NASA shelving social media accounts as budget fears grow
NASA is consolidating its social media presence, reducing over 400 accounts to 35 to improve user experience and messaging.
NASA's social media accounts, including those for the Mars rovers and Voyager spacecraft, have assured followers that their missions will continue despite the changes.
Some social media followers worried that streamlining communications may make it more challenging to engage with NASA, while others saw it as a necessary step to improve content quality.
The consolidation comes amid concerns about potential personnel reductions and a proposed budget that slashes funding for science programs by nearly 25 percent.
The proposed budget would cut funding for space missions, climate monitoring satellites, and the Mars Sample Return mission, leading to criticism from scientists who warn of devastating consequences for space exploration and research.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
This could be the best time exercise for heart and lung health, scientists say
The best time to workout to boost your heart and lung health may be in the morning, researchers say. The reason may be linked to our circadian rhythms, or the body's natural 24-hour clock. The circadian clock helps to regulate certain functions, including the release of hormones and our core temperatures. That indicates that the time of day you're most active could impact how well you perform, Dr. Karyn Esser, the chair of the University of Florida College of Medicine's Department of Physiology and Aging, said, according to In older adults, 'more rhythmic activity behavior and earlier time of peak activity were associated with better cardiorespiratory fitness and walking energetics,' a group of international scientists said late last month. Walking energetics refers to how well the body utilizes energy when you're getting your steps in. Esser was the senior author of the findings published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. It is important to note that every person has a chronotype, or a natural preference of the body for wakefulness and sleep at certain times of the day, according to The Sleep Foundation. Knowing your chronotype, and timing you activities accordingly, could significantly impact your health and fitness. To reach these conclusions, they examined the health data of 799 adults from the Study of Muscle, Mobility and Aging. The patients, who wore wrist accelerometers over a week to measure their physical activity, had an average age of 76 years. The patients also underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing. The authors also found that working out at the same time each day was associated with better health outcomes. Still, more research is needed to understand this relationship. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week, and two days of muscle-strengthening activity. That will help to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as other negative health outcomes. Previous studies have also indicated that morning exercise was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. But, working out at other times of day also provide benefits. The American Heart Association says what you do may be more important than when you do it. 'While we are living longer, in general, we are not living healthier,' Esser told MedicalNewsToday. 'So it is important to find ways to help people maintain or improve their health while aging, [to] improve quality of life and diminish the impact of age-related chronic diseases.'
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Diet soda shockingly linked to devastating disease that kills 100,000 Americans each year
Diet soda might no longer be a healthier option after all. A new study found people who regularly drink the diet alternatives have more than double the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to people who reach for full-sugar beverages. And artificial sweeteners may be to blame. The scientists found that high intake of saccharin - a common zero-calorie artificial sweetener found in diet drinks - could be the main risk factor for the chronic illness, which is suffered by 37 million Americans. The FDA approved the use of saccharin as a zero-calorie alternative to sugar in various foods and beverages in 1977. But saccharin is at least 300 times sweeter than regular sugar and researchers now believe excess consumption may interfere with the body's natural process of utilizing glucose - a sugar the body uses for energy. Based on their findings, study author Lyn Steffen recommended 'limiting the use of any sweetener' and suggested choosing 'unsweetened water, coffee, tea, milk or a small amount of 100 percent fruit juice' for beverages. The researchers examined the diets of 4,654 adults between 1985 to 2015. The participants' average intake of artificial sweeteners, diet beverages, aspartame (a low-calorie artificial sweetener) and sucralose (a synthetic artificial sweetener) were measured in the first year, seventh year and Year 20. The study did not include people who regularly or occasionally drink full sugar sodas. Based on their results, the participants were divided into groups to determine their probability of developing Type 2 diabetes. During this 30-year period, 691 participants developed diabetes. Results showed that the participants who consumed the most diet sodas in the 30 year period had a 129 percent greater chance of developing diabetes than those who barely drank any diet beverages. Additionally, the researchers also found that those who drank sodas loaded with saccharin such as fountain Diet Coca Cola, Diet Dr Pepper and Tab had a 110 percent increased risk of diabetes. No link was found between diabetes and aspartame or sucralose. The observational study did not determine the reason why artificial sweeteners may lead to Type 2 diabetes. However, the researchers believe that consuming excessive diet sodas with artificial sweeteners that are overall much sweeter than real sugar may interfere with the body's metabolism process and lead to excess sugar in the bloodstream. According to the American Heart Association, men should consume no more than 36 grams or 150 calories of sugar per day while women should consume no more than 25 grams or 100 calories of sugar per day. However, an 8oz can of Sprite Zero contains 50 mg artificial sweeteners, Coke Zero contains 58 mg and Pepsi Max has 77 mg. Along with this, Diet Pepsi and Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi both contain 111 mg and 118 mg, respectively while Diet Dr Pepper has a shocking 123 mg of artificial sweeteners. Both Diet Coke and Caffeine-Free Coke have 125 mg of artificial sweeteners too. Excess sugar consumption can pave the way for weight gain, high blood pressure, heart disease and insulin resistance, which can cause Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the condition and over 37 million American adults suffer from this form of the chronic illness. The CDC reports that over 100,000 Americans die of diabetes every year. It is caused by either the pancreas not producing enough insulin - a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels - or the body's cells not responding properly to insulin. When you eat sugar, your body breaks it down into glucose, which the enters your bloodstream for energy absorption. To regulate blood sugar levels, the pancreas releases insulin, which helps glucose enter your cells for energy. But consuming excessive amounts of sugar can make the body resistant to insulin, meaning it can't effectively use the insulin to lower blood sugar. This leads to high blood sugar levels and a buildup of glucose in the bloodstream, which can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart.
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Watch as storm chasers drive into the heart of a huge hailstorm
Watch as storm chasers drive into the heart of a massive hailstorm to learn more about the weather hazard that causes billions of dollars of damage every year. Footage from the Associated Press shows a team of meteorologists setting up radar systems and cameras in the Great Plains in order to monitor the hail and 'make better forecasts'. Victor Gensi, co-lead scientist of ICECHIP, the first US hail-focused field campaign in over 40 years, said: 'We want to know that a storm is going to produce baseballs and that storm is only going to produce golf balls. And if we can constrain those forecasts, the people receiving that information will be better served.' Student meteorologist Katie Wargowsky said she has to ignore her 'natural instincts to hide' and 'know that you are changing the world one storm at a time'.
