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Scientists hope the study of it and other giant genomes will shed light on species resilience. The New Caledonian fork fern (Tmesipteris oblanceolate) possesses the largest genome yet found. ORIANE HIDALGO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The human genome is made up of 3 billion base pairs of DNA. But that’s nothing compared with the New Caledonian fork fern (Tmesipteris oblanceolate), a leafy, tendrilled plant native to several Pacific islands. Its genome contains an astonishing 160 billion base pairs, making it the largest genome ever discovered, researchers report today in iScience. The finding could help scientists understand how genomes grow so large, and how...

May 30 (UPI) -- Traffic on a pair of California highways turned into a jam when a truck loaded with strawberries overturned, dropping barrels of the fruit into the road. The California Highway Patrol said the overturned truck, carrying about 40,000 pounds of fruit, blocked the northbound connector ramps to Highway 101 and Interstate 880 in San Jose on Wednesday morning and was leaning over a guardrail. The ramps were closed as crews worked to lift the truck upright and remove the fallen barrels of strawberries. No injuries were reported from the crash or ensuing traffic jams on both highways....

(Best USA Beef)—In mid-2022, we set up a news alert for terms like “cricket protein” and “cricket burgers.” Since then, there have been occasional peaks with a whole lot of valleys in interest as Americans generally aren’t excited about the prospects of getting their necessary protein from bugs. There was a spike that started shortly after news broke that bird flu was being transmitted to cattle. On the surface this makes sense, but it was conspicuously odd that there was no spike when bird flu was limited to poultry. Surely Americans would be concerned about their sources of protein whether...

NATIONAL COQ AU VIN DAY Each year on May 29th, National Coq Au Vin Day celebrates a delicious French dish. Coq au vin is French braise of chicken, cooked with wine, lardons (salt pork), mushrooms, and garlic. #NationalCoqAuVinDay A French staple, Coq au vin translates to “rooster with wine.” It’s a rustic, peasant-style dish that is easy to serve when entertaining because a lot of the work can be done in advance. And since we all celebrated National Wine Day just a few days ago, you might be prepared and have an extra bottle on hand just for this recipe....

Founded in 2020 by National Day Calendar® and National Cattlemen's Beef Association. NATIONAL BEEF BURGER DAY If you hear a sizzle and your mouth begins to water, it just might be National Beef Burger Day! On May 28th and all summer long, there's no better time to enjoy a juicy beef burger. The day is all about kicking off the grilling season and honoring America's favorite grilling protein – beef! #NationalBeefBurgerDay A beef burger starts with real ground beef on a bun or between two slices of bread. And don't forget the toppings like cheese, onions, pickles, and condiments. Each...

Glenn told us we were going to eat bugs, and here we are... If you live anywhere between Texarkana and Chicago, you have likely already seen—or heard—about the 2024 cicada superbrood. This Biblical-scale insect invasion is the result of two cicada broods, Brood XIII and Brood XIX, emerging simultaneously. The last time something like this happened was in 1803. Trillions of cicadas will swarm out of the earth and fill the trees with a chorus of deafening buzzing. It didn't take long for the leftist elites to hop on this opportunity to push Klaus Schwab's dream: "eat the bugs." The...

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration quietly ended a $200 million program aimed at helping disadvantaged entrepreneurs open cannabis dispensaries, amid allegations of predatory lending practices. The Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund, which was overseen by DASNY, came under fire last month after a report by local nonprofit news outlet The City alleged that DASNY entered into an agreement that allowed a private equity firm to provide $50 million to the fund at a 15% interest rate.

NATIONAL STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM DAY | May 21 Each year on May 21st, we combine two favorites for a celebration on National Strawberries and Cream Day. Fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream is a must when strawberries are in season. They are the perfect, refreshing, light snack on a beautifully warm day! #StrawberriesAndCreamDay With these bright red berries in season, it should be no surprise that it's also National Strawberry Month. Strawberries are a very healthy snack as they are low-fat, low in calories, and an excellent source of vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, and potassium. Strawberries grow all over...

NATIONAL QUICHE LORRAINE DAY We celebrate May 20 as National Quiche Lorraine Day. This versatile French delight makes it an excellent dish for any time of the day. #NationalQuicheLorraineDay Quiche Lorraine has origins beginning in the rural Lorraine region of France. While it's considered a French dish, it developed during a time when the Lorraine Region was under German rule. Even the word Quiche comes from the German word kuchen, meaning cake. The Lorraine region of France is also known for many other delicious dishes such as madeleines, Jordon almonds, macarons, and Lorraine hotpot. Of course, the area is also...

Glass might soon have some competition from an unlikely rival – bamboo. Scientists in China have turned regular old bamboo into a transparent material that’s also resistant to fire and water, and suppresses smoke. Silica glass, made from sand, is still the go-to building material when you need something transparent but strong, like windows. But it’s not particularly sustainable, and can be heavy and brittle. Transparent wood has actually been muscling in on glass’s turf for a few years now. Scientists chemically remove the lignin from the wood fibers, then treat the remaining material with plexiglass or epoxy. The end...

silver is up $1.75 today so far

In mid-2022, we set up a news alert for terms like “cricket protein” and “cricket burgers.” Since then, there have been occasional peaks with a whole lot of valleys in interest as Americans generally aren’t excited about the prospects of getting their necessary protein from bugs. There was a spike that started shortly after news broke that bird flu was being transmitted to cattle. On the surface this makes sense, but it was conspicuously odd that there was no spike when bird flu was limited to poultry. Surely Americans would be concerned about their sources of protein whether it was...

The "disgust factor" must be overcome if insect-based foods are to become mainstream, according to a study. Insects can be high in protein and making them more acceptable could help cut the high greenhouse gas emissions that come from farming cattle. There are also potential benefits for cutting obesity and researchers say the idea of farming insects is gaining more attention. Hundreds of millions of people in Asia, Africa and Latin America are estimated to already eat insects to some degree. There are hopes Western attitudes could shift over time, perhaps in a similar way that food such as sushi...

NATIONAL APPLE PIE DAY National Apple Pie Day, America’s favorite dessert, is observed annually on May 13th. #NationalApplePieDay The first apple pie recipe printed was in England in 1381. The list of ingredients included good apples, good spices, figs, raisins, pears, saffron, and cofyn (a type of pastry crust). While the apple pie existed well before the Pilgrims landed on the eastern shores of what is now The United States, Americans wax poetic about how American apple pie is. The phrase "as American as apple pie" has been around for more than 100 years. During the turn of the 20th...

I am watching the silly squirrels in my back yard. Why are they behaving that way? They throw themselves up in the air and flip over ... then squirm all around. They do this repeatedly

The rooster bottle won’t get shipped anywhere until at least September.Marnie Shure is a writer and editor with over a decade of experience. For the past six years, she has been primarily focused on food publications, covering restaurant reviews, recipes, breaking news, fast food and grocery taste tests, industry trends, and more. She previously helmed The Takeout, a Midwest-based food website. Over the past few years, fans of Huy Fong Sriracha, the hot and garlicky chili pepper sauce in the iconic rooster bottle with the green cap, have experienced a roller coaster of emotions and heartbreak typically reserved for sports...

Gardeners can buy a new seed, a genetically modified tomato the FDA barely looked at and GMO proponents hope will win Americans over to more modified foods. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As spring gardening approaches, a new contender has entered the fray—the genetically modified (GM) Purple Tomato. Unlike its GM predecessors, the GM Purple Tomato is not destined solely for the fields of commercial agriculture—it has made its debut in the backyards of home gardeners across the United States. With claims of heightened antioxidant levels and potential health benefits, this novel creation has stirred both excitement and controversy among consumers and scientists alike....

NATIONAL ROAST LEG OF LAMB DAY Each year on May 7th, National RoastLeg of Lamb Day makes a menu suggestion worthy of a celebration. The leg of lamb is a mild and tender cut of meat that, when roasted, is a unique and tasty dish to many. A typical preparation involves covering the leg of lamb with butter, rosemary sprigs pushed inside incisions cut in the leg, and rosemary leaves sprinkled on top. The lamb is then roasted for two hours at 360 degrees. #RoastLegOfLambDay Lamb is a lean red meat loaded with nutrition. Of course, it's going to deliver...

A weekend spring storm that drenched the San Francisco Bay area and closed Northern California mountain highways also set a single-day snowfall record for the season on Sunday in the Sierra Nevada. The wet weather system had mostly moved out of the state by Sunday morning, but officials warned that roads would remain slick after around two feet (60 centimeters) of snow fell in some areas of the Sierra. “Did anyone have the snowiest day of the 2023/2024 season being in May on their winter bingo card?” the University of California, Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab asked on the social...

Are you a pickle connoisseur? If so, extreme weather in Mexico may be impacting the availability of the snack in the U.S. Every year, Americans consume more than 20 billion pickles, but recently, consumers have noticed some restaurants warning of a "national pickle shortage." The warnings from restaurants such as Firehouse Subs, local delis and others are generally bona fide, as both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and experts from North Carolina State University say that the combination of reliance on imports and extreme weather could impact supplies.