Free Republic

How far would you go to avoid a rash from a common pest on hikes? Well, one reporter for The Wall Street Journal has gone as far as to blend poison oak into smoothies and mix them into his salad bowl — all in a bid to develop an immunity towards the chemical irritants found in the plant's leaves. Jeff Horwitz, who usually reports on technology, wrote about his slightly mad mission for a feature article in the Saturday newspaper. "I started eating poison oak in January, when the first buds began to swell on the hazardous plant’s bare stems,"...

Two dwarf galaxies (top and bottom) orbit the much larger Andromeda galaxy. DAVID DAYAG/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When astronomers fret about the “missing satellites problem,” they’re not talking about spacecraft in Earth orbit. Their problem is much bigger: For decades, far fewer dwarf galaxies have been seen orbiting the Milky Way and other large galaxies than predicted by models of galaxy formation. But now, two groups of astronomers have found evidence for not just a sufficient number of satellite galaxies to satisfy the simulations—but too many. “Maybe we’ve oversolved the problem,” says Marcel Pawlowski, an astronomer at the Leibniz Institute for...

The studied Psittacosaurus under natural (upper half) and UV light (lower half). (Zixiao Yang, Author provided) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Strong but light, beautiful and precisely structured, feathers are the most complex skin appendage that ever evolved in vertebrates. Despite the fact humans have been playing with feathers since prehistory, there's still a lot we don't understand about them. Our new study found that some of the first animals with feathers also had scaly skin like reptiles. Following the debut of the first feathered dinosaur, Sinosauropteryx prima, in 1996, a surge of discoveries has painted an ever more interesting picture of feather evolution....

Taking away his best friend was a cold-blooded thing to do. An upstate New York man who kept a 750-pound pet alligator in his house is an emotional wreck after government agents hauled his pal away – and he sees the same heartbreak in Albert’s scaly face. “I know his look, and that happy face that you see is not there no more,” an emotional and sleepless Tony Cavallaro told The Post. “He looks very lost and very distraught. Cavallaro raised Albert since he was a hatchling 34 years ago, an elaborate pen in his home to house the gator....

VIDEO AT LINK................... May 20 (UPI) -- A 12-foot alligator was relocated from Florida's MacDill Air Force Base after twice being found in restricted areas. The 12-foot, 4-inch gator was first spotted at the Tampa base in April, when it found its way to the runway and parked itself by the landing gear of a plane. The reptile was ejected, but put in a second appearance last week outside the Med Group facility. Base officials made arrangements for the alligator to be permanently relocated to Gatorama and Crocodile Adventures in Palmdale, a facility located about 155 miles away. Gatorama dubbed...

Welcome to the party, Koleken inakayali, we'll clap for you. La Colonia Formation continues to deliver the new dinosaur goods. Image credit: © Gabriel Díaz Yantén Behold, the tiny arms of a new species of abelisaurid dinosaur, Koleken inakayali. Retrieved from La Colonia Formation in Patagonia, it dates back 70 million years and has an impressively miniature set of arms. Think T. rex’s were mini? You ain’t seen nothing yet. The new tiny-armed species looks similar to the iconic “meat bull” Carnotaurus, made famous from Jurassic World and that love scene in Prehistoric Planet. Koleken is different, however, both in...

Archer Aviation, one of the companies leading the global charge towards the certification and introduction of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, has announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Abu-Dhabi-based Etihad Training. The agreement, announced at the Future Aviation Forum being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between May 20 and 22, 2024, lays the groundwork for a commercial partnership that aims to recruit and train prospective pilots for Archer’s Midnight aircraft that will be based in Abu Dhabi and operate across the UAE. Archer’s Midnight aircraft is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft designed to perform rapid...

May 17 (UPI) -- Wildlife trappers were called to a Florida school where an "absolute dinosaur of an alligator" came wandering up a path. The Pinellas County Sheriff's office said deputies responded to a report of a a large alligator on a pathway used by kids who walk to and from a nearby elementary school. Deputies contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for help relocating the 12.5-foot gator. "PCSO remained in the area to keep the public from accidentally stumbling across this absolute dinosaur of an alligator until trappers contracted through FWC arrived," the Sheriff's Office said on...

It’s the cycle of life. Lifelong bicyclers may live longer, have stronger immune systems and are less likely to experience knee pain or osteoarthritis, than people who don’t ride bikes. Although previous studies have already shown several benefits of cycling, new research now shows that people who cycle regularly have significantly less chance of developing osteoarthritis by the age of 65, according to NPR. The study, which was published last month in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, surveyed 2,600 people with an average age of 64 about their lifetime exercise habits. All of the participants were at an...

Brody Cameron, a rising star in New Zealand rugby and son of ACT Member of Parliament Mark Cameron, has died suddenly at the age of 22. The young athlete’s passing was announced by his father on Wednesday, five days after his untimely death. Mark Cameron expressed his profound grief on social media, stating, “Good speed my Son, my boy. I love you always, Dad. RIP.” ... The cause of Brody’s sudden death remains undisclosed, leaving many speculating and concerned about the circumstances that led to such a tragedy involving a young athlete in prime health. Brody Cameron was a celebrated...

There is a reason that Michigan is among the leaders in the nation for registered boats. With four of the five great lakes surrounding us, 10,000 inland lakes and ponds, and a 35,000 mile web of rivers, streams, and wetlands, it is important to know the rules of the water road. Here is what we think you need to know if you’re heading out on the boat anytime soon. I’m no expert, but it seems like one of the most important things to know before you go is the size of your vessel. A vessel’s length class determines the equipment...

Legendary coach John Madden had a statue of himself unveiled today in front of Bruno's Market and Deli in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Organizers say it will serve as a lasting tribute to the iconic coach and broadcaster who would frequently visit the deli while he lived in Carmel. The project took nearly a year to complete.

Yosemite has ranked high on a list of the top 10 list national parks for hiking, according to a recent report. The report by KURU Footwear considered all 63 national parks and looked at several metrics including the number of trails, miles of trails, and a high average trail rating score. ‘Most Instagrammable’: Yosemite awarded online top spot They also determined the crowd density in each park by comparing the average number of daily visitors with the acreage of the park. The list has placed Yosemite National Park at number one, and nearby Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National...

When I saw this, I literally couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I mean, homosexuals have always argued that homosexuality is normal and natural because, well, there are animals that do it. But I always thought the argument was so dumb that no serious person would ever give it a second thought. And it really is that dumb. I mean, dumb to the point of complete and total absurdity. In fact, the Bible has a phrase for such stupidity: “Claiming to be wise, they became fools…” (Romans 1:22). But it absolutely blows my mind that these people want to broadcast...

Not quite a spider, not a scorpion either – where does Douglassarachne acanthopoda fit in? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Douglassarachne acanthopoda was a more experimental version of a modern harvestman, with distinctive armored legs. Image credit: Paul Selden ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This leggy, spiny fella is Douglassarachne acanthopoda, whom we’ll call Doug for short (only kidding). You might look at this fossilized specimen and confidently declare, “That there’s a spider.” But wait! While D. acanthopoda certainly shares many of the characteristics of modern arachnids, it has enough unique features to give palaentologists a headache when it comes to classifying it. Spiders and their ancestors have...

CHICAGO -- A former warehouse assistant for the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia pleaded guilty Wednesday to transporting millions of dollars worth of stolen Masters tournament memorabilia and historic items, including one of Arnold Palmer's iconic green jackets. Richard Globensky, of Georgia, entered the plea in federal court in Chicago. He was charged with one count of transporting goods knowing they had been stolen. "I plead guilty," Globensky, 39, told the judge. According to federal prosecutors, Globensky took items from the warehouse for sellers in Florida, who then sold them online at a significant markup. Globensky was paid through...

The visitors often draw comparisons between the iconic Taj Mahal and the newly built mausoleum of the founder of the Radhasoami sect in Soami Bagh, located about 12 km away from the Taj Mahal. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Saomi Bagh in Agra is a new white marble structure in Agra that took 104 years to build ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A new white marble structure in Agra that took 104 years to build is daily drawing hordes of spiritually inclined tourists. The visitors often draw comparisons between the iconic Taj Mahal and the newly built mausoleum of the founder of the Radhasoami sect in Soami Bagh,...

(NEXSTAR) – New predictions for the summer season, released by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center this week, show weather is likely to heat up in almost every corner of the United States. The forecast, which covers June, July and August, indicates nearly every U.S. state with leaning toward a hotter-than-normal summer season. The highest chances are found out West, where Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and parts of Colorado have a 60% to 70% chance of above-average temperatures over the next three months. Several other Western states plus the Northeast are also strongly favored to see above-average heat. The only exception to...

Not all bats are unbelievably, overwhelmingly adorable, like the one below. Many of them have wrinkly faces and large ears that help them “see” in the dark, using echolocation. But all bats are, without a doubt, exceptional creatures. Not only do bats pollinate our crops, prey on pests like mosquitos, and spread seeds that help damaged ecosystems recover, but they also possess a superpower that’s unique among mammals: flight

MIT astronomers discovered three of the oldest stars in the universe, and they live in our own galactic neighborhood. The stars are in the Milky Way’s “halo” — the cloud of stars that envelopes the main galactic disk — and they appear to have formed between 12 and 13 billion years ago, when the very first galaxies were taking shape. Credit: Serge Brunier; NASA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Astronomers discovered three ancient stars circling the Milky Way’s halo, formed 12-13 billion years ago. MIT researchers have discovered three of the oldest stars in the universe, and they happen to live in our own...