Quote of the Day: Earth Is Being Cooked at a Quickening Pace
'It's always worse than expected when it happens to you.'
KATE MARVEL, a climate scientist, noting that more people will experience climate change in damaging and frightening ways as the world continues to emit planet-warming greenhouse gases.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Thermo Fisher Scientific Awarded $94.5 Million DoD Contract for US Navy Dosimetry Systems
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) is one of the best S&P 500 stocks with huge upside potential. On June 23, Thermo Fisher Scientific announced that it had been awarded a 5-year contract worth $94.5 million by the US Department of Defense (DoD). Under this contract, Thermo Fisher Scientific will supply the US Navy with a next-gen dosimetry system, coupled with updated radiation health and database management software. A workstation in a research lab stocked with laboratory products and services. The US Navy operates the world's most technologically advanced naval fleet and is the largest global user of dosimetry systems for defense purposes. Thermo Fisher Scientific will provide Navy Occupational Dosimetry System/NODS devices and Navy Radiation Exposure Management System/NAVREMS software. These tools are manufactured in Oakwood Village, Ohio, and are crucial for monitoring and managing occupational radiation exposure among Naval personnel. This includes those associated with nuclear-powered Navy assets, nuclear-capable shipyards, various research sites, laboratories, and naval medical facilities. The advanced digital dosimetry devices are designed with integrated beta, gamma, and neutron detection capabilities, which ensures precise and reliable radiation exposure monitoring in demanding environments. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) provides life sciences solutions, analytical instruments, specialty diagnostics, laboratory products, and biopharma services internationally. While we acknowledge the potential of TMO as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the . READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Ticks spread to new regions across America, bringing dangerous diseases and need for vigilance
Ticks are spreading outside their comfort zone – and into ours, according to experts. As cooler regions experience milder winters, those areas are becoming more hospitable to many tick species, Bob Hottel, an entomologist with Orkin, the pest control company, told Fox News Digital. This is because ticks prefer warmer climates. While the insects previously would go dormant in the cold — leaving them unable to travel very far — they're now able to stay active longer, clinging to hosts that carry them outside their typical regions. In recent years, experts at Binghamton University Tick-borne Disease Center in New York have reported that tick-borne illnesses - typically confined to specific regions – are beginning to show up in other parts of the country. "Deer ticks are active any time it's over 39 degrees, so we have a lot longer active periods for ticks now, unfortunately," Yetrib Hathout, professor of pharmaceutical sciences and director of the tick-born disease center, told Binghamton University previously. The number of concerning tick species has risen from one to five in the last 15 years, according to experts at Ohio State University. Given the spread of ticks, Ohio State University's Buckeye Tick Test Lab is now identifying "the most dangerous ticks that spread diseases." Hottel of Orkin said it's important for people to stay vigilant as they're frequently outdoors at this time of year. He said people need to exercise caution regarding certain species, the bites they can deliver and the disease they can cause. "Tick surveillance and tick screening are important." The blacklegged tick (or deer tick) is best known for transmitting Lyme disease, especially in the Northeast, Midwest, and Appalachian regions. While many people are aware of Lyme disease carried by the deer tick, fewer are aware of other dangerous diseases such as alpha-gal syndrome, which is spread by the lone star tick; it can trigger an allergy to red meat. The American dog tick, found mostly east of the Rockies, can spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and even cause tick paralysis. Its cousin, the Rocky Mountain wood tick, poses similar risks in high-elevation areas of the Rockies. "Some of the pathogens that are only found in the South, like the Rickettsia species that causes spotted fever, are migrating up north," according to Hathout. "That's why tick surveillance and tick screening for other things are important. And I think it's important to do it regularly." Hottel told Fox News Digital, "Awareness is the first step in protecting yourself from tick-borne illness." Among the precautionary steps to take, say experts: Wear long clothing, use tick repellents and check for ticks after outdoor activity. Knowing which species to watch for can also help prevent serious tick-borne illness. For more Lifestyle articles, visit "Another reason for the spread of ticks is the expansion of human developments into wildlife habitats, which helps ticks more easily find human hosts," said Hottel. Ticks find their hosts by detecting animals' breath and body odors, or by sensing body heat, moisture and vibrations, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). "Some species can even recognize a shadow," the CDC site says. In addition, ticks pick a place to wait by identifying well-used paths. Then they wait for a host, resting on the tips of grasses and shrubs. Ticks can't fly or jump — but many tick species wait in this position known as "questing."
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
A Compound Made From Shrimp Shells Can Rid The Body Of Microplastics
For those unaware of the extent of the problem, microplastics (MPs) are said to be in essentially every person in every part of the world. Ice samples from the poles and tissue samples from the penis show the extent of penetration. Given that these pieces of plastic have been found in placenta samples and reproductive organs, we can say that children are being subjected to plastic exposure from birth. To what degree these nano and microplastics will hurt humans is still debated and research is ongoing, and the FDA states that they'll take regulatory action when adverse effects are known. However, the reason that people prefer to avoid becoming plasticized is the conventional wisdom that having small pieces of plastic within our immune cells, nerve cells, and altering which genes are expressed is something we'd want to avoid. There's certainly no known benefit. Microplastics have ben detected basically everywhere, including the brain and penis. Recent studies discuss the 'ubiquitous' extent of microplastics and their varied effects. Kidney death, liver inflammation, oxidative stress, cellular toxicity, alterations in gene expression and changes to the DNA itself are some of the observed effects of microplastic exposure. I will hypothesize that there's potentially a link between nanoplastics and mental wellbeing. Not just from the obvious observation that plastics in the brain are bad, although this is true; I instead refer to the interference that our gastrointestinal microbiota are suffering with their extracellular vesicles because of microplastics. Understanding the brain-gut-microbe axis and the effect that our intestinal flora there have an impact on our neurological function, one may observe that altering this intestinal environment with nanoplastics can have an effect on mental wellbeing. If you do start depressed, try milk aromatherapy. It shows promise in rats depressed because of gut-brain issues. The Dentist For those of us who don't enjoy visits to the dentist, we have reasons to be validated. Different materials are used in different dental practices, but a lot of them are plastic or packaged in plastic. By the nature of installing implants that will be subjected to the wear and tear of using one's mouth in daily life, microplastics are created and ingested. Other procedures like polishing restorations, ceramic crowns, using elastics, orthodontic appliances, and so on can generate particles. Think about the plastic fibers on the plastic toothbrush you grind against your teeth twice a day. Should we go back to chewing spruce sap? Remedies Chitin is a compound found in mushrooms and the exoskeletons of crustaceans and insects. Chitosan is easily made from chitin. It's used as a dietary supplement and sold to help consumers feel full, block fat absorption and lower cholesterol. Good for wound care as well. We ought to produce more of it and make it mainstream because we have another important reason to like it. A new study has shown that it can benefit our well-being in a novel and needed way: ridding our bodies of microplastics. The study was short but revealing, and I hope it will be reproduced with longer durations and human subjects. The researchers share two important conclusions. For even short periods of ingestion, microplastics accrue in the digestive tract, primarily the cecum which is the pouch between the small intestine and colon. Assuming that chemicals can leach from these plastics and that the particles themselves will eventually absorb into the wider body, it's clearly advantageous to expel this poison before it accrues/accumulates. The group of rats that was fed a diet supplemented with chitosan expelled more MPs that any of the other groups. Intriguingly and encouragingly for me, over a few days the rats released more MPs than they took in. This suggests that chitosan won't just block absorption of current MPs, but in fact facilitate the cleansing of the colon of recently ingested microplastics. Further, after the rats were euthanized and dissected, the chitosan group had the lightest colons which suggests that they had the least total waste accumulated. As side effects for adding chitosan to one's diet are minimal beyond some stomach upset, UNLESS YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO SHELLFISH OR MUSHROOMS, it seems like a reasonable addition. This is not medical advice and as I said, I look forward to studies done with humans for longer periods to provide us with more information. With said I'm intrigued. Singapore. Green buildings trap microplastics, clean the air and water, and cool the city. Prevention A better way to go than solving a problem is to prevent it. Microplastics come from plastics, and despite some laws and public initiatives, the industry is vital and won't fade away naturally. Proactive investment in alternatives will bring about a whole society shift; personal choice is not an option here. Plastic is ubiquitous and a consumer doesn't have a real option to move away from it. Our tap water and the air we breathe are contaminated, so we must do more than avoid microwaving food in plastic containers, or stop buying items packaged in plastic. If anyone has been to any store ever, they would know that this is impossible. Everything is wrapped in plastic. To exist in the modern world is to be a creator of waste; even the well-intentioned can do little more than be frustrated. Green roofs are 97.5% effective in removing microplastics. They're generally good for retaining storm water, cleaning the air and runoff, which lessens the work of wastewater treatment plants. Green roofs can contribute to an urban cooling effect, countering the Urban Head Island (UHI) problem. Singapore has been a prime example of this for years. Now, we find another reason to widely adopt the practice in every city, immediately. Singapore exemplifies greening a city to everyone's benefit. Great Pacific Garbage Patch Removing what's already been released is a net benefit. When considering the scale of the undertaking to clean the North Pacific Garbage Patch and the greenhouse gasses that will be released or the marine life that will be interfered with, it isn't immediately clear what the best approach might be. Leaving it and hoping a reef grows on top of it could make sense, given the rubber tire reef projects we've all heard about. A comparative analysis of the Ocean Cleanup shows that while there will be some impact from action, the effect of doing nothing is significantly worse. Proactive action where possible to remove what's been released before it continues to break down into microplastics and nano plastics is a viable strategy for long term environmental health. In the scenario presented, plastic pollution levels drop to below what's considered a safe limit. Inaction has the higher cost. Leaving plastics in the oceans will be more damaging than removal. Complex problems can't be solved with simple solutions. Plastics can't be completely replaced, but we can adapt the ways we use them and consider novel strategies to mitigate their harm. When these strategies prove themselves to be effective, they ought to be systematically applied.
