The California Academy of Sciences hopes to restart blue butterfly population
There's good news tonight for a team in Presidio National Park, working to introduce Silvery Blue butterflies to the ecosystem to act as crucial pollinators. The butterflies are close genetic relatives to the extinct Xerces Blue. NBC News' Gadi Schwartz has more from San Francisco.May 7, 2025
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The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
The signs of killer cancer you've NEVER heard of that's rising in young people, from waist size clue to bloating
CANCER is typically thought of as a disease of old age. But doctors are increasingly finding that certain types, particularly bowel cancer, are hitting younger people far more than they used to. 2 In a new report, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, scientists have found that appendiceal cancer - a very rare form of the disease - is also on the rise. An analysis of over 4000 people in the US, found that compared with older generations, rates of the condition, also called appendix cancer, have tripled among Gen X and quadrupled among millennials. 'There is a disproportionate burden of appendix cancer among young individuals,' said the study's lead author, Andreana Holowatyj, from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in the US, told NBC News. The researchers suggest that environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors that intensified after the second-world war may explain the concerning increase in appendix cancer rates. They point to dietary habits, gut bacteria changes, greater prevalence of conditions inflaming the gastrointestinal tract in particular. 'Similar trends have been reported for other gastrointestinal cancers, suggestive of potential shared cause contributing to this increasing cancer burden across generations,' the study noted. Although the new study, published yesterday, did not include individuals from the UK, a study published in 2022 did, revealing a similar trend. The research, published in BJS Open, showed that cases of the disease in the UK have more than quadrupled in the UK. There were a total of 949 cases between 1995 and 2001, which jumped to 4132 total cases between 2010 and 2016. Still, appendix cancers are extremely rare. The 4 signs of bowel cancer that mean it's 'too late' - as doctor reveals cause of surge in young people being diagnosed According to the National Cancer Institute, they occur at a rate of 1 to 2 cases per million people annually in the US. Meanwhile, in the UK, where the population is smaller, around 640 people are diagnosed with the disease each year. The appendix is a small pouch of tissue that hangs off the abdomen. It is part of the intestines and bowel, which absorb nutrients and remove waste from the body. Experts do not know what the appendix does, but it may help the immune system. There are two main types of appendiceal cancer: epithelial appendiceal cancer and neuroendocrine appendiceal cancer. The symptoms of appendiceal cancer can vary but may include abdominal pain, bloating, the presence of a lump in the tummy, nausea, and feeling full quickly after eating.
NBC News
6 days ago
- NBC News
Sickle cell patient meets scientist behind technology that saved her life
Victoria Gray is the first person in the world to receive CRISPR, a gene-editing therapy for sickle cell disease created by Dr. Jennifer Doudna who won the Nobel Prize for the life saving technology. NBC News' Zinhle Essamuah sits down with Gray and Doudna as they meet for the first time. June 5, 2025
NBC News
30-05-2025
- NBC News
NAACP calls for emergency shutdown of Musk's supercomputer in Memphis
Local regulators should immediately stop Elon Musk's supercomputer project from operating in South Memphis because it's out of compliance with environmental rules, the NAACP wrote in a letter sent Thursday to Shelby County officials. The civil rights group addressed the request to Dr. Michelle Taylor, director of the Shelby County Health Department and to the commissioners of Memphis Light Gas and Water. The health department is responsible for implementing federal air regulations in Shelby County, which encompasses Memphis. 'Being the world's richest man doesn't give you the right to pollute Black communities and jeopardize the health of its residents,' NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement to NBC News. 'We urge the health department to step in immediately.' When contacted, a spokesperson for Memphis Light Gas and Water said it had not received the NAACP letter and could not comment on it. Neither the health department nor xAI immediately responded to questions about the letter, which was also signed by the presidents of the Tennessee and Memphis chapters of the NAACP. In a previous statement to NBC News, xAI said its "operations comply with all applicable laws' and that it 'works collaboratively with County and City officials, EPA personnel, and community leaders regarding all things that affect Memphis.' xAI has come under scrutiny in recent months for operating methane gas turbines at its Memphis facility to meet the electricity needs of the supercomputer Colossus. The turbines emit pollutants, including nitrogen oxides and formaldehyde, according to their manufacturer. Environmental groups and the NAACP believe the turbines required permits under the Clean Air Act; the city's health department, the mayor and the Chamber of Commerce have said permits were not required for the turbines' first year of use. xAI, which is now seeking a permit for 15 permanent turbines, said those would be equipped with pollution controls and only be used as backup once other energy options are available. Earlier this month, NBC News reported on a South Memphis neighborhood called Boxtown, about two miles from xAI's facility, where residents are concerned that Musk's project will harm the area's already poor air quality. 'They got money. And they can do what they want to do, you know, without consulting us,' said Easter Knox, who has lived in the area since 1977. Knox told NBC News she and her husband both struggle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which can be exacerbated by pollution. Health department officials have been limited in their comments about the project. On Friday, news broke that Taylor, the department head, would be leaving Shelby County to oversee the Baltimore City Health Department. Colossus, which xAI calls the world's largest supercomputer, came online in September 2024 to train Grok, the company's chatbot. But critics say the project's potential economic benefit to the community is outweighed by environmental concerns. 'While we applaud research and innovation,' the NAACP letter states, 'there must be limits that ensure that communities are healthy and alive to enjoy the benefits of any potential innovation.' Shelby County health officials are expected to make a decision on xAI's application in the coming weeks. Memphis Mayor Paul Young previously told NBC's "Nightly News" that the city plans to work with a researcher to implement air monitoring in the months ahead.
