjamin Libet conducted a study in which he asked people to flex their wrists at random, while he read their brain activity. Libet recorded the time in which they thought of acting and compared it with his data. His results demonstrated that the subjects' brains made decisions milliseconds before they did. This led many scientists to believe that people’s decisions occur without free will – a position known as determinism.
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Skeptics of Libet's study argue that it only deals with decisions on an impulse level and that other more complex decisions, such as which career to pursue or who to marry, could still be up to free will. This view reflects the classic libertarian position that at least some of our actions are freely made.
The free will debate has many philosophical and moral implications. For one, if people don’t have free will, it follows they are not responsible for their actions - criminal or otherwise. Determinists would argue that although choice is an illusion, prisons and rehabilitation centers are still necessary to control and improve society. Their opponents would counter that responsibility is essential to our concept of justice and without it society would likely fail to function.
Whether you’re a determinist, a libertarian, or somewhere in-between (see compatibilism) the free will debate remains one of the most engaging and consequential topics of our time.
Dive into the debate with this gallery of brains and neurons.
Stock Gallery of the Brain and Nervous System
How Free is Your Will? Scientificamerican.com
Do We Have Free Will? Psychologytoday.com
Summertime: Rising Both Temperatures and Skin Cancer Concerns
Beach weather gives us the opportunity to get outdoors, enjoy the fresh air, and soak up some Vitamin D, but also brings concerns about excessive sun exposure. With stronger and more frequent sun comes a higher risk for skin to be damaged by UV rays, making the body more susceptible to skin cancer.
Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. The Skin Cancer Foundation states that more people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the U.S. than all other cancers combined. The cause is most often UV rays from the sun or tanning beds. Skin cancer is generally categorized into two groups, melanoma and nonmelanoma.
Melanoma cancer begins in melanocytes, which are cells that produce skin pigment (melanin) and reside deep within the epidermis (the outer layer of the skin). Melanoma is known to often be more serious than nonmelanoma cancer because it has the tendency to advance and spread rapidly. The number of new melanoma cases are also on the rise. That being said, the earlier the detection of melanoma, the higher the chances are of it being curable. Skin affected by melanoma can look similar to a normal mole, but there are a few qualities that differentiate these growths from benign (noncancerous) growths. If the growth shows an unusually dark color or multiple colors, has uneven and unclear borders, or is larger than other moles, it would be a good idea to see a doctor.
Nonmelanoma skin cancer is more common, and there are many different types of skin cancer that fall under this category. Basal cell and squamous cell cancers are diagnosed most frequently. Unlike melanoma, basal cell cancer rarely spreads to other sites in the body and is not commonly life-threatening. Other nonmelanoma cancers can be very deadly, so the spectrum of severity is large within this classification. Nonmelanoma cancers also house a large range of physical appearances from open sores, to reddish patches, to scaly growths.
A staple warning sign for all types of skin cancer is a growth or abnormality that is becoming bigger or changing over time. Make sure to get to know your skin and look out for any changes, especially in the months that have stronger sun.
There are many misconceptions about skin cancer prevention, so it’s important to keep up-to-date on trustworthy prevention guidelines from credible sites such as skincancer.org or cancer.gov. Tanning beds and sunburns do increase your risk of skin cancer, and you are still susceptible to skin cancer even if your skin doesn’t typically burn. Always using a sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher is essential, and make sure to apply 30 minutes before sun exposure. It’s also a good idea to cover up with clothing and seek shade when possible.
Although skin cancer is such a common disease, education on how to reduce the risk and ensure early detection can help us decrease the number of deaths from the disease as well as the billions of dollars that is being spent on skin cancer treatments annually.
Stock Images & Stock Video of Melanoma
cancer.gov
skincancer.org
Exercise for Life
Ever wonder how it is possible for that one person in your yoga class to do a perfect headstand? Or have you been curious about what your joints and muscles look like when you do a backstroke in the pool? The body is capable of some amazing agility during exercise, and the anatomical behavior in the midst of an active lifestyle is just one reason to look into the benefits of staying in shape.
Stock Images and Stock Videos of Sports Anatomy
Exercise is one of the best and simplest ways to improve your health and well-being. It helps you to maintain a healthy weight, and avoiding obesity can also mean reducing the risk of many common health conditions such as hypertension, heart attack, and diabetes.
Cardio is great for shedding pounds as well as boosting the health of your heart and lungs. When taking on some endurance training, your metabolism speeds up and more oxygen is able to be distributed throughout your body. This makes the heart stronger and able to distribute blood more efficiently. Blood flow thus increases, circulation benefits, and blood pressure lowers.
Lifting weights can strengthen your muscles making you more resilient to injury and disability, especially in old age. The stress that weightlifting puts on muscles creates little tears in the muscle tissue. If you use the right weightlifting methods, this is actually a healthy reaction as it forces cells to move in and help repair and re-build the tissue. These extra cells help the muscle fibers grow in number (a process called hypertrophy) therefore making the muscle bigger and stronger.
Exercise also fine-tunes mental fitness in addition to physical fitness. Multiple studies indicate that regular exercise can decrease stress, anxiety and even depression. It allows for a more regular sleep-wake cycle, and releases hormones (such as endorphins) that effect your mood in a positive way.
Put simply, the benefits of exercise are undeniable. Whether you’re a routine couch-crasher or a veteran gym-goer, get out and stay active. It’s never too late to start.
Anatomical Coffee Mugs, Notepads, and Other Custom Gifts
medlineplus.gov
mayoclinic.org
adaa.org
Good Ole' Summer Time Fun
Many things have changed over the past decades, but we still look forward to the joys of summer and long, warm days of fun and relaxation.
By the seaside, we still swim, build sandcastles, collect seashells, run in the sand, and sunbathe. In the woods, we enjoy a relaxing canoe paddle, a family picnic, watching butterflies, or a hike while soaking in the beauty of nature. Closer to home we do backyard cookouts, golf, ride a bike, swing on a swing, eat watermelon, play baseball or just fly a kite.
Retro Stock Images of People Enjoying Summer
With longer days and warm sunshine, we don't even mind outdoor chores such as mowing the lawn.
Being outdoors longer has added health benefits. More and more studies show that spending time outside gives us an emotional boost. Summer improves our capacity for happiness and well-being.
David Scharf Scanning Electron Microscopy
In 1965, the Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company made available the first commercial scanning electron microscope (SEM). Less than a decade later, David Scharf combined his SEM skills with his love of photography to develop new groundbreaking methods to capture images that few have ever seen before.
One of his major contributions was to advance a technique of photographing living plants and animals at a time when the standard practice was to kill them beforehand. Years later, Scharf would develop his own patented method of colorizing these images using his SEM Multi-Detector Synthesizer.
David Scharf Stock SEM Images
Scharf is known throughout the photographic world for his unique micrographs of living creatures, plants and microtechnology.
Through his creative genius, we can observe spectacles of the microscopic world such as a closeup of a tick's mouth, monstrous marine worms, the multiple eyes of a spider or the common dust mite in your home.
Under his microscope, allergy-causing pollen takes on an eerie beauty. See the mystery of geranium flower pistils and the bumpy surface of a marijuana plant.
Scharf's microscopy also reveals the intimate details of the human body. Look at embryonic stem cells, dendritic cells, white and red blood cells and multiple varieties of bacteria in vivid detail.
David Scharf Website
On the pop culture side, one of Scharf's micrographs was the first SEM to appear in a major motion picture, Blade Runner. In 2001, Scharf was awarded an Emmy for his leading-edge technique of generating HDTV footage using scanning electron microscopy for a National Geographic documentary.
David Scharf in "MIcroscopy and Analysis"
David Scharf in "Microscopy Today"
The Great Barrier Reef In Peril
Half of the Great Barrier Reef has died since 2016 and scientists say it's a direct result of climate change.
Coral lives in a symbiotic relationship with algae. Algae converts energy from the sun into food that feeds and nourishes the coral. When water temperatures rise the algae vacates, causing the coral to 'bleach' and eventually die. The results can be devastating. The bleaching spreads across miles of reef, transforming once spectacular ecosystems into barren wastelands.
See Stock Images of the Coral Reef
"People often ask me, will we have a Great Barrier Reef in 50 years or 100 years?" says Terry Hughes, the director of the ARC Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. "And my answer is, yes, I certainly hope so – but it's completely contingent on the near-future trajectory of greenhouse-gas emissions."
The Paris climate agreement of 2015 set a goal to prevent the globe from warming by two degrees Celsius. Since the Industrial Revolution the global average temperature has risen one degree, causing most of the world's reefs to bleach three to four times since the 1990s.
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The world is currently not on track to reach the Paris agreement's goals, and the United States' recent withdrawal from the agreement marks an enormous setback.
If we're unable to stop rising sea temperatures, many of our coral reefs will be destroyed for centuries to come.
Hope lies ahead with organizations such as the Coral Reef Alliance devoted to the health and preservation of reefs. Find out how you can help below.
Help Save The Great Barrier Reef Today
AI – The Mind of the Future
AI, technological leap or existential threat?
From robotic telephone calls to self-driving cars, everywhere you look Artificial Intelligence is entering into our lives.
While it might unnerve some, much of this technology falls under the category of weak or narrow AI, meaning it's designed to learn and perform a single task. Specialists are more concerned with strong AI that can adapt to different situations, acquiring new skills and knowledge.
Last October, Google released a unit called Alpha Go Zero, which was able to learn the Chinese video game Go without human aid or programming. It did this simply by playing the game multiple times against itself.
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The full potential of strong AI is still unknown, making it a cause for concern for many. In a recent interview, the preeminent scientist and entrepreneur Elon Musk said:
“We have to figure out some way to ensure that the advent of digital super intelligence is one which is symbiotic with humanity…mark my words: AI is far more dangerous than nukes.”
Other scientists are less pessimistic, seeing AI as a step forward for technology and the world.
What do you think? Inspire your vision of the future with the image gallery below.
msnbc.com
nature.com
Mimicry in Nature
Is it a twig or an insect? A harmless moth or a scary owl? Animals have amazing tricks up their sleeves to protect themselves, take advantage of looking like another creature, or look like their environment.
Mimicry and camouflage are two separate survival tactics.
An example of mimicry is an animal appearing to be a different animal, usually a larger and stronger one, to scare off predators. The pattern on the wings of an Owl Moth (photo above) resembles the eyes and face of an owl.
Stock Images of Mimicry in Nature
The King Snake, which is non-poisonous, has a scale pattern like that of the Coral Snake, a type of venomous snake. It tricks predators into thinking they have encountered its very dangerous relative.
Camouflage, where an animal resembles its surroundings to hide from predators, is a much-studied type of mimicry.
The Dead Leaf Katydid is a beautiful example. It looks just like the dead leaves it lives on. Other animals look like rocks, thorns, twigs, flowers, and even bird droppings.
Animal mimicry is found through the animal and even the plant world. One of the most amazing examples is the octopus, which can change not only its color but also its skin texture within seconds to hide in a variety of underwater environments.
Additionally, the mimicking species may smell, sound or act like the creature or object it is copying.
Greeting Cards, Mugs, Masks, and Other Mimicry Custom Gifts
allyouneedisbiology.wordpress.com
bbc.co.uk
wikipedia.com
Alzheimer's Disease, a Tragic Future for Our Aging Population
An estimated 82 million people will have dementia by 2030, according to the World Health Organization. By 2050, the number of people with dementia in the U.S. will be double what it is today, and 80% of these individuals will have Alzheimer's Disease.
Alzheimer's is a noncurable condition that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. A person can have the beginnings of Alzheimer's for years without any visible symptoms. It progressively worsens over time and never improves.
Most people develop Alzheimer's after age 65, although some people may get Early-Onset Alzheimer's decades earlier.
Stock Images & Stock Video About Alzheimer's Disease
The greatest factors in getting Alzheimer's is aging and having Alzheimer's in your family. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes also increase the odds. Head injuries and not sleeping regularly contribute to a lesser degree as well.
At first, symptoms may not be very noticeable. Misplaced keys, a lost book, a missed appointment. After all, everyone forgets things on occasion. However, with those suffering from Alzheimer's Disease, memory loss and confusion become more frequent, eventually interfering with daily living. They will also exhibit bouts of unexplained anger, depression and mood swings. Usually, close family and friends are the first to notice that something is not right.
In the long run, a patient suffering from Alzheimer's will need care 24 hours a day. They will not recognize family, will forget basic vocabulary, and not know how to feed themselves or accomplish even the most basic day-to-day tasks without assistance.
The brain of an Alzheimer's patient deteriorates due to the development of a type of plaque in brain cells called beta-amyloid, as well as tangles in nerve cells called tau.
Treatment is limited, as there are only 5 drugs available that slow the progression of memory loss but do not stop it. Sleep drugs, anti-depressants and other mood enhancing drugs are usually prescribed to deal with common symptoms.
We have no way to cure Alzheimer's, nor to restore parts of the brain that have been lost.
Luckily, there are many new drugs in development. Researchers are working on drugs to slow the deterioration of brain cells. Some hope to develop drugs that may one day even prevent Alzheimer's altogether.
If pharmaceutical companies are successful, there may be a much brighter future for the elderly and the world may never reach the 82 million patients currently expected to develop this terrible disease.
alz,org
webmd.com
Lower Back Pain? You're in Good Company
If you have lower back pain, you are in good company. According to researchers, more than 80% of all Americans will suffer from lower back pain at some point in their life. One of the reasons it is so widespread is that this pain can be caused by many conditions, some not even related to your back.
The back is a complex framework of joints, bones, muscles, and ligaments that must coordinate to do their work. The lower back supports your upper body and provides sensation and power for the movement of hips, legs, and feet. Your back also houses and protects your spinal cord.
Stock Images & Video About Lower Back Pain
This complexity makes your back susceptible to injury and disease if not properly cared for. Muscles can be pulled, sprained, become inflamed or even torn. Bones can fracture or break. The nerves protected inside your spine may swell or get pinched. Numerous medical conditions may also contribute, such as arthritis, lumbar spinal stenosis, sciatica, osteoporosis, scoliosis or herniated discs.
Your lower back may be perfectly healthy, but you may give yourself lower back pain through your actions. Take a fall, slouch, lift a heavy object, or carry too much weight and your back may be in pain.
Most frustrating is that lower back pain may be caused by something other than your back, called referred pain. Tumors, kidney infections, endometriosis, and fibromyalgia are likely medical culprits.
But do not fear; there are several things you can do to prevent or minimize the odds of suffering from lower back pain. Exercise and maintaining a healthy weight are at the top of the list. Don't smoke because it restricts blood flow to your spine. Practice proper posture when sitting, standing, and lifting.
If you do get lower back pain, it often clears up after a few days or weeks. To be on the safe side, always check with your doctor.
Lower Back Pain, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment, spine-health.com
Tips for Pain Relief, webmd.com
Chronic Low Back Pain on the Rise, med.unc.edu
Feathered Dinosaurs
Could the giants of the Jurassic have sported feathered frills and colored plumage? Modern paleontology investigates this wild theory.
The evolutionary connection between birds and dinosaurs has been a fierce debate among scientists for generations. Thomas Huxley first suggested the species shared a common ancestry in 1856 when he compared the fossils of Compsognathus and the first bird, Archaeopteryx lithographica. In 1876, he created a feathered model of Compsognathus and presented it at a lecture in New York City. But the preeminent dinosaur expert, Richards Owen, rejected the theory, and it laid dormant for decades.
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It was not until 1969 that John Ostrom revived the subject. His work drew new parallels between birds and dinosaurs, such as similarities in their necks, pelvises and wrists. Quill knobs (feather access points) under the forearms of some dinosaurs as well integumentary structures in the dorsal spines of reptiles and fish gave further support to the theory.
In 2016, the Museum of Natural History in New York showcased a new exhibit called Dinosaurs Among Us, which featured feathered dinosaurs beside their winged counterparts – birds.
As this new vision of dinosaurs emerges, artists and illustrators are quick to capture it in striking imagery. Explore more in the links below.
Dinosaur mugs, masks, phone cases and wall art
news.nationalgeographic.com
audubon.org
Biometrics: Never Need a Password Again
Imagine never having to remember a password or enter a PIN number again. Your phone, computer, bank account and even your own front door will all be able to recognize you through the use of biometrics. Your fingerprints, ears, voice, face, iris, retina, gait and even your distinct odor can already be used to identify you.
As convenient as it sounds - since you will always have your body with you - some are concerned about the potential for invasion of privacy and also the possibility of security breaches.
Stock Images About Biometrics
If a hacker steals your password, you can create a new one. But, if the computer storing your biometric data is hacked you cannot get a new ear, iris or voice. And since biometric security opens many doors, literally and figuratively, hackers may be able to gain much more than with a single password.
Privacy advocates warn this may be the beginning of Big Brother watching you, and not just online. Facial recognition software can pick an individual out of a football stadium full of people. Security cameras are already prevalent in public places, making it possible for you to be followed by the police, the government, companies and hackers. This can happen as you walk down the street, shop, bike, or do anything where security cameras are located.
You may say, "I'm not going to hand over my biometric data to anyone." Well, the truth is you may already have done so.
Touch ID on cell phones and voice-controlled assistants such as Alexa or Echo collect your fingerprints and your voice print. Social media sites such as Facebook already use facial recognition software to label photos of you and your friends. Even your iris can now be scanned from up to 30 feet away without you being aware.
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In short, it looks like biometrics is here to stay as a method of identification and for use in security. One can only hope that those with the data do the best they can to keep your personal face, ear, eye, and other biometric information safe from hackers.
theatlantic.com
engadget.com
wired.com
scientificamerican.com