livescience--2020-12-24--Extraterrestrial evidence: 10 incredible findings about aliens from 2020

Here on the little space rock we call , humans often wonder whether or not we are alone in this universe .
Though that question was not answered in 2020 , many discoveries seemed to increase the prospect of extraterrestrial entities existing .
Findings on the closest planet to us , in the outer solar system and the far beyond seemed to point to the possibility that other worlds could host organisms ranging from bacteria to technological beings .
Perhaps , new results in the coming year will finally reveal who else might be out there .
Is E.T .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer to weird signals happening in the universe is never aliens , until maybe it is .
Earlier this month , researchers announced that they had captured in the radio part of the at 980 megahertz , coming from the closest star to our own .
Proxima Centauri , which is just 4.2 light-years away , hosts one gas giant and one rocky world 17 % larger than Earth that happens to be in its star 's habitable zone , meaning liquid water could exist there .
The unexplained signal reportedly shifted slightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a way that resembled the shift caused by the movement of a planet .
Researchers are excited but cautious , explaining that they will need to figure out if more mundane sources , such as a comet , hydrogen cloud or even human technology , could be mimicking an alien signal , and that it will likely take time before they know one way or another if E.T .
is phoning us .
Alien bacteria might live in the clouds of Venus Astrobiologists were a-twitter with anticipation and skepticism in September when news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the upper clouds of Venus .
The announcement pointed to the presence of phosphine , a rare and often poisonous gas that , on at least , is almost always associated with living organisms .
With its hellish surface temperature , outlandish pressure and sulfuric-acid clouds , Venus has long played second fiddle to the seemingly more potentially habitable Mars .
But a team aimed both the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii and the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array in Chile at Venus and in a Venusian cloud layer with downright Earth-like temperatures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to thrive in some pretty tough conditions , making the biological explanation a not unreasonable one .
The research team does n't claim that it is airtight evidence of space bugs , and many in the community , but if nothing else it will mean more funding in the hunt for life in unlikely places .
Read more : Possible hint of life found in the clouds of Venus 'Oumuamua could still be an alien artifact Two years ago , scientists spotted a cigar-shaped object hurtling through the solar system .
Dubbed 'Oumuamua @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be an interstellar comet flung out from around another star .
But close observations showed that 'Oumuamua was accelerating , as if something were propelling it , and scientists still are n't sure why .
Avi Loeb , a Harvard University astrophysicist has proposed that , instead of a comet , the interstellar visitor could have been an alien probe pushed by a lightsail — a wide , millimeter-thin piece of material that accelerates as it 's pushed by solar radiation .
Other scientists have thrown cold water on Loeb 's idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have melted off the object in a way that was similar to a rocket engine or other propulsion method .
But in August , Loeb fired back , writing in a study stating that ice is very easily heated , even in the cold depths of interstellar space , and should have sublimated away before 'Oumuamua reached our system .
It seems the debate might go on for a little longer at least .
Read more : Interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua could still be alien technology , new study hints Navy declassifies UFO videos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fair number of Earthlings do n't care what ambiguous evidence scientists come up with to show that aliens are out there .
They are convinced that we 've been visited by technological beings many times , pointing to stories about UFOs and alien encounters ( pretty much all of which have been debunked ) .
True believers received a boost in April when the U.S. Navy released footage captured by pilots that showed , looking for all intents and purposes like bizarre alien machinery .
Despite the existence of such videos , people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalist Sarah Scoles in her book `` They Are Already Here : UFO Culture and Why We See Saucers `` ( Pegasus Books , 2020 ) .
After deciding to look into the Navy evidence , Scoles was unable to determine if it really showed alien aircrafts .
But she found by speaking to leaders in contemporary UFO culture and discussing our very basic need to believe in something beyond ourselves .
Milky Way could be teeming with ocean worlds Ocean worlds , which are classified as those having significant amounts of water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are surprisingly common in the .
Earth is obviously one such place , but Jupiter 's moon Europa is thought to host vast seas under its icy shell and Saturn 's moon Enceladus is known to have watery geysers spewing from its exterior .
Momentum is in fact building in the astronomy community to send a probe that could land on either satellite sometime in the 2030s and check if any living things might lurk under their shells .
As for ocean worlds beyond our sun , in a study released in June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in size to Earth and analyzed variables including their size , density , orbit , surface temperature , mass and distance from their star .
The scientists conclude that , of the 53 , might have the right conditions to be considered ocean worlds , suggesting that such places could be relatively common in the galaxy .
Read more : Ocean worlds could fill the Milky Way Earth bugs breathe hydrogen , maybe aliens do too Most Earthlings require to survive .
But oxygen is n't common in the cosmos , making up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the universe .
There 's far more hydrogen ( 92 % ) and helium ( 7 % ) , and many planets , including gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn , are made mostly from these light elements .
In May , scientists took E. coli ( a bacteria found in the guts of many animals , including humans ) and ordinary yeast ( a fungus used to bake bread and make beer ) and tried to see if they could live in different environments .
Such microbes are already known to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a flask filled with either pure hydrogen or pure , , albeit at slower rates than usual .
The findings suggest that when searching for organisms elsewhere in the universe , we might want to consider places that do n't look exactly like Earth .
Read more : This bacteria can survive on pure hydrogen .
Can alien life do the same ?
When hunting life on other worlds , most scientists stick to what they know — searching for Earth-size worlds orbiting sun-like stars .
But far more exotic configurations could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and heated by a black hole .
At first glance , such a scenario seems absurd .
But , contrary to popular depictions , black holes do n't just suck in everything around them .
Gravitationally stable orbits are possible and the light from the cosmic background radiation — a relic with temperatures at near absolute zero from the early universe that permeates all of space — would get heated as it fell into the black hole .
As a paper released in March showed , this could provide warmth and energy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such a strange location .
Read more : Is life possible around a black hole ?
1,000 places ET could be watching us from As we hunt for beings beyond our planet , it 's important to keep in mind that we might not be the only ones doing so .
In October , researchers came up with a catalog of 1,004 nearby stars that would be in .
`` If observers were out there searching [ from planets orbiting these stars ] , they would be able to see signs of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blue Dot , '' study lead author Lisa Kaltenegger , an associate professor of astronomy at Cornell and director of the university 's Carl Sagan Institute , .
Using observational tools similar to the transit-timing methods that human astronomers use to study exoplanets , such alien onlookers could hunt for oxygen and water in our atmosphere and perhaps conclude that Earth is a good home for organisms .
Read more : Aliens on 1,000 nearby stars could see us , study suggests Most aliens are probably dead Where there 's life , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to imagine that our galaxy is teeming with technological beings capable of contacting us , the flip side is recognizing that all cultures rise and fall , meaning that plenty of cosmic societies likely bit the dust long ago .
A model released in December put some numbers to these truths , taking into account such things as the prevalence of sun-like stars hosting Earth-like planets ; the frequency of deadly , radiation-blasting supernovas ; the time necessary for intelligent life to evolve if conditions are right ; and the possible tendency of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analysis found that the highest probability of life emerging in the Milky Way , before our planet even formed , suggesting that humanity is a relative latecomer to the galaxy and that plenty of our potential otherworldly partners are no longer around to talk to us .
Related : The Milky Way is probably full of dead civilizations We should be open-minded as we search for life elsewhere The has plenty of constraints .
We are misled by cognitive biases , optical illusions and inattentional blindness to things we do n't expect to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dogged research into alien creatures is whether or not we could recognize life that is so different from what we encounter here on Earth .
Scholars have long urged us to expect the unexpected , trying not to let theory too heavily influence what we count as significant .
Life on other planets might not leave the same biological signatures as terrestrial organisms , making them difficult to spot from our vantage point .
And , as Claire Webb , an anthropology and history of science student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we must train ourselves to `` make the familiar strange , '' looking at ourselves through an alien lens in an effort to constantly reexamine our own assumptions .
That way , we might be able to better understand ourselves through the eyes of another and perhaps meet creatures on other worlds on their own terms rather than ours .
Read more : To find alien life , humans need to start thinking like an extraterrestrial

Here on the little space rock we call Earth , humans often wonder whether or not we are alone in this universe. Though that question was not answered in 2020, many discoveries seemed to increase the prospect of extraterrestrial entities existing. Findings on the closest planet to us, in the outer solar system and the far beyond seemed to point to the possibility that other worlds could host organisms ranging from bacteria to technological beings. Perhaps, new results in the coming year will finally reveal who else might be out there.
Is E.T. phoning us from Proxima Centauri?
(Image credit: CSIRO/A. Cherney)
The answer to weird signals happening in the universe is never aliens, until maybe it is. Earlier this month, researchers announced that they had captured a very mysterious beam of energy in the radio part of the electromagnetic spectrum at 980 megahertz, coming from the closest star to our own. Proxima Centauri, which is just 4.2 light-years away, hosts one gas giant and one rocky world 17% larger than Earth that happens to be in its star's habitable zone, meaning liquid water could exist there. The unexplained signal reportedly shifted slightly while it was being observed, in a way that resembled the shift caused by the movement of a planet. Researchers are excited but cautious, explaining that they will need to figure out if more mundane sources, such as a comet, hydrogen cloud or even human technology, could be mimicking an alien signal, and that it will likely take time before they know one way or another if E.T. is phoning us.
Read more: Alien hunters detect mystery signal from the closest star system
Alien bacteria might live in the clouds of Venus
(Image credit: NASA)
Astrobiologists were a-twitter with anticipation and skepticism in September when news broke of potential evidence of life in the upper clouds of Venus. The announcement pointed to the presence of phosphine, a rare and often poisonous gas that, on Earth at least, is almost always associated with living organisms. With its hellish surface temperature, outlandish pressure and sulfuric-acid clouds, Venus has long played second fiddle to the seemingly more potentially habitable Mars. But a team aimed both the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii and the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array in Chile at Venus and picked up phosphine's signature in a Venusian cloud layer with downright Earth-like temperatures and pressures. Terrestrial bacteria are known to thrive in some pretty tough conditions, making the biological explanation a not unreasonable one. The research team doesn't claim that it is airtight evidence of space bugs, and many in the community aren't quite convinced , but if nothing else it will mean more funding in the hunt for life in unlikely places .
Read more: Possible hint of life found in the clouds of Venus
'Oumuamua could still be an alien artifact
(Image credit: M. Kornmesser/ESO)
Two years ago, scientists spotted a cigar-shaped object hurtling through the solar system. Dubbed 'Oumuamua, the entity is considered by most to be an interstellar comet flung out from around another star. But close observations showed that 'Oumuamua was accelerating, as if something were propelling it, and scientists still aren't sure why. Avi Loeb, a Harvard University astrophysicist has proposed that, instead of a comet, the interstellar visitor could have been an alien probe pushed by a lightsail — a wide, millimeter-thin piece of material that accelerates as it's pushed by solar radiation. Other scientists have thrown cold water on Loeb's idea, pointing out that hydrogen ice could have melted off the object in a way that was similar to a rocket engine or other propulsion method. But in August, Loeb fired back, writing in a study stating that hydrogen ice is very easily heated, even in the cold depths of interstellar space, and should have sublimated away before 'Oumuamua reached our system. It seems the debate might go on for a little longer at least.
Read more: Interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua could still be alien technology, new study hints
Navy declassifies UFO videos but don't believe the hype
(Image credit: U.S. Navy)
A fair number of Earthlings don't care what ambiguous evidence scientists come up with to show that aliens are out there. They are convinced that we've been visited by technological beings many times, pointing to stories about UFOs and alien encounters (pretty much all of which have been debunked). True believers received a boost in April when the U.S. Navy released footage captured by pilots that showed odd wingless aircraft traveling at hypersonic speed , looking for all intents and purposes like bizarre alien machinery. Despite the existence of such videos, people should still be wary, argued freelance journalist Sarah Scoles in her book " They Are Already Here: UFO Culture and Why We See Saucers " (Pegasus Books, 2020). After deciding to look into the Navy evidence, Scoles was unable to determine if it really showed alien aircrafts. But she found a much more human story by speaking to leaders in contemporary UFO culture and discussing our very basic need to believe in something beyond ourselves.
Read more: Navy declassifies UFO videos
Milky Way could be teeming with ocean worlds
(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Ocean worlds, which are classified as those having significant amounts of water on or just beneath their surfaces, are surprisingly common in the solar system . Earth is obviously one such place, but Jupiter's moon Europa is thought to host vast seas under its icy shell and Saturn's moon Enceladus is known to have watery geysers spewing from its exterior. Momentum is in fact building in the astronomy community to send a probe that could land on either satellite sometime in the 2030s and check if any living things might lurk under their shells. As for ocean worlds beyond our sun, in a study released in June, researchers looked at 53 exoplanets similar in size to Earth and analyzed variables including their size, density, orbit, surface temperature, mass and distance from their star. The scientists conclude that, of the 53, roughly a quarter might have the right conditions to be considered ocean worlds, suggesting that such places could be relatively common in the galaxy.
Read more: Ocean worlds could fill the Milky Way
Earth bugs breathe hydrogen, maybe aliens do too
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
Most Earthlings require oxygen to survive. But oxygen isn't common in the cosmos, making up about 0.1% of the ordinary mass of the universe. There's far more hydrogen (92%) and helium (7%), and many planets, including gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn, are made mostly from these light elements. In May, scientists took E. coli (a bacteria found in the guts of many animals, including humans) and ordinary yeast (a fungus used to bake bread and make beer) and tried to see if they could live in different environments. Such microbes are already known to survive without oxygen and, when placed in a flask filled with either pure hydrogen or pure helium , they managed to grow , albeit at slower rates than usual. The findings suggest that when searching for organisms elsewhere in the universe, we might want to consider places that don't look exactly like Earth.
Read more: This bacteria can survive on pure hydrogen. Can alien life do the same?
Life could live around a black hole
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
When hunting life on other worlds, most scientists stick to what they know — searching for Earth-size worlds orbiting sun-like stars. But far more exotic configurations could exist such as a planet circling around and heated by a black hole . At first glance, such a scenario seems absurd. But, contrary to popular depictions, black holes don't just suck in everything around them. Gravitationally stable orbits are possible and the light from the cosmic background radiation — a relic with temperatures at near absolute zero from the early universe that permeates all of space — would get heated as it fell into the black hole. As a paper released in March showed, this could provide warmth and energy to any organisms that happened to evolve in such a strange location.
Read more: Is life possible around a black hole?
1,000 places ET could be watching us from
(Image credit: NASA/NOAA)
As we hunt for beings beyond our planet, it's important to keep in mind that we might not be the only ones doing so. In October, researchers came up with a catalog of 1,004 nearby stars that would be in a good position to detect life on Earth . "If observers were out there searching [from planets orbiting these stars], they would be able to see signs of a biosphere in the atmosphere of our Pale Blue Dot," study lead author Lisa Kaltenegger, an associate professor of astronomy at Cornell and director of the university's Carl Sagan Institute, said in a statement . Using observational tools similar to the transit-timing methods that human astronomers use to study exoplanets, such alien onlookers could hunt for oxygen and water in our atmosphere and perhaps conclude that Earth is a good home for organisms.
Read more: Aliens on 1,000 nearby stars could see us, study suggests
Most aliens are probably dead
(Image credit: European Souther Observatory)
Where there's life, there's also death. While we like to imagine that our galaxy is teeming with technological beings capable of contacting us, the flip side is recognizing that all cultures rise and fall, meaning that plenty of cosmic societies likely bit the dust long ago. A model released in December put some numbers to these truths, taking into account such things as the prevalence of sun-like stars hosting Earth-like planets; the frequency of deadly, radiation-blasting supernovas; the time necessary for intelligent life to evolve if conditions are right; and the possible tendency of tool-bearing beings to destroy themselves. The analysis found that the highest probability of life emerging in the Milky Way likely happened around 5.5 billion years ago , before our planet even formed, suggesting that humanity is a relative latecomer to the galaxy and that plenty of our potential otherworldly partners are no longer around to talk to us.
Related: The Milky Way is probably full of dead civilizations
We should be open-minded as we search for life elsewhere
(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
The human brain has plenty of constraints. We are misled by cognitive biases, optical illusions and inattentional blindness to things we don't expect to see. One question that has always dogged research into alien creatures is whether or not we could recognize life that is so different from what we encounter here on Earth. Scholars have long urged us to expect the unexpected, trying not to let theory too heavily influence what we count as significant. Life on other planets might not leave the same biological signatures as terrestrial organisms, making them difficult to spot from our vantage point. And, as Claire Webb, an anthropology and history of science student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told Live Science in January, we must train ourselves to "make the familiar strange," looking at ourselves through an alien lens in an effort to constantly reexamine our own assumptions. That way, we might be able to better understand ourselves through the eyes of another and perhaps meet creatures on other worlds on their own terms rather than ours.
Read more: To find alien life, humans need to start thinking like an extraterrestrial
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-12-24--Weapons carved from human bone come from drowned land bridge between UK and Europe

About 11,000 years ago , Stone Age hunters crafted sharp weapons out of human bone , a new study finds .
These hunter-gatherers lived in Doggerland , a that connected Europe to Britain .
At the end of the last ice age , when sea levels were lower , it was inhabited by herds of animals and humans .
Although these people are long gone , artifacts from their culture , including bone weapons , often wash ashore in the Netherlands .
An analysis of 10 of these bone weapons revealed that eight were carved from ( Cervus elaphus ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crafted from human bone .
`` We expected to find some deer , but humans ?
It was n't even in my wildest dreams that there would be humans among them , '' study lead researcher Joannes Dekker , a Master 's student of archaeology at Leiden University in the Netherlands , told Live Science .
It 's a mystery why these weapons , known as barbed points , were carved from human bone .
The research team could n't think of a practical reason — human bones were likely hard to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human bone is n't an especially great material for crafting sharp weapons — deer antler is much better , Dekker said .
Rather , `` there were probably cultural rules on what species to use for barbed point production , '' he said .
`` We think it was a conscious choice ... [ that had to do ] with the connotations and associations that people had with those [ deceased ] people as symbols . ''
There are nearly 1,000 known bones weapons from Doggerland , named for the nearby Dogger Bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Middle Ages among Dutch fishing boats , called doggers .
Some of these barbed points are small , about 2.5 inches ( 9 centimeters ) long , but others are longer , the researchers said .
The barbed points could have been thrown like javelins , launched like arrows from a bow , or thrust from spears , Dekker said .
Whatever the method , impact scars and cracks on their tips show they had high-velocity impacts with targets , found .
These artifacts have washed ashore in the Netherlands for years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past few decades as the Dutch began dredging the seafloor to help fortify their coastlines , Dekker added .
Radiocarbon dating revealed that these bone weapons dated to between 11,000 and 8,000 years ago , during the Mesolithic , or Middle Stone Age , Dekker and his colleagues found .
By analyzing unique proteins in each bone , the team determined the species for each weapon .
Finally , by studying variations , or isotopes , of and in each of the bones , the team learned that , unsurprisingly , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two humans ate animals that lived on land and in freshwater .
Related : Back to the Stone Age : 17 key milestones in Paleolithic life Dekker noted his study was small , and only larger analyses may reveal how common human bone weapons were in Mesolithic Doggerland .
It 's also unclear which anatomical bone they came from , but one of the long leg or arm bones would have probably worked best , given the weapons ' sizes , he said .
One thing is clear : These bones were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because fresh human bones are much easier to carve than dry , brittle ones , Dekker said .
Although `` the use of human bone for bone tools is so rare , '' it 's not without precedent , Dekker said .
, for instance , used daggers made from human thigh bones , but only from very important people .
The new study is published in the February 2021 issue of the .

The 10 barbed points from Doggerland and the places they were discovered in the Netherlands.
About 11,000 years ago, Stone Age hunters crafted sharp weapons out of human bone, a new study finds.
These hunter-gatherers lived in Doggerland, a now-underwater region in the North Sea that connected Europe to Britain. At the end of the last ice age, when sea levels were lower, it was inhabited by herds of animals and humans. Although these people are long gone, artifacts from their culture, including bone weapons, often wash ashore in the Netherlands.
An analysis of 10 of these bone weapons revealed that eight were carved from red deer (Cervus elaphus) bone and antlers, and two were crafted from human bone. "We expected to find some deer, but humans? It wasn't even in my wildest dreams that there would be humans among them," study lead researcher Joannes Dekker, a Master's student of archaeology at Leiden University in the Netherlands, told Live Science.
Related: 25 grisly archaeological discoveries
It's a mystery why these weapons, known as barbed points, were carved from human bone. The research team couldn't think of a practical reason — human bones were likely hard to come by (unlike deer remains) and human bone isn't an especially great material for crafting sharp weapons — deer antler is much better, Dekker said.
Rather, "there were probably cultural rules on what species to use for barbed point production," he said. "We think it was a conscious choice ... [that had to do] with the connotations and associations that people had with those [deceased] people as symbols."
The two human bone barbed points from Doggerland (Image credit: RMO, Leiden)
Bone deep
There are nearly 1,000 known bones weapons from Doggerland, named for the nearby Dogger Bank, a shallow area popular in the Middle Ages among Dutch fishing boats, called doggers. Some of these barbed points are small, about 2.5 inches (9 centimeters) long, but others are longer, the researchers said. The barbed points could have been thrown like javelins, launched like arrows from a bow, or thrust from spears, Dekker said. Whatever the method, impact scars and cracks on their tips show they had high-velocity impacts with targets, earlier research found.
These artifacts have washed ashore in the Netherlands for years, but the number of findings accelerated over the past few decades as the Dutch began dredging the seafloor to help fortify their coastlines, Dekker added.
Radiocarbon dating revealed that these bone weapons dated to between 11,000 and 8,000 years ago, during the Mesolithic, or Middle Stone Age, Dekker and his colleagues found. By analyzing unique collagen proteins in each bone, the team determined the species for each weapon. Finally, by studying variations, or isotopes, of carbon and nitrogen in each of the bones, the team learned that, unsurprisingly, the deer had an herbivorous diet, while the two humans ate animals that lived on land and in freshwater.
Related: Back to the Stone Age: 17 key milestones in Paleolithic life
Dekker noted his study was small, and only larger analyses may reveal how common human bone weapons were in Mesolithic Doggerland. It's also unclear which anatomical bone they came from, but one of the long leg or arm bones would have probably worked best, given the weapons' sizes, he said.
One thing is clear: These bones were carved soon after the person's death, because fresh human bones are much easier to carve than dry, brittle ones, Dekker said.
Although "the use of human bone for bone tools is so rare," it's not without precedent, Dekker said. New Guinea warriors , for instance, used daggers made from human thigh bones, but only from very important people.
The new study is published in the February 2021 issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports .
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-12-24--Lyme disease-carrying ticks may invade new territory in the Midwest

Black-legged ticks may soon expand their territory across the midwestern U.S. , carrying Lyme disease with them , a new study finds .
The study researchers created a timeline of when and where the black-legged tick ( Ixodes scapularis ) has spread since the 1960s , when the parasitic arachnid was first detected in Wisconsin and Minnesota .
The team pinpointed several environmental factors that help the ticks migrate from place to place , and using this data , they predicted where ticks would go next .
By the end of 2021 , the black-legged tick will likely be detected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the model predicted .
And with them , they 'll bring the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi , the microbe that causes .
Related : 8 awful parasite infections that will make your skin crawl The bacteria causes a rash that can linger in the skin for about a month .
The infection can then spread to the rest of the body , causing aches , fatigue and fever .
Without treatment , Lyme disease can cause tingling in the limbs , arthritis and neurological changes , such as memory loss and paralysis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sole vector of Lyme disease to humans , '' with I. scapularis being the most significant , study author Allison Gardner , a professor of biology and ecology at the University of Maine , told Live Science .
Because some symptoms of Lyme disease overlap with those of other diseases , such as shingles , it 's important for doctors to be aware of tick populations nearby to suspect Lyme disease , Gardner said .
If identified quickly , most cases of Lyme disease can be treated with a few weeks of antibiotics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Control and Prevention ( CDC ) .
The team 's model used county-level data on reports of ticks and environmental data from the region , such as the number of rivers and amount of forest cover in different counties ; they also tracked Lyme disease incidence using , journal articles and county-level data .
It turned out that ticks spread in a wave-like pattern .
Unsurprisingly , the strongest predictor of spread was whether a tick-free county sat next to one where ticks had been detected within the previous 10 years .
Greater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factor , likely because forest animals , such as white-tailed deer and white-footed mice , are hosts for the tick , Gardner said .
Rivers also raised the risk that ticks would spread to a region .
`` In Illinois , for example , the ticks first arrived along the Illinois River and then spread up and down the river quite quickly , '' study author Brian Allan , an entomology professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign , .
Rivers often act as `` wildlife corridors , '' meaning animals like deer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ticks , frequently travel along their lengths , Gardner said .
For the years 2012 to 2016 , the model predicted the appearance of ticks in new counties with greater than 90 % accuracy , so the team then used the model to make predictions about 2021 .
As would be expected , once black-legged ticks were found in a county , a huge spike in Lyme disease in that county followed .
But the authors also identified 31 counties where Lyme disease cases have spiked , even though the parasite ostensibly does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black-legged ticks may have already invaded those counties , though they have n't yet been detected .
Surveying for ticks is laborious and expensive , Gardner noted ; it involves trapping and inspecting local wildlife for ticks , as well as inspecting game that people bring to hunting posts .
Surveyors may also drag large pieces of cloth through the woods and count all the ticks that stick , she said .
Flagging regions as high-risk for invasion could help counties get funding for such efforts .
The findings were published Dec. 22 @ @ @

Black-legged ticks may soon expand their territory across the midwestern U.S., carrying Lyme disease with them, a new study finds.
The study researchers created a timeline of when and where the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) has spread since the 1960s, when the parasitic arachnid was first detected in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The team pinpointed several environmental factors that help the ticks migrate from place to place, and using this data, they predicted where ticks would go next.
By the end of 2021, the black-legged tick will likely be detected in 42 additional counties in the Midwest, the model predicted. And with them, they'll bring the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, the microbe that causes Lyme disease .
Related: 8 awful parasite infections that will make your skin crawl
The bacteria causes a rash that can linger in the skin for about a month. The infection can then spread to the rest of the body, causing aches, fatigue and fever. Without treatment, Lyme disease can cause tingling in the limbs, arthritis and neurological changes, such as memory loss and paralysis.
"Ticks are thought to be the sole vector of Lyme disease to humans," with I. scapularis being the most significant, study author Allison Gardner, a professor of biology and ecology at the University of Maine, told Live Science. Because some symptoms of Lyme disease overlap with those of other diseases, such as shingles, it's important for doctors to be aware of tick populations nearby to suspect Lyme disease, Gardner said. If identified quickly, most cases of Lyme disease can be treated with a few weeks of antibiotics, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The team's model used county-level data on reports of ticks and environmental data from the region, such as the number of rivers and amount of forest cover in different counties; they also tracked Lyme disease incidence using CDC databases , journal articles and county-level data.
It turned out that ticks spread in a wave-like pattern. Unsurprisingly, the strongest predictor of spread was whether a tick-free county sat next to one where ticks had been detected within the previous 10 years. Greater forest cover proved to be another key factor, likely because forest animals, such as white-tailed deer and white-footed mice, are hosts for the tick, Gardner said.
Rivers also raised the risk that ticks would spread to a region. "In Illinois, for example, the ticks first arrived along the Illinois River and then spread up and down the river quite quickly," study author Brian Allan, an entomology professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said in a statement . Rivers often act as "wildlife corridors," meaning animals like deer and migratory songbirds, which also carry ticks, frequently travel along their lengths, Gardner said.
For the years 2012 to 2016, the model predicted the appearance of ticks in new counties with greater than 90% accuracy, so the team then used the model to make predictions about 2021.
As would be expected, once black-legged ticks were found in a county, a huge spike in Lyme disease in that county followed. But the authors also identified 31 counties where Lyme disease cases have spiked, even though the parasite ostensibly doesn't live there. That suggests the black-legged ticks may have already invaded those counties, though they haven't yet been detected.
Surveying for ticks is laborious and expensive, Gardner noted; it involves trapping and inspecting local wildlife for ticks, as well as inspecting game that people bring to hunting posts. Surveyors may also drag large pieces of cloth through the woods and count all the ticks that stick, she said. Flagging regions as high-risk for invasion could help counties get funding for such efforts.
The findings were published Dec. 22 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-12-24--13 ways the Earth showed its wrath in 2020

In an already-dramatic year , our planet did not hold back from stirring the pot .
2020 brought a record Atlantic hurricane season , numerous life-threatening wildfires and several severe enough to remind humanity of the strength of .
Some of these disasters were part of the geological cycle ; others were helped by human-caused .
Read on for a reminder of the ways Earth displayed its wrath in 2020 .
One of the largest earthquakes of the year , a 7.7 magnitude temblor , hit the Caribbean on Jan. 28 , 2020 .
The quake hit , and south @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the shaking was felt as far away as Miami and parts of Mexico 's Yucatan Peninsula , .
The region where the quake struck is at the plate boundary between the North American Plate and the Caribbean Plate .
The period between late 2019 and early 2020 was an active time at the plate boundary , with Puerto Rico experiencing an earthquake series more severe than anything seen since 1918 , .
On Jan. 12 , the Taal volcano on the Philippine island of Luzon belched to life in a big way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The eruption soon intensified , creating .
It was the first time the volcano had erupted in 40 years .
As clouds of ash drifted more than 100 miles ( 62 km ) northward , residents living near the volcano had to evacuate .
that the eruption led to 39 deaths , most of which were the result of heart attacks or other medical events within evacuation centers , according to government officials .
January 's seismological unrest continued in Turkey on Jan. 24 , when a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck Elazığ province @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the one that hit north of Jamaica , it was much more damaging : A reported 41 people died and more than 1,000 were injured .
Many of the deaths were caused by collapsing buildings , which trapped dozens in the rubble as rescue crews struggled to reach them , .
According to the the earthquake 's epicenter was relatively shallow , at only 6.2 miles ( 10 km ) .
Shallow earthquakes cause greater shaking at the surface , increasing the intensity and damage from a quake .
At the beginning of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as wildfires swept through Australia , merging into megafires in Victoria and New South Wales .
According to , the 2019-2020 fire season in Australia burned more than 29.7 million acres ( 12 million hectares ) and killed at least 33 people and .
Research published in the journal in November 2020 rounded up the climatic dominoes that led to this fiery cataclysm : long term drought , surface soil moisture , wind speed , relative humidity , heat waves , and the moisture content of the dead and living fuel for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and grazing land were particularly vulnerable .
On June 23 , a , causing buildings to sway as far away as Mexico City .
The 7.4 magnitude quake was centered 5.6 miles ( 9 km ) southeast of Santa María Xadani , on the Oaxacan coast , according to the USGS .
Ten people died in buildings that collapsed as a result of the quake .
The quake took place in the subduction zone where the Cocos Plate is descending under the North American Plate .
The movement of these two plates creates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occur where 's crust is being compressed .
It was one of these faults that slipped , causing the Oaxaca quake .
This subduction zone also makes the southern Mexican coast seismically active in general .
According to the USGS , the region has seen at least four quakes of magnitude 8 or above in the past century .
The most powerful earthquake of 2020 was a 7.8 magnitude temblor that struck off the coast of Alaska on July 22 .
The quake occurred on a thrust fault where one chunk of seafloor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Alaska is another subduction zone , where the Pacific Plate is sliding under the North American Plate .
Fortunately , the Alaska Peninsula is sparsely populated , and no one died in the quake .
Though there was a tsunami warning issued , no wave materialized — a relief to evacuated locals .
Just as Australia experienced a dramatic fire season , North America saw its share of flames once summer rolled around in the Northern Hemisphere .
California was particularly affected , with more than 4.1 million acres ( 1.65 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 33 deaths , .
Among the fires that tore through the landscape was the , the August Complex Fire .
This fire consumed more than 1 million acres ( 400,000 hectares ) in Mendocino , Humboldt , Trinity , Tehama , Glenn , Lake and Colusa counties .
It took three months to fully contain the fire , which started with lightning strikes on Aug. 16 and 17 .
As California was reeling from the August Complex Fire and other blazes around the state , a wildfire in Colorado was also setting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aug. 13 , scorched 208,913 acres ( 84,544 hectares ) , making it the largest wildfire in Colorado history as well as the first wildfire in the state to burn more than 200,000 acres ( 80,000 hectares ) .
The fire unseated the previous record , set only a month before , when the Pine Gulch Fire , near Grand Junction , blazed over 139,007 acres ( 56,254 hectares ) .
The Pine Gulch Fire was subsequently knocked into third place by the , which sprung up on Oct. 14 .
That means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all occurred in 2020 .
Their explosive potential was driven by drought , heat and ample fuel : The mountain pine beetle ( Dendroctonus ponderosae ) has killed massive swathes of pine forest in the state , in part due to warmer temperatures driven by climate change .
At 2:51 p.m. local time on Oct. 30 , a , killing 117 people and injuring more than 1,000 .
Two additional people died in Greece .
The epicenter of the quake was in the Aegean Sea , and it triggered a small tsunami that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At least one person drowned .
Most of the deaths , however , were due to collapsing buildings in the Turkish town .
Turkey is situated in a seismically complex region , with interactions between Africa , the Eurasian Plate and the Anatolian microplate .
There have been 29 magnitude 6 or greater quakes in the area in the past 100 years , according to the USGS .
The saw a whopping 30 named storms , 13 of which became hurricanes , according to the .
The season ran through all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Arthur to Wilfred , and rushed right through the Greek alphabet all the way to Iota .
Of all these storms , the most deadly was Hurricane Eta , a Category 4 storm whose sustained winds peaked at 150 mph ( 240 km/h ) .
Approximately 150 people in Central America lost their lives , many after being buried in mudslides in Guatemala .
The storm also caused an estimated $ 7.2 billion worth of damage .
Eta was one of four Category 4 storms in 2020 .
The others were Hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The 2020 hurricane season brought one storm that reached Category 5 strength : Hurricane Iota , whose sustained winds hit 160 mph ( 260 km/h ) .
Iota formed on Nov. 13 , making it the most recent hurricane to strengthen to a Category 5 storm .
( Category 5 hurricanes have sustained winds over 157 mph , or 252 km/h . )
The storm affected the Caribbean , parts of which were still reeling from Eta just weeks before .
At least 45 people died , with dozens more reported missing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the Herald Mail .
The Italian volcano Stromboli is one of the most active on Earth ; it 's been erupting continuously for around 2,000 years , according to .
Most of the activity is minor — gaseous explosions and burbles of lava that spout above the volcano 's rim .
Occasionally , though , Stromboli lets off a bigger rumble .
This happened in November , when sent a column of ash into the air and an avalanche of pyroclastic flow — hot ash and gas — sweeping down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bang , Italy 's Mount Etna exploded a stream of glowing lava into the sky on Dec. 14 , disrupting air travel temporarily and creating .
According to Volcano Discovery , ejections of ash continued into the next day , sending a plume 13,000 feet ( 4,000 m ) skyward .
Historians and ancient chroniclers have noted Etna 's unrest going back to at least 1500 B.C.
, according to the Smithsonian Institution , though the volcano 's eruptive history stretches back well before that .
The volcano has likely been active @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Etna 's eruptive activity does n't threaten the population centers around it , but there have been major exceptions .
In 1928 , for example , the town of Mascali was completely destroyed by lava flows .
Earthquakes associated with the volcano 's activity also sometimes threaten the region .
For example , in December 2018 , a magnitude 4.8 quake shook the city of Catania , .

In an already-dramatic year, our planet did not hold back from stirring the pot. 2020 brought a record Atlantic hurricane season, numerous life-threatening wildfires and several earthquakes severe enough to remind humanity of the strength of plate tectonics . Some of these disasters were part of the geological cycle; others were helped by human-caused climate change . Read on for a reminder of the ways Earth displayed its wrath in 2020.
The 2020 Caribbean earthquake
(Image credit: RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images)
One of the largest earthquakes of the year, a 7.7 magnitude temblor, hit the Caribbean on Jan. 28, 2020. The quake hit 76 miles (122 kilometers) north-northwest of Lucea, Jamaica , and south of Cuba. No one died, but the shaking was felt as far away as Miami and parts of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, according to USA Today .
The region where the quake struck is at the plate boundary between the North American Plate and the Caribbean Plate . The period between late 2019 and early 2020 was an active time at the plate boundary, with Puerto Rico experiencing an earthquake series more severe than anything seen since 1918, Live Science previously reported .
The Taal volcanic eruption
(Image credit: NOAA)
On Jan. 12, the Taal volcano on the Philippine island of Luzon belched to life in a big way, sending clouds of ash skyward. The eruption soon intensified, creating steam-and-ash plumes up to 9 miles (14 km) tall . It was the first time the volcano had erupted in 40 years. As clouds of ash drifted more than 100 miles (62 km) northward, residents living near the volcano had to evacuate. The Manila Bulletin reported that the eruption led to 39 deaths, most of which were the result of heart attacks or other medical events within evacuation centers, according to government officials.
Related: The deadliest earthquakes in history
The Elazığ earthquake
(Image credit: Bulent Kilic/AFP via Getty Images)
January's seismological unrest continued in Turkey on Jan. 24, when a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck Elazığ province. Though this quake was smaller than the one that hit north of Jamaica, it was much more damaging: A reported 41 people died and more than 1,000 were injured. Many of the deaths were caused by collapsing buildings, which trapped dozens in the rubble as rescue crews struggled to reach them, CNN reported . According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake's epicenter was relatively shallow, at only 6.2 miles (10 km). Shallow earthquakes cause greater shaking at the surface, increasing the intensity and damage from a quake.
Australia megafires
(Image credit: Brook Mitchell/Getty)
At the beginning of 2020, the world watched in horror as wildfires swept through Australia, merging into megafires in Victoria and New South Wales . According to Eos , the 2019-2020 fire season in Australia burned more than 29.7 million acres (12 million hectares) and killed at least 33 people and more than a billion animals . Research published in the journal Earth's Future in November 2020 rounded up the climatic dominoes that led to this fiery cataclysm: long term drought, surface soil moisture, wind speed, relative humidity, heat waves, and the moisture content of the dead and living fuel for the fires. Land cover with native Eucalyptus and grazing land were particularly vulnerable.
Oaxaca earthquake
(Image credit: USGS)
On June 23, a strong earthquake jolted Oaxaca, Mexico , causing buildings to sway as far away as Mexico City. The 7.4 magnitude quake was centered 5.6 miles (9 km) southeast of Santa María Xadani, on the Oaxacan coast, according to the USGS . Ten people died in buildings that collapsed as a result of the quake.
The quake took place in the subduction zone where the Cocos Plate is descending under the North American Plate. The movement of these two plates creates what are called reverse faults, which occur where Earth 's crust is being compressed. It was one of these faults that slipped, causing the Oaxaca quake. This subduction zone also makes the southern Mexican coast seismically active in general. According to the USGS, the region has seen at least four quakes of magnitude 8 or above in the past century.
A jolt in Alaska
(Image credit: USGS)
The most powerful earthquake of 2020 was a 7.8 magnitude temblor that struck off the coast of Alaska on July 22 . The quake occurred on a thrust fault where one chunk of seafloor slid over another; this region off of Alaska is another subduction zone, where the Pacific Plate is sliding under the North American Plate.
Fortunately, the Alaska Peninsula is sparsely populated, and no one died in the quake. Though there was a tsunami warning issued, no wave materialized — a relief to evacuated locals.
August Complex Fire, California
Embers blow off a burned tree after the LNU Lightning Complex Fire burned through the area on Aug. 18, 2020, in Napa, California. (Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Just as Australia experienced a dramatic fire season, North America saw its share of flames once summer rolled around in the Northern Hemisphere. California was particularly affected, with more than 4.1 million acres (1.65 million hectares) burned, 10,488 structures destroyed and 33 deaths, according to CalFire . Among the fires that tore through the landscape was the largest in California's recorded history , the August Complex Fire. This fire consumed more than 1 million acres (400,000 hectares) in Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama, Glenn, Lake and Colusa counties. It took three months to fully contain the fire, which started with lightning strikes on Aug. 16 and 17.
Cameron Peak Fire, Colorado
(Image credit: NOAA)
As California was reeling from the August Complex Fire and other blazes around the state, a wildfire in Colorado was also setting new records. The Cameron Peak Fire , which began Aug. 13, scorched 208,913 acres (84,544 hectares), making it the largest wildfire in Colorado history as well as the first wildfire in the state to burn more than 200,000 acres (80,000 hectares). The fire unseated the previous record, set only a month before, when the Pine Gulch Fire, near Grand Junction, blazed over 139,007 acres (56,254 hectares). The Pine Gulch Fire was subsequently knocked into third place by the East Troublesome Fire , which sprung up on Oct. 14. That means the top three fires in Colorado history all occurred in 2020. Their explosive potential was driven by drought, heat and ample fuel: The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) has killed massive swathes of pine forest in the state, in part due to warmer temperatures driven by climate change.
A fatal quake in Turkey
(Image credit: Usame Ari/Getty Images)
At 2:51 p.m. local time on Oct. 30, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocked Turkey , killing 117 people and injuring more than 1,000. Two additional people died in Greece.
The epicenter of the quake was in the Aegean Sea, and it triggered a small tsunami that flooded streets in Izmir's Seferihisar district. At least one person drowned. Most of the deaths, however, were due to collapsing buildings in the Turkish town.
Turkey is situated in a seismically complex region, with interactions between Africa, the Eurasian Plate and the Anatolian microplate. There have been 29 magnitude 6 or greater quakes in the area in the past 100 years, according to the USGS .
Hurricane Eta
(Image credit: NHC/NOAA)
The record-shattering 2020 hurricane season saw a whopping 30 named storms, 13 of which became hurricanes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) . The season ran through all of the names prepared for this year, from Arthur to Wilfred, and rushed right through the Greek alphabet all the way to Iota. Of all these storms, the most deadly was Hurricane Eta, a Category 4 storm whose sustained winds peaked at 150 mph (240 km/h). Approximately 150 people in Central America lost their lives, many after being buried in mudslides in Guatemala . The storm also caused an estimated $7.2 billion worth of damage.
Eta was one of four Category 4 storms in 2020. The others were Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Teddy and Hurricane Delta.
Hurricane Iota
(Image credit: NOAA/NESDIS/STAR )
The 2020 hurricane season brought one storm that reached Category 5 strength: Hurricane Iota, whose sustained winds hit 160 mph (260 km/h). Iota formed on Nov. 13, making it the most recent hurricane to strengthen to a Category 5 storm. (Category 5 hurricanes have sustained winds over 157 mph, or 252 km/h.) The storm affected the Caribbean and Central America , parts of which were still reeling from Eta just weeks before. At least 45 people died, with dozens more reported missing in the wake of the storm, according to the Herald Mail .
Stromboli's wrath
(Image credit: Il Mondo dei Terremoti)
The Italian volcano Stromboli is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth; it's been erupting continuously for around 2,000 years, according to Oregon State University . Most of the activity is minor — gaseous explosions and burbles of lava that spout above the volcano's rim. Occasionally, though, Stromboli lets off a bigger rumble. This happened in November, when a large explosion sent a column of ash into the air and an avalanche of pyroclastic flow — hot ash and gas — sweeping down the volcano's slopes.
Related: The 11 biggest volcanic eruptions in history
Explosive Etna
(Image credit: Wead/Shutterstock)
Ending 2020 with a bang, Italy's Mount Etna exploded a stream of glowing lava into the sky on Dec. 14, disrupting air travel temporarily and creating an impressive show of geological power . According to Volcano Discovery, ejections of ash continued into the next day, sending a plume 13,000 feet (4,000 m) skyward.
Historians and ancient chroniclers have noted Etna's unrest going back to at least 1500 B.C., according to the Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program , though the volcano's eruptive history stretches back well before that. The volcano has likely been active for some 500,000 years. Most of Etna's eruptive activity doesn't threaten the population centers around it, but there have been major exceptions. In 1928, for example, the town of Mascali was completely destroyed by lava flows. Earthquakes associated with the volcano's activity also sometimes threaten the region. For example, in December 2018, a magnitude 4.8 quake shook the city of Catania, injuring about 30 people .
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-12-24--Humans are destroying our 'perfect planet,' Attenborough says

Powerful natural forces on our planet and in our work together to sculpt and support life on our fragile pale blue dot .
A new five-part series called `` A Perfect Planet , '' narrated by the legendary Sir David Attenborough , explores how these natural forces have worked together to make life possible — and how a fifth force , humans , are destroying this perfection at breakneck speed .
The planet is at a `` crucial point '' and `` poised '' for really big disasters , Attenborough said during a question and answer session on Nov. 23 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but if we 're going to stop them , '' he added , we need to understand what forces are driving these disasters and how those forces work .
The series , which took about five years to research and film , brings viewers to various spots across the globe to tell stories of four natural forces — oceans , sun , weather systems and volcanoes — that have dramatically shaped our planet .
In the first episode , for example , the series focuses on — one of the most destructive forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for life on our planet .
On the northern side of the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano in Tanzania , one of Africa 's most active volcanoes , sits , one of the world 's most corrosive bodies of water .
And yet , this seemingly inhospitable environment is crucial for the survival of one species .
Millions of lesser flamingos ( Phoeniconaias minor ) fly in from East Africa to breed on islands of salt that emerge within the lake when scalding hot temperatures evaporate the water .
This environment is filled with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pH that 's `` not far short of household bleach '' and temperatures equivalent to `` a scalding cup of tea , '' said wildlife cinematographer Matt Aeberhard .
Yet the flamingos thrive there because the caustic soda in the lake makes it inaccessible to land-based predators .
It 's also good at keeping humans out .
A hazy mirage shrouds the lake , making it dangerous for helicopters and aircraft to land there , so the only way to reach the lake is via hovercraft , Aeberhard said .
And you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually does n't look that strange because Lake Natron , when you 're out on the flat , is white , so it 's almost like a crazy snowscape . ''
The team also relied on drones for some of the incredible footage from that scene .
`` This series is a celebration of the planet , '' said Huw Cordey , the series producer .
`` Now is as good a time as ever to really look and see how well everything fits together , how beautifully it 's all connected .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tone shift and Attenborough talks about how humans are now the dominant ( and destructive ) force of the planet and what we can do to diminish our influence .
`` It 's just no longer enough to make pure celebratory natural history series , we have to tell a bigger story , '' said Alastair Fothergill , the executive producer of the show .
This series comes as our perfect planet roils under a deadly .
`` The remarkable thing about it is that it has made a lot of us actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a way that we have not been before , '' Attenborough said , noting that he 's never listened to more bird songs in his life .
`` We realize our dependency emotionally and intellectually on the natural world in a way that we 've never done before . ''
The series is a Silverback Films Production for BBC and Discovery and will premiere on discovery+ on Jan. 4 .

Every year, up to 2,000 female land iguanas take a treacherous journey to the crater floor of the La Cumbre volcano in the Galapagos to lay their eggs in the volcanic ash.
Powerful natural forces on our planet and in our solar system work together to sculpt and support life on our fragile pale blue dot.
A new five-part series called "A Perfect Planet," narrated by the legendary Sir David Attenborough, explores how these natural forces have worked together to make life possible — and how a fifth force, humans, are destroying this perfection at breakneck speed.
The planet is at a "crucial point" and "poised" for really big disasters, Attenborough said during a question and answer session on Nov. 23. "We can stop them, but if we're going to stop them," he added, we need to understand what forces are driving these disasters and how those forces work.
Related: 50 interesting facts about planet Earth
The series, which took about five years to research and film, brings viewers to various spots across the globe to tell stories of four natural forces — oceans, sun, weather systems and volcanoes — that have dramatically shaped our planet. In the first episode, for example, the series focuses on volcanoes — one of the most destructive forces of nature but one that's vital for life on our planet.
On the northern side of the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano in Tanzania, one of Africa's most active volcanoes, sits Lake Natron , one of the world's most corrosive bodies of water. And yet, this seemingly inhospitable environment is crucial for the survival of one species.
Lesser flamingos and their chicks on Lake Natron, one of the world's most corrosive lakes. (Image credit: Darren Williams/Silverback Films 2019 , photo courtesy of discovery+)
Millions of lesser flamingos (Phoeniconaias minor) fly in from East Africa to breed on islands of salt that emerge within the lake when scalding hot temperatures evaporate the water. This environment is filled with "gloopy sulfurous mud" and has a pH that's "not far short of household bleach" and temperatures equivalent to "a scalding cup of tea," said wildlife cinematographer Matt Aeberhard. Yet the flamingos thrive there because the caustic soda in the lake makes it inaccessible to land-based predators.
It's also good at keeping humans out. A hazy mirage shrouds the lake, making it dangerous for helicopters and aircraft to land there, so the only way to reach the lake is via hovercraft, Aeberhard said. And you have to wear snowshoes, "which actually doesn't look that strange because Lake Natron, when you're out on the flat, is white, so it's almost like a crazy snowscape." The team also relied on drones for some of the incredible footage from that scene.
"This series is a celebration of the planet," said Huw Cordey, the series producer. "Now is as good a time as ever to really look and see how well everything fits together, how beautifully it's all connected."
The last episode takes a dramatic tone shift and Attenborough talks about how humans are now the dominant (and destructive) force of the planet and what we can do to diminish our influence. "It's just no longer enough to make pure celebratory natural history series, we have to tell a bigger story," said Alastair Fothergill, the executive producer of the show.
(Image credit: Huw Cordey/Silverback Films 2018, photo courtesy of discovery+)
(Image credit: discovery+)
This series comes as our perfect planet roils under a deadly pandemic . "The remarkable thing about it is that it has made a lot of us actually suddenly become aware of the natural world in a way that we have not been before," Attenborough said, noting that he's never listened to more bird songs in his life. "We realize our dependency emotionally and intellectually on the natural world in a way that we've never done before."
The series is a Silverback Films Production for BBC and Discovery and will premiere on discovery+ on Jan. 4.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-12-24--The 10 coolest dinosaur findings of 2020

Dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago , but we 're still learning their secrets .
Here are 10 mind-blowing dino discoveries , including newly described species , an analysis of soft-shelled dinosaur eggs and takedowns of speculative species .
Scientists thought for years that could swim , but had precious few fossils to prove it .
The most complete specimen had been destroyed in an Allied bombing raid against Germany during World War II .
But now , the analysis of a Spinosaurus tail reveals that the tail was broad and paddle-like , perfect for a swimmer , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` This discovery is the nail in the coffin for the idea that non-avian dinosaurs never invaded the aquatic realm , '' study lead author Nizar Ibrahim , a paleontologist at the University of Detroit Mercy , said in a statement .
`` This dinosaur was actively pursuing prey in the water column , not just standing in shallow waters waiting for fish to swim by . ''
Read more : 1st known swimming dinosaur just discovered .
And it was magnificent .
It 's challenging to know exactly what herbivorous dinosaurs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't fossilize well , and even if ancient organic matter is preserved , it 's hard to know whether the dinosaur ate it , or if the two fossilized side-by-side by chance .
The discovery of a nodosaur fossil with a well-preserved digestive tract has helped shed light on this mystery .
Researchers analyzed the 112 million-year-old beast 's fossilized stomach contents , and learned that the nodosaur , named Borealopelta markmitchelli , was a picky eater , according to the June study in the journal .
The 18-foot-long ( 5.5 meters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ferns , and apparently it preferred leaves to stems and twigs .
The dinosaur also had pea- to grape-size stones , known as gastroliths , in its gut that likely helped it break down food .
Before the long-necked titanosaur dinosaurs got huge , they were wee babes with … a horn ?
The discovery of a rare titanosaur embryo in Argentina revealed that this little tyke had a rhino-like horn on its snout , which it lost by adulthood , an August study in the journal found .
No word yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little babe 's horn looked cute 80 million years ago , but at least the horn was handy — it 's possible the baby used it to peck out of its shell .
Speaking of eggs , the first dinosaur eggs may have had soft shells , a June study in the journal found .
Researchers found ancient eggs from two dinosaur species — the horned dinosaur Protoceratops , which lived during the , and the long-necked sauropodomorph Mussaurus that lived during the .
In a separate study , another group of scientists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ egg of a mosasaur , which is not a dinosaur but a reptilian sea monster that lived during the dinosaur age .
It 's still a mystery whether this football-size mosasaur egg was laid and hatched in the water , or on dry land like a turtle .
Read more : Ancient Antarctic sea monster may have laid this football-size egg has a newfound cousin with a fearsome name — the `` reaper of death , '' which hails from what is now Alberta , Canada .
This 79.5 million-year-old beast ( Thanatotheristes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on record from North America .
It 's also the first newly named tyrannosaur from Canada in 50 years .
( Congrats , Canada ! )
`` It definitely would have been quite an imposing animal , roughly 8 feet ( 2.4 meters ) [ tall ] at the hips , '' Jared Voris , a doctoral student of paleontology at the University of Calgary in Alberta and lead researcher of the study , told Live Science in February .
The `` reaper of death '' had unique vertical ridges that ran from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scientists are n't sure why the carnivore had these ridges , but if you were its prey , they were possibly one of the last things you saw before the reaper finished you off .
Read more : 'Reaper of death , ' newfound cousin of T. rex , discovered in Canada A 99 million-year-old piece of amber from Myanmar ( formerly Burma ) with a mystery creature 's skull preserved inside made headlines when researchers said it might be the smallest dinosaur on record .
This bird-like dinosaur was said to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weigh just 0.07 ounces ( 2 grams ) , the weight of two dollars bills .
However , other specimens of this animal have now been analyzed further , and it appears that it 's not a dinosaur , but a lizard .
As a result , the original study was retracted .
Even so , the researchers of the retracted study are still excited to celebrate this weird beastie .
`` It 's just a really weird animal and an important discovery regardless of whether it 's a weird bird or a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' study co-lead researcher Jingmai O'Connor , a senior professor of vertebrate paleontology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences , told Live Science in July .
Read more : Trapped in amber , this could be the smallest dinosaur ever found and Hummingbird-size dinosaur may actually be a lizard The only two tyrannosaur embryos on record are now being studied , and gosh are they small .
This apex predator started out with a skull the size of a mouse .
The fossils of these wee babes include a toe claw found in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Montana .
`` These are incredibly rare finds — the first of their kind in the world , '' lead researcher Gregory Funston , a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland , told Live Science in October .
`` Juvenile tyrannosaurs of any kind are exceedingly rare , and we 've never found any bones that we suspected might be embryos , until now . ''
Does the species Nanotyrannus exist ?
Some researchers say certain tyrannosaur remains belong to a pygmy tyrannosaurus called Nanotyrannus , while others maintain the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority of researchers often say Nanotyrannus has n't been completely ruled out , so until more evidence piles up , it 's possible the beast was real .
Unfortunately for Nanotyrannus , 2020 brought two studies saying it was a teenage rex .
In a January study in the journal , researchers studied two well-known tyrannosaurus specimens , nicknamed Jane and Petey .
A bone analysis found that Jane and Petey were just 13 and 15 years old , and that their bones were growing quickly , just like a teenager 's would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June in the journal , took an intense look at 44 different T. rex individuals and analyzed the species ' growth stages .
The teenage T. rexes fit perfectly into the growth curves , indicating that Nanotyrannus is a T. rex , not a separate species .
Read more : 6-foot-tall T. rex skeletons not a new pygmy species , just teenagers and Here 's exactly how T. rex grew from a slender tot into a massive carnivore Two famous dinosaur fossils are finally being studied by scientists .
The so-called `` Dueling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most complete and on record , which may ( or may not ) have been dueling at the time of their deaths , are going to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences ( NCMNS ) following a $ 6 million deal in November .
Amateaur fossil hunters in Montana discovered the `` Dueling Dinosaurs '' in 2006 , but could n't find a buyer .
The fossils also failed to sell at a 2013 auction .
And then , a lawsuit dogged the discovery , with the land 's previous owners claiming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the 67 million-year-old Dueling Dinosaurs are getting an extraordinary exhibit that will invite the public and students to get involved as scientists slowly learn about the dinosaurs encased in stone .
Read more : Cretaceous cold case of 'dueling ' T. rex and Triceratops may finally be solved A newly discovered duck-billed dinosaur named Ajnabia odysseus was found where it should n't have been .
Its fossils were unearthed in Morocco , a November found .
`` It was completely out of place , like finding a kangaroo in Scotland , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paleontologist at the University of Bath , .
Duck bills evolved in North America and later made their way to South America , Asia and Europe .
But Africa was an island continent 66 million years ago during the late Cretaceous , when A. odysseus was alive .
So , how did it get there ?
Did the pony-size A. odysseus raft to Africa on debris ?
Did it float or possibly swim there ?
Your guess is as good as ours !
Read more : The fossil of a duckbill dinosaur has @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The newly described "reaper of death" is a cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex.
Dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago, but we're still learning their secrets. Here are 10 mind-blowing dino discoveries, including newly described species, an analysis of soft-shelled dinosaur eggs and takedowns of speculative species.
1. Spinosaurus could swim
Two Spinosaurus hunt Onchopristis, a prehistoric sawfish, in the waters of the Kem Kem river system in what is now Morocco. (Image credit: Jason Treat, NG Staff, and Mesa Schumacher Art: Davide Bonadonna Source: Dr. Nizar Ibrahim, University of Detroit Mercy)
Scientists thought for years that Spinosaurus could swim, but had precious few fossils to prove it. The most complete specimen had been destroyed in an Allied bombing raid against Germany during World War II. But now, the analysis of a Spinosaurus tail reveals that the tail was broad and paddle-like, perfect for a swimmer, according to an April study in the journal Nature .
"This discovery is the nail in the coffin for the idea that non-avian dinosaurs never invaded the aquatic realm," study lead author Nizar Ibrahim, a paleontologist at the University of Detroit Mercy, said in a statement. "This dinosaur was actively pursuing prey in the water column, not just standing in shallow waters waiting for fish to swim by."
Read more: 1st known swimming dinosaur just discovered. And it was magnificent.
2. Best-preserved dino stomach
The nodosaur Borealopelta markmitchelli preferred to munch on a particular type of fern, an analysis of its fossilized stomach contents reveals. (Image credit: Illustration by Julius Csotonyi/Copyright Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology )
It's challenging to know exactly what herbivorous dinosaurs ate — leaves and other plant materials don't fossilize well, and even if ancient organic matter is preserved, it's hard to know whether the dinosaur ate it, or if the two fossilized side-by-side by chance.
The discovery of a nodosaur fossil with a well-preserved digestive tract has helped shed light on this mystery. Researchers analyzed the 112 million-year-old beast's fossilized stomach contents, and learned that the nodosaur, named Borealopelta markmitchelli, was a picky eater, according to the June study in the journal Royal Society Open Science .
The 18-foot-long (5.5 meters) B. markmitchelli ate only certain types of ferns, and apparently it preferred leaves to stems and twigs. The dinosaur also had pea- to grape-size stones, known as gastroliths, in its gut that likely helped it break down food.
Bon appetit!
Read more: Best-preserved dinosaur stomach ever found reveals 'sleeping dragon's' last meal
3. Horned titanosaur embryo
The 1.2-inch-long baby dinosaur skull (Image credit: Kundrát M. et al. Current Biology (2020); Illustration by Vladimir Rimbala )
Before the long-necked titanosaur dinosaurs got huge, they were wee babes with … a horn?
The discovery of a rare titanosaur embryo in Argentina revealed that this little tyke had a rhino-like horn on its snout, which it lost by adulthood, an August study in the journal Current Biology found.
No word yet on whether its enormous parents thought this little babe's horn looked cute 80 million years ago, but at least the horn was handy — it's possible the baby used it to peck out of its shell.
Read more: Teensy long-necked dinosaur embryo reveals weird snout horn
4. Soft-shelled eggs
A clutch of fossilized Protoceratops eggs, which were found in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia at Ukhaa Tolgod. (Image credit: M. Ellison/©AMNH)
Speaking of eggs, the first dinosaur eggs may have had soft shells, a June study in the journal Nature found. Researchers found ancient eggs from two dinosaur species — the horned dinosaur Protoceratops, which lived during the Cretaceous period , and the long-necked sauropodomorph Mussaurus that lived during the Triassic period .
In a separate Nature study, another group of scientists in Antarctica found the 68 million-year-old soft-shell egg of a mosasaur, which is not a dinosaur but a reptilian sea monster that lived during the dinosaur age.
It's still a mystery whether this football-size mosasaur egg was laid and hatched in the water, or on dry land like a turtle.
Read more: Ancient Antarctic sea monster may have laid this football-size egg
5. Meet T. rex's cousin: 'Reaper of death'
Researchers have only two skulls from this new species, but here is what the dinosaur may have looked like nearly 80 million years ago. (Image credit: Julius Csotonyi)
Tyrannosaurus rex has a newfound cousin with a fearsome name — the "reaper of death," which hails from what is now Alberta, Canada. This 79.5 million-year-old beast (Thanatotheristes degrootorum) is the oldest named tyrannosaur on record from North America. It's also the first newly named tyrannosaur from Canada in 50 years. (Congrats, Canada!)
"It definitely would have been quite an imposing animal, roughly 8 feet (2.4 meters) [tall] at the hips," Jared Voris, a doctoral student of paleontology at the University of Calgary in Alberta and lead researcher of the study, told Live Science in February.
The "reaper of death" had unique vertical ridges that ran from its eyes along its upper snout. Scientists aren't sure why the carnivore had these ridges, but if you were its prey, they were possibly one of the last things you saw before the reaper finished you off.
Read more: 'Reaper of death,' newfound cousin of T. rex, discovered in Canada
6. The dinosaur that wasn't
This 99 million-year-old creature's skull is preserved in amber. (Image credit: Lida Xing)
A 99 million-year-old piece of amber from Myanmar (formerly Burma) with a mystery creature's skull preserved inside made headlines when researchers said it might be the smallest dinosaur on record. This bird-like dinosaur was said to have about 100 sharp and tiny teeth and weigh just 0.07 ounces (2 grams), the weight of two dollars bills.
However, other specimens of this animal have now been analyzed further, and it appears that it's not a dinosaur, but a lizard. As a result, the original study was retracted.
Even so, the researchers of the retracted study are still excited to celebrate this weird beastie. "It's just a really weird animal and an important discovery regardless of whether it's a weird bird or a weird lizard with a bird head," study co-lead researcher Jingmai O'Connor, formerly a senior professor of vertebrate paleontology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who is now at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, told Live Science in July.
Read more: Trapped in amber, this could be the smallest dinosaur ever found and Hummingbird-size dinosaur may actually be a lizard
7. Tyrannosaur embryos
Researchers have found a toe claw (shown in yellow, second from left) and jawbone (shown in blue, third from left) of baby tyrannosaurs that lived between 75 million and 70 million years ago in North America. For scale, here are reconstructions of the tyrannosaur babies compared with an adult Albertosaurus tyrannosaur (left) and lead researcher Gregory Funston. (Image credit: Gregory Funston 2020)
The only two tyrannosaur embryos on record are now being studied, and gosh are they small. This apex predator started out with a skull the size of a mouse.
The fossils of these wee babes include a toe claw found in Alberta, Canada and a jawbone unearthed in Montana.
"These are incredibly rare finds — the first of their kind in the world," lead researcher Gregory Funston, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, told Live Science in October. "Juvenile tyrannosaurs of any kind are exceedingly rare, and we've never found any bones that we suspected might be embryos, until now."
Read more: 1st of their kind baby tyrannosaur fossils unearthed
8. Two knocks against Nanotyrannus
Teenage T. rex were more lightly built and faster than the much larger, lumbering, bone-crushing adults they would grow into. (Image credit: Julius T. Csotonyi)
Does the species Nanotyrannus exist? Some researchers say certain tyrannosaur remains belong to a pygmy tyrannosaurus called Nanotyrannus, while others maintain the remains are teenage Tyrannosaurus rexes. The majority of researchers often say Nanotyrannus hasn't been completely ruled out, so until more evidence piles up, it's possible the beast was real.
Unfortunately for Nanotyrannus, 2020 brought two studies saying it was a teenage rex. In a January study in the journal Science Advances , researchers studied two well-known tyrannosaurus specimens, nicknamed Jane and Petey. A bone analysis found that Jane and Petey were just 13 and 15 years old, and that their bones were growing quickly, just like a teenager's would.
The second study, published in June in the journal PeerJ , took an intense look at 44 different T. rex individuals and analyzed the species' growth stages. The teenage T. rexes fit perfectly into the growth curves, indicating that Nanotyrannus is a T. rex, not a separate species.
Read more: 6-foot-tall T. rex skeletons not a new pygmy species, just teenagers and Here's exactly how T. rex grew from a slender tot into a massive carnivore
9. Dueling Dinosaurs sold to museum
This illustration shows what may have happened to the ceratopsian and tyrannosaur just before they died and were fossilized about 67 million years ago. (Image credit: Anthony Hutchings/Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences)
Two famous dinosaur fossils are finally being studied by scientists. The so-called "Dueling Dinosaurs," the fossils of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops on record, which may (or may not) have been dueling at the time of their deaths, are going to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) following a $6 million deal in November.
Amateaur fossil hunters in Montana discovered the "Dueling Dinosaurs" in 2006, but couldn't find a buyer. The fossils also failed to sell at a 2013 auction. And then, a lawsuit dogged the discovery, with the land's previous owners claiming the fossils were theirs.
But now, the 67 million-year-old Dueling Dinosaurs are getting an extraordinary exhibit that will invite the public and students to get involved as scientists slowly learn about the dinosaurs encased in stone.
Read more: Cretaceous cold case of 'dueling' T. rex and Triceratops may finally be solved
10. Could duck-billed dinosaurs swim?
Duckbill dinosaurs evolved in North America, spreading to South America, Asia, Europe and finally Africa. (Image credit: Raul Martin)
A newly discovered duck-billed dinosaur named Ajnabia odysseus was found where it shouldn't have been. Its fossils were unearthed in Morocco, a November study found. "It was completely out of place, like finding a kangaroo in Scotland," study lead researcher Nicholas Longrich, a paleontologist at the University of Bath, said in a statement .
Duck bills evolved in North America and later made their way to South America, Asia and Europe. But Africa was an island continent 66 million years ago during the late Cretaceous, when A. odysseus was alive. So, how did it get there?
Did the pony-size A. odysseus raft to Africa on debris? Did it float or possibly swim there? Your guess is as good as ours!