Science Daily News | 15 Jul 2023
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Yellow weather warning issued for high winds
Gust of up to 45mph (72km/h) are forecast across much of the region on Saturday.
A yellow weather warning for wind has been issued by the Met Office that covers the East of England and beyond.
It comes into place from 09:00 BST on Saturday and remains in force until 23:59.
Meteorologist Chris Bell, from WeatherQuest, said: "We could have gusts up to 45mph (72km/h) which are fairly unusual at this time of year."
He added: "It looks as if we could have gust of between 40-45mph from midday until about 8pm.
"With lots of events outside and lots of leaves and branches on the trees - this can bring more risk."
The Met Office has warned some damage to trees or temporary structures such as marquees and tents could occur.
It has also advised people to check for loose items like plant pots, garden furniture and trampolines outside the home and plan how to secure them.
SpaceX aborts Falcon 9 rocket's record-tying 16th launch attempt
SpaceX aborted the planned 16th launch of a Falcon 9 rocket early Friday (July 14) with 40 seconds left in the countdown.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will have to wait a bit longer to tie a reuse record.
"There are 1,000 ways to launch a rocket, and there's only one way that it can go right," SpaceX's Atticus Vadera said during Friday morning's launch webcast. "So, given that, we are overly cautious on the ground. And if the team or the vehicle sees anything that looks just even slightly off, we will stop the countdown."
The Falcon 9 and the Starlink satellites are in good health, Vadera added.
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Medieval remains found under old swimming pool
The discovery was made as the Kenilworth pool was demolished to make way for a new one.
Extensive medieval remains found during work to build a new swimming pool are "remarkable", a heritage body said.
The foundations and walls of buildings were discovered at Abbey Fields, Kenilworth, in the past few months, Warwick District Council said.
"The quality and extent of these archaeological remains is remarkable," said Neil Rimmington, from Historic England.
The find will affect the project's timescale, the council added.
The remains appear to be of monastic buildings but their purpose is not yet known, a council spokesperson added.
Abbey Fields was once farmland which belonged to St Mary's Abbey until it was dissolved in the 16th Century.
The discovery was made by a firm demolishing the previous pool as it carried out investigations of the site with Archaeology Warwickshire.
Work will be carried out with Historic England to determine the best way to preserve and record what has been found, the council spokesperson said.
They could also affect the design of the new building, they added.
Mr Rimmington said the discovery would "provide an amazing insight into the history and everyday life of this monastic site".
A report will be drawn up for councillors once the best solution and new timescales for the construction work have been agreed.
Work began in September on the new multi-million pound swimming centre, which will include a second indoor pool.
Wild pig attacks dog causing serious injuries in Norfolk
A dog on a lead is seriously injured by a pig that was protecting her young at a rewilding project.
A wild pig has attacked a pet dog which was being walked on an estate in Norfolk, leaving it seriously injured.
Mark and Vanessa Shadbolt were walking Luna, a cocker spaniel, on a leash at Westacre Estate near Swaffham on Monday, when the pig attacked.
"It really was horrific," said Mrs Shadbolt.
Estate owner Alec Birkbeck said the pig, part of a rewilding project, was apparently protecting her young and would be monitored.
The Shadbolts were walking their two dogs through public areas and both were on leads, as is recommended by the estate management, when the sow attacked.
"I saw this huge dark thing rushing out of the long grass - at first I thought it was a rottweiler as it was very black," Mrs Shadbolt told the BBC.
"Then I realised it was a large pig and I shouted to my husband, but by then the sow had launched Luna into the air and was ripping her to pieces - she tried to fight back - but she couldn't."
She said the pig began "hurtling" towards her, and Mrs Shadbolt quickly picked up their other dog and tried to fend the sow off with a walking stick.
"It then had another go at Mark and Luna - Luna was in shreds," she said.
The couple managed to get away and immediately took Luna to the vets where she was treated for serious injuries to her stomach, neck and leg.
Mrs Shadbolt said: "It really was horrific.
"We are taking things on a day-to-day basis with Luna, but the vet said she will probably need six months of treatment."
Her husband sustained a gash to his knee but did not need stitches.
Other than Luna, Mrs Shadbolt said her main concern was that the "pig wasn't properly managed" and that this "could have happened to a child".
"We just want to raise awareness - we were in a permitted walking area and following the rules and I don't want anyone else to have to go through this," she said.
Norfolk Police confirmed the incident was reported and investigated by rural crime officers.
A spokeswoman said: "They found that no crime had been committed.
"The landowner is working to put measures in place in order to mitigate further risk."
Estate owner Mr Birkbeck said the incident has been "extremely distressing for all concerned".
"I hope that the dog and owner are making a full recovery," he said.
Mr Birkbeck said the introduction of pigs into the re-wilded area was "a vital part of the ecosystem restoration".
The pigs were a "driver of change" and by disturbing the soil their behaviour helped create "habitat and food for the insects that are sorely depleted in our landscape".
He said "the pig that carried out the attack has never shown any signs of aggression before, so it is a concern that the attack happened, and we are now monitoring her closely.
"We are managing the livestock within the project - but on a very extensive basis, and will not hold back from culling the animal if she shows any signs of further aggression."
He said the pig was "following her instincts" by protecting her young but "to help limit the potential for future incidents" breeding would not be allowed in the public-access areas.
Colorism is driving women of color to use harmful skin lightening products, says new study
A majority of Black women reported using skin lightening products, with some admitting that they didn’t know the products contained harmful ingredients like hydroquinone, according to a survey by Northwestern University.
A lot of Americans want to lighten their skin.
“We’ve done other work in that space trying to understand why people might use these products,” she continued. “It gets back to lighter skin being more aesthetic or considered something of value among certain communities. This is centuries in the making, generations in the making.”
“Whiteness has been idealized. People of color don’t think about that. They just buy into expressing those ideals,” he said.
Hall said the first step in eradicating colorism and its consequences is to adequately confront the problem.
A weekend of misery ahead for millions in the U.S. as record heat takes hold
In its forecast posted Friday morning, the National Weather Service warned that a “searing heat wave is set to engulf much of the West Coast, the Great Basin, and the Southwest.”
A heat dome parked over the Southwest has been baking the region for more than two weeks, but temperatures are expected to spike heading into the weekend.
On Saturday, parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, the interior of California and Texas will range from 105 to 115 F, while temperatures in desert locations across the region could exceed 120 F, according to the weather service.
Studies have shown that climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity and duration of extreme heat events.
In California's Death Valley, temperatures are forecast to reach almost 130 F, which would place it among the hottest temperatures ever recorded on Earth.
Arizona is also bracing for record heat this weekend. Phoenix, which has already sweltered through 13 consecutive days at or above 110 F, is forecast to see temperatures spike as high as 118 F over the weekend. On Tuesday, the city is poised to tie the current record set in 1974 of 18 consecutive days at or above 110 F, and is expected to continue on past the milestone.
Las Vegas, meanwhile, is forecast to reach 117 F on Sunday, which would tie the city’s record for hottest temperature.
Local officials urged people to take proper precautions to cope with the extreme heat, including staying hydrated, checking on heat-sensitive friends and family, and avoiding outdoor activities, particularly during the hottest parts of the day.
Hot and humid conditions will also envelop much of the South, stretching from Texas across the lower Mississippi Valley and into Florida. Heat index values — which represent the “feels like” temperatures when humidity and air temperatures are combined — are expected to be well into the triple digits across these regions, with some parts of Texas and Louisiana experiencing heat index values up to 115 F.
The weather service added that “morning lows across the southern tier of the U.S. will remain exceptionally warm, providing little in the way of relief to these affected regions.”
Meanwhile, most of southern Europe is also experiencing oppressively high heat and humidity.
Temperatures in the triple digits are forecast across parts of Spain, Italy and Greece, and heat is expected to build into next week.
Dangerous heat waves are also gripping North Africa, China and Japan, in what has already been a hot summer across the Northern Hemisphere.
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