(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday, April 12, 2025 [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-04-12
The crew of the Overnight News Digest consists of founder Magnifico, regular editors side pocket, maggiejean, Chitown Kev, jeremybloom, eeff, Magnifico, annetteboardman, doomandgloom, FarWestGirl, Besame, and jck. Alumni editors include (but not limited to) Rise above the swamp, Interceptor 7, Man Oh Man, wader, Neon Vincent, palantir, Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse (RIP), ek hornbeck (RIP), rfall, ScottyUrb, Doctor RJ, BentLiberal, Oke (RIP) and jlms qkw. OND is a regular community feature on Daily Kos since 2007, consisting of news stories from around the world, sometimes coupled with a daily theme, original research or commentary. Editors of OND impart their own presentation styles and content choices, typically publishing each day near 12:00 AM Eastern Time. Please feel free to share your articles and stories in the comments. ***
From Phys.org:
Certain food additive mixtures may be associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes
Widely used by the agri-food industry, food additives are mainly found in the ultra-processed products sold in our supermarkets. Until recently, safety evaluations of these additives have been conducted substance by substance due to a lack of data on the effect of them being ingested together. In a new study, researchers from Inserm, INRAE, Sorbonne Paris Nord University, Paris Cité University and Cnam, as part of the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (CRESS-EREN), examined the possible links between exposure to mixtures of commonly consumed food additives and the onset of type 2 diabetes. They analyzed the health data of over 100,000 adults participating in the French NutriNet-Santé cohort. Two out of the five mixtures tested were found to be associated with a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes, particularly one mixture containing different emulsifiers such as carrageenans, modified starches and other additives (found in stocks, milky desserts, fats and sauces, etc.), and another containing sweeteners, colorings and acidifiers (characteristic of artificially-sweetened drinks and sodas). ***
From Phys.org:
Peru's ancient irrigation systems turned deserts into farms because of the culture. Without it, the systems failed
Seeing the north coast of Peru for the first time, you would be hard-pressed to believe it's one of the driest deserts in the world. Parts of the region receive less than an inch of rain in an entire year. Yet, water and greenery are everywhere. This is the nation's agro-industrial heartland, and, thanks to irrigation canals, almost every inch of the floodplain is blanketed in lucrative export crops, such as sugarcane, asparagus and blueberries. However, the apparent success of this system masks an underlying fragility. Water shortages have plagued the region for centuries, and now modern climate change combined with agro-industrial practices have further intensified droughts. In response, the Peruvian government has invested billions of dollars in irrigation infrastructure in recent years designed to deliver more water from a resource more than 100 miles away: glaciers in the Andes. But the Andean glaciers are disappearing as global temperatures rise. Peru has lost over half its glacier surface area since 1962. At the same time, floods often connected to wet El Niño years are increasing in both frequency and intensity. These floods often destroy or obstruct critical irrigation infrastructure. ***
From SciTechDaily:
New Data Reveals Sea Levels Rose 125 Feet After Last Ice Age
New research reveals that post-ice age sea levels rose over a meter per century during key periods and totaled about 38 meters, informing current climate projections. New geological data has provided a clearer understanding of how quickly and how much global sea levels rose following the last ice age, around 11,700 years ago. This information is crucial for understanding the effects that global warming has had on melting ice caps and rising sea levels. The findings were published in the scientific journal Nature by researchers from Deltares, Utrecht University, TNO Netherlands Geological Service, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), University of Leeds, University of Sheffield, University of Amsterdam, LIAG, and BGR. ***
From SciTechDaily:
These Tiny Magnetic Bacteria Act Like a Single Body – And Could Explain the Origins of Complex Life
Tiny magnetic bacteria that live in tightly bound groups are showing scientists how life might have evolved complex, multicellular forms. These rare bacteria can’t survive alone – they depend on one another, with each cell playing a specialized role. Unlike other microbes, they divide as an entire group, and researchers now know that the individual cells aren’t genetically identical. This discovery reveals surprising complexity and offers a glimpse into the possible early steps life on Earth took toward becoming the diverse, multicellular ecosystems we see today. ***
From SciTechDaily:
Scientists Develop New Material That Could Make Concrete and Cement More Climate-Friendly
An innovative process converts CO2 into solid, durable materials that trap carbon. Using seawater, electricity, and carbon dioxide (CO2), scientists at Northwestern University have developed a new carbon-negative building material. As the climate continues to warm, researchers around the world are searching for ways to capture CO2 from the atmosphere and store it underground. While this method offers several climate benefits, it does not fully capitalize on the potential value of atmospheric CO2. Northwestern’s new approach tackles this issue by permanently locking away CO2 and converting it into useful materials that can be used to manufacture concrete, cement, plaster, and paint. The process also produces hydrogen gas, a clean fuel with a range of applications, including transportation. ***
From Sci.News:
Study: Seafaring Hunter-Gatherers Were Accessing Remote Islands Long Before Arrival of First FarmersStudy: Seafaring Hunter-Gatherers Were Accessing Remote Islands Long Before Arrival of First Farmers
The discovery of stone tools, hearths, and cooked food waste at the cave site of Latnija on the Mediterranean island of Malta shows that hunter-gatherers were crossing at least 100 km of open water to reach the island 8,500 years ago — a thousand years before the arrival of the first farmers. [...] At the site we recovered a diverse array of animals, including hundreds of remains of deer, birds, tortoises, and foxes,” said Dr. Mathew Stewart, a researcher at Griffith University. “Some of these wild animals were long thought to have gone extinct by this point in time,” added Professor Eleanor Scerri, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and the University of Malta. “They were hunting and cooking red deer alongside tortoises and birds, including some that were extremely large and extinct today.” In addition to this, the scientists found clear evidence for the exploitation of marine resources. ***
From Phys.org:
Transparent paper-based material can hold boiling water and degrade in deep ocean in under a year
A team of biomaterial engineers, environmental resource specialists and industrial design researchers affiliated with a host of institutions across Japan has developed a biodegradable material that is clear and can hold boiling water—and it degrades in less than a year after settling on the ocean floor. Their work is published in the journal Science Advances. Prior research has shown that millions of tons of plastics are piling up in the environment, including on the ocean floor. Because of this, scientists have been looking for better, biodegradable replacements. In this new effort, the research team has developed a paper-based, clear, biodegradable material that can stand up to liquids for several hours, even those that have been heated, allowing them to replace plastic cups, straws, and other everyday objects. ***
From SciTechDaily:
The Caspian Sea Is Drying Up: Endangered Seals, Vanishing Shorelines, and a Climate Crisis
As climate change drives down the water levels of the Caspian Sea, a staggering transformation is unfolding – ecosystems are vanishing, endangered species face extinction, and millions of people risk losing their livelihoods. From disappearing coastlines to crumbling industry and threatened biodiversity, the region’s future hangs in the balance unless urgent and coordinated action is taken across borders. Water levels in the Caspian Sea, the largest landlocked body of water in the world, are steadily falling as rising temperatures cause more evaporation than inflow. Even if global warming is kept below 2°C, scientists estimate the sea could drop by 5 to 10 meters. If temperatures rise further, the decline could reach up to 21 meters by the end of the century. ***
From SciTechDaily:
780,000-Year-Old Discovery Reveals That Early Humans Thrived on a Plant-Based Diet
A new archaeological study along the Jordan River, just south of northern Israel’s Hula Valley, sheds new light on the diets of early humans and challenges long-standing assumptions about prehistoric eating habits. The research shows that ancient hunter-gatherers relied heavily on plant foods, especially starchy varieties, as a key energy source. Contrary to the popular belief that early hominids primarily consumed animal protein, the findings reveal a varied plant-based diet that included acorns, cereals, legumes, and aquatic plants. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the multidisciplinary study centers on the discovery of 780,000-year-old starch grains found on basalt tools at a prehistoric settlement near Gesher Benot Ya’akov. This site, located on the ancient shores of Lake Hula, has yielded extensive archaeological evidence, including more than 20 layers of human occupation, fossilized animal bones, and preserved plant remains like seeds and fruits. ***
From The Guardian:
Documents reveal Trump’s plan to gut funding for Nasa and climate science
Critics say Nasa faces ‘extinction-level event’ with budget plan, with climate research funding also to be slashed. Donald Trump shows no signs of easing his assault on climate science as plans of more sweeping cuts to key US research centers surfaced on Friday. The administration is planning to slash budgets at both the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (Noaa) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), according to internal budget documents, taking aim specifically at programs used to study impacts from the climate crisis. Craig McLean, a longtime director of the office of oceanic and atmospheric research (OAR) who retired in 2022, told the Guardian that the cuts were draconian and would “compromise the safety, economic competitiveness, and security of the American people”. If the plan is approved by Congress, funding for OAR would be eviscerated – cut from $485m to $171m – dismantling an important part of the agency’s mission. ***
Sorry to end on such a depressing story, but it is the most important one. Gutting our space and science programs will leave us less informed and less safe.
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/4/12/2315216/-Overnight-News-Digest-Science-Saturday-April-12-2005?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web
Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/
