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Researching Animal Nutrition at Disney World: A Q&A with CALS Student Trinity Forbes
From childhood visits to an internship, animal science major Trinity Forbes has come full circle at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where she spent the summer researching nutrition for elephants, rhinos, lions and other animals in the park's care.
Why Big Bend businesses should partner with 4-H clubs
Beyond farming 4-H is a vital network for youth leadership and workforce development in the Big Bend region.
CDC issues advisory on uptick in rabies exposures. See where N.Y. stands
According to data from the New York State Department of Health, around 150 animals across the state have tested positive for rabies this year.
World’s largest shark discovered: what scientists found left them speechless
Off the Atlantic coast, a great white shark pulled onto a research vessel stopped scientists cold and forced them to rethink what they thought they knew about the species. What Ocearch's team measured...
CDC issues health advisory after increase in rabies exposures
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory Thursday in response to recent increases in human exposure to rabid or potentially rabid animals and reports of errors …
‘It’s hard to know why’: Local health officials on CDC rabies exposure statement
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)— The CDC says rabies exposures with animals and post-exposure vaccinations have seen a surge this year, and local health officials are seeing that trend too. Director of publ…
Chimp convalescence, ant amputation: the wild world of animal doctors
When people are sick, we seek out medications and treatments to help heal. For a long time, scientists thought that was a uniquely human ability. But it turns out, many other animals do a version of it too! And since the late 1980s, western researchers have been trying to get a peek behind the curtain. And aside from just cataloguing all the cool examples just to know, there’s a real hope that studying animals’ medical cabinets may be the most promising way to expand our own. We get into the weeds with freelance science journalist Mandy Nguyen.Interested in more animal stories? Email us your ideas and questions to explore at shortwave@npr.org. They may become a future episode!Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
Fall fun returns to the Greensboro Science Center with second annual Fall Fest | What 2 See At The GSC
Fall is creeping closer, and the Greensboro Science Center is getting ready to celebrate with games, crafts, animals and plenty of seasonal fun. The family-friendly event serves as a conservation fun...
The curio cabinet of medieval mental health
Saffron and ostrich liver were prescribed but so were exercise, gardens, animals, socialising, and music
Recent Stanton graduate wins Humane Science Award from National Anti-Vivisection Society
Alan Alwakeel, a recent graduate of Stanton College Preparatory School in Jacksonville, Florida, was one of just five recipients of the prestigious Humane Science Award at the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). The award is presented by the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS), a nonprofit devoted to the advancement of science without harming animals and the only animal advocacy group invited to award a prize at the ISEF. Each recipient received a $3,000 prize
Moment of Science: Abundant oxygen not enough to explain massive ancient insects, new study suggests
Unlocking answers about giant ancient insects! Here's why an abundance of oxygen 300 million years ago may not explain why some animals got so gigantic after all.
Moment of Science: Abundant oxygen not enough to explain massive ancient insects, new study suggests
Unlocking answers about giant ancient insects! Here's why an abundance of oxygen 300 million years ago may not explain why some animals got so gigantic after all.
Can what we feed farm animals directly benefit our own health?
Several chronic diseases—obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers—have been linked to lifestyles and diets high in calories, based on processed foods and lacking diversity and ...
Could High-Tech Toys Help Animals Act More Wild?
Zookeepers are trying a new fix for animal “boredom.”
Scientists have traced the human eye back to a tiny one-eyed ancestor that lived nearly 600 million years ago — and remnants of that ancient “cyclops” eye may still survive inside our brains as the pineal gland
What if the mysterious gland Descartes thought held the soul is actually a shriveled relic from our one-eyed ancestor—and some animals still use theirs.
How hurricanes triggered lizards' rapid evolution
Hurricane season is upon us and it turns out that these powerful storms can quickly affect the biology of animals. After hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the islands that make up Turks and Caicos about a decade ago, the silver key anole adapted. They now have a shorter fourth toe on their hind legs! That could help them cling to objects better. But how do you know unless you put lizards in front of a fan and record how long they can hold on?This study is out now in the journal Current Biology.Interested in more science in the news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
Can what we feed farm animals directly benefit our own health? Our research suggests it can
Chronic lifestyle diseases place growing pressure on healthcare. Prevention strategies should go beyond consumer behaviour and address how food is produced.
Drilling Accidentally Created a Methane Leak Beneath The South China Sea. Within a Year, Animals Helped 'Plug' It.
Thank you, nature.
Drilling Accidentally Created a Methane Leak Beneath The South China Sea. Within a Year, Animals Helped 'Plug' It.
Thank you, nature.
'Animal Super Powers' exhibit with LEGO bricks coming to Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
The LEGO scene in Mississippi continues to grow, with the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science's newest exhibit coming later this month and using the popular
Animal Welfare In Shrimp Aquaculture: Science-Based Manual To Foster Sustainable Rearing Practices
Over the past two decades, shrimp aquaculture has grown enormously worldwide. At the same time, consumer awareness of ethical, environmental and sustainability issues has increased, and concern for animal welfare is growing. Consumers are paying closer attention to how farmed animals are treated, pushing retailers and producers to improve standards.
Scientists discovered an underwater city of 20,000 octopus nests deep inside California coast; largest known nursery on the planet
Researchers have located the planet's largest known octopus nursery deep off the Californian coast, documenting 5,718 animals in 2.5 hectares and estimating about 20,000 around Davidson Seamount. Known as the Octopus Garden, the nursery is located about 10,500 feet below the surface off Central California.
AI may soon allow humans to talk with animals — but some say it could violate the animals' right to privacy
'About average:' Maryland health officials warn about increase in rabid animal incidents
A dead fox picked by Baltimore City Animal Control is the latest in a series of rabid animals incidents across the state, including a rabid kitten bite, aggressive raccoon and bat encounters, and multiple beaver attacks.
Moment of Science: New study finds humans and animals share certain sound preferences
Answering the call of the wild! Here's how our sound preferences stack up against other animals, from birdsong to baboon barks. 🐦🔊
Moment of Science: New study finds humans and animals share certain sound preferences
Answering the call of the wild! Here's how our sound preferences stack up against other animals, from birdsong to baboon barks. 🐦🔊
Health record analysis of one million cattle identifies early prevention as key to reducing feedlot respiratory deaths
New research involving more than 1 million Australian feedlot cattle has found that the strongest predictors of death from bovine respiratory disease (BRD) are established before animals even enter the ...
'Several' cats found dead, animals abandoned in Alabama animal grooming business: police
An Alabama woman was arrested after "several" cats were found dead & other animals were abandoned inside an animal grooming business, according to authorities.
'Several' cats found dead, animals abandoned in Alabama animal grooming business: police
An Alabama woman was arrested after "several" cats were found dead & other animals were abandoned inside an animal grooming business, according to authorities.
'Several' cats found dead, animals abandoned in Alabama animal grooming business: police
An Alabama woman was arrested after "several" cats were found dead & other animals were abandoned inside an animal grooming business, according to authorities.
'Several' cats found dead, animals abandoned in Alabama animal grooming business: police
An Alabama woman was arrested after "several" cats were found dead & other animals were abandoned inside an animal grooming business, according to authorities.
The Adriatic Sea's Hidden Shark And Ray Hotspot Is Changing What Scientists Know
The Adriatic Sea is one of the Mediterranean's most important regions for sharks and rays, yet many of its species are critically endangered. New research based on decades of monitoring and close partnerships with local fishers is revealing previously unknown habitats, rediscovering rare species, and reshaping what scientists thought they knew about these animals.
Half the World’s Population Will Be Nearsighted by 2050. Scientists Found a Life-Changing Fix.
A hidden band between violet and blue keeps animals’ eyesight perfect—but lightbulbs don’t emit it.
North Carolina: Rabid baby goats at a mobile petting zoo prompts health warning
On Friday, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported confirmed multiple rabies cases in baby goats at a mobile petting zoo located in Iredell County. They were first notified of a potential rabies exposure among four baby goats at Farm Adventures in Harmony, North Carolina on August 27. The goats were most likely exposed to rabies by a skunk that had entered the pen where they were kept in late July. The NC State Laboratory of Public Health confirmed rabies viruses in three of the baby goats on August 28; a fourth goat was not tested but is also assumed to have been infected. Based on information gathered on August 28, it was determined that no other animals on the farm pose a risk of rabies exposure to people. Learn about rabies Anyone who had contact with baby goats from the Farm Adventures mobile petting zoo either at their location in Harmony, North Carolina, or at an off-site event, between July 28 and Aug. 27, 2026, may have been exposed while the animals were infectious. Impacted individuals should contact their local health department to determine whether medications are needed to prevent infection. Individuals are encouraged to call before visiting an emergency department or urgent care clinic to determine if treatment is needed and where it can be accessed. Known potential exposure dates and locations include: July 28: Jurney’s Assisted Living, 1942 Van Haven Drive, Statesville in Iredell County July 30: Private event in Mecklenburg County Aug. 1: Community Connections Back-to-School Bash, Breeden Amphitheater, 333 S. Main St., Lexington in Davidson County Aug. 6: Brookdale Peachtree, 2806 Peachtree Road, Statesville in Iredell County Aug. 8: Private event in Watauga County Aug. 9: Private event in Burke County Aug. 15: Masonic Picnic Grounds, 201 Poplar St., Mocksville in Davie County Aug. 16: Private event in Durham County Aug. 22: Private event in Iredell County Aug. 23: Private event in Durham County Rabies is a deadly disease that can spread from wild animals to pets and people, primarily through a bite, scratch or when infected saliva touches broken skin or mucous membranes. Human rabies infections are extremely rare in the United States. No human cases have been reported in North Carolina since 2011. Rabies is almost always fatal in mammals, including people, unless medications to prevent infections are given before symptoms develop. Symptoms can begin weeks to months after someone is exposed. Early symptoms are flu-like illness including weakness, fever or headache as well as a prickling or itching sensation where someone was bitten or exposed. In 2025, over 4,000 animals were submitted to the NC State Laboratory of Public Health for rabies testing, and of these, approximately 6% tested positive. In North Carolina the disease most often occurs in wild animals especially skunks, raccoons, bats and foxes. Outbreak News Today is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
Multiple baby goats had rabies at North Carolina mobile petting zoo, attendees urged to contact local health officials
Several baby goats at a mobile petting zoo in North Carolina were infected with rabies, and authorities are asking anyone who had contact with the animals to reach out to health officials.
Baby goats in petting zoo found with rabies, euthanized
People who had contact with the animals in Iredell and Davidson counties are urged to contact local health officials.
Scientists tracked 4,500 animals and found a surprising human effect
Scientists tracking thousands of animals found that our physical presence can reshape where wildlife moves and lives, sometimes as strongly as roads, cities, and other human development. Because different species reacted in very different ways, conservation efforts may need to become much more targeted.
Mother-daughter team open new dog grooming business in Ephrata
EPHRATA — A shared love of animals and a desire to serve local pet owners led a mother-daughter team to open Groomer Has It, a new dog grooming business in downtown Ephrata. The business, owned by Paige Moore and her mother, Millie Roduner, officially opened Aug. 7 at 217 W. Division St.
Monkeys hunt small animals when fruit is scarce
Capuchins hunt and eat small vertebrates more often as plant foods wane. The behavior may help us learn more about humans’ early dietary evolution.
Over 2,000 animals spotted off the coast of Cape Cod
Whale sharks and blue whales and rays, oh my.
Turmeric compound may protect blood vessels from diabetes damage
A compound found in turmeric may help protect blood vessels from some of the damage caused by Type 1 diabetes. In rats, curcumin reduced inflammation, improved cellular signaling, and restored vascular health to levels resembling those of nondiabetic animals. The results hint at a possible new way to reduce the long-term cardiovascular risks of diabetes, but human trials are still needed.
People, animals, plants, ecosystems – making the case for investing in One Health - WOAH - World Organisation for Animal Health
Discover why investing in One Health is key to safeguarding human, animal and environmental health in an interconnected world.
Dead cats, abandoned animals found inside grooming business; owner wanted by police
An Alabama woman is wanted by police on felony animal cruelty charges after authorities discovered several dead cats and abandoned live animals inside her grooming business.
Dead cats, abandoned animals found inside grooming business; owner wanted by police
An Alabama woman is wanted by police on felony animal cruelty charges after authorities discovered several dead cats and abandoned live animals inside her grooming business.
Dead cats, abandoned animals found inside grooming business; owner wanted by police
An Alabama woman is wanted by police on felony animal cruelty charges after authorities discovered several dead cats and abandoned live animals inside her grooming business.
Dead cats, abandoned animals found inside Dothan grooming business; woman wanted by police
Police are actively searching for Tyrrell and ask anyone with information on her whereabouts to call the Dothan Police Department at (334) 793-0215.
'Bigger, better and impossible to miss.' This business transforms balloons into spectacular pieces.
IDAHO FALLS — A husband-and-wife duo is transforming events with impressive balloon artistry, and they are always willing to take on a creative challenge. Shasti and Ryan Ballard own BLOW IT UP! Parties based in Idaho Falls opened the business in 2018. Shasti makes custom balloon arches and garlands. Ryan twists balloons to create animals […]
How much has the U.S.’s wildlife changed since Lewis and Clark?
Ever wish you could have been part of the Lewis and Clark expedition? Us too. The Corps of Discovery came across scores of plants and animals that were new to Western science: Grizzly bears, ponderosa pines, a “barking squirrel” that William Clark would later call the prairie dog. A modern effort is underway to see how much the country’s wildlife has changed in the 220-some years since their journey. Host Nate Rott tags along with some scientists re-surveying a part of the expedition’s route in western Montana. And he wishes he was in better shape.Interested in more science in the news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
When Farm Animals Get Sick, Human Health Is Often Next
New editorial reviews 10 studies on zoonotic pathogens, AMR, and vaccine advances, underscoring One Health surveillance needs for biosecurity professionals.
Do other animals call each other by name?
Research in dolphins, elephants, parrots and primates suggests animals may call each other by name, but scientists are divided on how to define the behavior.
4-Hers learn about biology, livestock at animal science day camp
On June 30, Lycoming County 4-H hosted its first-ever animal science day camp, Barnyard Bonanza, giving youth the opportunity to explore livestock through hands-on learning, demonstrations, and educational activities. According to a news release. the camp focused on livestock species and introduced participants to a variety of animal science topics. During the morning session, participants […]
University Of Kentucky Using Horses To Get College Students Interested In Science, Research
“These animals are already woven into Kentucky’s identity and might also be the ones that draw its next scientists, researchers and Extension professionals.”
Lambeau Field Atrium to host annual Spooktacular on Oct. 24
Event will feature interactive stage entertainment, fall-themed games, craft stations, treat decorating, balloon animals, face painting and more
Humans Love Having Pets. Seems Like Some Other Primates Do, Too.
We aren’t the only animals that like to take care of other species. A new study finds that the roots of keeping a pet may stretch deep into our primate past.
How Animals That Use The Earth’s Magnetic Field To Navigate Survive When the Poles Flip
We don’t know the full answer, but scientists have some fun ideas on how to study the question if anyone will fund them
Effort to ban genetically modified animals dies in California Legislature
A bill that would have banned the sale of genetically-modified pets for cosmetic reasons died in committee Thursday.
Dr. Scott Terrell Named Vice President, Animals, Science and Environment for Disney Experiences
Disney Experiences has appointed Dr. Scott Terrell as vice president of animals, science and environment in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., effective 3 August.
Ben Affleck is running for mayor of L.A. when his son is kidnapped in ‘Animals’ teaser
Ben Affleck plays a man running for Los Angeles mayor whose son is kidnapped in the first teaser for ‘Animals.’ The thriller also stars Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Steven Yeun, and more.
Dinosaurs became giants — so why did they never become tiny?
Dinosaurs conquered the land at enormous sizes, but strangely, they almost never evolved into truly tiny animals. New research suggests that physiology alone can’t explain this missing miniature end of the dinosaur spectrum—and that early mammals may have been partly responsible. While dinosaurs kept mammals from becoming large, small mammals may have returned the favor by occupying ecological niches that could otherwise have supported mouse-sized dinosaurs.
How do Alaska animals sleep in the summer?
The way an animal sleeps during the Arctic summer depends on a number of factors.
Summer on 7: 158th Wisconsin Valley Fair draws thousands to Wausau with animals, entertainment and community
The 158th Wisconsin Valley Fair is open at Marathon Park in Wausau — here's what to expect this week.
Infrared glasses could push the boundaries of human eyesight
The prototype could help us see light that other animals can.
Butterfly lilies wing their way to Science
Many animals and plants show left-right differences in how their bodies or organs are arranged, but we still know little about how such asymmetries evolve or how genes control them in natural populations. Mirror-image flowers, in which female and male sex organs are deflected to opposite sides in left- and right-handed forms, provide a notable example of such asymmetry. Here, we studied South African butterfly lilies, where individual plants produce only left- or right-handed flowers. Their mirror-image flowers promote outcrossing by depositing pollen from each floral form onto a specific region of a pollinator’s body that matches the stigma position of the opposite form. This suggests that selection for efficient pollen transfer between forms maintains this natural polymorphism. Our work uncovers a hemizygous supergene that coordinates the left-right orientation of female and male sex organs in mirror-image flowers by linking two independently acting genes for style and stamen handedness in a single, nonrecombining genomic segment. This architecture ensures the coinheritance of a matched pair of organ orientations that is essential for efficient cross-pollination between floral forms. At the developmental level, we show that floral handedness emerges from the interaction between an intrinsic tissue chirality and a gravitropic response that orients the style and median stamen relative to gravity. Together, these findings reveal how a supergene, hormone and microRNA signaling, tissue chirality, and an external physical cue combine to produce and maintain a stable left-right polymorphism in natural plant populations.
Living Magnets: Meet the Bacteria That Can Sense Earth's Magnetic Field
Long before animals evolved magnetic navigation, bacteria were using microscopic compasses to thrive in a world of varied oxygen levels.
567-million-year-old fossils rewrite the dawn of animal life
A spectacular fossil site in Canada contains 567-million-year-old creatures that may represent some of the earliest animals to move, reproduce sexually, and develop recognizable body plans. The discovery pushes key evolutionary milestones back by up to 10 million years and suggests complex animal life may have first flourished in the deep ocean.
State Fair Brought Food, Entertainment, Education and Job Opportunities
“Wish You Were Here” was the theme of the 2026 California State Fair. Despite the heat, many attendees came out to enjoy the traditional “must do” activities at the fair like heading for the hot cinnamon rolls or checking out all the animals and t...
A downtown Bryan mural brings art and science to life
Texas A&M student blends art, a love for animals and science for elementary students to learn with a mural in downtown Bryan
DOH-Marion Issues Rabies Advisory - Florida Department of Health in Marion County
DOH-Marion is monitoring rabies among wild animals in the area in response to a single confirmed case of rabies in a raccoon.
High-protein is a wellness craze, but could restricting it be anti-ageing?
Protein is everywhere, but studies – mostly in non-human animals – suggest that limiting our intake could extend our lifespan
After Hobbes vs Rousseau: Politics must move beyond human nature
Since the great debate between Hobbes and Rousseau, our political theory has been organised around a single question: is human nature essentially good or essentially corrupt? Graham Harman, the philosopher behind object-oriented ontology, argues that this is simply the wrong question to be asking. The real forces governing our collective fate - climate change, artificial intelligence, geography, and pandemics - are non-human; therefore, questions about human nature are not the central ones. Instead, Harman proposes a politics reorganised around our relationship to non-human objects and environments, in which quasi-government institutions incentivise and deter actions with the aim of extending the survival of the human race. “It is easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism.” This has become one of the most popular phrases among twenty-first-century intellectuals. Often misattributed to Fredric Jameson, it has been warmly embraced by such influential authors as Slavoj Žižek and the tragically departed Mark Fisher, and has fueled the notion that the major problem with the political Left is that it simply needs to become more speculative and creative. Naturally, this is never a bad idea in any human pursuit. But what if the political distinction between Left, Right, and Center itself results from a failure of imagination? SUGGESTED READING Hobbes vs Rousseau: are we inherently evil? By Robin Douglass This particular division has been with us only since the summer of 1789. During the simmering prelude to the French Revolution, it referred originally to the physical position in the National Assembly of radical figures on one side and loyal monarchists on the other. These positions are linked with two entirely different camps of modern political theory. On the Left we find a series of authors ranging from the moderate (Locke) to the supercharged (Rousseau) to the truly radical (Marx), all of them contending that exploitation of the many by the few justifies revolutionary overthrow of the existing order. On the Right they are countered by the likes of Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Schmitt, a group of thinkers convinced that corrupt human nature can be tamed only by force. In the words of the Nazi supporter Schmitt: “One could test all theories of nature and state and political ideas according to their anthropology and classify these as to whether they consciously or unconsciously presuppose [humans] to be by nature evil or by nature good.” This is the division we continue to face today, even in the daily retail politics of Western democracies.___Our species has regularly proven itself capable of both the noblest gestures and the most scathing cruelties, making it hard to define us as essentially either emancipatory or brutal in our aims.___The most refreshing feature of David Graeber and David Wengrow’s 2021 book The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity was their awareness that the forced choice between Rousseau and Hobbes (as they put it) is no longer sufficient. Our species has regularly proven itself capable of both the noblest gestures and the most scathing cruelties, making it hard to define us as essentially either emancipatory or brutal in our aims. Far from being stationed “beyond good and evil,” we seem to be fully entangled with both. We are not naturally good or evil, Graeber and Wengrow contend, but naturally experimental and imaginative. They rest their case on the archaeological record, which seems to bear witness to numerous episodes of seasonally shifting governments and festivals, which vacillate in the same society (even in the same year) between the egalitarian and the dictatorial. Such praise of political experiment makes a good fit with the generally anarchist position defended by these authors. Yet it is also what I find most disappointing in their position. Although they are right that the forced choice between Hobbes and Rousseau falls short of what our new situation requires, the authors simply replace it with praise for the human being as a political tinkerer and performer. In other words, they give us just another theory of human nature, one that would not have been out of place in the sixteenth or seventeenth century. What other options might we have?___The time is ripe for a retheorization of politics on the basis of something other than human nature… We are not just alienated and limited by objects, but also empowered and unleashed by them___One fresh approach would be to treat politics within a broader framework than human nature, given that the polis does not exist in a vacuum filled exclusively with people. When Bruno Latour went to observe the baboons of Kenya with the San Diego anthropologist Shirley Strum, they jointly concluded that these primates were more socially interdependent than our own species. Each baboon is so reliant on the dynamics of the group that they find themselves locked into constant surveillance of their potentially dangerous peers. The group structure turns out to be inherently volatile. Humans, by contrast, are able to stabilize their societies to a large degree through the mediation of inanimate objects. Although one’s position in society may seem to fluctuate over time, considerable stability is produced through such items as apartment keys, wedding rings, and identification cards, all of them serving to secure us a place distinct from that of our fellows. The Italian philosopher Maurizio Ferraris has written at length about the crucial role of documents in establishing social relations, making him a hero among notaries in his country. Proper names and license plates cement our position amidst other humans, as do symbolic achievements such as graduation from a top university or distinguished wartime service with its various medals and ribbons. None of this is found among baboons, despite their closeness to us on the evolutionary tree: after all, we did share a common ancestor just 25 to 30 million years ago. SUGGESTED VIEWING The goodness paradox With Richard Wrangham The time is ripe for a retheorization of politics on the basis of something other than human nature, whether understood in the manner of the Left or of the Right. We are not just alienated and limited by objects, but also empowered and unleashed by them. But initially, it is true, we face non-human things primarily in the form of constraints. It would be difficult, perhaps impossible, to form a human civilization underwater, deep underground, atop Mount Everest, or in outer space. Human dependence on the non-social background takes on subtler form in discussions of political geography, especially unloved on the more idealistic Left. Consider the luckless position of Poland during World War II, sandwiched between Hitler on one side and Stalin on the other. By contrast, note the good fortune of the United States in not having a military peer positioned on any land border. Anglo-American geopolitics, since the writings of the American naval commander Alfred Thayer Mahan and the British geographer Sir Halford Mackinder, has been wedded to the notion that one or more liberal offshore naval powers should prevent any authoritarian “heartland” regime from gaining effective control of Eurasia. That remains the case whether the opponent is the impatient Napoleon, the swashbuckling German Kaiser, the villainous Hitler, the murderous Stalin, or the industrial juggernaut Chinese. In their current Foreign Affairs article “Heartland vs. Rimland,” Michael Beckley and Hal Brands analyze the current and coming state of the world on the basis of these same rather durable principles. In recent years a similar outlook has been embraced, in inverted form, by the Putin-loving Russian philosopher Aleksandr Dugin, an icon of the Rightist intellectual underworld. For Dugin, the Anglo-Saxons are an evil force bent on destroying the spiritually superior people of the land: much like Athens in its failed war with Sparta, or Carthage in its eventual collapse against Rome. But the shared notion on both sides is that any strategy that fails to take geography into account is likely to end up as a defeated form of excessive optimism.___When dealing with environmental degradation, then, we are doing business with forces that promise dire effects on our species as a whole.___More striking for us today than geography is the non-human object called climate, which threatens rimland and heartland equally. Even if we contend that humans are one hundred percent responsible for triggering the climate crisis, it remains non-human in the sense of being an independent force beyond our effective control. In a major work published just before his death in 2002, The Structure of Evolutionary Theory, the American paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould noted the tendency of evolutionary theorists to focus too closely on the fate of individuals in view of their successful or failed adaptation to circumstances. With climate change, however, we confront a force that goes well beyond the scope of any individual life. Whereas Richard Dawkins extended evolutionary questions downward from individuals to the sub-individual gene, Gould pushed it upward, speaking of entire species or clades as impacted by environmental change. The asteroid that struck the Yucatán 66 million years ago is only the most famous example of this sort. In the wake of that catastrophe, large animals needing abundant supplies of food were at a fatal disadvantage by contrast with the smaller birds and mammals of the planet. When dealing with environmental degradation, then, we are doing business with forces that promise dire effects on our species as a whole. The effect is to shift our attention away from individual beings towards the survival of the group.In the United States in particular, the COVID-19 pandemic sparked considerable backlash among those who asserted a nearly absolute degree of individual freedom. In California I encountered those who demanded that their businesses be allowed to reopen, that it was enough to cover their mouths but not their noses, or that they should have the right to enter any public area despite refusing vaccination. Yet public health is probably the clearest argument against libertarianism, which often merely asserts the autonomy of individuals against any claims of the commons. In normal times the individual is worth defending; under conditions that threaten the survival of part or all of our species, compulsion may be our only resort, as with perfectly reasonable blackouts and rations in wartime. To rebuild human society under the constraints of climate change will be one of the great challenges of the century to come, as will our improvised grappling with artificial intelligence. Such phenomena pose existential risks for humanity, and leave far less room for tolerance of individual brattiness. Cases are mounting of devastating wildfires caused by arson. Recently it was reported that there is even a website where one can bet on the location of coming wildfires, raising the specter of deliberate blazes set to collect on wagers. The death penalty has steadily lost support in a world where many stress the infinite value of human life. But if we focus instead on entire ecosystems, those who purposely burn the forests may begin to look worse than serial murderers.___The politics of the future may be splintered by disagreement over such topics as how to manage our environing background and how to permit or restrict the entry of new objects into the political sphere.___So far I have spoken of force, authority, and punishment: measures sure to have greater appeal to those who identify with what we know as the Right. But other implications of the post-anthropocentric world are likely to have different backers. If non-human objects are seen as structuring political space, it stands to reason that they can no longer be introduced solely by the pace of technical breakthrough. Fields ranging from cybernetics to energy will demand increased politicization once they are reconceived not just as products of individual human investment, but as renovations of collective political geography. This need not involve world government, with its inherent risk of tyranny, but may involve quasi-governmental enforcers of prestige along the lines of a less corrupt FIFA or International Olympic Committee, punishing deviant states not with violence but with less tangible incentives.Politics will never lose its historic links with conflict and faction. But rather than factions aligned by differing theories of human nature, the politics of the future may be splintered by disagreement over such topics as how to manage our environing background and how to permit or restrict the entry of new objects into the political sphere. This will prove just as incommensurable with the modern Left/Right spectrum as a globe is with a two-dimensional map.
The Vampire Squid Discovery That Science Had to Correct
For decades, the vampire squid stood alone as the last survivor of an ancient cephalopod order, until a strange specimen hauled from the deep South China Sea changed everything. Or so scientists thoug...
Scientists Document Sharks Scraping Against Manta Rays. But What Does It Mean?
Sharks have been observed rubbing against manta rays and other large marine animals, likely as an alternative way to remove parasites when cleaner fish aren’t accessible.
Scientists Just Discovered A Contagious Cancer In A Catfish, The Fourth Known To Science. Meet The Other Three
Only four transmissible cancers are known, contagious cell lineages that spread between animals. Meet the dog, devil and shellfish cancers behind the catfish.
Lead pollution poses health risk, says review sparked by FT investigation
Animals reared near ex-mining sites ‘can have high, potentially toxic concentrations of metals’, academics find
Banana Ball brings fans, entertainment back to Connecticut for Hartford series
The Indianapolis Clowns defeated the Party Animals in the opening game of a three-game series Wednesday night, rallying for a walk-off win in the ninth inning on a hit by former Boston Red Sox player Jackie Bradley Jr.
Banana Ball brings fans, entertainment back to Connecticut for Hartford series
Banana Ball returned to Connecticut this week, bringing its signature mix of baseball and entertainment back to Dunkin’ Park in Hartford for the first time in three years. The Indianapolis Clowns defeated the Party Animals in the opening game of a three-game series Wednesday night, rallying for a walk-off win in the ninth inning on a hit by former Boston…
Thanks to BookTok, business is booming for some North Texas independent bookstores
Some fear America is experiencing a literacy crisis, but business has been so good at Talking Animals Books in Grapevine that they opened a second location.
Oregon Coast CC is fixing its aquarium science building, but first it had to find homes for 150 creatures
Oregon Coast Community College’s Aquarium Science building is undergoing a $2.3 million renovation, so some 150 animals had to be moved to the Hatfield Marine Science Center and Oregon Coast Aquarium.
Barnstable County Fair starts today. Here's what to know.
Get ready for the Barnstable County Fair running July 20 to 26 with rides, demolition derbies, animals, quilts and live music.
Sharks, sutures & science
From learning how to do surgical sutures on a silicone mat to exploring the anatomy of sharks, frogs and other animals, students are diving into hands-on wildlife science this summer during the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife's Conservation Summer Camp. With various camps designed for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, CROW's annual camp combines wildlife conservation, veterinary medicine and outdoor discovery through
Citizen Scientists Helped Decipher How Harvestmen Became Oddly Devoted Dads
Paternal care is vanishingly rare in the animal kingdom, yet one spider relative pulls it off repeatedly across thousands of species. Unlocking why required a surprising shortcut that compressed decad...
Wildfire smoke poses health risk to animals
Wildfire smoke can create health issues for pets the same way it affects people, according to a local veterinarian — particularly for animals with underlying conditions.
Scientists show that DNA can last for up to 50,000 years in Africa — much longer than previously thought
Researchers extracted DNA from long-dead animals that lived in South Africa during the last ice age, revealing that genetic material lasts longer in hot climates than was previously thought.
Can humans hibernate their way to Mars?
Scientists are trying to recreate the biology that lets animals survive months without food or water, in hopes of making deep-space travel possible
You can help scientists study walruses
A global science project is asking volunteers to search Arctic satellite images for the animals, which are threatened by climate change.
Enovis™ Companion Animal Health Launches CT-RevitL™, the Next-Generation Laser Therapy System for Veterinary Care
Companion Animal Health CT-RevitL™ Companion Animal Health CT-RevitL™, the next-generation laser therapy system for veterinary care. CT-RevitL™ launches in the United States, built on a foundation of 150+ published studies on photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy Designed to deliver deeper, faster and more consistent therapeutic outcomes for animals DALLAS, TX, July 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enovis™ Corporation (NYSE: ENOV), an innovation-driven medical technology company, today announced the U.S.
Priscilla Presley’s son hits back at critics of him fundraising to launch a pizza shop in his driveway
Priscilla Presley’s 37-year-old son, Navarone Garibaldi Garcia, is standing by the GoFundMe he set up for a pizza business he plans to run out of his driveway.
Scientists decipher how a psychedelic substance is created, then engineer a plant to produce several at once
Long before scientists began studying them in the lab, mind-altering substances were already being gathered from plants, fungi and even animals for use in rituals, healing practices and mental health ...
Scientists finally solved the mystery of Earth's greatest mass extinction
Why do beaches today have seashells from clams and snails instead of brachiopods? A new study suggests the answer lies in Earth's greatest mass extinction, when warming oceans and falling oxygen levels wiped out animals that couldn't adapt. Species with body plans and metabolisms better suited to the changing conditions survived and went on to dominate the seas, offering a glimpse of how modern marine life could respond to climate change.
Why are there so many CGI animals in movies right now?
Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in movies anymore. Ever since the dawn of silent films, animal actors have been a big- and small-screen staple, whether it’s Rin Tin Tin,
World’s first right-hander could be this 550 million-year-old worm
The new findings suggest preference towards the right in animals may date back much, much further than once though.
World Snake Day: The Surprising Science of Snakes
In honor of World Snake Day, learn about some of nature’s most important—yet misunderstood—animals.
A Dog Named Dug: The Science Behind Therapy Animals
Through the Cornell Companions program, volunteer therapy animals on campus bring emotional and neurochemical benefits to students during stressful times.
Chernobyl’s Wildlife Cameras Reveal How War Affects Wild Animals
A rare camera-trap study logged the effects of armed conflict on wild animals in real time.
Scientists solve a 30-year rye pollen mystery that could transform cancer research
Scientists have finally solved a nearly 30-year-old mystery surrounding two unusual molecules found in rye pollen that once showed an intriguing ability to help animals fight tumors. By determining their exact 3D structures, researchers have unlocked the blueprint needed to investigate how these natural compounds interact with the immune system and which parts may be responsible for their cancer-fighting effects.
Discover Horseshoe Crabs: A Free Five-Day Elementary Science Unit Plan
Horseshoe crabs have roamed Earth's oceans for hundreds of millions of years, and their secrets go far deeper than a prehistoric shell. This free five-day elementary unit uncovers the surprising adapt...
Streetlights are trapping thousands of pill bugs in giant “death spirals”
Researchers discovered that artificial streetlights can trap thousands of woodlice in mesmerizing circular "death spirals" never before seen in the wild. The surprising finding suggests that light pollution may be unintentionally altering the behavior of even the smallest ground-dwelling animals.
Florida Health warns against contact with wild animals due to rabies risk
In Seminole County, avoid wild and stray animals to reduce rabies risk. Keep pets vaccinated and supervised for safety.
Trump's massive July 4 firework show raises health alarms
An "unforgettable" tribute to America, or a health hazard that will terrorize animals and pollute the environment?
UP libraries host Super Science Fest this week
Kids learned about animals, science, and art while beating the summer heat.