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Dense Bones Allowed Spinosaurus – The Biggest Carnivorous Dinosaur Ever Discovered – To Hunt Underwater

Lead Image: Spinosaurus, the longest predatory dinosaur known, is opening its elongate jaws, studded with conical teeth, to catch a sawskate. Contrary to previous suggestions, this animal was not a heron-like wader – it was a “river monster,” actively pursuing prey in a vast river system located in modern-day North Africa. Dense bones in the skeleton of Spinosaurus strongly suggest it spent a substantial amount of time submerged in the water. Credit: Davide Bonadonna Its close cousin Baryonyx probably swam too, but Suchomimus might’ve waded like a heron. Spinosaurus is the biggest carnivorous dinosaur ever discovered—even bigger than T. rex—but…

As Temperatures Spike, So Do Deaths From Heart Disease – Here’s Who’s Most at Risk

Heat waves, which are on the rise, appear to pose particular risk for men and Black populations. Extreme heat accounted for about 600-700 additional deaths from cardiovascular disease annually over a decade-long period in the U.S., according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 71st Annual Scientific Session. The spike in deaths during heat waves was most pronounced in men and non-Hispanic Black adults, suggesting climate change may exacerbate existing heart disease disparities for these groups in the coming years. Extreme heat events are on the rise in the U.S., which now sees about three times as…

Cosmic Milestone: NASA Confirms 5,000 Exoplanets – “It Is Inevitable That We’ll Find Some Kind of Life Somewhere”

What do planets outside our solar system, or exoplanets, look like? A variety of possibilities are shown in this illustration. Scientists discovered the first exoplanets in the 1990s. As of 2022, the tally stands at just over 5,000 confirmed exoplanets. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech The count of confirmed exoplanets just ticked past the 5,000 mark, representing a 30-year journey of discovery led by NASA space telescopes. Not so long ago, we lived in a universe with only a small number of known planets, all of them orbiting our Sun. But a new raft of discoveries marks a scientific high point: More than…

Wind and Solar Could Replace Coal Power in Texas, Drastically Cut Pollution

Lead Image: The Brazos Wind Farm, near Fluvanna, Texas. A Rice University study finds that building a fraction of the wind and solar projects already proposed in Texas could eliminate the state’s remaining coal power plants and their emissions. Credit: Wikipedia Rice study shows how proposed projects could eliminate need for coal, drastically cut pollution. Texas can be a model for the nation on how to effectively replace coal with wind and solar for the state’s energy needs while meeting environmental goals, according to new research by Rice University engineers. The new work led by environmental engineer Daniel Cohan and…

COVID Pandemic Mood: Much Worse Than a Bad Monday

A new study led by MIT researchers attempts to measure how the pandemic affected public sentiment through a massive examination of hundreds of millions social media posts in about 100 countries. Credit: Christine Daniloff, MIT Study uses social media to measure how much sentiment has been affected by the Covid-19 crisis, worldwide. The Covid-19 pandemic has been depressing, demoralizing, and stressful for people around the world. But is there any way to measure exactly how bad it has made everyone feel? A new study led by MIT researchers attempts just that, through a massive examination of hundreds of millions social…