The Strange Science Archives - Far Out Info About Our World And Beyond

Climate Engineering: Cloud Seeding Efforts Correlate With Drought’s End In California

Posted in : Climate Change, Geoengineering, The environmentTagged : climate change, environment1Comments Posted on April 24, 2023April 26, 2023

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By Keith Walsh
In drought-stricken California, the winter season starting in late 2022 and ending in early 2023 was predicted to be mild, with La Niña conditions. In other words, meteorologists expected little rain to alleviate the persistent drought that has plagued the southwestern United States for decades.

Then the unexpected happened: historic rains fell upon Southern California from December 2022 to March 2023. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, however – cloud seeding efforts get the credit for this bounteous precipitation.

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Ruinous Razorbacks: ‘Super Pigs’ Pose Danger To U.S. Environment

Posted in : Invasive species, Mammals, Selective Breeding, The environmentTagged : Agriculture, environment, Invasive species, Mammals, Public Health0Comments Posted on April 4, 2023April 5, 2023

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By Keith Walsh
Starting in the 1980s, Canadian scientists crossbred wild boars (sus scrofa) with domesticated pigs (sus domesticus) to create a hardier, meatier species. In a story worthy of a horror film, the market for these hybrids failed, and some of these swine escaped, posing a threat to ecosystems in Canada and the U.S. These ‘super pigs” can grow to as large as 600 pounds.

By mixing genes of these two species through selective breeding to create a pig closer to those from the Iron Age, farmers released a Pandora’s box of danger. Thought not necessarily created intentionally (but rather in the wild), scrofa/domesticus hybrids have reached crisis levels in Australia and Brazil, and are reaching such status in the U.S. These beast are so large and fast that they have few creatures above them in the food chain. Perhaps only bears can threaten them.

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China Probe Chang’e-5 Yields Water From Moon In Glass Crystals

Posted in : NASA, Space Travel, The MoonTagged : space colonies, the moon1Comments Posted on March 30, 2023April 4, 2023

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By Keith Walsh
The quest for knowledge of the heavenly bodies beyond Earth sometimes takes the form of a global competition. China just scored a coup by discovering water on the moon, encapsulated in glass spheres brought home by their probe Chang’e-5 in 2020.

NASA already discovered water in craters of the moon way back in the 90s, and soil samples collected by the Apollo missions of the late 60s and 70s were found to contain hydrogen, an essential component of water. However, these glass crystals – some 1,731 grams brought to Earth by Chang’e-5 in 2020 – present a previously unrecognized source of the precious liquid.

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A Fungus Among Us: Antibiotic-Resistant Candida Auris

Posted in : CDC, Disease, Epidemiology, Public HealthTagged : CDC, Epidemiology, Public Health0Comments Posted on March 23, 2023April 4, 2023

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By Keith Walsh
At this point in the 21^st century, there’s a lot for ordinary people to worry about. In addition to crime, the possible outbreak of WW3, and now, just as COVID-19 appears to somewhat ambiguously resolve, there’s a new threat in town – the fungus Candida Auris.

Called “a serious global health threat” by the CDC (Centers For Disease Control), Candida Auris is an antibiotic-resistant fungus that was first identified in the U.S. in 2018. Patients who have been in long term-care are the most vulnerable, and Candida Auris has been found mostly in healthcare settings.

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Bureaucrats Suggest Culinary Solution To Bullfrog Problem

Posted in : Amphibians, Invasive species, The environmentTagged : amphibians, environment, Invasive species0Comments Posted on March 3, 2023April 4, 2023

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By Keith Walsh
When it comes to healing and preserving the globe’s environment, creative ideas are needed desperately. I’m not talking about climate change or pollution this time, but a case of invasive species in Utah.

Turns out bullfrogs are plentiful in the beautiful southwestern state, and due to their invasive nature, they pose a threat to ecosystems there. The American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeiana) is an ambush predator that will eat almost anything that will fit in its mouth, including other aquatic animals, and small birds and mammals.

The creative solution to this amphibian invasion? The Utah Department of Natural Resources wants Utahns to consider putting these arguably lovely creatures on their dinner plates. Calling the creatures “tasty,” the bureau reminds the hungry and hopeful that no fishing license is required, unless you are catching fish at the same time, using fishing gear, (according to news at Yahoo.com) .

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Moon Life: An Alternative To Life On Earth?

Posted in : Climate Change, Space Travel, Terraforming, The MoonTagged : climate change, space colonies, space travel, terraforming, the moon0Comments Posted on February 20, 2023April 4, 2023

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By Keith Walsh
While Moon colonies were once a topic for science fiction, there are good reasons why scientists and industrialists will eventually help the human race migrate to the moon. Certainly, curiosity and the determination to transcend a challenge play a role. Without being too dramatic, there’s a possibility that moving to the moon may ensure the survival of earthly life forms should Earth become inhabitable in future centuries due to climate change and other threats.

There are numerous challenges of course. Should potable water be found beneath the surface, that would be a baseline for existence of human species. The inability of earth creatures to live in the zero oxygen environment must also be overcome. Because of these persistent limitations, Moon colonists would be adventurers and pioneers of a new sort.

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