(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Overnight Science News: We don't know what's happening next, but insurers don't plan to pay for it [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-09-28 “Beware those who tell you they know how all this is going to work out - the doomsayers, or the AOKers, or even the steady line to a middle future predictors. We are in the time of surprises. Of non-linearities. Of tipping points both in earth systems and human ones...” Dr. Elizabeth Sawin x Beware those who tell you they know how all this is going to work out - the doomsayers, or the AOKers, or even the steady line to a middle future predictors. We are in the time of surprises. Of non-linearities. Of tipping points both in earth systems and human ones... — Dr. Elizabeth Sawin (@bethsawin) September 27, 2024 Zillow home listings to feature climate risk, insurance data — Axios Mindful of increasing risks from extreme weather events such as hurricanes, Zillow will combine climate risk scores, interactive maps and insurance information on its home listings, the company announced this morning. Zoom in: The climate risk information will come from the climate risk company First Street. It will include historical data on past climate events that affected the area where a property is located, such as flooding or wildfires. It will also have scores on future risks to properties from floods, wildfires, high winds, extreme heat and poor air quality. "Climate risks are now a critical factor in home buying decisions," said Zillow chief economist Skylar Olsen in a statement. According to Zillow, more new listings nationwide in August now come with major climate risk than homes listed for sale five years ago, which held true across all the risk categories. Power outages from Hurricane Helene reported as of 4:30 am 09/28/24 x Sometimes I wish I had never known ecologically richer times, then I, like those born today, would not know, ... what was stolen from me. pic.twitter.com/7bMVFnryqg — Martin Tye (@martinrev21) September 15, 2024 Sometimes I wish I had never known ecologically richer times, then I, like those born today, would not know,... what was stolen from me. Poem by Matthew Olzmann x You know it’s bad when even @CNN is out here dropping F bombs.https://t.co/87bkMINA0u pic.twitter.com/WOr7L3d7BJ — Yellow Dot Studios (@weareyellowdot) September 28, 2024 ...a common refrain--one that becomes particularly dangerous on a warming Earth and amid a non-stationary climate: "It can't/won't happen here!" "If it does happen here, it won't be that bad." "This town's been here for 150 years--we've seen everything already!" Dr. Daniel Swain, Climate scientist-communicator focused on extreme events like floods, droughts, & wildfires on a warming planet Are Botanists Endangered? — The Revelator x Are Botanists Endangered? As funding drops and institutions change, the study of plants appears to be withering on the vine. That’s letting critical skills go extinct. https://t.co/mQdatkYHab pic.twitter.com/7c2WAn27x4 — The Revelator (@Revelator_News) September 23, 2024 At a time when our net knowledge about plants keeps growing, our individual understanding of plants is in decline. This is unsurprising, because while we still depend on plants for life, few of us need to know much about them in our daily lives — as long as someone else does. We rely on botanists to identify plants, keep them alive, and in so doing help keep us alive as well. It’s a lot of responsibility for a group of scientists that isn’t getting any bigger. And that has some people in the field worried. [...] Experts agree that in recent years, most botany professors aren’t being replaced once they retire. But why? Money is one reason. The National Science Foundation, for instance, has shifted its funding away from natural history at herbariums and other museums, Callis-Duehl says. “It’s harder to convince Congress that that work — pure botany — contributes to the economy. They prefer basic science that can lead into more applied science, where they can make a case that it fuels the U.S. economy.” We must train specialists in botany and zoology — or risk more devastating extinctions — Nature x We must train specialists in botany and zoology — or risk more devastating extinctions https://t.co/2OwQi3iK6q — Lars Krogmann (@LarsKrogmann) September 26, 2024 Taxonomy is crucial for biodiversity conservation — if we can’t properly identify animals, plants and fungi, we can’t find ways to preserve them … Funding for projects involving taxonomy dropped drastically in the United Kingdom in the 1990s, replaced by those using molecular biology and genetics. Taxonomists in Europe worry that they themselves are becoming an endangered species, with retiring experts often not being replaced. And some low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including tropical nations that contain some of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, have long faced a shortage of domestic talent. If taxonomic knowledge is not maintained, it will become harder to prevent species becoming extinct. Barcelona is turning subway trains into power stations — Grist x Pretty cool: Barcelona has rigged its subway cars with inverters that capture the regenerative energy from braking. The system feeds most of that energy to EV chargers at the stations. https://t.co/EBmd6KCP9A — David Roberts (@drvolts) September 25, 2024 Most of the passengers emerging from the station in Bellvitge, a working-class neighborhood outside Barcelona, have no idea just how innovative the city’s subway system is. Using technology not unlike the regenerative braking found in hybrids and electric vehicles, the trains they rode generated some of the power flowing to the EV chargers in the nearby parking lot, the lights illuminating the station, and the escalators taking them to the platforms. Every time a train rumbles to a stop, the energy generated by all that friction is converted to electricity, which is fed through inverters and distributed throughout the subway system. One-third of that powers the trains; the rest provides juice to station amenities and a growing network of EV chargers. Birds of the World Latest Species Updates — Cornell Lab x Exciting news! 🥳 This week brings fresh updates to our species accounts! From new vernacular names to subspecies insights, there's something for every bird enthusiast. Check it out!https://t.co/WsA91SwJMN pic.twitter.com/EVeRx3SG0n — Birds of The World: Cornell Lab (@birdsoftheworld) September 25, 2024 Neglecting non-bee pollinators may lead to substantial underestimation of competition risk among pollinators — Science Direct x It’s not just wild bees that managed honey bees compete with. New study indicates we need to pay more attention to the effects on non bee pollinators. https://t.co/W3adigwpSO pic.twitter.com/By6jRHNFHo — Api:Cultural (@apiculturalLdn) September 23, 2024 Introducing honey bees into protected areas can have detrimental effects on wild pollinators. This competition risk is mainly explored between honey bees and wild bees. Non-bee pollinator species could also suffer this detrimental competitive effect from honey bees. Neglecting non-bee pollinators may underestimate the competition risk among pollinators. The integration of non-bee pollinators into scientific studies and conservation plans is urgently required. An intranasally administered adenovirus-vectored SARS-CoV-2 vaccine induces robust mucosal secretory IgA — Journal of Clinical Investigation x Two doses of a Covid nasal vaccine spray led to >50-fold increase in spike-specific secretory IgA antibodies against 10 strains of #SARSCoV2, indicative of potent mucosal immunityhttps://t.co/5giaE7guvd @JCI_insight with evidence of blocking infections among health care workers… pic.twitter.com/yPNyggtsga — Eric Topol (@EricTopol) September 25, 2024 Two doses of a Covid nasal vaccine spray led to >50-fold increase in spike-specific secretory IgA antibodies against 10 strains of #SARSCoV2, indicative of potent mucosal immunity with evidence of blocking infections among health care workers who were assessed after exposure. Records from Neotropical non-breeding grounds reveal shifts in bird migration phenology over six decades — Current Biology x New paper!! Very happy to share this work published in @CurrentBiology in collaboration with @BryanMateus12, @cdanielcadena and Camila Gómez (@selvaorgco). Available here: https://t.co/tyhyd4H3db We report changes in bird migration phenology exclusively from the wintering grounds pic.twitter.com/AicIewdm8O — Daniel Alejandro Gutiérrez-Carrillo (@dagutierrezc97) September 26, 2024 Highlights Comparison of historical and modern records from non-breeding Neotropical migratory birds Twelve migratory bird species showed shifts in migration phenology over six decades Shifts resulted in longer breeding or longer non-breeding periods for some species Environmental cues driving shifts likely differ in tropical and temperate regions x Our friends at @EvergreenAction have a great summary of the climate provisions of the plan: https://t.co/EElAiKPXNM — Sunrise Movement 🌅 (@sunrisemvmt) September 26, 2024 x People should take @sunrisemvmt 's analysis very seriously. They are the biggest single reason we have the Inflation Reduction Act https://t.co/6DjVuTkUPB — Bill McKibben (@billmckibben) September 26, 2024 Stem cells reverse woman’s diabetes—a world first — Nature x Stem cells reverse woman’s diabetes — a world first https://t.co/0iz4olRaFP — nature (@Nature) September 26, 2024 A 25-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes started producing her own insulin less than three months after receiving a transplant of reprogrammed stem cells1. She is the first person with the disease to be treated using cells that were extracted from her own body. “I can eat sugar now,” said the woman, who lives in Tianjing, on a call with Nature. It has been more than a year since the transplant, and, she says, “I enjoy eating everything — especially hotpot.” The woman asked to remain anonymous to protect her privacy. James Shapiro, a transplant surgeon and researcher at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, says the results of the surgery are stunning. “They’ve completely reversed diabetes in the patient, who was requiring substantial amounts of insulin beforehand.” Possible Cluster of Human Bird-Flu Infections Expands in Missouri — NY Times (paywall removed) A possible cluster of bird-flu infections in Missouri has grown to include eight people, in what may be the first examples of person-to-person transmission in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday. If confirmed, the cases in Missouri could indicate that the virus may have acquired the ability to infect people more easily. Worldwide, clusters of bird flu among people are extremely rare. Most cases have resulted from close contact with infected birds. Health officials in Missouri initially identified a patient with bird flu who was hospitalized last month with unusual symptoms. The patient may have infected one household member and six health care workers, all of whom developed symptoms, according to the C.D.C. California OKs Strongest Rat Poison Restrictions in Nation — Center for Biological Diversity x 🎉: California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed the Poison-Free Wildlife Act into law! It offers the strongest protections in the United States against anticoagulant rodenticides, which harm and kill wildlife through secondary poisoning. Learn more: https://t.co/w4B5jJRT2X pic.twitter.com/yXVHwThFAW — Center for Biological Diversity (@CenterForBioDiv) September 26, 2024 Gov. Gavin Newsom signed tighter rat poison restrictions into law today, expanding an existing moratorium to include all blood-thinning rat poisons, known as anticoagulant rodenticides. The Poison-Free Wildlife Act, or Assembly Bill 2552, offers the strongest protections in the country against these toxic rat poisons, which unintentionally harm and kill wildlife. “This important legislation shows why California is an environmental leader. We’re willing to fight for wildlife protections,” said J.P. Rose, Urban Wildlands policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Birds, foxes and pumas shouldn’t be sacrificed every time there’s a pest problem. It’s a relief to know the deadliest rat poisons will soon be off the market here.” A.B. 2552 builds upon existing legislation that set restrictions on certain kinds of anticoagulant rodenticides. But secondary poisoning is still widespread, with many imperiled species including mountain lions, San Joaquin kit foxes and northern spotted owls needlessly harmed or killed. Wild animals that eat poisoned rodents get poisoned themselves and suffer from internal bleeding, mange or organ failure. Some are so sick they are unable to find food or avoid predators. When you’ve put the wildlife death data in front of them for years without any agreement to change & then you hit them with a charismatic representative of these deaths = PARTIAL SUCCESS. They haven’t addressed the anticoagulant rat poisons and plan to de-rat NYC by limiting births. From the Lights Out Coalition BREAKING: Our historic #FlacosLaw rat contraception bill just PASSED unanimously in @NYCCouncil — This is a victory for urban wildlife who deserve a city that doesn’t poison them to death. Let’s usher in non-toxic, effective rat control! 'Missing link' black hole lurks in strange binary system with red giant star — Space.com For astronomers, finding a new black hole orbiting an aged red dwarf star is an exciting find in itself, but when that black hole seems to be a "missing link" stellar-mass black hole, you can crank the excitement up to 11! That is exactly what seems to be lurking in binary system G3425, estimated to be around 5,800 light-years away. The visible component of G3425 is a red giant star, the kind of stellar body you get when a star exhausts its supply of hydrogen fuel and can no longer conduct nuclear fusion in its core. This causes its outer layers (where fusion continues) to "puff out" to as much as 100 times the star's original width. x DAMN This is harsh pic.twitter.com/9NKEZftS9m — Bruce Shark (@BruceShark5) September 24, 2024 x Iotacypha zherikhini (Thripida: Lophioneurida) from Burmese amber. I also was working on this new species of Lophioneurida from Burmese amber, but a Russian group of scientists was faster. Was published today in: Russian Entomological Journal 33 (3): 272–275. Body length: 0.7mm pic.twitter.com/nOVXBXk8DF — Manfred R. Ulitzka (@Thrips_iD) September 26, 2024 Bird study shows that grounded running styles conserve energy — Phys.org [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/9/28/2273304/-Overnight-Science-News-We-don-t-know-what-s-happening-next-but-insurers-don-t-plan-to-pay-for-it?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/