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Image 1
Grey morph individual
The tawny owl (Strix aluco), also called the brown owl, is commonly found in
woodlands across Europe to western
Siberia, and has seven recognized
subspecies. It is a stocky, medium-sized
owl, whose underparts are pale with dark streaks, and whose upper body may be either brown or grey (in several subspecies, individuals may be of either color). The tawny owl typically makes its
nest in a
tree hole where it can protect its eggs and young against potential predators. It is
non-migratory and highly territorial: as a result, when young birds grow up and leave the parental nest, if they cannot find a vacant territory to claim as their own, they will often starve.
The tawny owl is a
nocturnalbird of prey. It is able to hunt successfully at night because of its vision and hearing adaptations and its ability to fly silently. It usually hunts by dropping suddenly from a perch and seizing its prey, which it swallows whole. It hunts mainly
rodents, although in urbanized areas its diet includes a higher proportion of birds. It also sometimes catches smaller owls, and is itself sometimes hunted by the
eagle owl and the
Eurasian goshawk. (Full article...)
Image 2
Southern right whale breaching
Right whales are three
species of large
baleen whales of the
genusEubalaena: the
North Atlantic right whale (E. glacialis), the
North Pacific right whale (E. japonica) and the
Southern right whale (E. australis). They are classified in the family
Balaenidae with the
bowhead whale. Right whales have rotund bodies with arching
rostrums, V-shaped
blowholes and dark gray or black skin. The most distinguishing feature of a right whale is the rough patches of skin on its head, which appear white due to parasitism by
whale lice. Right whales are typically 13–17 m (43–56 ft) long and weigh up to 100 short tons (91 t; 89 long tons) or more.
All three species are
migratory, moving seasonally to feed or give birth. The warm equatorial waters form a barrier that isolates the northern and southern species from one another although the southern species, at least, has been known to cross the
equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, right whales tend to avoid open waters and stay close to
peninsulas and bays and on
continental shelves, as these areas offer greater shelter and an abundance of their preferred foods. In the Southern Hemisphere, right whales feed far offshore in summer, but a large portion of the population occur in near-shore waters in winter. Right whales feed mainly on
copepods but also consume
krill and
pteropods. They may forage the surface, underwater or even the ocean bottom. During courtship, males gather into large groups to compete for a single female, suggesting that
sperm competition is an important factor in mating behavior.
Gestation tends to last a year, and calves are weaned at eight months old. (Full article...)
The fulvous whistling duck or fulvous tree duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) is a species of
whistling duck that breeds across the world's tropical regions in much of
Mexico and
South America, the
West Indies, the southern
United States,
sub-Saharan Africa and the
Indian subcontinent. It has
plumage that is mainly reddish brown, long legs and a long grey bill, and shows a distinctive white band across its black tail in flight. Like other members of its ancient lineage, it has a whistling call which is given in flight or on the ground. Its preferred
habitat consists of
wetlands with plentiful vegetation, including shallow lakes and
paddy fields. The nest, built from plant material and unlined, is placed among dense vegetation or in a tree hole. The typical
clutch is around ten whitish eggs. The breeding adults, which pair for life, take turns to incubate, and the eggs hatch in 24–29 days. The downy grey ducklings leave the nest within a day or so of hatching, but the parents continue to protect them until they
fledge around nine weeks later.
The fulvous whistling duck feeds in wetlands by day or night on seeds and other parts of plants. It is sometimes regarded as a pest of rice cultivation, and is also shot for food in parts of its range. Despite hunting, poisoning by
pesticides and natural predation by mammals, birds, and reptiles, the large numbers and huge range of this duck mean that it is classified as
least concern by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature. (Full article...)
Apollo 14 (January 31 – February 9, 1971) was the eighth crewed mission in the United States
Apollo program, the third to
land on the Moon, and the first to land in the
lunar highlands. It was the last of the "
H missions", landings at specific sites of scientific interest on the Moon for two-day stays with two lunar
extravehicular activities (EVAs or moonwalks).
The mission was originally scheduled for 1970, but was postponed because of the investigation following the failure of
Apollo 13 to reach the Moon's surface, and the need for modifications to the spacecraft as a result. Commander
Alan Shepard,
Command Module PilotStuart Roosa, and
Lunar Module PilotEdgar Mitchell launched on their nine-day mission on Sunday, January 31, 1971, at 4:03:02 p.m.
EST. En route to the lunar landing, the crew overcame malfunctions that might have resulted in a second consecutive aborted mission, and possibly, the premature end of the Apollo program. (Full article...)
The conceptual foundation for DNA nanotechnology was first laid out by
Nadrian Seeman in the early 1980s, and the field began to attract widespread interest in the mid-2000s. This use of nucleic acids is enabled by their strict
base pairing rules, which cause only portions of strands with
complementarybase sequences to bind together to form strong, rigid
double helix structures. This allows for the
rational design of base sequences that will selectively assemble to form complex target structures with precisely controlled
nanoscale features. Several assembly methods are used to make these structures, including tile-based structures that assemble from smaller structures, folding structures using the
DNA origami method, and dynamically reconfigurable structures using strand displacement methods. The field's name specifically references
DNA, but the same principles have been used with other types of nucleic acids as well, leading to the occasional use of the alternative name nucleic acid nanotechnology. (Full article...)
Proxima Centauri is a small, low-mass
star located 4.2465
light-years (1.3020
pc) away from the
Sun in the southern
constellation of
Centaurus. Its
Latin name means the 'nearest [star] of Centaurus'. It was discovered in 1915 by
Robert Innes and is the
nearest-known star to the Sun. With a quiescent
apparent magnitude of 11.13, it is too faint to be seen with the unaided eye. Proxima Centauri is a member of the
Alpha Centauristar system, being identified as component Alpha Centauri C, and is 2.18° to the southwest of the Alpha Centauri AB pair. It is currently 12,950
AU (0.2
ly) from AB, which it orbits with a
period of about 550,000 years.
Proxima Centauri is a
red dwarf star with a mass about 12.5% of the Sun's mass (
M☉), and average
density about 33 times that of the Sun. Because of Proxima Centauri's proximity to
Earth, its
angular diameter can be measured directly. Its actual diameter is about one-seventh (14%) the diameter of the Sun. Although it has a very low average
luminosity, Proxima Centauri is a
flare star that randomly undergoes dramatic increases in brightness because of
magnetic activity. The star's
magnetic field is created by
convection throughout the stellar body, and the resulting flare activity generates a total
X-ray emission similar to that produced by the Sun. The internal mixing of its fuel by convection through its core, and Proxima's relatively low energy-production rate, mean that it will be a
main-sequence star for another four trillion years. (Full article...)
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Astraeus hygrometricus, commonly known as the hygroscopic earthstar, the barometer earthstar, or the false earthstar, is a species of
fungus in the family
Diplocystaceae. Young specimens resemble a
puffball when unopened. In maturity, the mushroom displays the characteristic
earthstar shape that is a result of the outer layer of
fruit body tissue splitting open in a star-like manner. The false earthstar is an
ectomycorrhizal species that grows in association with various trees, especially in sandy soils. A. hygrometricus was previously thought to have a
cosmopolitan distribution, though it is now thought to be restricted to Southern Europe, and Astraeus are common in temperate and tropical regions. Its
common names refer to the fact that it is
hygroscopic (water-absorbing) and can open up its rays to expose the spore sac in response to increased humidity, then close them up again in drier conditions. The rays have an irregularly cracked surface, while the spore case is pale brown and smooth with an irregular slit or tear at the top. The
gleba is white initially, but turns brown and powdery when the
spores mature. The spores are reddish-brown and roughly spherical with minute warts, measuring 7.5–11
micrometers in diameter.
Despite a similar overall appearance, A. hygrometricus is not related to the true earthstars of genus Geastrum, although historically, they have been
taxonomically confused. The species was first described by
Christiaan Hendrik Persoon in 1801 as Geastrum hygrometricus. In 1885,
Andrew P. Morgan proposed that differences in microscopic characteristics warranted the creation of a new genus Astraeus distinct from Geastrum; this opinion was not universally accepted by later authorities. Several Asian populations formerly thought to be A. hygrometricus were renamed in the 2000s once
phylogenetic analyses revealed they were unique Astraeus species, including A. asiaticus and A. odoratus. Similarly, in 2013, North American populations were divided into A. pteridis,
A. morganii, and
A. smithii on the basis of
molecular phylogenetics. This research suggests that the type specimen of Astraeus hygrometricus originates in a population restricted to Europe between Southern France and Turkey, with A. telleriae found nearby in Spain and Greece. Research has revealed the presence of several
bioactive chemical compounds in Astraeus fruit bodies. North American field guides typically rate A. hygrometricus as inedible; while this may be accurate for the now-separate North American species, A. hygrometricus is commonly consumed in
South and
Southeast Asia. (Full article...)
The Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) is a
tern in the
familyLaridae. This
bird has a
circumpolar breeding distribution covering the
Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe (as far south as
Brittany), Asia, and North America (as far south as
Massachusetts). The
species is strongly
migratory, seeing two summers each year as it migrates along a convoluted route from its northern breeding grounds to the
Antarctic coast for the southern summer and back again about six months later. Recent studies have shown average annual round-trip lengths of about 70,900 km (44,100 mi) for birds nesting in
Iceland and
Greenland and about 48,700 km (30,300 mi) for birds nesting in the
Netherlands. These are by far the longest migrations known in the animal kingdom. The Arctic tern nests once every one to three years (depending on its mating cycle).
Arctic terns are medium-sized birds. They have a length of 28–39 cm (11–15 in) and a
wingspan of 65–75 cm (26–30 in). They are mainly grey and white plumaged, with a red/orange beak and feet, white forehead, a black nape and crown (streaked white), and white cheeks. The grey mantle is 305 mm (12.0 in), and the scapulae are fringed brown, some tipped white. The upper wing is grey with a white leading edge, and the collar is completely white, as is the rump. The deeply forked tail is whitish, with grey outer webs. (Full article...)
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She Shoulda Said 'No'! (also known as Wild Weed; The Devil's Weed; Marijuana, the Devil's Weed; and The Story of Lila Leeds and Her Exposé of the Marijuana Racket) is a 1949
exploitation film that follows in the spirit of
morality tales such as the 1936 films Reefer Madness and Marihuana. Directed by
Sam Newfield (using the pseudonym "Sherman Scott") and starring
Lila Leeds, it was originally produced to capitalize on the arrest of Leeds and
Robert Mitchum on a charge of
marijuana conspiracy.
The film was issued under many titles; it struggled to find a
distributor until film presenter
Kroger Babb picked up the rights, reissuing it as The Story of Lila Leeds and Her Exposé of the Marijuana Racket. Its relative success came only after the promotional
posters were redone and a story fabricated that the film was being presented in conjunction with the
United States Treasury. (Full article...)
Image 10
James William Humphreys (7 January 1930 – September 2003) was an English businessman and criminal who owned a chain of
adult book shops and
strip clubs in London in the 1960s and 1970s. He was able to run his business through the payment of large bribes to serving police officers, particularly those from the
Obscene Publications Branch (OPB) of the
Metropolitan Police. His diaries—which detailed meetings he had held with police officers, the venues of the meetings and the amounts of bribes paid—provided evidence for the investigation by anti-corruption officers of the Metropolitan Police.
Humphreys became involved in petty crime early in life, and was first arrested at the age of 15. The severity of his crimes increased over time and, in March 1958, he was sentenced to six years' imprisonment after using explosives to open a safe and steal £8,260 in money and
postal orders. On his release he opened a strip club in
Soho, the centre of London's
sex industry. As Humphreys expanded his business and moved into other areas of the sex industry—
sex shops and book shops selling obscene material—he had to bribe an increasing number of officers to be able to operate. (Full article...)
Dwarf planets are likely to be geologically active, an expectation that was borne out in 2015 by the Dawn mission to
Ceres and the New Horizons mission to Pluto.
Planetary geologists are therefore particularly interested in them. (Full article...)
Two
crystalline forms exist at normal pressure: one above and one below 900 °C (1,650 °F). A third form exists at high pressure. Californium slowly tarnishes in air at room temperature.
Californium compounds are dominated by the +3
oxidation state. The most stable of californium's twenty known
isotopes is californium-251, with a
half-life of 898 years. This short half-life means the element is not found in significant quantities in the Earth's crust. 252Cf, with a half-life of about 2.645 years, is the most common isotope used and is produced at
Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States and
Research Institute of Atomic Reactors in Russia. (Full article...)
The European storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus), also known as British storm petrel, or just storm petrel, is a species of
seabird in the
northern storm petrelfamily, Hydrobatidae. The small, square-tailed bird is entirely black except for a broad, white rump and a white band on the under wings, and it has a fluttering, bat-like flight. The large majority of the population breeds on islands off the northern coasts of Europe, with the greatest numbers in the
Faroe Islands, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Iceland. The Mediterranean population is a separate subspecies whose strongholds are
Filfla Island (Malta),
Sicily, and the
Balearic Islands. This subspecies is indiscernible at sea from its Atlantic relatives.
The storm petrel nests in crevices and burrows, sometimes shared with other seabirds or rabbits, and lays a single white egg, usually on bare soil. The adults share the lengthy
incubation and both feed the chick, which is not normally brooded after the first week. This bird is strongly
migratory, spending the
Northern Hemisphere winter mainly off the coasts of South Africa and Namibia, with some birds stopping in the seas adjoining West Africa, and a few remaining near their Mediterranean breeding islands. This petrel is strictly oceanic outside the breeding season. It feeds on small fish, squid, and
zooplankton, while pattering on the sea's surface, and can find oily, edible items by smell. The food is converted in the bird's stomach to an oily orange liquid, which is regurgitated when the chick is fed. Although usually silent at sea, the storm petrel has a chattering call given by both members of a pair in their courtship flight. The male has a purring song given from the breeding chamber. (Full article...)
The Acra (also spelled Akra, from
Ancient Greek: Ἄκρα,
Hebrew: חקרא ,חקרהḤaqra(h)), with the meaning of "stronghold" (see under
"Etymology"), was a place in
Jerusalem thought to have had a fortified
compound built by
Antiochus Epiphanes, ruler of the
Seleucid Empire, following his sack of the city in 168
BCE. The name Acra was also used at a later time for a city quarter probably associated with the by-then destroyed fortress, known in his time to
Josephus (1st century CE) as both Acra and "the lower city". The fortress played a significant role in the events surrounding the
Maccabean Revolt, which resulted in the formation of the
Hasmonean Kingdom. The "upper city" was captured by
Judas Maccabeus, with the Seleucid garrison taking refuge in the "Acra" below, and the task of destroying this last enemy stronghold inside Jerusalem fell to
Simon Maccabeus surnamed Thassi. Our knowledge about the Acra is based almost exclusively on the writings of Josephus, which are of a later date, and on the
First and
Second Books of Maccabees, which were written not long after the described events.
The exact location of Acra within Jerusalem, and even the meaning of the term—fortress, fortified compound inside the city, or compound with an associated fortress—is critical to understanding Hellenistic Jerusalem, but it remains a matter of ongoing discussion. The fact that Josephus has used the name interchangeably with 'the lower city' certainly doesn't help. Historians and archaeologists have proposed various sites around Jerusalem, relying initially mainly on conclusions drawn from literary evidence. This approach began to change in the light of excavations which commenced in the late 1960s. New discoveries have prompted reassessments of the ancient literary sources, Jerusalem's geography, and previously discovered artifacts. The more recent theories combine archaeological and textual evidence and favour locations near the
Temple Mount and south of it, but there are alternative theories as well (see
"Location"). (Full article...)
Image 15
Skull of Triaenops menamena
Triaenops menamena is a
bat in the genus Triaenops found on
Madagascar, mainly in the drier regions. It was known as Triaenops rufus until 2009, when it was discovered that that name had been incorrectly applied to the species. Triaenops rufus is a
synonym of Triaenops persicus, a Middle Eastern species closely related to T. menamena— the Malagasy species had previously been placed as a
subspecies of T. persicus by some authors. Triaenops menamena is mostly found in forests, but also occurs in other habitats. It often roosts in large colonies and eats insects such as
butterflies and moths. Because of its wide range, common occurrence, and tolerance of
habitat degradation, it is not considered to be threatened.
With a forearm length of 50 to 56 mm (2.0 to 2.2 in) in males and 46 to 53 mm (1.8 to 2.1 in) in females, this is a medium-sized bat. Its fur color is variable, ranging from reddish brown to gray, but it is generally darker than the species in the closely related genus Paratriaenops which also occur on Madagascar. The skull contains a pronounced swelling around the nose and the second upper
premolar is displaced outside the toothrow. The maximum frequency of the
echolocation call averages 94.2 k
Hz and the species can easily be recognized on the basis of its call. (Full article...)
A society (/səˈsaɪəti/) is a group of
individuals involved in persistent social interaction or a large
social group sharing the same spatial or
socialterritory, typically subject to the same
political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societies are characterized by patterns of relationships (
social relations) between individuals who share a distinctive
culture and
institutions; a given society may be described as the sum total of such relationships among its constituent members. (Full article...)
... that the first Black woman to receive tenure in
Kent State University's College of Arts & Sciences, Angela Neal-Barnett, emphasizes social support between Black women as "an indigenous form of healing"?
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Researchers at
Google DeepMind announce the development of
AlphaFold 3, an AI model that can predict the structures of almost all biological molecules and model the interactions between them.
(Time)(Nature)
In
statistics, the standard deviation is a measure of the amount of variation of a random variable expected about its
mean. A low standard
deviation indicates that the values tend to be close to the
mean (also called the
expected value) of the set, while a high standard deviation indicates that the values are spread out over a wider range. The standard deviation is commonly used in the determination of what constitutes an
outlier and what does not. (Full article...)
Image 5
Sci-Hub is a
shadow library website that provides free access to millions of
research papers,
regardless of copyright, by bypassing publishers'
paywalls in various ways. Unlike
Library Genesis, it does not provide access to books. Sci-Hub was founded in
Kazakhstan by
Alexandra Elbakyan in 2011, in response to the high cost of research papers behind paywalls (see
Serials crisis). The site is extensively used worldwide. In September 2019, the site's operator(s) said that it served approximately 400,000 requests per day. In addition to its intensive use, Sci-Hub stands out among other shadow libraries because of its easy use/reliability and because of the enormous size of its collection; a 2018 study estimated that Sci-Hub provided access to 95% of all scholarly publications with issued
DOI numbers, and on 15 July 2022, Sci-Hub reported that its collection comprised 88,343,822 files. (Full article...)