The purpose of this blog is the creation of an open, international, independent and free forum, where every UFO-researcher can publish the results of his/her research. The languagues, used for this blog, are Dutch, English and French.You can find the articles of a collegue by selecting his category. Each author stays resposable for the continue of his articles. As blogmaster I have the right to refuse an addition or an article, when it attacks other collegues or UFO-groupes.
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Deze blog is opgedragen aan mijn overleden echtgenote Lucienne.
In 2012 verloor ze haar moedige strijd tegen kanker!
In 2011 startte ik deze blog, omdat ik niet mocht stoppen met mijn UFO-onderzoek.
BEDANKT!!!
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UFO'S of UAP'S, ASTRONOMIE, RUIMTEVAART, ARCHEOLOGIE, OUDHEIDKUNDE, SF-SNUFJES EN ANDERE ESOTERISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN - DE ALLERLAATSTE NIEUWTJES
UFO's of UAP'S in België en de rest van de wereld Ontdek de Fascinerende Wereld van UFO's en UAP's: Jouw Bron voor Onthullende Informatie!
Ben jij ook gefascineerd door het onbekende? Wil je meer weten over UFO's en UAP's, niet alleen in België, maar over de hele wereld? Dan ben je op de juiste plek!
België: Het Kloppend Hart van UFO-onderzoek
In België is BUFON (Belgisch UFO-Netwerk) dé autoriteit op het gebied van UFO-onderzoek. Voor betrouwbare en objectieve informatie over deze intrigerende fenomenen, bezoek je zeker onze Facebook-pagina en deze blog. Maar dat is nog niet alles! Ontdek ook het Belgisch UFO-meldpunt en Caelestia, twee organisaties die diepgaand onderzoek verrichten, al zijn ze soms kritisch of sceptisch.
Nederland: Een Schat aan Informatie
Voor onze Nederlandse buren is er de schitterende website www.ufowijzer.nl, beheerd door Paul Harmans. Deze site biedt een schat aan informatie en artikelen die je niet wilt missen!
Internationaal: MUFON - De Wereldwijde Autoriteit
Neem ook een kijkje bij MUFON (Mutual UFO Network Inc.), een gerenommeerde Amerikaanse UFO-vereniging met afdelingen in de VS en wereldwijd. MUFON is toegewijd aan de wetenschappelijke en analytische studie van het UFO-fenomeen, en hun maandelijkse tijdschrift, The MUFON UFO-Journal, is een must-read voor elke UFO-enthousiasteling. Bezoek hun website op www.mufon.com voor meer informatie.
Samenwerking en Toekomstvisie
Sinds 1 februari 2020 is Pieter niet alleen ex-president van BUFON, maar ook de voormalige nationale directeur van MUFON in Vlaanderen en Nederland. Dit creëert een sterke samenwerking met de Franse MUFON Reseau MUFON/EUROP, wat ons in staat stelt om nog meer waardevolle inzichten te delen.
Let op: Nepprofielen en Nieuwe Groeperingen
Pas op voor een nieuwe groepering die zich ook BUFON noemt, maar geen enkele connectie heeft met onze gevestigde organisatie. Hoewel zij de naam geregistreerd hebben, kunnen ze het rijke verleden en de expertise van onze groep niet evenaren. We wensen hen veel succes, maar we blijven de autoriteit in UFO-onderzoek!
Blijf Op De Hoogte!
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23-06-2025
Deze gevaren kunnen uit de smeltende Arctische permafrost herrijzen
Deze gevaren kunnen uit de smeltende Arctische permafrost herrijzen
Er gebeuren merkwaardige dingen in het poolgebied Er gebeuren in het hele poolgebied allerlei merkwaardige dingen waar je over moet weten, omdat ze misschien ook gevolgen hebben die jou kunnen treffen.
Bruisende meren en zombiebranden Daarbij moet je denken aan enorme meren die bruisen van het methaan, ijsgronden die bezwijken onder het gewicht van steeds warmere temperaturen, en zogenaamde 'zombiebranden' die maandenlang ondergronds smeulen.
De temperaturen stijgen snel Hogere temperaturen in het poolgebied zijn niet zo'n verrassing voor wetenschappers. Dit deel van de wereld is vier keer zo snel warmer geworden dan het wereldgemiddelde, waardoor de bovenste laag van de Arctische permafrost verzwakt.
Smeltende permafrost is een groot probleem Het smelten van de Arctische permafrost is een van de meest overziene aspecten van de huidige klimaatveranderingscrisis. En dan vooral op plaatsen als Alaska, Canada en Siberië, waar permafrostlagen lange tijd als een grote vriezer hebben gefungeerd, en grond en potentieel dodelijke organismen insloten.
Een duidelijke bedreiging De voornaamste bedreiging wordt gevormd door het vrijkomen van steeds grotere hoeveelheden koolstofdioxide en methaangas in de atmosfeer.
Het vieze neefje van de ijskappen Merritt Turetsky, directeur van het instituut dat onderzoek doet naar de pool- en berggebieden van de Universiteit van Colorado te Boulder, zegt over permafrost: "Permafrost is als het vieze neefje van de ijskappen. Het ligt onder de grond begraven".
Het is verborgen maar toch daar "Je ziet het niet. Het is bedekt door vegetatie en grond. Maar het ligt onder de grond. We weten dat het er is. En het heeft een even belangrijke invloed op het wereldklimaat".
Er kan 1700 miljard ton vrijkomen De noordelijkste uithoeken van de planeet herbergen ongeveer 1700 miljard metrische ton aan CO₂, wat volgens de National Aeronautics and Space Administration neerkomt op ruwweg 51 keer de hoeveelheid die de wereld in een jaar als 2019 heeft uitgestoten.
Een enorme hoeveelheid "We hebben het simpelweg over een enorme hoeveelheid koolstof", zegt Brenda Rogers, geassocieerd wetenschapper aan het Woodwell Climate Research Center in Massachusetts.
Het zal niet allemaal ontdooien.... "We verwachten niet dat alles zal ontdooien ... omdat een deel ervan erg diep ligt en dat honderden of duizenden jaren zou duren", zegt Rogers, "Maar zelfs wanneer een fractie daarvan in de atmosfeer terechtkomt, kan dat al gevolgen hebben".
Er gebeuren merkwaardige dingen Op dit moment begint al deze eerder gevangen kooldioxide zich een weg te banen naar het aardoppervlak, waardoor ook enkele voorheen onbekende geologische verschijnselen optreden.
Methaankraters De afgelopen tien jaar zijn er plotseling ongeveer 20 perfect kalendrische kraters opgedoken in de afgelegen noordelijke gebieden van Siberië.
Explosies van methaangas Deze kraters, met een diameter van tientallen meters, zijn volgens wetenschappers het resultaat van explosies van opgebouwd methaangas onder het aardoppervlak.
Branden in Siberië Een van de meest fascinerende gevolgen van de snelle ontdooiing van de permafrost zijn de hevige bosbranden die hierdoor in Siberië ontstaan. Daarnaast smeulen de ondergrondse branden soms nog maanden na nadat de bovengrondse branden zijn geblust.
Zombiebranden De wetenschappers die ze bestuderen hebben ze de bijnaam 'zombiebranden' gegeven, en deze branden leveren een steeds grotere bijdrage aan de wereldwijde klimaatcrisis.
Zombiebranden verbranden de permafrost "De branden zelf zullen een deel van de actieve laag [van de permafrost] verbranden, en daarbij zullen broeikasgassen zoals kooldioxide vrijkomen", verklaart Rogers.
Permafrost beschermt ons tegen emissies en erger "Maar die verbrande grond werkte ook isolerend en hield de permafrost in de zomer koel. Als die eenmaal weg is, ontstaan er al snel diepere actieve lagen, en dat kan in de daaropvolgende decennia tot nog meer emissies leiden", vervolgde Rogers.
Smeltende permafrost vormt een wereldwijd gezondheidsrisico De snelle dooi zal niet alleen meer koolstof in de atmosfeer brengen, maar ook een ernstig risico vormen voor de wereldgezondheid.
Jarenlang verborgen ziekten kunnen de kop opsteken Lang slapende microben die duizenden jaren onder de bevroren permafrost hebben vastgezeten, worden door de opwarming van de polen wakker en leggen oude ziekten bloot.
Het oude miltvuur heeft al slachtoffers gemaakt In 2016 vond een uitbraak van miltvuur (antrax) plaats in Siberië die samenhing met de ontdooiende permafrost in het gebied, waardoor 72 mensen ziek werden en een 12-jarige jongen stierf.
Het grondwater kan worden getroffen De bacteriën van ontdooiende menselijke en dierlijke resten van duizenden jaren geleden kunnen ook in het grondwater en daarmee in het drinkwater terechtkomen.
We zullen waarschijnlijk steeds meer oude ziekten zien Volgens Jean Michel Claverie, een genomisch onderzoeker gespecialiseerd in oude virussen en bacteriën, komen we waarschijnlijk met nog meer oude ziekten in aanraking als de permafrost ontdooit.
Verkouden worden door een oeroude Neanderthaler "We kunnen daadwerkelijk een ziekte oplopen via de resten van een Neanderthaler", zegt Claverie, "Dat is toch verbazingwekkend?"
Oude ziekten kunnen de kop opsteken in een nieuw tijdperk Ook ziet Claverie geen reden waarom sommige lang verdwenen menselijke infecties niet uit het ijs zouden opduiken en vandaag of in de toekomst kunnen floreren, wanneer de mens zijn immuunafweer ertegen heeft verloren.
We komen steeds vaker in contact met oude ziekten Naarmate de temperaturen opwarmen en de noordelijke bodems toegankelijker worden, zullen regeringen en bedrijven naar alle waarschijnlijkheid de nieuw beschikbare grondstoffen van het poolgebied aanboren – waardoor de mens vrijwel zeker in contact zal komen met zeer oude insecten en ziekten.
De smeltende permafrost laat gemeenten wegzakken Bijzonder zorgwekkend is ook hoe het ontdooien van de permafrost ons huidige landschap zal veranderen. Gemeenten in Alaska ondervinden nu al de gevolgen van een warmer klimaat.
De moerassen nemen de plaats in van Nunapitchuk De afgelegen gemeente Nunapitchuk in Alaska zakt al sinds 1969 weg in de grond en wordt nu opgeslokt door drassige moerassen.
De moerassen zijn overal! "De moerassen verschijnen ook tussen de woningen, ze zijn overal in onze gemeente", vertelde oud-inwoner Morris J. Alexie, "Er zijn op dit moment nog zeven huizen die bewoond worden, maar die staan erg scheef en zakken weg in de grond".
Het land wordt een onleefbaar moeras "Overal verschijnt moeras... Het zijn net kleine stukken toendragrond. Voorheen hadden we in onze gemeente overal gewoon gras. Het is nu veranderd in een permanent watermoeras".
Er is geen oplossing Er bestaat nog geen oplossing voor de dooi. Het IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) voorspelt dat als de wereld voor 2030 de uitstoot met 50 procent vermindert, we waarschijnlijk slechts een stijging van 1,5 °C zullen hebben in de temperatuur op aarde.
De trend is niet te keren... Een stijging van 1,5 °C van de wereldtemperatuur lijkt misschien weinig, maar is toch meer dan genoeg om een smeltproces op gang te brengen dat niet ongedaan kan worden gemaakt of teruggedraaid. “Met de stijgende temperaturen is het in principe onmogelijk om permafrost terug te laten groeien", concludeert het ICPP.
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Wetenschappelijke Analyse: De Verandering van Kleuren in de Oceanen en de Betekenis voor het Klimaat en Ecosysteem
Wetenschappelijke Analyse: De Verandering van Kleuren in de Oceanen en de Betekenis voor het Klimaat en Ecosysteem
Inleiding
De oceanen vormen het grootste aquatische ecosysteem op aarde, met een cruciale rol in het wereldwijde klimaat, het zuurstofniveau in de atmosfeer, en de biodiversiteit. Recente wetenschappelijke rapporten en satellietwaarnemingen wijzen op een opvallende verandering in de kleur van de oceanen. Dit fenomeen, dat op het eerste gezicht esthetisch en onbeduidend lijkt, heeft diepgaande implicaties voor de oceanografie, klimaatwetenschap en ecologie. In deze analyse wordt de wetenschappelijke basis van de waargenomen kleurverandering onderzocht, inclusief de onderliggende processen, de methoden voor waarneming, en de mogelijke gevolgen voor het mondiale ecosysteem.
Waarnemingen en Methodologie
De toename of verandering in oceaankleuren wordt voornamelijk gedocumenteerd via satellietbeelden en remote sensing-technologieën. Satellieten zoals NASA’s MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) en ESA’s Sentinel-3 gebruiken spectroradiometrische instrumenten om de reflectie en absorptie van licht door het oceaanwater te meten. Deze metingen maken het mogelijk om de kleur van het water te kwantificeren in termen van de reflectie in verschillende golflengten, die vervolgens worden vertaald naar kwantitatieve parameters zoals chlorofyl-a concentraties en de aanwezigheid van plankton of andere deeltjes.
De waarnemingen laten zien dat bepaalde oceanen en oceanische regio’s, zoals de Noord-Atlantische Oceaan, de gebieden rond de Indische Oceaan en de Stille Oceaan, in de loop van de afgelopen decennia een duidelijke verandering in kleur vertonen. Vaak wordt deze verandering gekenmerkt door een intensivering van de groene en bruine tinten, wat wijst op een verhoogde aanwezigheid van fytoplankton en organisch materiaal in het water. Het gebruik van algoritmes voor het analyseren van satellietbeelden maakt het mogelijk om deze veranderingen te kwantificeren en te volgen over tijd.
Fysiologische en Biologische Oorzaken
De primaire oorzaak van de verandering in oceaankleuren wordt toegeschreven aan de toename van fytoplankton, microscopische fotosynthetische organismen die een belangrijke rol spelen in de koolstofcyclus en het zuurstofniveau in de atmosfeer. De verhoogde aanwezigheid van fytoplankton wordt vaak gekoppeld aan verhoogde nutrientenconcentraties in het water, zoals stikstof en fosfor, die de groei van deze organismen stimuleren.
Deze nutrienten kunnen afkomstig zijn uit verschillende bronnen:
Landelijke afvoer en rivierwater: Door intensieve landbouw en stedelijke afvoer wordt een verhoogde hoeveelheid nutrienten in rivierwater geloosd, dat vervolgens in de oceaan terechtkomt.
Zeewatervervuiling en industriële emissies: Sommige regio’s krijgen te maken met anthropogene vervuiling die de nutrientenbalans beïnvloedt.
Klimaatverandering en oceaanstraling: Toenemende temperaturen en veranderende oceaanstromingen zorgen voor een betere menging en distributie van nutrienten en organisch materiaal.
Een hogere concentratie van fytoplankton leidt tot een toename in chlorofyl-a, wat direct gerelateerd is aan de groene tinten in de oceaan. Deze verhoogde algengroei, vaak aangeduid als “algenbloei”, kan natuurlijk voorkomen, maar wordt in veel gevallen versterkt door menselijke activiteiten.
Naast fytoplankton kunnen ook andere deeltjes, zoals sedimenten, zand en organisch materiaal, bijdragen aan de kleurverandering. Sedimenten die door rivierafvoer worden meegenomen, kunnen bijvoorbeeld de waterkleur donkerder maken, vooral in kustgebieden.
Uit het nieuwe onderzoek blijkt dat 21% van de wereldwijde oceaan een afname van de diepte van de verlichte zones heeft ervaren.
Krediet: Getty
Chemische en Fysische Processen
De verandering van oceaankleuren wordt niet alleen beïnvloed door biologische factoren, maar ook door fysische en chemische processen die de optische eigenschappen van water bepalen:
Veranderingen in de lichtabsorptie en -reflectie: De aanwezigheid van organisch materiaal en deeltjes beïnvloedt hoe licht wordt gereflecteerd en geabsorbeerd. Fytoplankton en organisch materiaal absorberen licht in specifieke golflengten, wat leidt tot een verschuiving in de waargenomen kleur.
Oceaanstraling en temperatuur: Hogere temperaturen kunnen leiden tot een verhoogde fotosynthetische activiteit en algengroei, wat op zijn beurt de kleur beïnvloedt.
Oceaanstromingen en menging: Verschillende watermassa's mengen elkaar, waardoor de samenstelling en kleur van het water kunnen veranderen. Bijvoorbeeld, verplaatsingen van koud en warm water kunnen leiden tot regionale kleurveranderingen.
Een donker wordende fotische zone zou dieren kunnen dwingen om dichter naar het oppervlak te gaan, waar de concurrentie om hulpbronnen groter is, aldus de onderzoekers.
Krediet: Getty
Ecologische en Klimaatimplicaties
De waargenomen verandering in oceaankleuren heeft belangrijke ecologische gevolgen:
Veranderingen in het mariene ecosysteem: Een toename in fytoplankton kan leiden tot “algenbloei”, die op zijn beurt de zuurstofvoorziening in het water beïnvloedt. Bij massale algenbloei kunnen dood organisch materiaal en afbraakprocessen zuurstoftekorten veroorzaken, wat bekend staat als hypoxie of “dead zones”.
Effect op het voedselweb: Fytoplankton vormt de basis van het mariene voedselweb. Een verandering in de hoeveelheid en types van fytoplankton heeft directe gevolgen voor het hele mariene ecosysteem. Een toename kan leiden tot een verschuiving in de soortenrijkdom en de biodiversiteit. Sommige soorten fytoplankton kunnen giftige stoffen produceren, wat de voedselketen kan verontreinigen en schadelijk kan zijn voor zeezoogdieren, vissen en menselijke consumptie. Daarnaast kunnen veranderingen in de samenstelling van de fytoplanktongemeenschap de populaties van andere mariene organismen beïnvloeden, zoals kleine kreeftachtigen (krill) en planktoneters, wat verder de stabiliteit van het ecosysteem onder druk zet.
Klimaatverandering en oceaanverzuring versterken deze effecten nog verder. Door de opwarming van de aarde neemt de oceaanopwarming toe, wat de stratificatie van het water vergemakkelijkt. Dit betekent dat warme, minder gemengde oppervlaktewaterlagen langer blijven bestaan, waardoor de toevoer van voedingsstoffen naar het oppervlakte vermindert. Dit kan leiden tot minder productieve gebieden voor fytoplankton, maar in sommige regio’s kunnen warmere omstandigheden juist een toename van bepaalde soorten veroorzaken. Tegelijkertijd zorgt de opname van CO2 door de oceaan voor verzuring, wat de groei en het functioneren van kalkproducerende organismen zoals koraal en schelpdieren beïnvloedt.
De ecologische gevolgen van dergelijke veranderingen zijn ingrijpend. Bijvoorbeeld, de afname van kalkhoudende organismen kan het mariene voedselweb verder destabiliseren, aangezien veel van deze organismen een essentiële rol spelen in het ecosysteem. Bovendien kunnen grote algenbloei en de daaropvolgende hypoxie leiden tot massale sterfte onder zeeleven, wat niet alleen de biodiversiteit aantast, maar ook de visserij en lokale gemeenschappen die afhankelijk zijn van gezonde oceanen.
Klimaatimplicaties kunnen zich verder uiten in de versterking van de klimaatverandering zelf. Oceanen functioneren als een koolstofput, maar de versnelde opname van CO2 en de daarmee gepaard gaande verzuring verminderen hun capaciteit om koolstof op te slaan. Dit versterkt de opwarming van de aarde en versnelt de negatieve ecologische effecten.
Bovendien beïnvloeden de veranderingen in oceaankleuren en de bijbehorende ecologische processen ook het wereldwijde klimaat. Een verstoord marien ecosysteem kan leiden tot veranderingen in de koolstofcyclus en de wereldwijde temperatuurregulatie. Dit onderstreept het belang van het monitoren van oceaanveranderingen en het nemen van passende maatregelen om de negatieve gevolgen te beperken.
A world map showing changes in global photic zones between 2003 and 2022. Reds indicate regions where the oceans are getting darker, while blues indicate regions where oceans are getting lighter and white indicates regions where there was no statistically significant change over the period.
Credit: University of Plymouth
Conclusie
Het observeren van veranderingen in oceaankleuren biedt belangrijke inzichten in de ecologische en klimaatimplicaties van de recente milieuveranderingen. De toename van fytoplankton en de daaruit voortvloeiende algenbloei kunnen zowel positieve als negatieve effecten hebben op het mariene ecosysteem. Echter, de negatieve gevolgen, zoals hypoxie, verlies van biodiversiteit en verstoring van het voedselweb, wegen op lange termijn zwaarder. Klimaatverandering en oceaanverzuring versterken deze problemen en maken het noodzakelijk dat wereldwijd actie wordt ondernomen. Het beschermen van onze oceanen vergt een geïntegreerde aanpak, inclusief vermindering van broeikasgasemissies, duurzame visserijpraktijken en het bevorderen van mariene biodiversiteit. Alleen door bewustwording en collectieve inspanning kunnen we de ecologische en klimaatimplicaties beperken en zorgen voor een gezonde oceaan voor toekomstige generaties.
De vorige keer sneuvelden de dinosauriërs De vijfde massale uitsterving vond 65 miljoen jaar geleden plaats toen een asteroïde de dinosauriërs van de aardbodem wegvaagde. Nu vrezen wetenschappers dat de zesde uitsterving misschien al begonnen is.
Een nieuwe massale uitsterving Volgens een team onder leiding van Prof. Robert Cowie, van de Universiteit van Hawaï, wordt in een onderzoek dat gepubliceerd is in Biological Reviews gesteld dat het "steeds waarschijnlijker" is dat wij ons in de beginfase van een nieuwe massale uitsterving bevinden.
Het is aan de gang "Ontkenning ervan is eenvoudigweg in strijd met de enorme hoeveelheid gegevens die zich snel opstapelen. Er is geen plaats meer voor scepsis en de vraag of het wel echt gebeurt", zo stelt het
Wat is massale uitsterving? Er is sprake van een massale uitsterving wanneer ongeveer 70% van het dieren- en plantenleven ophoudt te bestaan. Het is dus een wereldwijde ramp waarbij de biodiversiteit en het ecosysteem in het gedrang komen.
Weekdieren Het onderzoek van Cowie richt zich met name op ongewervelde dieren, meer bepaald op weekdieren. Het team achter dit onderzoek is van mening dat de IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) onevenredig veel aandacht besteedt aan gewervelde dieren, zoals vogels en zoogdieren.
Diversiteit van dieren "De IUCN heeft niet zomaar een fractie van ongewervelde dieren geëvalueerd. Het gaat om insecten, slakken, spinnen en schaaldieren die samen 95% van de diversiteit aan dieren uitmaken", vertelde Cowie aan Vice.
Sinds 1500 Uit het onderzoek van Cowie en zijn team blijkt dat er sinds 1500 ongeveer 7,5% tot 13% van de soorten verdwenen is, wat erop wijst dat wij op een massale uitsterving afstevenen.
Afgebeeld: Een Tasmaanse tijger (Thylacine) uit 1936 is uitgestorven verklaard en wordt tentoongesteld in het Australian Museum in Sydney.
Het is onze schuld Mochten wij inderdaad op weg zijn naar de zesde massale uitsterving, dan zal het de eerste keer zijn dat de oorzaak daarvan aan het ingrijpen van een soort toe te schrijven is. In dit geval de mens.
Het antropoceen Het effect van de mens op het milieu is zelfs zo enorm dat veel wetenschappers stellen dat wij in een nieuw geologisch tijdperk leven: het antropoceen. Dat begon toen de mens een significante invloed is gaan uitoefenen op de geologie en de ecosystemen van de aarde.
Landbouw Tot nu toe blijft het antropoceen een hypothetisch gegeven. Sommigen beweren dat het begon toen de mens zich met de landbouw ging bezighouden zo'n 12.000 tot 15.000 jaar geleden.
Great Acceleration Andere deskundigen brengen het antropoceen in verband met de zogenaamde Great Acceleration. Dat is de verbazingwekkende snelheid van de menselijke groei en het verbruik van grondstoffen die na de Tweede Wereldoorlog tot een hoogtepunt kwam.
Volgens The Guardian is de hommelpopulatie in Europa en Noord-Amerika in slechts één generatie met meer dan 30% gedaald, wat wijst op massaal uitsterven.
Meer dan honing Het uitsterven van de hommelpopulatie heeft ook gevolgen voor de mens. De bijen zijn niet alleen verantwoordelijk voor de honing, maar bestuiven ook gewassen zoals tomaten en bessen. Zonder hen wordt er minder voedsel geproduceerd.
Het vlindereffect National Geographic weet te melden dat ondertussen ook meer dan 450 soorten vlinders in het zuidwesten van de VS dreigen te verdwijnen.
Essentieel voor de bestuiving Vlinders zijn bovendien van essentieel belang voor de bestuiving van veel planten en bloemen en hebben zo invloed op de voedselketen en het hele ecosysteem.
Een ongemakkelijke waarheid De belangrijkste boosdoener voor de afname van het aantal bijen en vlinders is het warmere weer als gevolg van de klimaatverandering. De stijgende temperaturen veranderen vroegere habitat van deze soorten in iets onherbergzaams.
Afgebeeld: De gevolgen van ontbossing in het Amazonewoud.
Land en grondstoffen
Hierbij is nog niet eens rekening gehouden met het buitensporige gebruik van land en grondstoffen, waardoor hele ecosystemen worden aangetast of ronduit vernietigd.
Wij hebben het vuur aangestoken De schade die de mens aan de planeet heeft toegebracht, is onomkeerbaar gebleken. Het zorgwekkendste is dat het, ondanks eindeloze initiatieven en topontmoetingen met de beste bedoelingen, tot op de dag van vandaag gewoon doorgaat.
De tijd dringt Ondertussen begint de tijd te dringen om nog het kostbare evenwicht te behouden dat de mensheid al duizenden jaren in staat heeft gesteld te leven. Wie weet voor welke uitdagingen de volgende generatie zal komen te staan, als wij dat evenwicht eenmaal verloren hebben.
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Scientists developed a new method for breaking down one of the most common plastics to a byproduct that can be upcycled into more valuable materials.
Plastic waste sitting by the ocean.
(Image credit: Wirestock/Getty Images)
Scientists have developed a new method to break down plastic waste, using moisture from the air.
By exposing a common type of plastic to an inexpensive catalyst and leaving it exposed to ambient air, researchers broke down 94% of the material in just four hours.
The plastic transformed into terephthalic acid (TPA), a highly valuable building block for polyesters. Because TPA can be upcycled into more valuable materials, the process offers a safer and cheaper alternative to current plastic recycling methods. The researchers published their findings Feb. 3 in the journal Green Chemistry.
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"The U.S. is the number one plastic polluter per capita, and we only recycle 5% of those plastics," co-corresponding author Yosi Kratish, a research assistant professor of chemistry at Northwestern University, said in a statement. "What's particularly exciting about our research is that we harnessed moisture from air to break down the plastics, achieving an exceptionally clean and selective process. By recovering the monomers, which are the basic building blocks of PET [polyethylene terephthalate], we can recycle or even upcycle them into more valuable materials."
Plastic waste is an increasingly important issue. Over half of the plastic ever made has been produced since 2000, and annual production is projected to double by 2050, according to the European Environment Agency.
To date, only 9% of the plastics ever produced have been recycled. The remainder, with lifetimes often lasting generations, can have serious environmental and health impacts. For example, they wash out to sea to form floating blobs of trash, harm wildlife, and break down into microplastics that can enter the human brain and other parts of our bodies.
To find a new method to break down some of this waste, the researchers applied a molybdenum catalyst — a silver, ductile metal — and activated carbon to PET, the most common type of polyester plastic. The researchers then heated the mixture. After a short time, this broke the polyethylene's chemical bonds.
Then, when the team exposed the material to air, the mixture transformed into TPA, a valuable polyester precursor; and acetaldehyde, an industrial chemical that is also valuable and is easy to lift from the mixture.
When they tested the method on mixed plastics, the researchers found that it had an effect only on the polyester materials. That meant they didn't have to presort the plastics. It worked onlastic bottles, T-shirts and colored plastics, breaking them down into pure, colorless TPA.
"It worked perfectly," Kratish said. "When we added extra water, it stopped working because it was too much water. It's a fine balance. But it turns out the amount of water in air was just the right amount."
The team's next steps will be to adapt the process to large-scale industrial applications.
"Our technology has the potential to significantly reduce plastic pollution, lower the environmental footprint of plastics and contribute to a circular economy where materials are reused rather than discarded," study first author Naveen Malik, who was a researcher at Northwestern University at the time, said in the statement. "It's a tangible step toward a cleaner, greener future, and it demonstrates how innovative chemistry can address global challenges in a way that aligns with nature."
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The CIA trains people not to look directly at the people they are following, as otherwise they can ‘sense’ they are being stared at and turn around. This Man argues that this is due to consciousness being extended outside of the brain.
Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist who has written over 100 scientific papers and 9 books, and has helped write 6 more. His books have been translated into 28 languages. In 2013, a top think tank in Switzerland named him one of the world’s 100 most important thinkers. On ResearchGate, a popular site for scientists, he ranks in the top 4% for research interest.
On Google Scholar, his work has been cited many times, giving him high academic scores. For twelve years in a row, Watkins magazine has listed him as one of the most spiritually influential living people.
His work has appeared in many well-known magazines and newspapers, and he has been featured on BBC radio and TV.
In the interview, philosopher Hilary Lawson asks Rupert Sheldrake why the scientific community has been so critical of his work, even though he has been very successful with the general public. Sheldrake explains that the scientific community is not just one group—it’s made up of many different people with different opinions.
When he first shared his ideas, some scientists were interested and friendly, while others were more skeptical. He had especially good experiences with scientists in India, who were open to his ideas, like morphic resonance.
But things changed after he published his first book, A New Science of Life, in 1981. A powerful editor at the science journal Nature, Sir John Maddox, harshly criticized the book and even said it was “a book for burning.” This public attack made Sheldrake seem like an outsider or a heretic in the eyes of many scientists, which made others afraid to openly support him.
Sheldrake believes that the scientists who attack him most often are militant atheists. He explains that these people treat materialist science almost like a religion, and because his work challenges their worldview, they react very strongly. This kind of criticism also appears on platforms like Wikipedia, where a group called “guerrilla skeptics” has taken control of his biography and prevents others from changing it.
However, Sheldrake also says that most scientists are not so extreme. When he gives talks at scientific institutions, people often come up to him privately afterward and say they’re very interested in his work and have had similar experiences, like feeling telepathic connections or sensing when their dog knows they’re coming home. But they admit they’re afraid to speak up about it because they don’t want to be judged or attacked by their peers. Sheldrake tells them that they’re not alone, and many of their colleagues feel the same way in secret.
Sheldrake agrees that he does have a philosophical view. His worldview is holistic: he believes that consciousness exists throughout the universe, that minds extend beyond just the brain, and that nature has a kind of memory—what he calls “morphic resonance.” These ideas go against the usual materialist and mechanistic view of science, which sees everything as just matter and machines. But Sheldrake says the key difference is that he thinks all of these views—including his own—should be openly discussed and tested scientifically. He does experiments to test his theories.
He says the people who oppose him don’t want open discussion. Instead, they label anything that doesn’t fit their materialist worldview as “pseudoscience” and try to cancel or suppress it. He calls this an unfair, one-sided situation.
Sheldrake points out that in most areas of life, like philosophy, politics, or religion, there are many different points of view, and people accept that. But in science, he says, there’s no real culture of open debate about controversial ideas. Instead, the dominant view controls everything: funding, journals, jobs, peer review, and government science advice. Those who don’t agree with the mainstream often get pushed out and silenced.
Sheldrake sees his ideas as models, not as the final truth. Morphic resonance is the idea that memory exists in nature and that past forms and behaviors influence present ones based on similarity.
He thinks some kind of memory in nature must exist because, in his view, evolutionary biology doesn’t make full sense without it. But he admits that while he’s fairly sure the phenomenon is real, he doesn’t know for certain that his specific explanation is correct.
He says it’s the only detailed model of its kind currently out there, though other, more general ideas touch on memory in the universe, like in Hindu and Buddhist beliefs about karma, which also involve effects traveling across time.
Sheldrake compares his situation to how science developed over time. For example, Michael Faraday proposed the existence of electric and magnetic fields without knowing exactly how they worked. Later, James Clerk Maxwell created a mathematical model involving the “ether,” which was widely accepted until Einste in’s theory of relativity showed that the ether didn’t exist.
Then, quantum physics introduced entirely new ideas. So, the models changed over time, but the actual phenomena—like electricity and magnetism—remained real and important. He sees his theory of morphic fields and resonance in the same way: the phenomenon may be real, but the model explaining it might evolve.
That’s why he keeps doing experiments. If he already knew the truth, he says, there’d be no need to keep testing his ideas. The point is to explore and discover, not to claim he already has all the answers.
Sheldrake says that his theory of morphic resonance, which he describes as a theory of memory, could have several real-world uses. He explains that this theory includes not only the memory we have in our minds but also a kind of collective memory that influences learning. According to him, if morphic resonance is real, then people could learn faster and better by tapping into the experiences of others who have already learned the same things in the past.
He says this might explain why people often learn practical skills, like sports or using tools, better through doing and repetition rather than through books. He thinks this approach could especially help in teaching languages.
For example, learners could benefit more from immersive, experience-based methods that connect with this collective memory instead of memorizing grammar rules and verb lists (like how he was taught French).
He also believes morphic resonance could be important in treating memory-related issues like Alzheimer’s or other psychological problems.
Looking ahead, he imagines that if we could build computers based on morphic resonance (which he says would need to be analog rather than digital), they might be able to access shared memory banks. These computers could lead to a type of artificial intelligence that is truly intelligent, not just simulating human thinking.
Sheldrake also talks about another area of his research: the idea of the extended mind. This includes things like the feeling of being stared at, telepathy, and intuitions about future events (what he calls “pre-sentiment”).
He believes that if we could train people to improve these intuitive skills, they might be better at sensing dangers or responding more naturally to situations in daily life. He says there’s a lot of potential for training in this area.
Sheldrake explains laws of nature were fixed at the moment of the Big Bang and never change. Instead, it suggests that just like nature evolves, the “laws” of nature might also change and grow over time. Instead of calling them laws (which is a very human concept), Sheldrake prefers to think of them as habits of nature—patterns that repeat and get stronger the more they happen, just like how animals or people develop habits. (Source)
He believes that everything in nature, including living things, thoughts, and even social behaviors, is guided by invisible fields called morphic fields. These fields carry memory from the past and influence present behavior. So if something has happened many times before, it’s more likely to happen again. That’s how species inherit instincts or how languages and cultures form and evolve.
He says these morphic fields affect our minds too. For example, the feeling that someone is staring at you, or the experience of thinking about someone just before they call you, might not be coincidences—they could be examples of telepathy through morphic fields. According to Sheldrake, this is not magic or paranormal, but a natural process. Experiments have shown that people often correctly guess who is calling them on the phone, and this might be a common form of human telepathy. Similar behavior is also seen in animals, like dogs, that know when their owners are coming home.
Morphic fields are not limited to the brain—they can reach far beyond the body, just like magnetic fields go beyond magnets or cell phone signals go beyond the phone. These fields help explain connections between people or animals, even over long distances.
Google Earth and satellite imagery has revealed some strange things, from secret military bunkers in China to phantom islands to a mysterious pentagram in Kazakhstan.
Vostok Island, which sits in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, appears to be blacked out on Google Earth.
(Image credit: Google Earth)
There are many, many weird things seen on Google Earth. The service, which was launched in 2005, compiles images from various sources, from satellites ingeosynchronous orbit that snap low-resolution photos from tens of thousands of miles above Earth, to satellites closer to Earth that capture higher-resolution shots, and even aerial photos taken from airplanes, kites, drones and even balloons.
The imagery is available to anyone, and people across the world have taken advantage of this rich resource to find weird and wonderful places that may have otherwise remained undiscovered.
From a boneyard of military planes, to a polka-dot pattern created by ants, to mysterious structures etched into the Gobi Desert and even a strange black island in the Pacific Ocean, Google Earth — and its netizens — have helped bring these places to light. Here's a look at some of the strangest.
Swastika in Kazakhstan
A swastika-shaped geoglyph can be seen from above Kazakhstan. (Image credit: Image copyright DigitalGlobe, courtesy Google Earth)
Scientists discovered more than 50 geoglyphs across northern Kazakhstan in Central Asia, including this swastika-shaped design. Though the swastika symbol was created from timber, many of the geoglyphs were made of earthen mounds. The geoglyphs seem to date back 2,000 years. At the time, swastikas were not uncommon across Europe and Asia and were not of course affiliated with any political beliefs. [Read more about the swastika geoglyphs and other Kazakhstan designs]
Island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island in Philippines
An island-in-a-lake-on-an-island-in-a-lake-on-an-island.
This Google Earth image is an eye-full and a mouthful, as it's an island-in-a-lake-on-an-island-in-a-lake-on-an-island. Yes, Google Earth captured this image showing a tiny island that resides inside a crater lake on an island called Volcano Island in a lake called Taal lake on the Philippine island of Luzon. For years apparently, this phenomenon was thought to be the largest of its kind spied by Google Earth. However, it turns out that accolade goes to a 4-acre spit of land in northern Canada where no human has likely stepped foot.
Wheel structures in Azraq Oasis in Jordan
Wheel structures in the Azraq Oasis in Jordan, as seen in this Google Earth image. (Image credit: Image courtesy Google Earth))
Google Earth has spied some old artistry etched into the surface of the planet, including wheel-shaped geometric structures that may date back some 8,500 years, making them older than Peru's geoglyphs called Nazca Lines. Some of these spoked designs that dot Jordan's Azraq Oasis seem to be positioned in a way that aligns with sunrise on the winter solstice. A team of scientists with the Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East (APAAME) have been investigating wheel structures (also called "works of the old men") with satellite imagery available through Google Earth.
The wheels vary in their design, with some showing spokes that radiate from the center, others with just one or two bars rather than spokes and still others not circular at all and instead shaped like squares, rectangles or triangles, the researchers have found.
The wheels seen in this image are in the Azraq Oasis and have spokes with a southeast-northwest orientation, possibly aligning with the winter solstice sunrise.
Bull's eye in wheel structures in Saudi Arabia
Some of the "wheels" found in Saudi Arabia have a bull's-eye design. (Image credit: Image courtesy Google Earth)
One type of these "wheels" in the Middle East looks like a bull's-eye, with three triangles pointing toward the eye and small piles of stones leading from the triangles toward the bull's-eye wheel. David Kennedy, of the University of Western Australia, who co-directs the project, calls it "a central bull's-eye tomb with, in this case, three triangles each with at least a part of a connecting line of stone heaps running to the center."
Unexcavated pyramid in Egypt
Natural or man-made? (Image credit: Google Earth via Google Earth Anomalies)
This image from Google Earth shows an anomaly that some believe could be an unexcavated pyramid. Dozens of anomalies in Egypt have been detected using Google Earth in the past five years; however, there is a debate as to whether they represent natural features or artificial structures. More excavations are needed, but the security and economic situation in Egypt has limited the number and size of excavations.
More potential eroded pyramids in Egypt
Eroded Egyptian pyramids or geologic features? (Image credit: Google Earth via Google Earth Anomalies)
Eroded Egyptian pyramids or geologic features?
Phantom Sandy Island near New Caledonia
The mysterious "Sandy Island" (Image credit: via Google Earth)
In 2012, a group of Australian researchers "undiscovered" an island the size of Manhattan in the South Pacific. A mysterious place called Sandy Island had popped up on maps, northwest of New Caledonia. It even showed up as a black polygon on Google Earth. But when scientists sailed there in November 2012, they found open water instead of solid ground.
In an obituary for the island published in April 2013, the researchers explained why the phantom landmass had been included on some maps for more than a century, pointing to some human errors and a possible pumice raft.
Pentagram in Kazakhstan
(Image credit: Google Maps)
On the wind-blown steppes of Central Asia, in an isolated corner of Kazakhstan, there's a large pentagram, measuring roughly 1,200 feet (366 meters) in diameter, etched into Earth's surface. The five-pointed star surrounded by a circle, located on the southern shore of the Upper Tobol Reservoir, shows up vividly on Google Maps, the online version of the more detailed Google Earth.
Many online comments linked the site with devil worship, nefarious religious sects or denizens of the underworld. Instead, the pentagram turns out to be the outline of a park made in the form of a star; the star is marked by roadways that are now lined with trees, making the star shape even more distinct in aerial photos.
Abandoned launch sites at Oahu Defense Area in Hawaii
This Google Earth image shows the Oahu Defense Area in Hawaii, which was equipped with missiles in open air with earthen revetments, or embankments, between paired launch sites, shown here in 1968. (Image credit: Google Earth)
Nike missiles, which were supersonic surface-to-air missiles, sat ready to launch at nearly 300 sites across the United States during a period of the Cold War, from 1954 to the 1970s. Some of those missiles even carried nuclear warheads. Those missiles became obsolete with the advent of long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
David Tewksbury, a GIS (geographic information system) specialist at Hamilton College in New York, aimed to preserve a visual record of the abandoned Nike missile launch sites before they vanish — either as a result of being reclaimed by nature, repurposed by the military or redeveloped. His plan is to build a geo-referenced database so that anyone can research the Nike missile sites through Google Earth.
Here, one of those sites, the Oahu Defense Area in Hawaii, is shown in 1968. The site was once equipped with missiles in the open air, with embankments between paired launch sites.
Spiral art installation "Desert Breath" in Egypt
desert-breath (Image credit: Google Earth)
A spiral portal to an alternate universe? Maybe an alien message? Or an ancient monument to a supernatural being? This giant spiral design in the desolate Egyptian desert, not far from the shores of the Red Sea, is an art installation called Desert Breath. In March 2007, Danae Stratou, Alexandra Stratou and Stella Constantinides created the 1 million square foot (100,000 square meters) artwork meant to celebrate "the desert as a state of mind, a landscape of the mind," the artists say on their website.
Looting holes in Apamea, Syria
Apamea looted in satellite imagery (Image credit: Google Earth screen shot)
The civil war in Syria has imperilled hundreds of archaeological sites, including causing damage to all six of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country, which is considered one of the oldest occupied areas of the Earth. Satellites, in particular, have shown much of this devastation, with some of the strangest imagery showing destruction in Apamea. There, Google Earth images have revealed the entire ancient Roman city has been pockmarked with holes dug by looters since the start of the civil war.
"It looks like the surface of the moon," Emma Cunliffe, an archaeology researcher at Durham University in England, who has published a report documenting archeological damage in Syria, told Live Science in 2013. "In eight months, the looted area exceeded the total excavated area."
Blood lake outside Sadr City, Iraq
Lake of blood? (Image credit: Cnes/Spot Image, Digital Globe, GeoEye, Google)
Outside Sadr City in Iraq, at coordinates 33.396157° N, 44.486926° E, lies a blood-red lake. There is, as yet, no official explanation for the color of this strange body of water.
Polka-dot formation on Grand Canyon made by ants
This weird polka-dot pattern in the vegetation near a volcano on the rim of the Grand Canyon could be the work of red harvester ants. (Image credit: Google Earth)
An odd polka-dot pattern near the cinder cone volcano dubbed Vulcan's Throne on the north rim of the Grand Canyon may have a simple explanation: ants. Turns out, the desert around the Grand Canyon is home to red harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex barbatus).
These pesky critters can create nesting mounds spanning some 47 inches (120 centimeters) across and are typically surrounded by bare ground up to 108 square feet (10 square meters), according to physicist Amelia Carolina Sparavigna, a specialist in image processing and satellite imagery analysis at the Politecnico of Torino in Ital. Sparavigna discusses her theory in a scientific paper posted online on Jan. 11, 2016 - the paper has yet to be peer-reviewed. The mounds may be responsible for the aerial pattern of scattered circles, though Sparavigna says on-the-ground confirmation is needed.
Google Earth and satellite imagery has revealed some strange things, from secret military bunkers in China to phantom islands to a mysterious pentagram in Kazakhstan.
Vostok Island, which sits in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, appears to be blacked out on Google Earth.
(Image credit: Google Earth)
There are many, many weird things seen on Google Earth. The service, which was launched in 2005, compiles images from various sources, from satellites in geosynchronous orbit that snap low-resolution photos from tens of thousands of miles above Earth, to satellites closer to Earth that capture higher-resolution shots, and even aerial photos taken from airplanes, kites, drones and even balloons.
The imagery is available to anyone, and people across the world have taken advantage of this rich resource to find weird and wonderful places that may have otherwise remained undiscovered..
Island, in a lake, on an island, in a lake, on an island near Victoria Canada
An (Image credit: Digital Globe, GeoEye, Google)
The world's largest "island, in a lake, on an island, in a lake, on an island" is a narrow, four-acre strip of land in Canada located at exactly 69.793° N, 108.241° W. The nameless island (that little-tilde shaped squiggle of green) lolls across the center of a small lake, which is itself encapsulated by a slightly larger island. That resides inside one of a series of long finger lakes located 75 miles inland from the southern coast of Victoria Island, a land feature in Northern Canada.
This little "sub-sub-sub island" would never have received its strange distinction if not for careful trolling of Google Earth by map geeks around the world. In all likelihood, no human has ever actually set foot there.
Boneyard at Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona
The boneyard (Image credit: Google)
The Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz., is where U.S. military planes go to die. Dubbed "the boneyard," this 2,600-acre cemetery of steel at coordinates 32 08'59.96" N, 110 50'09.03"W is closed to the general public, but Google Earth provides a high-resolution glimpse of what's inside: virtually every plane the military has flown since World War II — from the B-52 StratoFortress to the F-14 Tomcat — in various stages of decay.
The boneyard at Davis Monthan was used as the backdrop in the music video for "Learning to Fly" by rock music legend Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The band was shown performing among various aircraft hulks.
Hamad bin Hamdan al Nahyan, a billionaire Sheikh and member of Abu Dhabi's ruling family, has had his name carved into the sandy surface of al Futaisi Island, an island he owns in the Persian Gulf. At half a mile tall and 2 miles long altogether, the letters HAMAD may be the world's largest; regardless, they're visible from space.
Normally, words written in sand wash away, but these letters are large enough to form waterways that absorb the encroaching tide. Indeed, at the time these satellite photographs were taken, said tide can be seen flowing through the letters all the way to the M.
Aerial view of elephants in Chad
Wild View Elephants (Image credit: GeoEye)
Thought you might never get to see a herd of African elephants in the wild? Luckily, satellites captured a few high-resolution images of a herd on the move in Chad, at coordinates 10.903497 N,19.93229 E.
Church of Scientology Bunker in New Mexico
scientology-bunker (Image credit: Google Maps)
Found etched onto the desert floor near Mesa Huerfanita, New Mexico, are two large diamonds surrounded by a pair of overlapping circles. Author John Sweeney claimed that the site marks a hidden bunker belonging to the Church of Scientology.
According to their website, Scientology "is a religion that offers a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of one's true spiritual nature and one’s relationship to self, family, groups, Mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe and the Supreme Being," according to the organization's website. Such symbols on the desert floor are reportedly there to help guide these scientologists who return to Earth after fleeing a planetary "Armageddon," writes the Daily Mail. Of course, the symbols will likely remain a mystery.
Patterns etched in Gobi Desert
Mysterious structures and patterns etched into the surface of China's Gobi Desert. (Image credit: Digital Globe, Google)
Newfound Google Earth images have revealed an array of mysterious structures and patterns etched into the surface of China's Gobi Desert. According to experts, this is a secret military base, and the structures are used for a variety of purposes including weapons testing, spy satellite calibration and testing of radar instrumentation.
The most elaborate feature, an intricate grid of perfectly straight lines that weave back and forth every few hundred feet for 20 miles (33 kilometers), is most likely a Yagi antenna array, a device used for weather tracking and other atmospheric research.
KFC advertising in Chile hillside
Google Earth "mapvertising" (Image credit: Digital Globe, Google)
Considering the number of people who troll Google Earth in their free time, it isn't surprising that enormous advertisements have started popping up in remote areas for their viewing pleasure—a concept known as "mapvertising." The world's largest Coca-Cola logo, for example, can be seen at 18.5292 S, 70.2500 W on a hillside in Chile; it is said to be made of 70,000 empty Coca Cola bottles. A 87,500-square-foot picture of Colonel Sanders — the KFC logo— once appeared at 37.646163° N, 115.750819° W just off Extraterrestrial Highway in Nevada, but has since been removed.
Shipwreck of S.S. Jassim off Sudan
Sizable shipwreck (Image credit: Google, Digital Globe)
The S.S. Jassim, a Bolivian cargo ferry, ran aground and sank on the Wingate Reef off the coast of Sudan in 2003. At 265 feet (81 meters) long, it was once one of the largest shipwrecks visible on Google Earth, located at 19 38'45.99"N 37 17'42.17E, although it now appears to have sunk almost completely.
Landlocked lips in Darfur, Sudan
Landlocked lips (Image credit: Digital Globe, Google)
These luscious lips are a hill formation located in Gharb, Darfur, in Sudan at coordinates 12°22'13.32"N, 23°19'20.18"E.
Triangle UFO in Australia
Aussie UFO? (Image credit: Sensis Pty Ltd, Digital Globe, Google)
In Australia, at coordinates 30°30'38.44"S 115°22'56.03"E, a strange triangle dotted with bright lights appeared in the middle of a field. When first discovered in 2007, ufologists were quick to call it a "triangle UFO" caught in the act of hovering above Earth. Other Google Earth users said it may be an antenna associated with a nearby remote-controlled wind farm. With three sets of wires forming a triangle, and a tower in the middle, the antenna likely received and transmitted control signals.
Google earth, satellite images, Chinese desert (Image credit: Google Earth)
A mysterious set of satellite images seen on Google Earth created a stir when an ex-CIA analyst told Wired.com he had discovered "structures" in the desert around Kashgar, a city in China's remote Western desert that is part of the Xinjiang province.
Some speculated the buildings at the site were part of a secret military base. But with further analysis, Stefan Geens, a technologist and geospatial blogger who has spent months in that part of China, said the site was likely part of a major manufacturing or economic center.
Mystery structures on Chinese satellite images
Another strange sight in China's Western desert (Image credit: Google Maps)
Here, another image of the strange site in the Chinese desert.
One structure in the complex did somewhat resemble a helicopter testing area, analysts said there's no reason it would necessarily be linked to military activities. Furthermore, the site is not ideal for a secret military base, since it's relatively close to a major population area and no towers or barriers were spotted, said Stuart Hamilton, former GIS program director at the Center for Geospatial Analysis at the College of William and Mary, and now a professor at Salisbury University in Maryland.
An untouched mountaintop rainforest
Mount Lico, in Mozambique, has a high-altitude rainforest sitting on its sheer slopes. (Image credit: Google Earth)
At times, it seems like humans have explored every nook and cranny of the land on Earth. But in 2018, researchers went somewhere that (almost) no one has ever been before, all thanks to Google Earth.
The destination was Mount Lico, Mozambique, where the research team discovered a high-altitude rainforest perched atop sheer slopes. Welsh conservation scientist Julian Bayliss first discovered the spot using Google Earth, The Verge reported. Actually visiting the forest required a dizzying 400-foot (123 m) climb up a vertical granite face. On top, the scientists found a remarkable ecosystem populated by butterflies, spiders and small mammals. A few old, handmade pots revealed that someone else had once made the climb, perhaps 100 years before. No one knew for sure who left the pots behind.
Blacked out mystery island
Vostok Island appears to be blacked out on Google Earth. (Image credit: Google Earth)
Vostok Island, a small, uninhabited coral island that sits in the central Pacific Ocean, appears blacked out on Google Earth, sparking a range of conspiracy theories about it — including it being a secret military base. In reality, the centre of the island is covered by Pisonia grandis trees rooted in thick, peat soil. These trees are so dense and dark, that from above the foliage gives the island the appearance of a weird black hole.
Belonging to Kiribati, the island, which is about 0.8 miles (1.3 kilometers) long, was first discovered in 1820. It is composed of coral sand and rubble, with no lagoon or freshwater. There is no evidence the island has ever been inhabited, although rats there indicate it may have been visited by ancient Polynesians at some point.
Beerdiertjes hebben al heel wat meegemaakt. Zo hebben wetenschappers ze al eens ingevroren, de ruimte in geschoten en in een geladen geweer gestopt en afgevuurd. En daar blijft het niet bij, want onlangs hebben onderzoekers de arme organismen ook nog eens getatoeëerd.
Beerdiertjes zijn slechts een halve millimeter lang, maar onverwoestbaar gebleken. Zo hebben wetenschappers ze al eens volledig uit laten drogen, bevroren tot nabij het absolute nulpunt, verhit tot 148 graden Celsius en blootgesteld aan het vacuüm van de ruimte en een mate van straling die voor mensen dodelijk is. Maar de beerdiertjes gaven geen krimp en overleefden het allemaal. Zelfs experimenten waarin beerdiertjes in geladen geweren werden gestopt en met hoge snelheid werden afgevuurd – en ja, die hebben echt plaatsgevonden! – resulteerden niet in de dood van de kleine beestjes.
Tatoeage En met dat onverwoestbare karakter hebben de beerdiertjes nu de aandacht getrokken van Chinese onderzoekers. Zij besloten vervolgens na te gaan of het schier onoverwinnelijke organisme ook het zetten van een soort tatoeage weer te boven kon komen. Hun bevindingen zijn terug te lezen in het blad Nano Letters en onthullen – jawel – dat beerdiertjes ook van het zetten van een tatoeage niet direct onder de indruk zijn.
Microfabricage Het klinkt misschien als een ietwat lachwekkende onderzoeksvraag: kan een beerdiertje een tatoeage laten zetten en vrolijk voort leven? Maar dat is het zeer zeker niet. De betrokken wetenschappers houden zich namelijk bezig met microfabricage. Dit is een proces waarbij zeer kleine structuren – meestal op de schaal van micrometers of zelfs nanometers – worden gemaakt en dat bijvoorbeeld reeds heeft geleid tot de productie van microprocessoren en zonnecellen. Maar wetenschappers willen meer. Zo zouden ze bijvoorbeeld graag in staat zijn om micro- of nanosensoren direct op levend weefsel te printen, zo legt onderzoeker Ding Zhao aan Scientias.nl uit. “Microfabricage maakt het mogelijk om apparaten uiterst dicht op elkaar te integreren, binnen zeer beperkte ruimtes. Wanneer deze techniek wordt toegepast op levende organismen, minimaliseert dit de fysieke verstoring, wat helpt om de natuurlijke lichamelijke functies van het organisme te behouden.” Er is alleen één probleem: traditionele micro- en nanofabricagetechnieken zijn momenteel niet biocompatibel en zelfs ronduit gevaarlijk voor levend weefsels.
IJslithografie Maar er gloort hoop. Want sinds kort is er ijslithografie. “Dit is een opkomende fabricagemethode waarvan is aangetoond dat deze patronen kan aanbrengen op kwetsbare delicate ondergronden,” legt Zhao uit. “Deze techniek vereist echter nog steeds barre omstandigheden, zoals bevriezing en een vacuümomgeving.” Levende weefsels moeten namelijk in een vacuüm worden geplaatst en met een ijscoating worden bedekt, waarna men met elektronenbundels een patroon in die ijscoating ’tekent’ dat pas zichtbaar wordt als het weefsel weer wordt verwarmd en de ijscoating smelt. In een eerste poging om na te gaan of ijslithografie op kleine, levende organismen kan worden toegepast, besloten de onderzoekers dan ook al snel een beroep te doen op de onverwoestbare beerdiertjes. “Want beerdiertjes staan bekend om hun extreme stressbestendigheid.”
Het experiment Die stressbestendigheid hebben beerdiertjes mede te danken aan een slimme overlevingsstrategie die ook wel aangeduid wordt als cryptobiose. Zodra de omstandigheden waarin beerdiertjes leven onleefbaar worden, gaan ze in cryptobiose. Hun stofwisseling komt dan vrijwel stil te liggen en de beerdiertjes lijken bijna dood te zijn. Maar schijn bedriegt: wanneer de omstandigheden beter worden, komen de beerdiertjes uit cryptobiose en gaan ze weer verder waar ze gebleven waren. Omdat het tatoeage-avontuur een bevriezing, blootstelling aan straling en een vacuüm behelsde, besloten de onderzoekers de beerdiertjes eerst in cryptobiose te laten gaan. Ze lieten de beerdiertjes daartoe grotendeels uitdrogen. Eenmaal in cryptobiose werden de beerdiertjes klaargemaakt voor hun tatoeage. Ze werden in een vacuüm geplaatst, blootgesteld aan temperaturen van ongeveer -143 graden Celsius en bedekt met anisol – een naar anijs ruikend goedje. Vervolgens gebruikten de wetenschappers een elektronenbundel om een patroon in de anisol te kerven. Alleen anisol dat door de elektronenbundel werd beroerd, transformeerde tot een biocompatibel materiaal dat bij hogere temperaturen aan het beerdiertje bleef plakken. Dus toen de onderzoekers het beerdiertje weer opwarmden, verdampte de anisol die niet door de elektronenbundel was beroerd en vormde het door de elektronenbundel beroerde anisol een fraaie ‘tatoeage’. Door het uitgedroogde beerdiertje vervolgens weer te hydrateren, kwam deze uit cryptobiose en ging – met tatoeage – vrolijk verder waar deze gebleven was.
Sterfte Tenminste: soms. Ongeveer 40 procent van de beerdiertjes overleefde het zetten van de tatoeage en hervatte de activiteiten, zonder ogenschijnlijk hinder te ondervinden van de tatoeage. Dat 60 procent stierf, komt volgens Zhao waarschijnlijk niet door de tatoeage zelf. “We kunnen niet volledig uitsluiten dat het aanbrengen van het patroon enige schade aanrichtte. Maar het feit dat een substantieel aantal beerdiertjes de ingreep overleefde en daarna de activiteiten hervatte, wijst erop dat de schade die de procedure zelf met zich meebracht beperkt was en niet de belangrijkste oorzaak van de dood van de beerdiertjes was.” Dat 60 procent van de beerdiertjes het loodje legde, zou eerder te wijten zijn aan natuurlijke, onderlinge verschillen in stressbestendigheid, zo stelt Zhao. Ook is het mogelijk dat de beerdiertjes niet op de meest optimale manier in cryptobiose zijn gegaan en dat daardoor hun kansen om daar weer levend uit te komen, flink afnamen.
Overwinning Voor de onderzoekers is het duidelijk al een hele overwinning dat 40 procent van de beerdiertjes hun tatoeage-avontuur hebben overleefd en daarna – met tatoeage – ook hun leven weer konden oppakken. “Voor het eerst zijn we erin geslaagd om micro- tot nanoschaalpatronen met precisie rechtstreeks aan te brengen op het oppervlak van levende beerdiertjes,” benadrukt Zhao. “Gezien het onregelmatige en kwetsbare oppervlak van hun lichaam is dat veelzeggend (…) Het meest verbazingwekkende was nog wel dat de ‘getatoeëerde’ beerdiertjes niet alleen de procedure overleefden, maar ook in staat bleven om normaal te bewegen.”
Uitdagingen De onderzoekers zien hun bevindingen als een ‘proof of concept’: bewijs dat het idee om micro- en nanofabricagetechnieken rechtstreeks op levende organismen toe te passen realiteit kan worden. Tegelijkertijd erkennen ze dat er nog een lange weg te gaan is. “Het toepassen van deze techniek op kleinere of kwetsbaardere organismen brengt aanzienlijke uitdagingen met zich mee,” erkent Zhao. Zo zijn die organismen bijvoorbeeld vaak niet opgewassen tegen de bevriezing die met de toepassing van ijslithografie gepaard gaat. “Om verdere vooruitgang te boeken, zullen we de experimentele omstandigheden moeten optimaliseren en mogelijk het fabricageproces volledig moeten herontwerpen.”
Onderzoeker Gavin King, uitvinder van de ijslithografie, maar niet betrokken bij het onderzoek, ziet het desalniettemin zonnig in. “Het is een uitdaging om levend materiaal te voorzien van patronen, maar dit is een stap vooruit en hint op een nieuwe generatie biomaterialen en biofysische sensoren die tot nu toe alleen in sciencefiction bestonden.”
Scientists thought La Niña was coming. It didn't — at least for now. What could that mean for this year's hurricane season, and how might long-term climate change affect El Niño and La Niña patterns?
The ENSO can help forecasters predict how active the Atlantic hurricane season is.
So what happened — and how might that impact this summer's weather and the coming Atlantic hurricane season?
What is ENSO?
El Niño is a seasonal shift in Pacific Ocean temperatures that can suppress hurricanes, change rainfall patterns and bend the jet stream. Its cold-water counterpart, La Niña, tends to do the opposite: feed Atlantic hurricanes and elevate wildfire risk in the West. Together, they form the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
ENSO refers to seasonal climate shifts rooted in Pacific Ocean surface temperature changes. Changes in wind patterns and currents can draw cold water from the deep ocean, where it interacts with the atmosphere in complex ways. Even small deviations in sea surface temperatures can tilt global weather over the coming months toward hot and dry — or rainy and cool — depending on the region.
"It's an incredibly powerful system," said Emily Becker, a University of Miami research professor and co-author of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) ENSO blog. "El Niño and La Niña conditions affect rainfall, snow, temperature, the hurricane season, and tornado formation. They've been tied to fluctuations in the financial markets, crop yields, and all kinds of things.”
"Scientifically, we care about it because it's really cool," she told Live Science. "But practically, we care because it gives us this early idea about the next six to 12 months."
Scientists monitor a narrow strip in the Pacific Ocean near the equator. A 0.9-degree-Fahrenheit (0.5-degree Celsius) rise or fall in average surface temperature there, sustained for five overlapping three-month periods, can signal the onset of El Niño or La Niña, respectively.
However, the "average" is a moving target, based on a 30-year baseline, from 1991 to 2020, which is becoming outdated as the climate warms. "We're always playing catch-up," Tom Di Liberto, a former NOAA meteorologist and ENSO blog contributor, told Live Science.
ENSO-neutral patterns occur when surface temperatures hover near the long-term norm. But neutral doesn't mean benign — it may just mean the forecast is trickier.
La Niña Ends: What It Means for Hurricane Season and Beyond
Why was La Niña so short-lived?
Instead of asking why La Niña was short-lived, the better question might be whether it happened at all.
While ocean surface temperatures this winter dipped below average, they didn't stay that way long enough: By mid-April, NOAA forecasters revealed that a full-fledged La Niña event had failed to develop.
Why not?
"Trade winds play a big role," Muhammad Azhar Ehsan, a climate scientist at Columbia Climate School's Center for Climate Systems Research, told Live Science. He explained that weakening trade winds in the eastern Pacific likely kept cold water from rising to the surface — a key step in forming a robust La Niña.
But the story may not be over. When the 30-year temperature baseline is revised to include more recent, warmer years, future analysts might reclassify this winter's La Niña in the historical record, even if it didn't qualify in real time.
Graph showing the ENSO possibilities for the three month periods through to November, December and January. (Image credit: NOAA Climate Prediction Center image)
What does ENSO-neutral mean for the weather?
Without El Niño or La Niña tipping the scale, forecasting gets harder. These patterns sharpen the blur of seasonal predictions, adding crucial information about how the weather might drift from the usual script. Without them, when ENSO is neutral, they're left squinting into the future with little more than historical averages and climate trends.
"Without an El Niño or a La Niña, a range of other factors drive seasonal weather," James Done, a project scientist at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, told Live Science. "These are less well understood, and the strength of the relationships is weaker. It's very complex."
Still, forecasters generally agree that this summer will likely be hotter than normal. "Surprise, surprise," Done said, "we have a background warming trend."
What does ENSO-neutral mean for the Atlantic hurricane season?
El Niño usually suppresses hurricanes, whereas La Niña and neutral conditions let them run wild. With a warm Atlantic and ENSO expected to stay neutral, that could mean a busy season.
"El Niño tends to increase vertical wind shear, and vertical wind shear tears apart hurricanes," Phil Klotzbach, a research scientist and hurricane forecast expert at Colorado State University, told Live Science via email. "Consequently, [without El Niño], we anticipate relatively hurricane-favorable wind shear patterns this summer and fall."
Others offered optimism. Ehsan said a cooling trend in the Atlantic from February to March could signal a quieter Atlantic hurricane season.
However, scientists say old rules of thumb become less reliable as background conditions change. "Last year was a weird one," Di Liberto said, referring to La Niña. "All signs pointed toward a horrible hurricane season, but it wasn't the worst-case scenario it could have been."
2023 didn't follow the script either. "We had an El Niño in 2023 but still saw more storms than usual," Done said. "So, there's a big debate: Does El Niño still kill off hurricanes, or are oceans now so warm that it changes the relationship? It's an open question."
Graph showing the observed and predicted temperatures that will indicate whether El Niño, La Niña or neutral conditions will appear through to fall. (Image credit: OAA Climate.gov image, based on data provided by Climate Prediction Center)
When will the next El Niño or La Niña hit?
In an April 10 statement, NOAA representatives wrote that El Niño or La Niña conditions likely won't turn up this summer and that ENSO-neutral conditions are expected to last through October.
As summer fades to fall and winter, the chances for La Niña rise, but the most likely scenario is still ENSO-neutral.
That said, scientists caution against putting too much stock into springtime ENSO forecasts. "Spring is a messy time for forecasting," Di Liberto said. That's because ENSO conditions primarily form during winter and fade into the spring, offering fewer reliable signals. "June is usually when things get more confident," he added.
La Niña Ends! What’s Next for US & Canada Weather? | 2025 Forecast Breakdown
How will climate change impact ENSO patterns?
No one knows how climate change will affect ENSO patterns, but scientists are concerned about the warming oceans and atmosphere.
"Warmer air holds more water. It's fundamental," Becker said. "That's a factor in why we're seeing some hurricanes deposit unbelievable amounts of rain — it's partly due to the higher moisture capacity of the atmosphere."
Warm waters can extend a hurricane season or fuel storms farther north. Once envisioned as coastal threats, storms are increasingly driving inland. For example, Hurricane Helene devastated Appalachian communities hundreds of miles from the sea in 2024. "You're making a better and bigger sponge, and it gets wrung out somewhere," Di Liberto said. "And communities have to deal with incomprehensible amounts of rainfall and flooding."
However, our understanding of hurricanes is incomplete, Done said. Our observational record extends back less than 160 years — just a blink of geologic time. Scientists who have studied the geologic record of ancient cyclones have found evidence of stronger hurricanes making landfall in the distant past, often tied to periods of climate change.
If the present is the key to the past, the past nods back: Earth has seen worse — and with oceans warming fast, scientists warn it may only be a matter of time before historically unprecedented storms strike again.
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La Niña Ends: What's Next for US & Canada Weather?#us#canada#europe#lanina#ElNiño
A cold blob of water in the North Atlantic is an ominous sign that a system of currents that regulate the planet's climate could be we
Atlantic ocean currents regulate the climate, and they may be weakening, emerging research suggests.
(Image credit: Nicholas Forder)
Amysterious patch of water in the North Atlantic has baffled scientists for decades. Located to the southeast of Greenland, this blob of seawater was colder between 1901 and 2021 than during the late 1800s, even as the seas around it became ever warmer.
Some scientists linked this "warming hole" to an inflow of frigid Arctic meltwater; others blamed pollution from shipping, which can bounce the sun's rays back into space. But a growing body of evidence suggests the hole has a more sinister origin — one whose impacts, if unleashed, would reach much farther than a small region of the North Atlantic.
The warming hole might be a sign that Atlantic Ocean currents are slowing down. This network of currents regulates Earth's climate, moving heat from the tropics to the Northern Hemisphere. The currents, which include the Gulf Stream, form a huge and seemingly permanent loop known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)
Science Spotlight takes a deeper look at emerging science and gives you, our readers, the perspective you need on these advances. Our stories highlight trends in different fields, how new research is changing old ideas, and how the picture of the world we live in is being transformed thanks to science.
The AMOC has weakened before, ancient sediments reveal, and some past changes in circulation have been extremely abrupt. But human societies will struggle to adapt to the rapid rate of change that many researchers predict over the coming century, said Robert Marsh, a professor of oceanography and climate at the University of Southampton in the U.K. Weaker currents could unleash freezing weather in parts of Europe, exacerbate sea level rise along the U.S. East Coast, and trigger droughts around the equator in ways that scientists are racing to predict.
Whether the AMOC has already weakened and whether the currents could collapse completely are contentious questions. But what is clear is that "we're interrupting the system," Marsh told Live Science.
A giant heater
The AMOC is part of Earth's biggest conveyor belt, the thermohaline circulation, which pushes water around the world's oceans. Waters flowing north from the tip of South Africa ride on the surface of the ocean, absorbing heat from the atmosphere as they glide through the tropics and subtropics. They release this heat into the North Atlantic near Greenland, leading to a warming effect that is particularly strong in Northwest Europe.
To travel back south, surface waters in the North Atlantic must plunge down the water column and merge with bottom currents. Climate scientists say this sinking step is where the circulation is slowing down, because surface waters have to be very salty, and therefore very dense, to sink. But growing rivers of meltwater from the Greenland Ice Sheet and the Arctic are diluting the salt concentrations of surface waters, preventing them from plunging to the seafloor.
A map of the ocean currents in the Atlantic. These ocean currents are weakening due to a "warming hole" in the waters southeast of Greenland. (Image credit: Adapted from PeterHermesFurian, via Getty Images)
The warming hole that worries scientists is in a spot where the AMOC releases heat. Ocean temperatures there are lower than researchers would expect to see, given current global temperatures, if the AMOC were still going strong. That suggests heat transport from south to north has already declined.
And with climate change cooking the planet, there is a risk that more fresh water will pour into the North Atlantic, triggering a feedback loop that would accelerate the weakening of the AMOC. As ocean currents slow, the amount of salt reaching the North Atlantic may decrease, making it harder for already-diluted surface waters to sink.
"When you have a strong AMOC, it draws in salty water," David Thornalley, an ocean and climate scientist at University College London, told Live Science. "If you start to weaken the AMOC, less salty water gets drawn into the North Atlantic, and that then weakens the AMOC, and then it's a runaway process."
Defining "collapse"
The warming hole is one piece of evidence suggesting the AMOC has already weakened, but not everyone agrees.
The problem is that direct measurements of the AMOC's strength only go back to 2004, so researchers rely on indirect "fingerprints" — climate parameters they think are linked to the AMOC — to identify long-term trends in Atlantic circulation.
The trouble with fingerprints is that they give variable — and sometimes contradictory — results. For instance, a 2018 study suggested weakening, while research published in January suggests Atlantic currents have not declined over the past 60 years, though some scientists criticized the January study's data.
Regardless of whether Atlantic currents have already slowed, most scientists think they will in the future.
Melting ice from the Greeland ice sheet is affecting ocean currents throughout the Atlantic. (Image credit: Ashley Cooper via Getty Images)
Should the circulation weaken significantly, "some pretty major changes are going to happen," Thornalley said, "and they're going to happen gradually over the 21st century."
For one, dwindling ocean currents will carry less heat to countries like Norway, Sweden and the U.K., leading to cooler temperatures in these regions. The amount of cooling will depend on how much strength the AMOC loses.
Climate models generate varying predictions, depending on what assumptions are baked into them, how sensitive they are to certain climate factors, and the data researchers feed the models. Some show a 10% reduction in the AMOC's strength, while others predict a decline closer to 50%, Marsh said.
"A 50% reduction would be far more substantial of an impact on our regional climate," Marsh said, adding that the resulting drop in temperature would disrupt industries that depend on the weather, such as farming. By comparison, "A 10% weakening of the AMOC would be noticeable, but manageable," he said. "It probably would make our weather a little less mild in the wintertime, in particular."
A complete collapse is unlikely, a study published in February found. Even if surface waters stop plunging in the North Atlantic, there are relatively constant factors, such as the wind, that drive the movement of water, Marsh said.
"A collapse, which is some hypothetical 100% failure of the [AMOC], just doesn't feel plausible to me," Marsh said. But the AMOC doesn't need to collapse to throw human lives and systems into chaos, he added.
"Really wild things"
Cooling in the North Atlantic and Northwest Europe could offset some of the warming from climate change — but that may not be a good thing, Marsh said. A drop in temperatures may alter atmospheric processes that drive storms and other weather events in these regions, he said.
Cooling in the North Atlantic won't directly make the U.S. East Coast colder, Marsh said. That's because weather in the Northeast is dictated more by the Arctic polar vortex, a ring of cold wind that circles the North Pole and traps frigid air near the Arctic. If this band becomes deformed or expands, which it sometimes does in the winter, chilly air escapes and sweeps over the Midwest and as far south as the Gulf.
But a weaker AMOC could alter the Arctic polar vortex, which would, in turn, affect the Northeast, Marsh said. The vortex is vulnerable to changes in climate, and recent evidence suggests the structure is already behaving strangely.
Direct impacts on the East Coast and Northwest Europe could also result from sea level rise. Sea levels in parts of the North Atlantic are currently 2.3 feet (70 centimeters) lower than they would be if the AMOC were weaker, because strong currents create uneven sea levels. If the AMOC weakens, water may redistribute itself and add to the sea level rise caused directly by global warming.
Changes in AMOC could alter the Arctic polar vortex, which has caused major winter storms in recent years.(Image credit: DenisTangneyJr via Getty Images)
As the Northern Hemisphere cools, tropical and subtropical regions could also be thrown into chaos. Studies indicate that a colder North Atlantic would alter Earth's energy balance and trigger a southward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), a band of clouds that encircles the globe near the equator.
The moisture-laden ITCZ bobs up and down depending on Earth's position relative to the sun, bringing heavy rainfall and storms. It is responsible for monsoons — weather patterns with distinct wet and dry seasons — in South America, West Africa, India and East Asia.
Should the ITCZ shift southward, research suggests it would throw monsoons out of whack for at least 100 years. "Right now, we have these regions that are used to getting this very intense rainfall in their wet seasons," said Ben-Yami, the lead author of this research. Ecosystems are adapted to these downpours, and people depend on rainfall for agriculture, she said.
A southward shift of the ITCZ would lead to shorter and drier wet seasons in places like West Africa. These effects could persist for decades and severely disrupt life around the equator, Ben-Yami said. "Farmers somewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, they need that rainfall," she said.
Shifts in rainfall would affect the Amazon rainforest, too. The effects may differ between the Northern and Southern parts, because the rainforest is so big that the southern part would still receive significant rainfall even if the ITCZ were to shift southward, Ben-Yami said.
But the northern Amazon rainforest — including parts of Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana and Brazil — would experience longer and more intense dry seasons, which would be devastating for the region, she said.
Combined, the effects of a weakened AMOC could cost hundreds of billions, if not trillions, of dollars, Thornalley said. "It's a pretty global shift in climate — it would be very, very expensive," Thornalley told Live Science.
What's more, North Atlantic sediments from the last ice age (120,000 to 11,500 years ago) suggest that abrupt shifts in climate linked to the AMOC have occurred in the past.
"We know the climate can do really wild things," Thornalley said. "We know that really, really, really well."
Because direct measurements go back only 20 years, scientists often extrapolate from historical data to estimate when Atlantic currents might reach a tipping point. Tipping points are thresholds in some of Earth's systems that, once exceeded, can flip these systems from one stable state into a profoundly different one.
A good analogy to explain tipping points is a chair, Ben-Yami said. A chair is stable when it is standing on four legs or lying down; any position between these two is unstable. A person sitting on the chair can tip it backward slightly, but past a certain threshold, the chair tumbles to the ground.
An attention-grabbing study in 2023 concluded that the AMOC could reach a tipping point as early as this year. The authors used sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre between 1870 and 2020 to calculate fluctuations in the AMOC's resilience and strength. Their model suggested Atlantic currents are growing less resilient and weaker, to the point of possibly tipping before mid-century.
In a 2024 paper, however, Ben-Yami and other experts argued that there is too much uncertainty in data from before 2004 to predict when the AMOC might tip. "Once you take all these uncertainties into account, you don't get a practical prediction," she said.
"We're getting more and more worried."
UU Research Portal E.J.V. (Emma) Smolders, Utrecht University
Not having robust predictions is perhaps worse than knowing when the system will fail, because the future is so unclear, Ben-Yami said. "We should be even more careful" in the face of this uncertainty, she cautioned.
While some researchers are looking to the past for answers, others are searching for early warning signals that hold clues about future changes in the AMOC. One of these signals is the amount of fresh water flowing into the Atlantic at a latitude of 34 degrees south, near the tip of South Africa. Models suggest fresh water transport there will hit a minimum about 25 years before the AMOC reaches a tipping point, meaning experts could accurately predict shifts in the AMOC before the biggest changes occur.
But knowing about this minimum won't help anyone prevent the AMOC from weakening significantly, because it will be too late to reverse the driver — human-caused climate change — by the time the minimum is reached, said E.J.V. (Emma) Smolders, a doctoral student who specializes in AMOC early warning signals at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
"We're getting more and more worried," Smolders told Live Science, adding that her research group is trying to find other warning signals that will help scientists make predictions with more lead time to act.
Her group described one of these alternative signals in a study published to the preprint database arXiv in June 2024. The study, which has not been peer-reviewed yet, found that salinity in the Atlantic near the tip of South Africa may be a better indicator than fresh water of when the AMOC will weaken.
Based on patterns in this salt transport, Smolders and colleagues estimated that the AMOC will "collapse" around 2050, which agrees with previous, peer-reviewed research.
Looking for early warning signals is important, because "it could be that we need as much advanced knowledge as possible to prepare civilian, even military, assets" to deal with the consequences of AMOC weakening, Marsh said. These assets may be needed to shield infrastructure and communities from unpredictable weather, he said.
Ultimately, regardless of whether we know exactly when the AMOC will decline, the takeaway is the same, Marsh and others said: Stop global warming by slashing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere.
The possibility that the AMOC could be approaching a tipping point "should be enough incentive, alongside knowing what the impact would be, for us to want to stop what we're doing," Thornalley said. "We might not be able to say exactly how long we've got left, but [the evidence] suggests we could have a tipping point, and we really want to avoid that."
Editor's note:This article was updated at 5:14 E.D.T on April 25 to correct an error in the introduction. The blob in the North Atlantic is cold, not warm.
This story is part of The 89 Percent Project, an initiative of the global journalism collaboration Covering Climate Now.
New research shows that microplastics have been contaminating some freshwater streams decades earlier than previously recorded. What could that mean for human health?
Caddisfly larvae built protective casings around themselves using materials available in the environment. This casing, from 1986, has blue microplastic in it.
(Image credit: Auke-Florian Hiemstra)
Microplastic pollution from industrial waste has been contaminating freshwater ecosystems for decades, with evidence pointing to this run-off starting in the 1950s to 1970s. Now, though, new evidence suggests the extent of that pollution might be even broader than once thought.
In a study published April 25 in the journal Science of The Total Environment, scientists examined the larvae of caddisflies, small insects that build protective casings around themselves using plant material, sand and small stones in their environment. These casings, gathered in the 1970s and 1980s, came from clear, spring-fed streams in the Netherlands that were considered pristine at the time.
However, the study revealed that the larvae were incorporating plastic particles into their protective casings as early as 1971 — in other words, microplastics had infiltrated even these seemingly untouched ecosystems.
"The inclusion of plastic in the casing of a caddisfly means plastic is entering the food chain," said lead study author Auke-Florian Hiemstra, a doctoral candidate in evolutionary ecology at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center.
"Many birds and fish eat these caddisfly larvae, and some swallow them including their casing," Hiemstra told Live Science in an email. "If caddisflies have been affected by microplastics for over half a century, that means the broader ecosystem is affected too."
Thecasing specimens in the study are part of the natural history collections at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands. The researchers used a technique called energy dispersive X-ray analysis to reveal chemical elements and additives commonly associated with plastics inside the casings.
This provided a rare snapshot into the impact of microplastics on freshwater systems, which represent less than 4% of current studies on microplastics, Hiemstra said. Generally, the presence of microplastics in the 2000s iswell documented, but the historical timeline of microplastic pollution has remained vague. This lack of historical data has made it difficult to assess how long ecosystems and human populations have been exposed to microplastics, thus complicating risk assessments and epidemiological studies.
So, how might this study change our understanding of the history of microplastic exposure and its potential impacts on human health?
Microplastics in nature and the body
This caddisfly casing from 1971 has microplastic in it, the researchers found. (Image credit: Auke-Florian Hiemstra)
Microplastics are tiny fragments of synthetic polymers that can take anywhere from hundreds to thousands of years to degrade. They're defined as being between 1 micrometer and 5 millimeters long. Today, they seem to be found virtually everywhere: inclouds, theair we breathe, food, drinking water, and human blood and breast milk. These particles stem from the breakdown of larger plastics, and in some cases, they are intentionally manufactured for use in certain cosmetics and cleaning products.
Research suggests that the human body clears out some larger microplastics measuring up to 150 micrometers long, while fragments smaller than 10 micrometers may be absorbed into tissues. But recent research suggests that some plastics in our bodies are even tinier than that.
While whatqualifies as "nanoplastic" is still under debate, these ultrasmall particles are typically considered to be any plastic fragments smaller than 1 micrometer (or 1,000 nanometers) in diameter. A human hair, by comparison, is around 80,000 nanometers wide. Nanoplastics are small enough to potentially pass through cell membranes, studies suggest.
Matthew Campen, a toxicologist at the University of New Mexico, recentlyled a study that pointed to the presence of nanoplastics in human tissues. Using advanced, high-resolution imaging techniques, his team identified plastic fragments measuring no more than 200 nanometers in length — thin enough that they were translucent — in brain tissue from a few dozen organ donors.
After its publication, some of the analytical techniques used in the study were criticized, so the exact quantities of different types of plastic may be off, experts told Live Science. But by detecting nanoplastics, the findings expand upon previous work that relied on microscopes that could only detect particles up to 25 times larger.
That study, which included samples collected between 2016 and 2024, also suggested that later samples carried higher concentrations of plastics, and that the brains of individuals who died with dementia contained more plastic than healthy brains. These results raised questions about whether the public's plastic exposure has been increasing over time.
Hiemstra's new findings feed into that broader discussion and may have implications for how we understand the health risks of microplastics. If the pollutants have been present throughout the environment — not only near industrial sites — since the 1970s, that might reframe our understanding of where people have been exposed and for how long. Plastics not only accumulate in the environment, but also in the body, so better understanding the timeline and extent of exposure can help scientists unpack its long-term health outcomes.
As Hiemstra's study was focused on only the Netherlands, though, other work will need to be done to understand the history of microplastic pollution on a global scale.
Scientists arestill working to understand exactly how microplastics and the chemicals within plastics — such as phthalates and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — might affect our bodies, Tracey Woodruff, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) who studies how pollutants affect reproductive and developmental health, told Live Science.
Early research has linked plastic exposure to the risk of various health conditions, including heart disease, lung disorders,cancer and Alzheimer's disease. In each of these cases, the link is correlative, so it's not clear if or how the plastics might be contributing to the diseases. In addition, in lab-dish studies, some types of plastics appear to be relatively harmless, while others have been shown to kill human cells in vitro.
In 2024, Woodruff and her team at UCSF'sProgram on Reproductive Health and the Environment published asystematic review of nearly 2,000 studies on the health effects of microplastics as part of a California state-commissionedreport aimed at guiding policy decisions. The review identified potential health effects on respiratory, digestive and reproductive health, and particularly on sperm.
"While a link between chemicals in plastics and chronic diseases is clear, it's hard to separate the effects of the microplastic from its chemical additives," Woodruff noted.
Our understanding of the potential harms of microplastic exposure is very preliminary at this stage.
Bernardo Lemos, University of Arizona and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
She added that, "with rising cancer rates among younger people and increasing exposure [to microplastics] from early life, the potential long-term health risks — especially for those exposed in utero — remain a major concern," Woodruff said. Exposure to pollution is one of several competing theories for why the rates of certain cancers are rising in people under 50.
"More data will help address the uncertainty in the findings, but we're being exposed to [microplastics] right now, so it would be prudent to reduce exposures," Woodruff said.
While it's suspected that microplastics have negative impacts on human health, the World Health Organization emphasizes that the evidence for these effects is still limited and inconclusive.
"Our understanding of the potential harms of microplastic exposure is very preliminary at this stage," said Bernardo Lemos, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Arizona and an adjunct professor of environmental epigenetics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Lemos has led research to document the effects of microplastic exposure in humans and in model organisms, such as fruit flies, mice and fish.
"I am sure there will be many more studies documenting an abundance of microplastics in historical samples," Lemos told Live Science in an email. "It will be interesting to document how microplastics' abundance and quality change over decades." The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, an intergovernmental organization, predicts that plastic production maytriple by 2060.
A close-up of a caddisfly casing from 1986. (Image credit: Pasquale Ciliberti and Isabel van der Velden)
While Woodruff noted it would be prudent to reduce microplastic exposure, it's unclear what levels of micro- and nanoplastics we're realistically taking in on a daily basis. "Plastics can degrade into smaller fragments, but they persist, so we're going to be exposed to them for a very long time," Woodruff said.
She suggested that, at the individual level, people can reduce their exposure to microplastics and the chemicals in them by consuming fewer ultraprocessed foods, which are more likely to come into contact with plastic than whole or less-processed foods. She also suggested that it may help to avoid plastic containers, bottles and packaging where possible.
"There is still so little known about the history of microplastics," Hiemstra said. But thanks to collections that include specimens like the caddisfly casings, we may have unknowingly collected more evidence than we thought about the early days of this pollutant.
Other natural history collections around the world may harbor even older casings with microplastics, he suggested, highlighting the untapped value of such collections as tools for environmental science. They may offer a way to establish historical baselines of microplastic pollution, which are still largely missing from the record and could help us trace the true health impact of plastics.
One of nature's mightiest beasts has never before been documented in its natural environment – until now.
Scientists have captured the first ever footage of a live colossal squid – the largest invertebrate on the planet.
The stunning 4K video film, captured in the deep sea by California's Schmidt Ocean Institute, shows the rare creature's transparent body and eight pink tentacles.
Colossal squid can grow up to 23 feet (7 metres) and weigh as much as 500kg, making them the heaviest invertebrate on the planet.
But this specimen, which looks like a delicate glass sculpture, is just a 'teenager' – measuring 11 inches (30cm).
Dying colossal squid adults have previously been filmed by fishermen, but the species has never been seen alive at depth before.
Expedition chief scientist, Dr Michelle Taylor at the University of Essex, called the footage 'stunning' and 'beautiful'.
'The squid is a teenager and none have ever been filmed alive before in their natural habitat, juvenile or adult,' she told MailOnline.
This is the first confirmed live observation of the colossal squid, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, in its natural habitat
The species can reach 23 feet (7 metres) in length, but this specimen is a baby - just 11 inches (30cm)
'Adults likely shy away from remotely operated vehicles; we probably caught this teenager unawares and its response was to sit very still and hope we weren’t a predator.'
It comes 100 years after the first colossal squid specimens were found and described in 1925 – based on specimens from the stomach of a hunted sperm whale.
This incredible new sighting occurred on March 9 this year during an expedition near the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Schmidt Ocean Institute's remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SuBastian was at a depth of 1,968 feet (600 metres) as it was livestreaming the footage.
However, those watching, including Dr Taylor, did not know the significance of what they were seeing on the screen.
'At the time, not being a squid expert and regrettably having none on board the ship, we did not realise that we had seen a colossal squid,' Dr Taylor told MailOnline.
'We knew it was a beautiful glass squid so paused on the descent to watch it; why would you not, it’s stunning.'
Only later when a team of scientists including Dr Bolstad and Dr Aaron Evans, an independent squid expert, reviewed the footage could its identity be verified.
The colossal squid was first described in 1925 based on specimens from the stomach of a commercially hunted sperm whale. A century later, an international voyage captured the first confirmed video of this species in its natural habitat
The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SuBastian, which captured the historic footage, is recovered onto Research Vessel Falkor (too)
Colossal squid can grow up to 23 feet (7 metres) and weigh as much as 500kg, making them the heaviest invertebrate on the planet
Distinguishing characteristics of colossal squid are hooks on the ends of the two long tentacles and in the middle of each of the eight shorter arms.
When they saw the arm hooks, Dr Evans 'started hyperventilating', he told a press briefing announcing the footage on Tuesday.
Fortunately no attempts to catch the creature and bring it to shore were made, unlike other colossal squid specimens.
Back in 2007, the largest recorded colossal squid, a female, was captured by a New Zealand fishing boat in the Ross Sea off Antarctica.
The squid was dying when it was captured and photographed before its corpse was taken back to New Zealand for scientific study.
Dr Taylor said seeing a live specimen in its natural habitat is so important because we get to observe finally observe its biology and ecology.
'For example, see how it holds itself in the water column, how is moves, its behaviours – none of this is possible with dead specimens,' she said.
As well as being the world's largest invertebrate, the colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) is the world's largest squid species and a member of the glass squid family (scientifically known as 'Cranchiidae').
A preserved colossal squid on display at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington
Back in January, another expedition filmed the first confirmed footage of the glacial glass squid (Galiteuthis glacialis) in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica
It is not to be confused with the giant squid (Architeuthis dux), which is similarly large and elusive but has been seen in its deep sea habitat before.
Little is known about the colossal squid’s life cycle, but eventually, they lose the transparent appearance of the juveniles, as seen in this new clip.
It comes shortly after the first confirmed footage of the glacial glass squid (Galiteuthis glacialis) in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica, taken in January.
G. glacialis is another glass squid species that has never been seen alive in its natural environment before – although adults only reach a maximum mantle length of 20 inches (50 cm).
'The first sighting of two different squids on back-to-back expeditions is remarkable and shows how little we have seen of the magnificent inhabitants of the Southern Ocean,' said Dr Jyotika Virmani, Schmidt Ocean Institute’s executive director.
'Fortunately, we caught enough high-resolution imagery of these creatures to allow the global experts, who were not on the vessel, to identify both species.'
The world's largest invertebrates
Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (a spine or backbone).
The largest living invertebrates (and most likely of all time) are two species of mega-squid.
Based on length, the record holder is the giant squid (Architeuthis dux) which can grow to at least (42 ft 8 in (13 metres).
However, most of this length is in its tentacles with the main body (mantle) reaching up to 7 ft 5 in (2.25 metres).
The heaviest entire specimen of giant squid on record was approximately 220 kg (485 lb).
Colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni), on the other hand, take the record based on weight.
They have a similar-sized mantle (up to 8 ft 2 in/2.5 metres) but shorter tentacles.
The biggest intact colossal squid to date measured 17 ft 9 in (5.4 metres).
Colossal squid are much heftier, weighing up to 495 kg (1,091 lb).
A colossal squid has been filmed in its natural habitat for the first time ever, a century after it was first identified by scientists.
The elusive colossal squid has finally been caught on camera, an entire century after it was first discovered.
A team of scientists aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel Falkor filmed a not-so-colossal juvenile measuring 11.8 inches (30 centimeters) long as it swam through the ocean near the South Sandwich Islands at a depth of around 1,968 feet (600 meters).
The video, which was captured on March 9 in the South Atlantic Ocean by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) named SuBastian, shows the translucent baby squid gently swimming through the abyss of the deep ocean, with its tiny tentacles dangling behind it.
The juvenile colossal squid was filmed near the South Sandwich Islands. (Image credit: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute)
"It's exciting to see the first in situ footage of a juvenile colossal and humbling to think that they have no idea that humans exist," Kat Bolstad, a squid researcher at the the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, who was an independent scientific expert consulted to verify the footage, said in a statement. "For 100 years, we have mainly encountered them as prey remains in whale and seabird stomachs and as predators of harvested toothfish."
Colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) are bigger than even the famous giant squid (Architeuthis dux). They are considered the largest invertebrates on the planet, measuring up to 46 feet (14 m) long — as long as a semitrailer — and weighing as much as 1,100 pounds (500 kilograms). They have the largest eyes of any known animal, which can measure up to 11 inches (27 cm) across — about the size of a soccer ball.
The squid was just under 12 inches in length. Adults can grow up to 46 feet. (Image credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute)
These bizarre creatures live deep beneath the Antarctic waters of the Southern Ocean. They live deeper and deeper with age, with the youngest and smallest squid being found down to about 1,640 feet (500 m), adolescents living between 1,600 and 6,600 feet (500 to 2,000 m), and fully grown adults living even deeper.
This year marks 100 years since the colossal squid was formally identified and named, but in the century since, very few have ever been seen. The species was first discovered after two of its arms were found in the stomach of a sperm whale during the winter of 1924-1925.
The new video is the first-ever live observation of this species in its natural habitat. Dying adult colossal squid have been filmed by fishermen, and the first complete specimen was captured in 2007 by a fishing vessel near Antarctica. Most of what we know about this species and its lifestyle comes from beaks found in sperm whale stomachs. Only 12 complete colossal squid specimens had ever been found as of 2015, and about half of those were juveniles.
The scientists on the previous Falkor expedition in January also filmed the first-ever confirmed footage of the glacial glass squid (Galiteuthis glacialis), which had also never been observed in its natural habitat before now.
"The first sighting of two different squids on back-to-back expeditions is remarkable and shows how little we have seen of the magnificent inhabitants of the Southern Ocean," Jyotika Virmani, Schmidt Ocean Institute's executive director, said in the statement. "These unforgettable moments continue to remind us that the ocean is brimming with mysteries yet to be solved."
Many Lives Across Time and Space? Enthralling Tales of Reincarnation
The idea of reincarnation and life after death has been with humanity, arguably, since its collective understanding of its own existence. And today, in our contemporary era, not only is the idea of past and future lives a matter of legitimate debate, even in mainstream circles, but advancements in modern sciences such as quantum physics may take us closer to understanding such thought-provoking and potentially reality-altering phenomena than ever before. Indeed, if reincarnation were one day proven to be “real” – however we might define it – then it would essentially mean that each one of us, as well as everyone who has ever lived, is immortal, with many lives to be lived again and again, perhaps until the end of time itself.
However, rather than whether reincarnation is real, we might ask just what it is, and what it represents. Is it proof of a human soul, for example? And is reincarnation the inevitable destiny of all human beings or just some, and if that is the case, who, or what, decides who lives again and who doesn’t? Such questions are still being grappled with today and have been for thousands of years. We know that many legends of the ancient world speak of the gods being “reborn” into the rulers of the day, for example. Many philosophers of ancient Greece pondered if the human soul would go on to live again and if it had lived before. Even as (relatively) recently as the dark days of the Inquisition, to voice such beliefs of reincarnation would have likely resulted in you being burned at the stake as a heretic.
In the modern age, while many still resist even the possibility of such things as reincarnation, much more serious research has been carried out, with several intriguing details highlighted, not least that of the many people who claim to be able to recall a past life; a large proportion of them are children. It is worth noting the musings of the great Carl Sagan, for example, who stated (admittedly, decades ago) that, “young children sometimes report details of a previous life, which upon checking, turn out to be accurate, and which they could not have known about in any other way than reincarnation!”
Sagan isn’t alone in his deductions. Another person who has carried out extensive research into reincarnation is Jim Tucker, who authored the paper Children’s Reports of Past-Life Memories and stated that, “The subjects usually stop making their past-life statements by the age of six or seven, and most (then) seem to lose the purported memories. This is the age when children start school and begin having more experience in their current life, as well as when they tend to lose their early childhood memories!”
Tucker also highlighted several other truly thought-provoking details. Often, although not exclusively, there was a period of less than two years between the birth of a child who would eventually recall their past life and the death of the individual whose life they could recall. Moreover, again, not exclusively but often, the two individuals were in the same country or geographical area, or had some other form of connection. Perhaps more ominously, around 70 percent of the past life memories were of an individual who had died by “unnatural means” – in short, they met an untimely end, such as a tragic accident, or even were murdered. Even more thought-provoking, he noted many examples of a person who could recall a past life that ended in such an unnatural way often had birthmarks on their bodies that corresponded to such an end – so, if a person was shot in the head in a past life, there is a good chance they will have a birthmark in the same location as the fatal wound. He further noted that if a person met such a tragic end, their reincarnated self usually had a fear or phobia in sympathy with it (once more, a person who had been shot in their past life might have a fear of guns or even loud gunshot-type noises).
Perhaps some of the most mind-bending speculations are to consider that past lives might not necessarily be limited to existences here on Earth in the past or future, but on another world altogether as a different form of life entirely – essentially, an alien. Before we examine some of the more outlandish claims of reincarnation, we will turn our attention to some of the claims that have aided in pushing this phenomenon much more into the mainstream, many of which were investigated by the previously mentioned Jim Tucker.
Arguably, one of the best-known and perhaps most credible cases of reincarnation is that of James Leininger, who claimed he could remember his life as a fighter pilot in the Second World War. According to his family, from as young as three years old, James not only had an intense interest in Second World War aviation, he had intricate knowledge of how each aircraft worked, certainly beyond his age, not least as he had not been exposed to what the Second World War – fought over half a century earlier - actually was. Not only could he draw detailed pictures of a US fighter plane’s drop tank, but he could also break the plane down in a way that only an experienced pilot could. Alongside these amazing abilities, however, James also suffered from intense night terrors. When his family asked him to draw a picture of his nightmares, he drew a plane, in flames, seemingly hurtling towards the ground.
Eventually, his family asked him about his dreams and his drawings, and what they meant. Needless to say, his response was not what they were expecting. He stated with absolute certainty that he was the pilot of the plane. Even more unsettling, he asserted that “the Japanese” had shot down his plane, and he had been in an accident as a result. He then stated, just as matter-of-factly, that “his boat” was the HMAS Natoma. When his parents researched what James had said, they discovered that the US Navy boat existed and it had served against the Japanese in the Second World War. During subsequent investigations of James’ claims, a photograph was shown to him of the crew members of the HMAS Natoma. He went on to correctly identify each of the crew members by name, as well as identifying himself as US Navy Pilot James Houston. Once more, research confirmed that James Houston did serve on the HMAS Natoma and that he had lost his life following an engagement with the enemy. Just to add to James’ credibility, when his description of his (Houston’s) demise and the circumstances surrounding it was compared to the surviving crew members of the unit, they matched perfectly.
Another thought-provoking, if disturbing, case of apparent reincarnation is that of five-year-old Luke Ruehlman. When listening to him play, Luke’s mother, Erica, often heard him refer to someone as “Pam.” Eventually, Erica asked Luke who Pam was, to which he replied that he “was Pam but I died,” adding that he “went up to Heaven” but was “pushed back down!” He then stated, “When I woke up, I was a baby, and you named me Luke!” This response, as we might imagine, startled Erica, not least as Luke had made several matter-of-fact statements that he “used to be a girl,” and that he “wore the same earrings as mom,” but he had black hair.
Despite her shock, Erica pressed Luke further, asking where Pam used to live and how she died. Luke offered that he (Pam) lived in Chicago and that he “took the train a lot!” Ultimately, Pam had died in a fire when she was forced to jump out of a window. As unnerving as Erica found these statements from her son, she immediately began researching what he had told her. To her shock, she discovered that in March 1993, at the Paxton Hotel in Chicago, a fire had ripped through the building and left 19 people dead. One of those who perished in the blaze was a lady named Pam Robinson, who had died after the smoke and flames had forced her to jump from one of the hotel windows.
Another fascinating claim of recollections of a past life surfaced in Scotland in 2009 when two-year-old Cameron Macauley suddenly began talking about “another life” where he lived in a “white house” on the island of Barra. Moreover, he offered even more details, stating that he had owned a black and white dog and was the son of Shane Robertson. He was, though, he claimed, killed when he was knocked down by a motorist. What caused the most anguish for his parents, however, not least because of the distress they could see it caused Cameron, was when he stated, which he did often, that he “missed his other mother!”
Eventually, the family decided to visit the island with Cameron, and he promptly led them to a white house on the beachfront. As if that wasn’t proof enough, the family discovered that a family called the Robertsons did indeed live there. Furthermore, not only did Cameron know his way around the house as if he had lived there his entire life, but the black and white dog he had spoken of was also present. In fact, almost every detail Cameron offered matched; all, that is, apart from the name of his alleged father, Shane, which was incorrect. The case is another one investigated by the previously mentioned Jim Tucker, and he noted, regarding the incorrect detail, that this simply could have been due to Cameron getting older and so recalling less and less, as he had noted with many children who could recall past lives.
There is little doubt that one of the strangest cases of reincarnation came to light over half a century ago, in England in the 1950s. The story begins on May 5th, 1957, when John and Florence Pollok, along with their two daughters, 11-year-old Joanna and six-year-old Jacqueline, were driving through Hexham, where they lived, when they were involved in a horrific car accident in which both of the children were killed. John and Florence, as we might imagine, were shattered by the double loss. Around a year later, however, on October 4th, 1958, Florence gave birth to twin girls, whom the couple named Gillian and Jennifer.
Several weeks after their birth, John and Florence made a remarkable discovery, one that filled them with dread and comfort at the same time. Jennifer had clear birthmarks on her forehead and waist – in the same place as Jacqueline, one of their daughters, who had died in a car accident the previous year, had the same birthmarks. The couple put the discovery out of their minds and, in an attempt to move on with their lives, moved to the north of England for a fresh start. However, as the years went by, the two twin girls began asking for toys that not only did they not own, but that had belonged to their deceased sisters. The high strangeness continued when the family decided to move back to Hexham several years later. To their amazement, despite never having been there before, the two twins knew the area as if they had lived there all their lives. If there was any doubt that their twin girls were the reincarnated souls of their two daughters who had died in the car accident in May 1957, that was wiped away when observing the two girls' reaction whenever a car approached their vehicle, which was one of absolute fear and terror.
Although many of the cases we have explored have featured people recalling past lives from relatively recently, there are cases of people recalling past lives from hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years ago. Perhaps one of the most well-known and intriguing of these is the case of Dorothy Eady, who claimed she was once the unknown lover of one of the most powerful Pharaohs in ancient Egypt. And while such claims might be easy to dismiss as fantastical nonsense, when Eady began revealing information about archaeological sites that had not been released to the public, in some cases, had yet to be discovered, people began to take her claims much more seriously.
Eady was born in London in 1904 and had a perfectly normal childhood until the age of three, when a serious head injury caused her to be declared officially dead for several moments. She did, though, undergo an apparent miraculous recovery and appeared, at first, to be unaffected by the injury. However, as the months and years went on, her parents began to notice a distinct change in her behavior, not least her constant and sudden demands to “return home – to Egypt!”
Not only did the young girl begin to speak about life in ancient Egypt in amazing detail, but she claimed she had once lived there. Moreover, she insisted that she was a priestess named Bentreshyt and had lived in the Temple of Pharaoh Seti I. As the years went on, more and more details would emerge regarding Eady’s alleged life in ancient Egypt.
As well as the strange claims from their daughter, Eady’s parents began to notice an increasingly volatile side of her nature. She would have random moments of rage, erupting in screams and shouts. What made these rages worse was that she would speak in a language that neither of her parents was familiar with. As her teenage years unfolded, Dorothy became increasingly detached from her life in London and instead spoke and dreamed of her “real life” in Egypt. By the time she was an adult at the age of 28, now married to Eman Abdel Meguid, she finally returned to Egypt. And when she did, further memories of her past life now came flooding back to her. Moreover, she now had the guidance of a spirit named Hor-Ra. And Hor-Ra not only offered guidance to her, but further information about her past life in ancient Egypt.
She learned that her father had been a soldier in the Egyptian army who, following the death of her mother, who had been a fruit seller, had turned her over to the care of the priestesses in the Temple of Pharaoh Seti I. She referred to the Pharaoh as a “living god” whom she eventually met and fell deeply in love with, with the pair even conceiving a child together. However, this child, the high priest insisted, would “represent a great offense against the goddess Isis,” and would cause “many problems for the Pharaoh!” Ultimately, unable to be with the Pharaoh, and with her unborn child all but forbidden, Bentreshyt took her own life, although she often suggested cryptically that she had been ”encouraged” to take such measures.
Alongside these seemingly outlandish claims, though, Eady was able to provide archaeologists at ancient Egyptian sites with information not known to the public, and people began to take her claims more seriously. However, it was when she relocated to Abydos that some of her most thought-provoking revelations came to light. She began to speak of secret chambers and long-buried gardens that had yet to be discovered.
It was, though, some of her seemingly impromptu acts in front of people that received the most attention. Many people reported seeing her press on certain stones in the walls of the temple, looking to many as if she were pressing on them in a very specific order. Whenever she was asked what she was doing during these moments, she offered that she was seeking “hidden doors” and “portals” to other places. Of course, what she meant by this is something up for debate, but to many, it was tentative proof that such otherworldly gateways existed in ancient Egypt and that there was likely a lot more to the ancient Egyptian gods than just mortal men.
While Eady’s claims perhaps garnered the most attention, not least due to the remarkably accurate claims regarding archaeological sites, there are many other claims from people in the modern world who believe they can recall a life long ago.
One such example is James Arthur Flowerdew, also from the United Kingdom. Ever since he was young, Flowerdew has experienced intense dreams of being in a great city surrounded completely by desert. He also repeatedly saw a large temple carved into a rock face in the city. To his amazement, while watching a documentary on the BBC on the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, the pictures on his screen matched the images he had had for years in his dreams.
Realizing his dreams meant something quite profound, Flowerdew immediately went to the newspapers with his claims, and a short time later, the producers of the BBC documentary contacted him, asking if he wished to make a program about his claims, during which he could find out more about his strange dreams and how they connected to the ancient city of Petra. Flowerdew readily agreed, and he and the film crew set out for Petra. Immediately on arriving at the ancient city, Flowerdew claimed he had an intense feeling of “being home!”
It was clear that Flowerdew was fully aware of the layout and intricate details of the ancient city in a way that only a local person would have been aware. Moreover, much like Dorothy Eady, he put forward locations of sites yet to be discovered – claims that proved to be completely accurate, while the sites themselves were significant discoveries in their own right. He further claimed that he believed he had not just lived here decades ago, but hundreds and hundreds of years ago. Perhaps the most startling claim was when he saw a guard station and immediately proclaimed that this was where his previous life had come to an end. He elaborated that someone had stabbed him with a spear in this location, and he had died. Needless to say, many who witnessed these events, as well as those who saw them on the documentary by the BBC, were more than convinced by Flowerdew’s authenticity.
In the book Died 1513, Born 1929: The Autobiography of A.J. Stewart, Ada Kay wrote of her belief that she had lived before, specifically as the Stewart king, King James IV of Scotland, who was killed at the age of 40 at the Battle of Flodden in Northumberland in 1513. She claimed that since childhood, she had strange and intense memories of standing in a muddy field before being killed by soldiers armed with swords. Moreover, especially as a young child, she often questioned why she wasn’t a prince, why she didn’t live in a castle, and even why her name (her surname) wasn’t Stewart. However, it was only when she visited Flodden Field in the 1960s that her full recollection of her past life came flooding back.
It is also worth our time briefly exploring the claims of Peter Hume, a bingo caller from Birmingham, England, who claimed hypnotic regression had made clear the hazy memories he had recalled all of his life of a life he had lived hundreds of years previously. Ultimately, Hume pieced together that he had once lived as John Raphael and was a guard in Oliver Cromwell’s army in the 1640s. Although much of his recall was murky, he suggested that an important location during this previous life was a small church in the village of Culmstock in southern England. He offered that, at one point, the church had a tower that had a “yew tree growing in it!” This was proved to be accurate, although it was something that was not publicly known. Moreover, the church tower was destroyed in 1676. Even more amazing, the records of the church for the mid-seventeenth century (when Hume claimed he had lived his former life) did indeed show that a John Raphael was registered at the church, and had even been married in it.
Unlike many of the other cases of reincarnation we have examined here, Jeffrey Keene’s recollection of a past life came to him all of a sudden, as opposed to a long process of strange memories and dreams. While he was on vacation with his family on one of the battlefields of the American Civil War in Sunken Road, Maryland, in the early 1990s, he had a sudden feeling overtake his body that caused him to believe he was about to have a heart attack. Ultimately, the pain in his chest passed, as did the intense dizziness he felt. However, he couldn’t escape the feeling that he had been in this exact location before – a long time ago.
By chance, before they returned home, the Keenes had been invited to a party, and in attendance was a psychic. Jeffrey took the opportunity to speak with her about his surreal encounter on the battlefield. It was during this conversation that she asked if he had considered that he might have had a past life that was somehow connected to the location. Although he hadn’t, as the memories of the field came back to him, he had an overwhelming urge to shout out the words, “Not yet!” He had no explanation for this.
Perplexed but fascinated, Keene continued to research the location, as well as the battle itself. He soon came across a person named General Gordon, who had been at the Battle of Antietam at Sunken Road during the war. What really got Keene’s attention, though, was that Gordon’s most famous moment was when he shouted out the order, “Not yet!” to keep his troops from attacking and consequently falling victim to an ambush. When Keene noted wounds suffered by Gordon during the Civil War, they matched strange markings on his own body. Perhaps strangest of all, on his 30th birthday, Keene was hospitalized with a sudden, intense aching in his jaw. Records show that on his 30th birthday, Gordon was shot in the jaw. Make of all that what you will.
Another well-known claim of reincarnation, and one that came to the person making such claims completely out of the blue, unfolded in the 1950s when a Colorado housewife, Virginia Tighe, claimed she had lived a previous life as an Irishwoman in the nineteenth century. These memories came to light one evening in 1952 when Virginia was at a dinner party and another guest in attendance, a hypnotist named Morey Bernstein, claimed he could cure her of her persistent sneezes. After putting the young woman in a trance and instructing her to “keep going back, back through space and time,” she suddenly began speaking in a thick Irish accent (she had, incidentally, never been to Ireland in her life).
She then went on to tell Bernstein that she was the daughter of a Cork barrister and had been born in 1798, although she had “married another” in 1818 and was known as Bridey Murphy, a housewife in nineteenth-century Ireland who had died in 1864. She went on to describe – quite accurately – various locations around Cork, and also showed she was knowledgeable in Irish folklore. It wasn’t long before knowledge of her claims reached the media, and The Denver Post subsequently published a three-part series of articles on her. Following this, as well as attention very much being on Tighe, many journalists, historians, and researchers into the afterlife descended on Cork to check if the details she had offered were true.
Whether her claims were true or not, the international reaction to them was most definitely real. According to an article on the case in Medium by Laura Smith, “Scientists issued a report. Preachers warned their flocks of fads in faith. (And) a teenager shot himself, saying that he wanted to investigate reincarnation personally!” In short, her claims became an international talking point stretching out from society and culture, and into the realms of religion and science. Her claims resulted in the book by Bernstein, The Search for Bridey Murphy, which was later made into a film of the same name and topped The New York Times Best Sellers list.
Interestingly, perhaps more so than others who have claimed to have recalled past lives, Tighe and, in turn, Bernstein, faced a barrage of skepticism and even suspicions regarding the claims. It was soon revealed, for example, that Tighe grew up in Chicago and lived opposite a woman named Bridie Corkell, whose maiden name was Murphy. Not only do we have the name “Bridie Murphy,” but Corkell isn’t a million miles from Cork. Moreover, a close aunt of Tighe’s was of Scottish-Irish descent, which some people pointed to as a source of Irish folklore. However, for all of the suspicion and accusations, no one could prove that Tighe was being untruthful, in the same way no one could fully prove her authenticity.
For her part, Tighe claimed to be as surprised as anyone else by the revelations and pointed out that she had never actually claimed to have been a reincarnated Irish housewife from the nineteenth century, other than when under hypnosis. Further adding to her credibility, when Bernstein told her of his plans to turn her account into a book, she insisted that she use a pseudonym for her – which he did, Ruth Simmons – as she didn’t wish to seek further attention. She once stated that, “If I had known what was going to happen, I would never have lain down on that couch!”
Although it wasn’t as far back as some of the far-reaching claims of reincarnation, the case of four-year-old Edward Austrian is very much worth our time here. His family noticed that every time the weather was grey and damp, young Edward would become visibly anxious, even complaining of a severely sore throat. And this behavior had happened since he could first communicate with his parents. Eventually, they asked him what was causing his throat to hurt. He replied that his “shot was hurting!” Needless to say, his parents didn’t understand what he was trying to say. It would, however, become clearer over the coming months.
“We were walking along through the mud. It was damp. It was raining (and) it was cold. My rifle is heavy….I heard a shot come from behind…and I felt my throat fill with blood!”
This is a remarkably detailed and accurate description of the type of warfare on the battlefields of World War One, and one surely beyond the ability of a four-year-old boy to dream up. Incidentally, a cyst was eventually discovered in the young boy’s throat. Whether or not there was a connection between this and the apparent life-ending wound Edward claimed he suffered in his previous life remains open for debate.
While there are many examples and accounts of people who believe they can remember their past life here on Earth, there are others who insist they can recall previous lives on other planets. Without a doubt, one of the most intriguing of such accounts is that of Pauline Delcour-Min from Manchester, England. While we won’t delve into the specifics of it here, Paulinne stumbled onto her past life experience after discovering she had been a victim of alien abduction.
Following the revelations of her alien abduction encounters through hypnotic regression, Pauline sought further information, specifically any past lives she believed she had, of which, incidentally, she believed she had many. She was, though, not fully prepared for the revelations that she was about to uncover.
Pauline requested that a former student of hers, Francesca, conduct and oversee the sessions, which she did in Pauline’s Manchester home. Francesca promptly guided Pauline back through time, and before long, she found herself in a former life, only this existence was unlike anything she was prepared for. Pauline began to describe seeing her surroundings through the eyes of her former self, a former self that incidentally had existed millions of years ago. She described “looking down at my feet,” which were “grey with four toes that are a little webbed!” She continued that she had “slender legs, body, and arms,” with hands that had “three fingers and a little thumb,” which were also “long and slightly webbed!” It was at this point that a sudden realization hit Pauline, and she exclaimed, “I am a Grey!” She elaborated that she was a “mature, adult male” and that her (his) name was “Arkid!” This, though, was only the start.
The session itself continued for several hours, and as the time passed, more and more revelations came forth. Moreover, as well as details of her past life as a grey alien, she began to detail potential reasons behind alien abductions in the modern world. She continued that she was “inside a craft” standing in a brightly-lit room, from which, out of some kind of window, she could see the “overpowering blackness” of outer space. Moreover, she could hear the sound of constant humming that seemed to come from the machines and other electronic devices that surrounded her. She turned her attention to the room, noticing that there were many other grey alien entities.
She stated that these grey creatures controlled the craft she was currently traveling in with their minds and mental powers. She elaborated that the craft, or more specifically, the many machines and devices, were also “aware” and responded to these mental commands. She then offered thoughts coming directly from this other self’s mind, giving us a remarkable insight, if we accept the claims as accurate for a moment, into the mentality of these grey alien entities. She stated:
“Random negative thoughts can be very destructive so we do not have individual thinking anymore, it would be too dangerous. Our collective thinking is so powerful that it washes away individual deviations. The important thing is survival!”
She continued that “too much individual thinking had led to greed” and, ultimately, a complete breakdown of their society, which, in turn, had tragic consequences for their civilization. She stated that this grey alien race had experienced “terrible troubles” with their physical bodies, which “didn’t work properly!”. This was especially so with their digestive systems, which prevented them from properly nourishing themselves, meaning they survived on a “soup-like drink!” This deterioration in their collective health led to them being unable to reproduce as humans did, with such conceptions resulting in abnormalities in their young. As such, “this way of reproducing was abandoned!”
She continued that this destruction of their bodies was a result of exposure to radiation following the wrecking of their home planet by their own collective self-destructive ways, and while some did manage to flee this dying planet, they had already been exposed to this radiation. As they roamed space, despite having “very long lives,” they faced the real possibility of “disappearing from the face of the galaxy!”
She elaborated further that while most of those who had fled their ruined world roamed the vast reaches of space, some members of the higher end of the “hierarchy” resided on “artificial worlds” that they themselves had created. There were, she continued, various bases on moons throughout space, but these were, essentially, “staging posts and refueling stops” rather than permanent residencies, as they travelled through space in an attempt to “find a new home!” There were, though, further, more explosive revelations to come.
She recalled that, as part of the crew of her particular ship, she worked in maintenance and took her orders from “taller greys!” These taller greys, she offered, took their orders from the “machine intelligence, the central computer on our craft that is linked to the other craft!” This detail is one worth examining for a moment. Many UFO researchers have come to similar conclusions about grey aliens operating with some kind of hive mentality, and many researchers – inside and outside the UFO community – have suggested that alien life, if it does exist, could very well be driven by robot or artificial intelligence.
She claimed that after scanning the universe for an undetermined time, they picked up on a solar system whose third planet from its star appeared to offer them the conditions their civilization required. Ultimately, this planet was Earth, “long before man evolved!” Paulinne stated, however, that while Earth offered these space travelers a place to regroup and obtain supplies, it was not “tremendously suitable”, mainly due to there being “too much light” that would cause further damage to their bodies.
They landed on Earth, and Paulinne offered further details from her apparent past life as a grey alien entity. She stated that not long after touching down on the planet’s surface, a depression spread throughout the entire crew, mainly due to the apparent realization that they would likely not find a planet ideally suited to their needs. And while the mission was a successful one, in terms of regrouping and obtaining valuable supplies (mainly minerals that they extracted from the ground and from rocks that they used to make their soup), the mood was generally unhappy. After taking what they needed, they left Earth, and the revelations continued.
After briefly examining the Moon, the crew ventured further out, eventually landing on Mars. Moreover, not only was there an abundance of water on what we refer to today as the Red Planet, but there was a humanoid civilization there. She detailed how this civilization offered them shelter in the vast tunnel systems beneath the Martian surface, which they declined, stating it was not suitable for their purposes. Once more, after topping up supplies, the crew left Mars and ventured out into the outer reaches of the solar system. And it is during these recollections of this extraordinary past life that the most remarkable revelations came.
As they were leaving the solar system, they found themselves in a meteor shower, which ultimately destroyed their craft. All of the crew died, including Arkid (Paulline). It was her descriptions of the aftermath of their deaths, however, that are of most interest to us here. She claimed that from their “astral bodies,” they found themselves looking down on the wreckage of their spacecraft below. Moreover, their appearance was “between a grey (alien) and a tadpole,” which was a “silvery grey” color. This surreal moment, though, was about to get even more so.
As they floated in outer space, several strange entities appeared – entities that Paulline referred to as “angels” who urged them to go with them “to another dimension!” They did so, and Paulline recalled that this other dimension was “very bright but not the kind of light that hurts!” She then stated that each of them was “melting into the sun – passing through it - through the dimensions that link us to our creator, the ultimate source of all being!”
At this point, the regression session came to an end. Paulinne’s claims and apparent recollections of a previous life as an extraterrestrial entity, though, give us much to think about.
Paulinne Decour-Min is far from the only person to have claimed to have recalled a previous life not on Earth. Researcher and author Alexis Brooks detailed the accounts of a woman she referred to as “Kimberley,” who had undergone hypnotic regression purely out of interest in past lives. What she discovered was quite mind-blowing. She suddenly recalled a life lived tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of years in the past. Moreover, she, like the entities around her, was not human. Interestingly, the only detail she could recall of these entities was that their abdomens appeared to glow a bright, golden, white color, and that they communicated telepathically. It was then that she turned her attention skyward. She could see two planets that were about to crash into each other. A moment later, upon their impact, she could feel waves of pure power washing over her. When asked, she couldn’t be sure if she was watching this celestial event from onboard a spacecraft or from a nearby moon or planet.
More recently, in April 2020, a woman named only as “Lisa” claimed she could also recall a previous life as an extraterrestrial entity. After being regressed by Mel Martin, Lisa recalled living as a small alien entity with pink skin and strange “computer-like” eyes. Moreover, she claimed that she was part of a research crew on a spaceship somewhere in space. Her specific role was to research different foodstuffs and how they could be developed into drinkable liquids. She claimed she was standing in a large room with a long corridor stretching into the distance and leading to other rooms on the ship. Furthermore, there were multiple other aliens just like her all around her, each engaged in one job or duty or another. Even more interesting, similarly to Paulinne Decour-Min’s claims of “no individual thoughts” among the crew members, Lisa stated that all those on the ship were equal and had one collective sole purpose. That sole purpose, incidentally, was a mission to repair damage to their home planet so that it would be livable once more.
Although the claims should perhaps be treated with a good pinch of salt, a story around a young boy from Volgograd in Russia is of interest to us here. According to most sources, Boriska Kipri-Yanovich was not only considered a child genius from a very young age, but he could recall a past life on Mars. He claimed that his past Martian civilization was a space-faring one, and that they explored numerous parts of the galaxy using vehicles that used plasma-type energy. Boriska even claimed that he was a pilot of one of these advanced space vehicles, stating that not only did they travel into the far reaches of space, but that they could travel in time also.
He continued that members of this Martian civilization aged to an Earth-equivalent of around 35 years before the aging process stopped, and they lived extraordinarily long lives at this biological age. This civilization, however, had come to a crashing end following a nuclear war between rival factions on the planet, which had led to nuclear weapons annihilating all life on the planet and leaving it barren, cold, and dead. He also went on to state that his civilization regularly observed human life on Earth, and did so in triangular-shaped craft. Perhaps most remarkable of all, though, were that his civilization had some kind of connection to the civilization of ancient Egypt, going on to say that there is a “mechanism” somewhere behind the ear of the Great Sphinx of Giza that when put in motion, would not only unlock the secrets of the Sphinx, but also of Earth itself.
It is perhaps interesting to note a detail highlighted by researcher and author Brad Steiger, who has explored around 6000 claims and cases of past lives. He stated that from those, a fifth – 20 percent – could recall a previous existence as a non-human entity on another planet or somewhere other than Earth. And while this might not be an overwhelming percentage of people, it is still significant enough for us to contemplate that not only could reincarnation be a very real state or process, but that it might not be limited to existences on this planet.
With this idea of “otherworldly reincarnation” in mind, it is perhaps worth considering the idea that alien abductions have a bizarre connection to reincarnation. Nick Redfern relayed the thoughts and conclusions of Whitley Strieber in his book Immortality of the Gods: Legends, Mysteries, and the Connection to Eternal Life, who offered that these alien visitors were a “catalyst to personal evolution, alchemists of the soul. In a word, they are transformers!” He continued that these alien entities “had the ability to extract the immortal, human soul from the physical body” and that they “did so on numerous occasions!” Moreover, these entities “recycled souls” and then sent them back to our realm of existence – essentially, they oversee the reincarnation of human souls. If there is any truth to such claims, we might ask, just where do these alien entities – grey alien entities behind the alien abduction phenomenon – sit in the pecking order of the universe? Who are they overseeing this “recycling of souls” for and why?
Bob Lazar made similar statements to George Knapp, stating that he had seen official government documents that described human beings’ relationship with these alien entities as one that saw us being “containers of souls!” Is Lazar describing the same details as those offered by Strieber?
Ultimately, reincarnation, what it might be and what it might mean, remains the topic of intense debate, one that an increasing number of mainstream scientists and researchers are joining. Whereas these instances were once dismissed almost universally outside of those who delved into them, today, with the exploration of quantum physics and theories thereof, many are much more open to the idea of reincarnation than they perhaps once were.
Given that quantum physics is forcing us to reevaluate what we understand our collective reality to be, as well as the experiments with white noise that appear to suggest some form of existence beyond death, we might imagine that reincarnation, and, ultimately, just what the human soul is, will eventually be explained by science. Does, for example, the human soul simply become a form of energy that exists on a frequency level undetectable to human beings? Is this what we would understand as ghosts or spirits? And might these energies, admittedly in ways we don’t yet understand, sometimes, somehow, become infused with a newborn infant, perhaps even a fetus before birth, and then, ultimately, live again?
Might future generations look back at how our generation views reincarnation, how we look back in despair at how society treated mental illness in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, before better, scientific understanding prevailed? We would, for example, have to reassess just what consciousness actually was, and where it exists. If we return to quantum physics for a moment, one of the increasing trains of thought by many scientists is that the universe and everything in it, “at its most basic level,” only exists when it is being observed. Indeed, certain photons are only considered to exist when they are observed, meaning they require some form of interaction to become real. This would force us to ask the question: Does consciousness react to its environment, or does it create it?
Indeed, understanding reincarnation would not only help us understand what happens to a person after death, but would shine a light on the very nature of our collective reality, where we have been before, and where we might go after our lives on this Earthly realm are over. It is but one piece of a complicated puzzle that permeates human existence and makes up the fabric of our everyday lives
The Future of Humanity: Will We Survive Our Own Extinction?
The Future of Humanity: Will We Survive Our Own Extinction?
Introduction
Humanity stands at a critical juncture in its history. With advancements in technology, medicine, and understanding of the universe, we are at the pinnacle of our capabilities. Yet, these same advancements pose significant risks to our survival. The question arises: will we survive our own extinction? In this report, we will explore the various factors that threaten humanity’s existence, the potential for overcoming these challenges, and the role of collective action in shaping a sustainable future.
The Threats to Humanity
Nuclear Warfare
One of the most pressing threats to humanity is the potential for nuclear war. The existence of nuclear weapons has created a precarious balance of power among nations, with the possibility of catastrophic conflict always looming. Historical events, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, illustrate how close we have come to nuclear disaster. The proliferation of nuclear technology to unstable regimes further exacerbates this risk. The question of whether humanity can avoid self-destruction through diplomacy and disarmament remains a significant challenge.
Climate Change
Climate change represents another existential threat. The overwhelming scientific consensus indicates that human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, are driving global warming. This leads to severe weather events, rising sea levels, and disruptions in food and water supply. As natural disasters become more frequent and intense, the resulting humanitarian crises could overwhelm nations and lead to conflicts over increasingly scarce resources. The urgency of climate action cannot be overstated; without it, the future of humanity is uncertain.
Pandemics
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerabilities in global public health systems. Emerging infectious diseases, exacerbated by factors such as urbanization, climate change, and global travel, pose significant risks. The possibility of a more deadly pathogen emerging in the future raises concerns about our preparedness and response capabilities. Investing in healthcare infrastructure and global cooperation is crucial to mitigating this threat.
Artificial Intelligence
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) presents both opportunities and risks. While AI has the potential to revolutionize industries and improve quality of life, it also poses ethical and existential risks. The development of autonomous weapons, for instance, could lead to unintended conflicts. Moreover, superintelligent AI could potentially act in ways that are detrimental to humanity if not properly controlled. Establishing ethical guidelines and regulatory frameworks for AI development is essential to ensure it serves humanity’s best interests.
Biodiversity Loss
The loss of biodiversity due to habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change threatens the very ecosystems that support human life. The extinction of species can disrupt food chains and lead to the collapse of ecosystems. Protecting biodiversity is not just an environmental issue; it is a matter of human survival. Sustainable practices in agriculture, forestry, and fishing are vital to preserving the planet’s biological resources.
The Potential for Survival
Despite the myriad threats facing humanity, there is reason for hope. History has shown that when faced with existential challenges, humanity has the capacity for resilience and innovation. The following factors play a crucial role in our potential to overcome these challenges:
Technological Innovation
Technology has the power to address many of the threats we face. Renewable energy technologies, such as solar and wind power, can help mitigate climate change by reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Advances in biotechnology may lead to better disease prevention and treatment. Furthermore, innovations in AI can be harnessed to solve complex problems, provided they are developed responsibly.
Global Cooperation
The interconnected nature of today’s world necessitates global cooperation. Issues like climate change and pandemics know no borders; therefore, collective action is essential. International agreements, such as the Paris Agreement on climate change, demonstrate that nations can come together to address shared challenges. Strengthening international institutions and fostering collaboration are key to ensuring a coordinated response to global threats.
Education and Awareness
Raising awareness about the challenges facing humanity is crucial for mobilizing action. Education can empower individuals and communities to make informed decisions and advocate for sustainable practices. An informed populace is more likely to engage in democratic processes and hold leaders accountable for their actions. Promoting scientific literacy and critical thinking is vital for creating a society capable of addressing complex issues.
Resilience and Adaptation
Humanity has demonstrated an extraordinary capacity for resilience. Communities around the world have adapted to changing environments, developed coping strategies, and rebuilt after disasters. Building resilience involves investing in infrastructure, diversifying economies, and fostering social cohesion. By learning from past experiences and embracing adaptability, humanity can better navigate future challenges.
The Role of Individual Action
While systemic change is essential, individual actions also play a significant role in shaping the future. Each person can contribute to sustainability efforts through lifestyle choices, advocacy, and community engagement. Simple actions, such as reducing waste, conserving energy, and supporting local initiatives, can collectively make a significant impact. Encouraging a culture of sustainability and responsibility is crucial for fostering a sense of shared purpose.
Conclusion
The future of humanity hangs in the balance, and the question of whether we will survive our own extinction is both urgent and complex. The threats we face are significant, but they are not insurmountable. Through technological innovation, global cooperation, education, and individual action, we can work towards a sustainable future. The choices we make today will shape the trajectory of humanity for generations to come. It is imperative that we recognize our interconnectedness and take collective responsibility for the planet and each other. Only by addressing these challenges head-on can we hope to ensure the survival of humanity and create a world where future generations can thrive.
In the end, the fate of humanity is not predetermined; it is a reflection of our choices and actions. The path forward requires courage, collaboration, and a commitment to a shared vision of a sustainable and inclusive future. As we confront the challenges of our time, let us strive to be stewards of our planet and champions of a brighter tomorrow.
This week's science news was largely dominated by the return of two NASA astronauts from the International Space Station, whose planned eight-day mission ended up lasting 286 days.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on June 5, 2024, but not long into the mission helium leaks, along with a number of other issues, were discovered on their Boeing Starliner spacecraft.
Starliner had already suffered years of delays, and although it was later suggested the pair would have been fine to return home on the suspect vessel, the risk to their safety was considered too great. As such, it wasn't until 5:57 p.m. ET on Tuesday (March 18) that the astronauts finally splashed down near the coast of Florida, after hitching a lift aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
While much of the attention on them focused on the duo being "stranded" in space, it's not a sentiment the pair shared. In a conversation with CNN's Anderson Cooper, they explained how mission extensions are sometimes just part of the job.
"We come prepared, we come committed. That is what your human spaceflight program is: It prepares for any and all contingencies that we can conceive of, and we prepare for those," Wilmore told Cooper. "We don't feel abandoned. We don't feel stuck. We don't feel stranded."
A new study details how human ancestors mixed with a mystery population 300,000 years ago. (Image credit: Alamy)
In a study published Tuesday, researchers presented a new method of modeling genomic data, called "cobraa," that has enabled them to trace the evolution of modern humans (Homo sapiens).
They found that the ancestors of all modern humans split off from a mystery population 1.5 million years ago and then reconnected with them 300,000 years ago. This unknown population contributed 20% of our DNA and may have boosted humans' brain function.
"The fact that we can reconstruct events from hundreds of thousands or millions of years ago just by looking at DNA today is astonishing, and it tells us that our history is far richer and more complex than we imagined," study co-author Aylwyn Scally, a geneticist at the University of Cambridge, said in a statement.
The oldest lake on Earth is 25 million years old. (Image credit: Tatyana Andreyeva via Shutterstock)
Just like the mountains, lakes on Earth can be ancient, or more than 1 million years old. There are only 20 ancient lakes on the planet, but which is the oldest?
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument maps the night sky from the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope in Arizona. (Image credit: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/B. Tafreshi)
Astronomers studying the largest-ever map of the cosmos have found hints that our best understanding of the universe is due a major rewrite. The analysis, which looked at nearly 15 million galaxies and quasars spanning 11 billion years of cosmic time, found that dark energy — the presumed-to-be constant force driving the accelerating expansion of our universe — could be weakening.
Or at least this is what the data, collected by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), suggest when combined with information taken from star explosions, the cosmic microwave background and weak gravitational lensing. If the findings hold up, it means that one of the most mysterious forces controlling the fate of our universe is even weirder than first thought — and that something is very wrong with our current model of the cosmos.
Scientists have developed new blood tests that can detect early chemical signatures of cancer. For diseases like pancreatic cancer, that could lead to earlier diagnosis and a better prognosis. (Image credit: CSA Images via Getty Images)
Around four years ago, now 77-year-old John Gormly went for what was supposed to be a routine blood test. But the results were life-changing.
The test suggested Gormly had colon cancer, which a colonoscopy later confirmed was Stage 2, meaning the cancer had spread through the wall of the colon but not to his lymph nodes.
"I thought [my doctor] was wrong," Gormly, CEO of a construction company near Newport Beach, California, told Live Science. "I go, 'Nah, I don't feel anything.' But there it was. It was real; the colonoscopy showed it."
Gormly was one of the first patients to take a newly approved test called Shield, which its makers say can detect colon cancer from a blood sample. After his diagnosis, Gormly had surgery to remove the tumor and was back at work within 10 days.
"Liquid biopsies" like the one that detected early cancer for Gormly are now coming to market. Could they lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment?
Something for the weekend
Something for the weekend
If you're looking for something a little longer to read over the weekend, here are some of the best long reads, book excerpts and interviews published this week.
As you can see in the clip below, both creatures appear perfectly comfortable with the transport situation. Perhaps some sort of symbiotic relationship?
Marine mystery of octopus riding shark - YouTube
An octopus has been spotted catching a ride from an unlikely marine friend: a superfast shark. Researchers captured a video showing the orange-hued octopus clinging to the back of a large shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) as it swims. This "sharktopus" was spotted in the Hauraki Gulf off the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island during a December 2023 research trip.
At a media eventin January, NASA and Lockheed Martin dropped a curtain to reveal an experimental jet that could someday change the way people fly. As inspirational music played and fog crept across the floor, a plane with a long nose came into view.
The aircraft, the X-59, will hopefully fly faster than the speed of sound — and do so relatively quietly. While the dream of routine supersonic flight for civilians seems like a futuristic one, it’s actually old. If supersonic flight sounds familiar, then you might recall the Concorde: the iconic, glamorous, ultra-expensive, and ultra-fast plane that British Airways and Air France flew from 1976 to 2003. Remarkably, the Concorde’s first flight was in 1969, the same year that astronauts first landed on the moon. So now, in the near future, could supersonic commercial flight once again be a real thing? If so, the X-59 is one of the most tangible representations of a new push to bring back supersonic flight for commercial passengers.
Turning a sonic boom into a “gentle thump”
As incredible as the Concorde was — it once zipped from New York to London in two hours and 52 minutes — it was also incredibly noisy. The sonic boom it created was so loud that the aircraft was forbidden from flying over land while going supersonic. Even today, while some military aircraft can travel faster than the speed of sound, civilian planes, because of noise, haven’t been able to exceed Mach 1 — the speed of sound — over land in the U.S. since the FAA banned it in 1973.
That’s where the X-59 comes in. It will ideally be able to fly faster than the speed of sound, but won’t make a traditional sonic boom when it does so. The X-59 is the centerpiece of a NASA program called Quesst. That program has one overarching goal: to gather data about how people on the ground react when the X-59 passes overhead at supersonic speeds, which it will hopefully accomplish in a quieter manner than a traditional supersonic aircraft. Instead of a disconcerting boom, crack, or bang sound, the X-59 will ideally make a “gentle thump sound,” says Peter Coen, NASA’s Quesst mission integration manager. When a plane flies at supersonic speeds, the aircraft generates shock waves that join up and form two bigger waves. The X-59’s design, NASA hopes, will prevent shockwaves from forming in such a dramatic and loud way.
It will do this thanks to specific aspects of its physical shape that should help the aircraft slice through the air without creating shockwaves that merge. For example, the plane has a very sleek long nose, and it doesn’t even have a windshield — the pilots will rely on a camera and monitor system instead to see in front of them. No windshield means no surface for the air to pile up against.
NASA is taking a slow and deliberate approach to the X-59 and its subsequent tests: It hopes to be able to present data to an international aviation committee well in advance of a 2031 meeting.
The plan is for it to start flying this year, although its initial flights will be slower than the speed of sound. If it is indeed quiet enough that people on the ground tolerate the sound once it does start going supersonic, the data gathered by NASA via the X-59 could hopefully lead to changes both in the U.S. and internationally that would allow for quieter supersonic flight over land. “We want to replace the speed limit with a sound limit,” says Coen.
But others aren’t so sure this will all work. If commercial supersonic does make a comeback, “it’s going to be extraordinarily controversial,” says Janet Bednarek, a professor at the University of Dayton who has a specialty in aviation history. She cites environmental concerns, price accessibility, and the public’s sensitivity to noise as potential issues — even if the noise is indeed quieter, like the thump sound that NASA is hoping for. “I’m skeptical,” she says as to whether people will accept a sound that’s more thump-like than boom-like.
The X-59 may be nearly 100 feet long, but it seats just one person: a test pilot. So while it will never carry passengers, perhaps its design will influence aircraft makers to create larger aircraft that could hold scores of people. “My hope, and NASA’s hope, is that eventually, this will lead to larger civil aircraft products — something the size of the Concorde or larger, that can perform supersonic overland operations as part of their design,” Coen adds. The Concorde carried around 100 people.
NASA is taking a slow and deliberate approach to the X-59 and its subsequent tests: They hope to be able to present data to an international aviation committee well in advance of a 2031 meeting so that at that event in nine years, its members might agree on a new permissible sound limit for supersonic flight.
Plight of the Concorde
But a handful of companies are charging ahead now, focused on creating new ways for passengers to fly at ultra-fast speeds in aircraft that would still create sonic booms as they flew, and would thus have to operate supersonically on routes over water, just like Concorde.
The most prominent outfit tackling this is called Boom Supersonic, which is working on a plane they’ve dubbed Overture. Overture, if it enters service, would seat up to 80 passengers, and fly at 1.7 times the speed of sound. (The company hopes that the aircraft’s first flight is in 2027.) “At Boom, we’re guided by one audacious mission, and that’s to make the world dramatically more accessible,” Kathy Savitt, the company’s president and chief business officer, said at an event in 2022 when announcing that Boom would build its Overture jets in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The most prominent outfit tackling supersonic flight is called Boom Supersonic, which is working on a plane they’ve dubbed Overture. Overture, if it enters service, would seat up to 80 passengers, and fly at 1.7 times the speed of sound. (The company hopes that the aircraft’s first flight is in 2027.)
That sentiment is the big reason behind the push for supersonic commercial flight — that the world would be a better place, and smaller, if we could get to its far-flung corners more quickly. “If you can spend less time traveling, you can spend more time at the place where you were going, doing what you have to, or want to, do,” Coen, of NASA, says. Or perhaps you venture somewhere you wouldn’t otherwise have visited, because the travel time is faster.
“Technically, we could do it today, I think that’s pretty clear,” says William Crossley, the head of Purdue University’s School of Aeronautics and Astronautics. “We’d be limited on where you can fly, based on the rules about flying supersonically — there’s, rightly so, a great concern about the noise from sonic booms.” What that means is that unless a supersonic aircraft incorporates sound-mitigating lessons from NASA’s X-59, it’s going to have to operate over water when cruising at Mach 1 or higher.
A big concern, he adds, is the cost of a ticket. “Economically, it’s going to be a really difficult proposition to make it inexpensive enough for lots of people to use it,” Crossley says. One of the main reasons for that is that flying at supersonic speeds requires more fuel since the aircraft experiences more drag from the air around it as it goes faster. “The drag on the aircraft rises really quickly as you go to the speed of sound, and then once you get past it, it actually drops off — but it’s never as low as it is when you fly below the speed of sound,” he explains. More drag, more fuel, more cost, higher ticket prices.
Jon Ostrower, the editor-in-chief of The Air Current, a website focused on aviation and aerospace news and analysis, echoes Crossley. The issue boils down to “a passenger’s willingness to pay more to fly faster,” he says. That’s different from what people pay more for today, which is the comfort, service, and status that comes with an upgrade to business or first class. You don’t get there faster, but the experience is better than it would be in economy. Maybe the time even feels like it went by quicker.
“I think it’s really important to remember that the most single durable trend in all of aviation is not speed but efficiency and cost,” Ostrower adds. He says this trend applies to both mainstream airlines and budget carriers — it’s all about “reducing cost of operation.”
“The question is,” he adds, “is that trend breakable?”
Faster than a speeding bullet
Concorde, although a product of 20th-century aviation technology, offers clues about what supersonic flight for civilians could be like if it comes back. It could actually fly twice the speed of sound, at more than 1,000 miles per hour. It cruised much higher in altitude than commercial planes do today — at 58,000 or even 60,000 feet. (Boom says Overture will also fly at 60,000 feet.) And Concorde was not for everyone. Its former chief pilot, Mike Bannister, noted in a book he wrote about flying the aircraft that “Many passengers told me that Concorde was just like a club — albeit a very exclusive one.” He estimated their passengers were typically 80 percent business travelers.
The Concorde once flew from New York to London in two hours and about 52 minutes, a record. Compare that to today’s average flight time for the same route in the same direction: a pokey six hours and 13 minutes, according to Flightradar24.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images News/Getty Images
Boom’s Overture aircraft aims to fly at 1.7 times the speed of sound, and Concorde zipped along at Mach 2, but others are looking at something even more rarefied and extreme: hypersonic flight. Hypersonic refers to traveling at five times the speed of sound or more, and a company called Hermeus is one of the firms chasing that kind of travel. “Long-term vision: Radically accelerate air travel with Mach-5 aircraft. So, cross the Atlantic Ocean in 90 minutes and then a little under three hours across the Pacific,” says AJ Piplica, the founder and CEO of the company. He says that this kind of ultra-zippy travel could lead to “a significant amount of social and economic growth at a global scale” and is “one of the big knobs you can turn for improving humanity.”
Hermeus is turning littler knobs before trying to turn the passenger-flight hypersonic one, though. It is starting with uncrewed aircraft called Quarterhorse and Darkhorse; the plane that could carry people someday is called Halcyon. Piplica thinks that both supersonic and hypersonic passenger flight could be a real thing in the “early 2030s.”
Halcyon wouldn’t even have regular windows. “Windows at very high speeds are very, very hard,” he says; that’s because of the heat the aircraft experiences at those speeds. He thinks that augmented reality could solve the problem by piping in an outside view to a headset in lieu of windows. “Literally, just wear a Vision Pro,” he says. (He adds that the plane will have “at least one window.”)
“Aviation tends to have a lot of sticky dreams...we can get anywhere in an hour — really, really fast. And the people who are in aviation just don’t want to give up on those dreams.”
As for cost, he thinks the goal will be for them to produce an aircraft system that “can be operated profitably at business-class prices.” Likewise, Boom is aiming to have airlines charge “fares similar to first and business class,” a spokesperson says by email. It’s a tough field: another company, Aerion, had hoped to build a supersonic business jet, but it folded in 2021.
“Aviation tends to have a lot of sticky dreams,” the University of Dayton’s Janet Bednarek says, with one of those recurring dreams being that “we can get anywhere in an hour — really, really fast. And the people who are in aviation just don’t want to give up on those dreams.”
The dream is easy to understand, though. The Concorde once flew from New York to London in two hours and about 52 minutes, a record. Compare that to today’s average flight time for the same route in the same direction: a pokey six hours and 13 minutes, according to Flightradar24.
“There actually is value in going that fast,” reflects Crossley, of Purdue University, about supersonic travel in general. “I think making the world smaller is a really big deal.” And if it happens, it will probably be something that people have to pay for in big ways.
The giant sea spiders can have leg spans of up to 20 inches (51 centimeters).
There are roughly 1,500 known species of sea spider, with some measuring up to 20 inches in leg span.
(Image credit: Science History Images/Alamy)
Scientists have captured stunning video of a dinner-plate-size sea spider crawling on the seafloor off the South Sandwich Islands, a chain of volc
Sea spiders, also known as pycnogonids, are distant cousins of the creepy-crawly arachnids we see scuttling about on land. These creatures can have leg spans of up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) — nearly double those of the largest land spiders, whose leg spans top out at around 12 inches (30 cm).
According to the Schmidt Ocean Institute, which shared the footage, the spider's massive size is a result of deep-sea gigantism, the tendency for deep-sea creatures to grow significantly larger than their shallow-water relatives. In this case, the pycnogonid was filmed at a depth of 6,903 feet (2,104 meters).
"Immense pressure and frigid temperatures, while insurmountable obstacles to land-lovers like humans, allow some animals to have very slow metabolisms and the ability to reach gargantuan proportions," Schmidt Ocean Institute representatives wrote in a Facebook post.
Larger animals can also move faster and farther to find food or to locate a mate, which is important when both are scarce.
Deep-sea gigantism is particularly prevalent toward the poles, where freezing temperatures facilitate slower metabolisms. Schmidt Ocean Institute representatives described sea spiders as both "abundant" and "abundantly large" in polar regions.
There are roughly 1,500 species of sea spider known to science and likely many more yet to be discovered, according to the post. Sea spiders inhabit oceans around the world and range just a few millimeters to the size of a serving platter. The species of spider in the video from the Schmidt Ocean Institute has not been specified.
The largest members of this group are usually found at depths between 7,200 and 13,100 feet (2,200 to 4,000 m), according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.
Instead of spinning webs or creating burrows as land spiders do, sea spiders use a specialized tube-like mouth structure, called a proboscis, to slurp up prey such as sea anemones, jellies and other invertebrates.
This latest footage was taken by remotely operated vehicle pilots as part of the Schmidt Ocean Institute's South Sandwich Islands expedition, a mission to locate and describe new species in these frigid waters. According to the institute, scientists have discovered only 10% of ocean life.
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Het is Tijd om te Stoppen met Verbaasd te Zijn over Verrassend Weer: Een Wetenschappelijke Analyse
Het is Tijd om te Stoppen met Verbaasd te Zijn over Verrassend Weer: Een Wetenschappelijke Analyse
De wereld heeft de afgelopen decennia een opmerkelijke toename in extreme weersomstandigheden ervaren, variërend van ongebruikelijke hittegolven en zware regenval tot intense stormen en droogtes. Dit fenomeen roept de vraag op waarom we nog steeds verrast zijn door deze 'verrassende' weersomstandigheden, vooral gezien de wetenschappelijke consensus rond klimaatverandering. Deze analyse onderzoekt de relatie tussen klimaatverandering en extreme weersomstandigheden, de rol van media en publieke perceptie, en de noodzaak van aanpassingen in de manier waarop we over weer en klimaat denken.
1. De Wetenschap van Klimaatverandering
Klimaatverandering verwijst naar langdurige veranderingen in temperatuur en weerspatronen op aarde. Wetenschappelijke studies, waaronder die van het Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), tonen aan dat menselijke activiteiten, zoals de verbranding van fossiele brandstoffen en ontbossing, de belangrijkste drijfveren zijn van de opwarming van de aarde. Dit leidt tot veranderingen in de atmosfeer, oceanen en landoppervlakken, wat op zijn beurt extreme weersomstandigheden kan veroorzaken. De gevolgen van deze veranderingen zijn verstrekkend en beïnvloeden ecosystemen, menselijke gezondheid, voedselzekerheid en economieën wereldwijd.
1.1. Mechanismen van Extreme Weersomstandigheden
Extreme weersomstandigheden zijn het resultaat van complexe interacties tussen verschillende meteorologische factoren. Een voorbeeld hiervan is de toename van de gemiddelde temperatuur, die leidt tot meer verdamping van water en intensere regenval. Deze veranderingen kunnen resulteren in overstromingen en andere natuurrampen die gemeenschappen zwaar kunnen belasten. Evenzo kunnen veranderingen in de zeetemperatuur de frequentie en intensiteit van orkanen beïnvloeden. Warmer zeewater biedt meer energie voor stormen, wat leidt tot krachtigere en destructievere orkanen.
Daarnaast kunnen veranderingen in windpatronen en atmosferische druksystemen ook bijdragen aan extreme weersomstandigheden. De verschuiving van de jetstream, bijvoorbeeld, kan leiden tot langdurige periodes van droogte in sommige gebieden en overmatige neerslag in andere. Dit soort extremen is niet alleen een bedreiging voor de natuur, maar heeft ook directe gevolgen voor de landbouw, infrastructuur en menselijke gezondheid. Het is essentieel dat we deze mechanismen begrijpen om te erkennen dat wat we nu als 'verrassend' beschouwen, steeds vaker zal voorkomen.
1.2. De Rol van de Mens
De rol van de mens in klimaatverandering kan niet genoeg worden benadrukt. De verbranding van fossiele brandstoffen voor energie, vervoer en industrie is de grootste bron van broeikasgasemissies, met name kooldioxide (CO2) en methaan (CH4). De uitstoot van deze gassen leidt tot een versterking van het broeikaseffect, wat de aarde opwarmt. Ontbossing, een andere belangrijke factor, vermindert de hoeveelheid CO2 die door bomen en andere planten kan worden opgenomen. Hierdoor komt er meer CO2 in de atmosfeer, wat de opwarming verder versnelt.
Daarnaast zijn er ook andere menselijke activiteiten die bijdragen aan klimaatverandering. Landbouwpraktijken, zoals het gebruik van kunstmest en het houden van vee, stoten aanzienlijke hoeveelheden broeikasgassen uit. De productie van voedsel en de bijbehorende logistiek dragen ook bij aan de uitstoot van CO2 en andere schadelijke gassen. Het begrijpen van deze oorzaken is cruciaal voor het ontwikkelen van effectieve strategieën om de impact van klimaatverandering te verminderen.
1.3. Gevolgen van Klimaatverandering
De gevolgen van klimaatverandering zijn al zichtbaar en zullen naar verwachting in de toekomst verergeren. Eén van de meest zorgwekkende gevolgen is de stijging van de zeespiegel, veroorzaakt door het smelten van gletsjers en ijskappen, evenals de thermische uitzetting van water bij hogere temperaturen. Dit bedreigt laaggelegen kustgebieden en kan leiden tot grootschalige verplaatsingen van mensen en verlies van land.
Daarnaast heeft klimaatverandering invloed op de biodiversiteit. Veel soorten kunnen zich niet snel genoeg aanpassen aan de veranderende omstandigheden, wat leidt tot uitsterven en verstoring van ecosystemen. Dit heeft niet alleen gevolgen voor de natuur, maar ook voor de mensen die afhankelijk zijn van deze ecosystemen voor voedsel, water en andere hulpbronnen.
Extreme weersomstandigheden, zoals hittegolven, droogtes en zware stormen, brengen ook aanzienlijke risico's met zich mee voor de volksgezondheid. Hittegolven kunnen leiden tot een verhoogde sterfte onder kwetsbare bevolkingsgroepen, terwijl de verspreiding van ziekten door insecten zoals muggen kan toenemen door warmer weer en veranderende neerslagpatronen.
1.4. Aanpassing en Mitigatie
Om de gevolgen van klimaatverandering aan te pakken, zijn zowel aanpassing als mitigatie (Mitigatie is een term die vaak wordt gebruikt in de context van risico- en milieubeheer. Het verwijst naar het proces van het verminderen of verzachten van de ernst of impact van een probleem, risico of negatieve gevolgen. In het geval van klimaatverandering bijvoorbeeld, kan mitigatie inhouden dat er maatregelen worden genomen om de uitstoot van broeikasgassen te verminderen, zoals het bevorderen van hernieuwbare energiebronnen of het verbeteren van energie-efficiëntie. Het doel van mitigatie is om de schade die kan ontstaan door bepaalde risico's of negatieve effecten te beperken.) noodzakelijk. Aanpassing houdt in dat we ons aanpassen aan de onvermijdelijke gevolgen van klimaatverandering, zoals het verbeteren van de infrastructuur om overstromingen te weerstaan of het ontwikkelen van droogtebestendige gewassen. Dit vereist samenwerking tussen overheden, gemeenschappen en bedrijven om effectieve strategieën te implementeren die de kwetsbaarheid verminderen.
Mitigatie daarentegen richt zich op het verminderen van de uitstoot van broeikasgassen en het verminderen van de impact van menselijke activiteiten op het klimaat. Dit kan worden bereikt door de overstap naar hernieuwbare energiebronnen, zoals zonne- en windenergie, en door het bevorderen van energie-efficiëntie. Daarnaast is het belangrijk om duurzame landbouwpraktijken te implementeren en ontbossing tegen te gaan.
1.5. De Rol van Technologie en Innovatie
Technologie en innovatie spelen een cruciale rol in de strijd tegen klimaatverandering. Nieuwe technologieën kunnen helpen bij het verminderen van emissies en het verbeteren van de efficiëntie van energieverbruik. Bijvoorbeeld, elektrische voertuigen en slimme energienetwerken kunnen bijdragen aan een duurzamer transportsysteem en energiebeheer.
Bovendien kunnen innovaties in carbon capture en opslag (CCS) bijdragen aan het verminderen van de hoeveelheid CO2 in de atmosfeer. Door CO2 af te vangen bij de bron en het veilig op te slaan, kunnen we de impact van fossiele brandstoffen verder verminderen. De ontwikkeling van alternatieve eiwitbronnen, zoals plantaardige en kweekvlees, kan ook helpen om de ecologische voetafdruk van de voedselproductie te verkleinen.
1.6. De Kracht van Samenwerking
Klimaatverandering is een wereldwijd probleem dat samenwerking op alle niveaus vereist. Internationale verdragen, zoals het Klimaatakkoord van Parijs, zijn essentieel om landen te verenigen in de strijd tegen klimaatverandering. Dit akkoord stelt doelstellingen vast voor de vermindering van broeikasgasemissies en stimuleert landen om hun inspanningen te intensiveren.
Daarnaast is het belangrijk dat lokale gemeenschappen en bedrijven ook betrokken worden bij de mitigatie- en aanpassingsstrategieën. Educatie en bewustwording zijn cruciaal om individuen aan te moedigen duurzame keuzes te maken en bij te dragen aan de oplossing. Het creëren van een cultuur van duurzaamheid en verantwoordelijkheidsbesef helpt niet alleen bij het aanpakken van klimaatverandering, maar versterkt ook de sociale cohesie en veerkracht van gemeenschappen.
1.7. Conclusie
Klimaatverandering is een complex en urgent probleem dat diepgaande gevolgen heeft voor onze planeet en de mensen die erop leven. Het begrijpen van de mechanismen achter klimaatverandering en extreme weersomstandigheden is essentieel voor het ontwikkelen van effectieve strategieën om deze uitdagingen aan te gaan. Door middel van samenwerking, technologie en innovatieve benaderingen kunnen we werken aan een duurzame toekomst. Het is van vitaal belang dat we nu handelen om de gevolgen voor toekomstige generaties te beperken en ervoor te zorgen dat onze aarde een leefbare plek blijft voor iedereen.
Trajecten van tropische cyclonen in de Noord-Atlantische Oceaan van 1851 tot 2019
(Bron: Niilfanion)
2. Publieke Perceptie en Media
De manier waarop het publiek reageert op extreme weersomstandigheden is vaak beïnvloed door mediarepresentaties en culturele percepties. Wanneer een ongewoon weerfenomeen zich voordoet, kan de media het sensationeel presenteren, wat leidt tot een tijdelijke golf van verontwaardiging en verbazing. Deze sensationele berichtgeving heeft de potentie om de publieke perceptie te vervormen en een gevoel van schok te creëren dat niet in overeenstemming is met de wetenschappelijke realiteit. Bij extreme weersomstandigheden zoals orkanen, overstromingen of hittegolven zien we vaak dat de media de dramatiek van de situatie benadrukken. Dit kan leiden tot angst en bezorgdheid, maar ook tot een kortstondige interesse in het onderwerp.
In de huidige digitale tijdperk wordt deze dynamiek verder versterkt door sociale media. Berichten verspreiden zich in een razendsnel tempo en mensen delen hun ervaringen en reacties, vaak zonder dat ze de tijd nemen om de feiten te verifiëren. Dit kan resulteren in een sneeuwbaleffect van verkeerde informatie en sensatiezucht. Het gevolg is dat de publieke perceptie van extreme weersomstandigheden vaak gebaseerd is op emotie en niet op feitelijke kennis.
2.1. De Rol van de Media
Media spelen een cruciale rol in het vormgeven van de publieke perceptie van weer en klimaat. Sensationele berichtgeving over extreme weersomstandigheden kan bijdragen aan een kortstondige opwinding, maar leidt vaak niet tot diepgaand begrip van de onderliggende wetenschappelijke principes. Dit creëert een kloof tussen wetenschappelijke kennis en publieke bewustwording. Wanneer de media zich richten op de meest schokkende of verontrustende aspecten van een weerfenomeen, kan dit ertoe leiden dat de complexiteit van klimaatverandering en de verschillende factoren die bijdragen aan extreme weersomstandigheden worden genegeerd.
Bijvoorbeeld, in de berichtgeving over een zware storm wordt vaak de focus gelegd op de schade en de onmiddellijke gevolgen voor de bevolking. De oorzaak van de storm, zoals klimaatverandering, wordt zelden in detail besproken. Dit kan een vertekend beeld creëren van de relatie tussen menselijk handelen en de natuur. Het publiek krijgt daardoor een onvolledig beeld van de situatie, wat het moeilijk maakt om weloverwogen beslissingen te nemen over bijvoorbeeld noodmaatregelen of duurzaam gedrag.
Bovendien kunnen media-instanties soms terugvallen op clichématige beelden en verhalen die niet de diversiteit en nuance van de werkelijkheid weergeven. Het gebruik van stereotype beelden kan ook bijdragen aan een simplistisch begrip van de gevolgen van extreme weersomstandigheden. Zo worden mensen in kwetsbare gemeenschappen vaak afgebeeld als passieve slachtoffers, terwijl zij in werkelijkheid actief betrokken zijn bij hun eigen hulp en herstel. Dit kan de publieke perceptie verder vervormen en leiden tot een gebrek aan empathie en begrip voor de complexiteit van de situatie.
2.2. De Impact van Sociale Media
Sociale media hebben de dynamiek van de berichtgeving over extreme weersomstandigheden veranderd. Platforms zoals Twitter, Facebook en Instagram stellen gebruikers in staat om informatie in real-time te delen, wat kan leiden tot een snellere verspreiding van nieuws. Hoewel dit positieve aspecten heeft, zoals het vergroten van het bereik van belangrijke informatie, kan het ook de verspreiding van desinformatie bevorderen. De snelheid waarmee berichten worden gedeeld, maakt het moeilijk om feiten van fictie te onderscheiden.
Bovendien kunnen virale berichten en memes de publieke perceptie verder beïnvloeden. Wanneer een bericht of afbeelding viraal gaat, kan dit de aandacht van het publiek afleiden van de feitelijke situatie en in plaats daarvan leiden tot een focus op sensationele of komische elementen. Dit kan de ernst van de situatie bagatelliseren en het publiek een vertekend beeld geven van de realiteit. Het gebruik van humor of sarcasme kan in sommige gevallen een copingmechanisme zijn, maar het kan ook bijdragen aan een gebrek aan urgentie in de manier waarop mensen extreme weersomstandigheden en de gevolgen daarvan benaderen.
2.3. Oplossingen voor een Betere Informatievoorziening
Om de kloof tussen wetenschappelijke kennis en publieke perceptie te verkleinen, is het essentieel dat media verantwoordelijk omgaan met hun berichtgeving over extreme weersomstandigheden en klimaatverandering. Dit kan onder andere door het aanbieden van diepgaandere analyses en het betrekken van experts bij de berichtgeving. Media kunnen ook educatieve campagnes opzetten om de complexiteit van klimaatverandering beter uit te leggen en het publiek te informeren over de oorzaken en gevolgen van extreme weersomstandigheden.
Daarnaast is het belangrijk dat het publiek zelf kritisch leert omgaan met informatie, vooral op sociale media. Onderwijs over mediawijsheid en het belang van feitelijke verificatie kan bijdragen aan een beter begrip van de werkelijkheid. Door het publiek te stimuleren om verder te kijken dan sensationele koppen en om bronnen te controleren, kan de algehele perceptie van extreme weersomstandigheden en klimaatverandering verbeteren. Op deze manier kan de rol van de media in het informeren van het publiek niet alleen bijdragen aan een beter begrip, maar ook aan een actievere betrokkenheid bij het aanpakken van klimaatgerelateerde uitdagingen.
Can we stop being surprised by extreme weather? #climateresearch
3. De Psychologie van Verrassing
Mensen zijn van nature geneigd om te reageren op verrassingen met verbazing en ontkenning. Dit psychologische mechanisme kan worden verklaard door cognitieve biases zoals het 'normalcy bias', waarbij individuen de waarschijnlijkheid van ongebruikelijke gebeurtenissen onderschatten. Het idee dat 'dit niet kan gebeuren in mijn leven' leidt tot een gebrek aan voorbereiding en een onvermogen om de ernst van de situatie te erkennen. Wanneer mensen geconfronteerd worden met onverwachte gebeurtenissen, zoals natuurrampen, pandemieën of economische crises, kunnen ze vaak niet direct de impact van deze gebeurtenissen begrijpen. Dit leidt tot een vertraging in de reactie en kan de gevolgen verergeren.
De normalcy bias kan ook voortkomen uit een diepgeworteld verlangen naar stabiliteit en voorspelbaarheid. Mensen zijn sociale wezens die gebaat zijn bij routine en structuur. Wanneer deze structuren plotseling worden verstoord, kan dit leiden tot een gevoel van onbehagen en desoriëntatie. De neiging om terug te vallen op vertrouwde denkpatronen kan voorkomen dat individuen zich aanpassen aan nieuwe realiteiten. Dit is bijzonder problematisch in tijden van crisis, waar snel handelen en flexibiliteit essentieel zijn voor overleving en herstel.
3.1. Het Gevoel van Controle
Mensen willen vaak een gevoel van controle over hun omgeving, en het idee van een 'normaal' klimaat biedt deze illusie. Wanneer dat 'normale' klimaat wordt verstoord door extreme weersomstandigheden, zoals hittegolven, overstromingen of orkanen, kan dit leiden tot angst en verwarring. De ervaring van het verliezen van controle over de eigen omgeving kan traumatisch zijn en heeft vaak diepgaande psychologische gevolgen. Het is cruciaal dat individuen de nieuwe realiteit van een veranderend klimaat erkennen om zich aan te passen en veerkracht te ontwikkelen.
Er is een sterke correlatie tussen de perceptie van controle en psychologisch welzijn. Wanneer mensen het gevoel hebben dat ze invloed hebben op hun situatie, zijn ze geneigd om proactiever te reageren op bedreigingen. Dit kan zich uiten in het nemen van preventieve maatregelen, zoals het aanleggen van noodvoorraden of het volgen van weerberichten. Aan de andere kant, wanneer mensen zich machteloos voelen, kan dit leiden tot angst, depressie en zelfs apathie. Dit gebrek aan controle kan hen weerhouden van het ondernemen van noodzakelijke stappen om zichzelf en hun gemeenschappen te beschermen.
3.2. De Rol van Sociale Media
In de moderne wereld speelt sociale media een cruciale rol in hoe mensen informatie ontvangen en verwerken, vooral in tijden van crisis. De snelheid waarmee informatie zich verspreidt kan zowel een zegen als een vloek zijn. Aan de ene kant kunnen mensen snel op de hoogte worden gebracht van gevaarlijke situaties, terwijl ze aan de andere kant ook worden blootgesteld aan een overvloed aan desinformatie. Deze desinformatie kan de reeds bestaande cognitieve biases versterken, waardoor het nog moeilijker wordt om de ernst van een situatie te erkennen.
Bovendien kunnen sociale media ook leiden tot een gevoel van groepsdruk. Wanneer mensen zien dat anderen niet reageren op een crisis of de situatie bagatelliseren, kan dit hun eigen perceptie beïnvloeden. Dit kan hen ontmoedigen om hun zorgen serieus te nemen of om actie te ondernemen. Het effect van sociale bevestiging kan de neiging om te ontkennen of te minimaliseren versterken, wat weer bijdraagt aan de normalcy bias.
3.3. Omgaan met Verrassing en Onzekerheid
Het is van groot belang dat individuen strategieën ontwikkelen om beter om te gaan met verrassingen en de daarmee gepaard gaande onzekerheden. Educatie en bewustwording zijn essentieel. Door mensen voor te lichten over de mogelijke gevolgen van klimaatverandering en andere crises, kunnen we hen aanmoedigen om voorzichtiger en proactiever te zijn. Training in crisismanagement kan ook een waardevolle aanvulling zijn, zodat mensen beter voorbereid zijn op onvoorziene gebeurtenissen.
Daarnaast is het bevorderen van een community-geest cruciaal. Samenwerken met anderen kan helpen om een gevoel van controle terug te winnen en de angst te verlichten. Dit kan door lokale initiatieven, zoals buurtpreventieteams of gezamenlijke noodplannen, te ondersteunen. Wanneer mensen zich verenigd voelen in hun inspanningen om zich voor te bereiden op en te reageren op crises, kan dit hun veerkracht aanzienlijk vergroten.
Conclusie
De psychologie van verrassing en de bijbehorende reacties zijn complex en diepgeworteld in onze menselijkheid. Het begrijpen van deze mechanismen is essentieel voor het ontwikkelen van effectieve strategieën om ons voor te bereiden op de uitdagingen van de toekomst. Door de normalcy bias te erkennen en ons bewust te zijn van de rol van sociale media, kunnen we beter voorbereid zijn op de verrassingen die het leven ons kan bieden.
Het is cruciaal dat we onze benadering van weer en klimaat veranderen. In plaats van verrast te zijn door extreme weersomstandigheden, moeten we ons voorbereiden op hun frequentie en intensiteit. Dit omvat veranderingen in infrastructuur, beleidsvorming en educatie. De huidige trends wijzen op een toenemende ernst van klimaatverandering, wat ons dwingt om onze strategieën te herzien en aan te passen aan de nieuwe realiteit. Dit is niet alleen een kwestie van overleven, maar ook van het creëren van veerkrachtige gemeenschappen die in staat zijn om de uitdagingen van de toekomst aan te gaan.
4.1. Beleidsaanbevelingen
Overheden en beleidsmakers moeten proactief beleid ontwikkelen dat gericht is op het verminderen van de impact van extreme weersomstandigheden. Dit kan onder meer het verbeteren van de infrastructuur, het versterken van rampenplannen en het investeren in duurzame energiebronnen omvatten. Een belangrijk aspect van dit beleid is het integreren van klimaatrisico's in alle facetten van de beleidsvorming, van stadsplanning tot landbouwbeleid. Dit betekent dat er ook een nauwe samenwerking moet zijn tussen verschillende sectoren, zoals milieu, economie en sociale zaken.
Daarnaast is het van wezenlijk belang dat er financiële middelen beschikbaar komen voor de uitvoering van deze beleidsmaatregelen. Dit kan door middel van subsidies voor innovatieve technologieën, belastingvoordelen voor duurzame initiatieven en investeringen in groene infrastructuur. Het is ook essentieel om publieke en private partnerschappen te stimuleren, zodat de verantwoordelijkheden voor aanpassing en voorbereiding breed worden gedeeld.
4.2. Infrastructuurverbeteringen
De infrastructuur van een land moet bestand zijn tegen de gevolgen van extreme weersomstandigheden. Dit houdt in dat bestaande structuren zoals wegen, bruggen en gebouwen moeten worden versterkt of aangepast aan de nieuwe klimaatrealiteit. Bijvoorbeeld, het aanleggen van waterdoorlatende bestrating kan helpen om overstromingen te verminderen en de afvoer van regenwater te verbeteren. Ook kunnen dijken en andere waterkeringen worden verhoogd en versterkt om beter bestand te zijn tegen stijgende zeespiegels en extreem weer.
Bovendien moet er aandacht zijn voor het herstel van natuurlijke ecosystemen, zoals wetlands en bossen, die als natuurlijke buffer fungeren tegen overstromingen en erosie. Het beschermen en herstellen van deze gebieden kan niet alleen helpen bij het verminderen van de impact van extreme weersomstandigheden, maar ook bijdragen aan de biodiversiteit en het welzijn van lokale gemeenschappen.
4.3. Opvoeding en Bewustwording
Naast infrastructuur en beleid is ook educatie een cruciaal element in onze voorbereiding op extreme weersomstandigheden. Het publiek moet zich bewust zijn van de risico's die klimaatverandering met zich meebrengt en hoe zij zich daarop kunnen voorbereiden. Dit kan door middel van voorlichtingscampagnes, workshops en trainingen die gericht zijn op het verhogen van de weerbaarheid van individuen en gemeenschappen.
Scholen en onderwijsinstellingen spelen hierin een belangrijke rol. Door klimaateducatie te integreren in het curriculum kunnen jongeren worden voorbereid op een toekomst waarin klimaatverandering een centrale rol speelt. Het aanleren van praktische vaardigheden, zoals noodplannen opstellen en duurzaam leven, kan hen helpen om actief bij te dragen aan een veerkrachtigere samenleving.
4.4. Samenwerking en Vernieuwing
Tot slot is samenwerking op zowel lokaal als internationaal niveau van groot belang. Klimaatverandering kent geen grenzen en de aanpak ervan vereist collectieve inspanningen. Het delen van kennis, technologie en middelen tussen landen kan leiden tot innovatieve oplossingen en effectievere aanpassingsstrategieën. De rol van internationale organisaties en samenwerkingsverbanden kan hierdoor niet worden onderschat.
Door een integrale aanpak te hanteren die beleidsvorming, infrastructuurverbeteringen en educatie combineert, kunnen we niet alleen de impact van extreme weersomstandigheden beperken, maar ook een fundament leggen voor een duurzame en veerkrachtige toekomst. Het is tijd om actie te ondernemen en ons voor te bereiden op de uitdagingen die ons te wachten staan.
5. BESLUIT
Het is tijd om te stoppen met verbaasd te zijn over verrassend weer. De wetenschap van klimaatverandering biedt ons de tools en kennis om de realiteit van extreme weersomstandigheden te begrijpen en ons daarop voor te bereiden. Dit is niet alleen een kwestie van wetenschappelijk onderzoek, maar ook van maatschappelijke verantwoordelijkheid. De steeds frequentere en intensere weersomstandigheden, zoals hittegolven, overstromingen, en orkanen, zijn niet langer een ver van ons bed-show. Ze zijn een tastbare realiteit die ons dagelijks leven beïnvloedt. Het is cruciaal dat we deze veranderingen niet alleen herkennen, maar ook actief aanpakken.
Door de kloof tussen wetenschappelijke kennis en publieke perceptie te overbruggen, kunnen we een samenleving creëren die beter is uitgerust om te gaan met de uitdagingen van een veranderend klimaat. Dit vraagt om een gezamenlijke inspanning van wetenschappers, beleidsmakers, en de gemeenschap als geheel. We moeten de wetenschap van klimaatverandering toegankelijk maken voor iedereen, ongeacht hun achtergrond of opleidingsniveau. Dit kan door het organiseren van voorlichtingscampagnes, het ontwikkelen van educatieve programma's en het stimuleren van maatschappelijke betrokkenheid.
Daarnaast is het van groot belang dat we begrijpen dat klimaatverandering niet alleen een kwestie is van milieu, maar ook van sociale rechtvaardigheid. De meest kwetsbare groepen in onze samenleving, zoals mensen met lage inkomens en minderheden, worden vaak het hardst getroffen door de gevolgen van extreme weersomstandigheden. Daarom moeten we bij onze aanpak van klimaatverandering ook aandacht besteden aan de sociale en economische ongelijkheden die het probleem verergeren. Een inclusieve benadering is noodzakelijk om ervoor te zorgen dat iedereen kan profiteren van de oplossingen die we ontwikkelen.
6. Aanbevelingen voor Verdere Studie
Toekomstig onderzoek moet zich richten op de communicatie van klimaatwetenschap, de rol van onderwijs in klimaatbewustzijn en de ontwikkeling van strategieën voor effectieve aanpassing aan extreme weersomstandigheden. Dit zal ons in staat stellen om de impact van klimaatverandering beter te begrijpen en te mitigeren.
In de eerste plaats moeten we ons concentreren op de manier waarop we klimaatwetenschap communiceren. Dit houdt in dat we jargon en complexe terminologie vermijden die het voor het grote publiek moeilijk maakt om de boodschap te begrijpen. Wetenschappers en communicatiespecialisten moeten samenwerken om duidelijke, beknopte en overtuigende boodschappen te formuleren die mensen aanspreken. Het gebruik van visuele hulpmiddelen, zoals infographics en video's, kan ook helpen om ingewikkelde concepten toegankelijker te maken.
Daarnaast is het cruciaal dat we de rol van onderwijs in klimaatbewustzijn verder onderzoeken. Scholen en universiteiten spelen een sleutelrol in het vormen van de opvattingen van de volgende generatie. Curriculumontwikkeling moet gericht zijn op het integreren van klimaatverandering in verschillende vakken, zodat studenten niet alleen de wetenschap erachter begrijpen, maar ook de sociale en economische impact ervan. Praktische ervaringen, zoals projecten in de lokale gemeenschap, kunnen studenten helpen om klimaatverandering als een urgent probleem te zien dat directe actie vereist.
Een andere belangrijke aanbeveling is het ontwikkelen van strategieën voor effectieve aanpassing aan extreme weersomstandigheden. Dit betekent dat we niet alleen moeten focussen op mitigatie ( afzwakking, beperking ), maar ook op hoe we ons kunnen aanpassen aan de gevolgen van klimaatverandering die al zichtbaar zijn. Dit kan inhouden dat we infrastructuur ontwerpen die beter bestand is tegen extreme weersomstandigheden, zoals waterdichte gebouwen en verbeterde afwateringssystemen. Ook moeten er strategieën worden ontwikkeld voor de bescherming van ecosystemen die ons kunnen helpen bij het bestrijden van de gevolgen van klimaatverandering, zoals natuurgebieden die overstromingen kunnen absorberen.
Verder is het van belang om te kijken naar de rol van technologie in de strijd tegen klimaatverandering. Innovaties zoals hernieuwbare energie, energie-efficiënte technologieën en slimme steden kunnen bijdragen aan zowel mitigatie als aanpassing. Onderzoek naar deze technologieën moet worden gestimuleerd en gefinancierd om ervoor te zorgen dat we gebruik kunnen maken van de beste beschikbare middelen in onze strijd tegen klimaatverandering.
Tot slot moeten we ook kijken naar de internationale samenwerking. Klimaatverandering is een globaal probleem dat niet binnen de grenzen van landen of regio's kan worden opgelost. Effectieve samenwerking tussen landen is cruciaal om de gevolgen van klimaatverandering aan te pakken. Dit omvat het delen van kennis, technologie en middelen, evenals het ontwikkelen van gezamenlijke strategieën voor mitigatie en aanpassing.
De uitdagingen die klimaatverandering met zich meebrengt, zijn groot, maar ze zijn niet onoverkomelijk. Door de wetenschap van klimaatverandering te omarmen en de kloof tussen kennis en publieke perceptie te overbruggen, kunnen we een veerkrachtige samenleving opbouwen. Met de juiste educatie, communicatie en samenwerking kunnen we de weg inslaan naar een duurzame toekomst. Het is aan ons, nu, om actie te ondernemen en de nodige stappen te zetten voor een beter klimaat, zowel voor onszelf als voor de generaties die na ons komen.
Over 800 new species discovered in world's biggest ocean mission
A new species of guitar shark, Rhinobatos sp., was identified at depths around 200 metres off the coasts of Mozambique and Tanzania by world-renowned shark expert David Ebert, also known as the ‘Lost Shark Guy’ (Ocean Census Species Discovery Awardee). This is only the 38th known guitar shark species worldwide, a group so at-risk that two-thirds of its species are threatened.
Over 800 new species discovered in world's biggest ocean mission
The Nippon Foundation Nekton Ocean Census has detailed the discovery of 866 new marine species, including a guitar shark, a deep-sea mollusc, and the first octocoral found in the Maldives, as part of its wider mission to transform the approach to ocean science.
This squat lobster, Galathea sp., is the first of its genus recorded in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, near Easter Island (Rapa Nui).
A new species of guitar shark, a deep-sea mollusc with potential in cancer treatment development, and the first octocoral to be discovered in the Maldives; these are just three of the more than 800 marine species newly discovered by scientists working across the world’s largest mission to unlock the mysteries of life in the ocean.
Marking a “significant step” in advancing our understanding of ocean biodiversity, the 866 new species to be detailed in total this week is just a fraction of the some 100,000 species that the mission – working under the The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census umbrella – aims to uncover in the coming years.
The overarching goal of this mission is to not only elucidate the mysteries of the ocean but to transform marine science and its approach to new species identification, by accelerating the process and closing the critical gaps in knowledge of life underwater before it’s too late.
The mission was born of the belief that one of the biggest hurdles marine biology faces in engaging both the public and private sectors is the long and drawn-out process for identifying new species, taking up to – in some cases – 14 years for formal identification to be made complete.
By this point, the Nippon Foundation and Nekton have argued, many of the species actually go extinct before they are even documented. It’s this that formed the basis of the mission – an international collaborative effort comprising some 800 scientists from over 400 institutions around the world launched in April 2023 with the aim of transforming and accelerating these current approaches.
“The ocean covers 71% of our planet, yet it is said that only 10% of marine life has been discovered so far, leaving an estimated 1 to 2 million species still undocumented,” said Mitsuyuki Unno, executive director of the Nippon Foundation. “These latest findings demonstrate how international collaboration can advance our understanding of ocean biodiversity.”
The Ocean Census global alliance has conducted – to date – ten global expeditions and hosted eight Species Discovery Workshops, awarding 19 Species Discovery Awards to taxonomists worldwide.
Among the findings, a new species of shark, sea butterfly, mud dragon, bamboo coral, water bear, octocoral, sponge, shrimp, crab, reef fish, squat lobster, pipehorse, limpet, hooded shrimp, sea spiders, and brittle stars encompassing dozens of taxonomic groups have now all been registered to the Ocean Census Biodiversity Data Platform.
The beta platform, developed in partnership with the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre is now accessible to researchers and the public alike.
Mollusc_Granulina nekton - The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census _ Jesus Ortega, Leopoldo Moro
Found at 3,053 m (10,016 ft) in the Jøtul Vent Field, this deep-sea limpet thrives in extreme environments.
Image courtesy of The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census/Martin Hartley.
A new species of Pygmy pipehorse found in Sodwana Bay, South Africa.
Image courtesy of The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census/Richard Smith.
Using divers, submersibles, and remotely operated vehicles all these new species were identified from depths of one to 4,990 metres. Among the most notable discoveries were:
A new species of guitar shark – only the 38th known species of guitar shark worldwide found at around 200m depths off Mozambique and Tanzania by the world-renowned shark expert, David Ebert;
A Turridrupa magnifica – a marine gastropod at 200 to 500m depths off New Caledonia and Vanatau by Dr Peter Stahlschmidt, and a species that produces peptides with potential applications in pain relief and cancer treatment;
And a new octocoral – found in the Maldives by Aishath Sarah Hashim & Aminath Nasath Shanaan from the Maldives Marine Research Institute; one of only five known species of this genus and the first recorded in the Maldives.
The mission has gone many lengths to highlight the current problems surrounding the identification and classification process when it comes to new species, primarily that it can take years between being first encountered by scientists, being formally described and being published in a scientific journal.
Sponge_Janulum sp.- The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census _ Michelle Kelly
“Too many species remain in limbo for years because the process of formally describing them is too slow,” said Professor Lucy Woodall, head of science at Ocean Census. “We urgently need to change that and adding the Species Discovery step gives us a way to rapidly start the process.
“Every new species – whether a shark or a sponge – deepens our understanding of marine ecosystems and the benefits they provide for the planet.”
Since the launch of the mission in 2023, Ocean Census has managed to pioneer new methods, forge new partnerships, and establish a new global network of participating scientists. Endorsed under the United Nations Ocean Decade, the Ocean Census has formed such partnerships with national marine research institutes, museums, universities, philanthropic organisations, and technology partners.
Oliver Steeds, director of the Ocean Census, said: “Our estimates suggest that discovering 100,000 new species could require at least $1bn. We are laying the groundwork to make large-scale species discovery a reality, but our impact will ultimately be determined by how this knowledge is used to support marine protection, climate adaptation, and biodiversity conservation.”
For the year ahead, the Ocean Census now plans to provide dozens more Species Discovery Awards, undertake ten new expeditions, and host seven additional Species Discovery Workshops across the Pacific, Indian, and Southern Oceans.
All further data will be added to the Ocean Census Biodiversity Data Platform.
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Over mijzelf
Ik ben Pieter, en gebruik soms ook wel de schuilnaam Peter2011.
Ik ben een man en woon in Linter (België) en mijn beroep is Ik ben op rust..
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