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Science

Cosmology is at a tipping point – we may be on the verge of discovering new physics

For the past few years, a series of controversies have rocked the well-established field of cosmology. In a nutshell, the predictions of the standard model of the universe appear to be at odds with some recent observations.

There are heated debates about whether these observations are biased, or whether the cosmological model, which predicts the structure and evolution of the entire universe, may need a rethink. Some even claim that cosmology is in crisis. Right now, we do not know which side will win. But excitingly, we are on the brink of finding that out.

To be fair, controversies are just the normal course of the scientific method. And over many years, the standard cosmological model has had its share of them. This model suggests the universe is made up of 68.3% “dark energy” (an unknown substance that causes the universe’s expansion to accelerate), 26.8% dark matter (an unknown form of matter) and 4.9% ordinary atoms, very precisely measured from the cosmic microwave background – the afterglow of radiation from the Big Bang.

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Baleen whales are among the biggest creatures on Earth –  new secrets about their size

People often think of all whales as giants of the sea when in fact they vary in size dramatically, from the 30-meter blue whale to the two-meter dwarf sperm whale. However, almost all of the largest family by size, the baleen whales, are massive – and scientists have only recently understood how they grew so big.

Adding to this understanding, a new study may help explain a longstanding puzzle in science about how baleen whales can have such a high cell reproduction rate without succumbing to cancer – a problem known as “Peto’s Paradox”.

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Over 3,600 food packaging chemicals found in human bodies

More than 3,600 chemicals used in food packaging or preparation have been detected in human bodies, some of which are hazardous to health, while little is known about others, a study said Tuesday.

Around 100 of these chemicals are considered to be of "high concern" to human health, said lead study author Birgit Geueke from the Food Packaging Forum Foundation, a Zurich-based NGO.

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'I'm not even sure he can spell IVF': Tammy Duckworth doubts Trump on reproductive rights

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) blamed former President Donald Trump for undermining families' access to in vitro fertilization (IVF).

At a press conference on Tuesday, Duckworth promoted a bill that would establish a nationwide right to IVF and lower costs for the procedure.

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'Virus hunters' track threats to head off next pandemic

A global network of doctors and laboratories is working to pinpoint emerging viral threats, including many driven by climate change, in a bid to head off the world's next pandemic.

The coalition of self-described "virus hunters" has uncovered everything from an unusual tick-borne disease in Thailand to a surprise outbreak in Colombia of an infection spread by midges.

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Hidden craters reveal Earth may once have had a ring – like Saturn

The rings of Saturn are some of the most famous and spectacular objects in the Solar System. Earth may once have had something similar.

In a paper published last week in Earth & Planetary Science Letters, my colleagues and I present evidence that Earth may have had a ring.

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Can AI talk us out of conspiracy theory rabbit holes?

New research published in Science shows that for some people who believe in conspiracy theories, a fact-based conversation with an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot can “pull them out of the rabbit hole”. Better yet, it seems to keep them out for at least two months.

This research, carried out by Thomas Costello at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and colleagues, shows promise for a challenging social problem: belief in conspiracy theories.

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Federal regulators are now investigating RFK Jr.'s bizarre beheading of dead whale: report

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is under investigation by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration after a bizarre comment about beheading a dead whale that washed up on a beach, CNN reported.

While speaking in Arizona on Saturday, Kennedy told a crowd that he got a letter from the National Marine Fisheries Services, which falls under NOAA. The letter, he said, revealed he was under investigation for the incident that occurred 20 years ago.

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Scientific American magazine backs Harris with second endorsement in 179-year history

Scientific American magazine has endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. It's only the second time the magazine has backed a presidential candidate in its 179-year history.

In an editorial column published on Monday, the magazine warned that Republican nominee Donald Trump "endangers public health and safety and rejects evidence, preferring instead nonsensical conspiracy fantasies."

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Brazil's farmers fret over fires and drought

Sugarcane farmer Marcos Meloni is still haunted by his battle last month to fight the flames on his land, as the double-edged disaster of fires and drought hits Brazil's agricultural sector hard.

"The rearview mirror of the water tanker shriveled up" from the intense heat, recalled the farmer from Barrinha, at the heart of a major agricultural area 340 kilometers (211 miles) from Sao Paulo.

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'Disappeared completely': melting glaciers worry Central Asia

Near a wooden hut high up in the Kyrgyz mountains, scientist Gulbara Omorova walked to a pile of grey rocks, reminiscing how the same spot was a glacier just a few years ago.

At an altitude of 4,000 meters, the 35-year-old researcher is surrounded by the giant peaks of the towering Tian Shan range that also stretches into China, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

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The stone-eaters that threaten Iran's ancient Persepolis

Conservationists at Persepolis, Iran's most iconic ancient site, are waging a delicate battle against an unlikely adversary: tiny but persistent lichens eroding the millennia-old monuments.

The fight, which began years ago, is aimed at stopping the threat to the integrity of the site's structures and its intricate carvings from lichens, organisms that grow on surfaces like stone and can slowly break them down over time.

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Beware 'deepfakes' of famous doctors promoting scams: experts

Social media is being flooded by digitally created "deepfake" videos using the trusted identities of famous doctors to promote dangerous miracle cures for serious health problems, experts warn.

Videos on Facebook and Instagram have taken advantage of the credibility of star TV doctors to advertise untested "natural" syrups for diabetes, even claiming that the proven, first-line drug metformin "could kill" patients.

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