Humans have a complicated relationship with planet Earth. We love it here, we love the sights and sounds and we sit glued to our television screens as documentaries show us how awesome our planet and its various life forms are. We’re also actively making it less awesome by killing off countless species — sometimes on purpose, sometimes on accident — and we can’t seem to stop.
The latest example comes from California, where the western monarch butterfly population has absolutely plummeted over just a few years and it’s getting worse. In fact, the population of the eye-catching insects has dropped by a stunning 86 percent since 2017.
As KTLA reports, the butterflies normally migrate along the California coast this time of year, allowing researchers from the Xerces Society to tally their numbers and keep tabs on the health of the population. Back in 1981 over a million of the insects made the journey. Now, there’s fewer than 30,000.
The scientists, who spend time during the holidays monitoring the numbers of monarch butterflies migrating to the coast, say that there’s no reason to believe the migration patterns have changed. If this really is all that’s left of the species, it’s clear that the insects are rapidly being pushed to extinction.
Researchers believe there are a number of factors at play here and most of them are manmade. Pesticides and herbicides are deadly to the butterflies, as well as many other well-meaning species and toxic exhaust from vehicles and manufacturing affects milkweed, a major food source for the monarchs, lowering the plant’s ability to produce a beneficial compound that helps monarch caterpillars fight parasites.
It’s estimated that, unless some major change is made that benefits the species, it could be completely wiped out within decades or even sooner.
The newfound planet K2-288Bb, illustrated here, is slightly smaller than Neptune.NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Francis Red
NASA’s Kepler space telescope is dead. It ran out of fuel back in October of last year, but the incredible wealth of data that it sent back during its life is still being sifted through and new discoveries are just waiting to be made.
A timely reminder of that fact comes in the form of an all-new exoplanet discovery made by citizen scientists who dedicated their time to combing through Kepler’s logs. The world, called K2-288Bb, appears to be quite special and researchers who have looked at the data think it might even host liquid water, raising the possibility that the newfound planet is habitable.
The research, which was published in The Astronomical Journal, reveals that K2-288Bb resides in the constellation Taurus and sits around 226 light years away from Earth. The planet orbits a binary star system consisting of two stars that are smaller than our own sun. Compared to the sun, the larger of the two stars in the binary system is around half as massive, while the smaller is only about one-third as massive.
As far as what the planet may be like, the jury is still out. It’s clear that the world is significantly larger than Earth, about twice the size, but it’s located within what scientists consider the habitable zone of its system. If it’s a rocky world like Earth, chances are good that it could support water on its surface, but it might also be a gassy “sub-Neptune” planet which would be hostile to life as we know it.
The discovery is unique for a number of reasons — not least of which is that it was made by amateur astronomers — but the biggest surprise for scientists was its size. As NASA’s JPL notes in a blog post, planets between 1.5 and 2 times the size of Earth are seemingly rare based on the exoplanet data we’ve gathered thus far.
We’re all pretty familiar with spacecraft like the Hubble telescope giving us lovely glimpses of distant stars, but you don’t have to strap a telescope to a rocket in order to put it in the right position to capture far-off objects in space.
In a new project from Washington University, researchers have sent a helium balloon high above Antarctica that is equipped with a powerful telescope. The telescope, called X-Calibur, slowly traveled up to an incredible height of 130,000 feet, which just happens to be a great place to peer deep into the heavens.
At 130,000 feet the balloon sits far above where any commercial aircraft would dare travel and because it will have bypassed 99 percent of Earth’s atmosphere it’ll get a clear view of space. This allows the telescope to study distant stars more efficiently than would be possible with similar telescope technology based on the ground.
“Our prime observation target will be Vela X-1, a neutron star in binary orbit with a supergiant star,” professor Henric Krawczynski said in a statement. “The results from these different observatories will be combined to constrain the physical conditions close to the neutron star and thus to use Vela X-1 as a laboratory to test the behavior of matter and magnetic fields in truly extreme conditions.”
There are lots of benefits to using a balloon to send a telescope to incredible heights as opposed to firing a space-based telescope into orbit with a rocket. The cost savings is obviously huge but, compared to an orbiting telescope, the X-Calibur won’t have nearly as long to study its target. In fact, the balloon will only keep the observatory aloft for a little over a week, so time is of the essence.
The research should tell us a lot about what makes neutron stars tick, potentially breaking new ground in the study of the volatile stars.
Apple has fallen victim to the Asian contagion, according to CEO Tim Cook as sales in China plummeted.
Shares of the iPhone maker cratered nearly 8 percent in extended trading Wednesday — knocking some $50 billion off the market cap after the company took the unusual step of cutting its revenue guidance.
In a letter to investors, Cook said that Apple expects to report $84 billion in revenue during its next earnings report — it previously forecasted $91 billion.
Cook placed the blame on “both macroeconomic and Apple-specific factors,” and said that the iPhone maker failed to “foresee the magnitude of the economic deceleration” in emerging markets. The CEO never cited the $1,500 price point for the most expensive model.
Indeed, Cook said that “over 100 percent” of Apple’s worldwide revenue decline “occurred in Greater China across iPhone, Mac and iPad.”
Cook also said that Apple hurt its bottom line when it slashed the price of iPhone battery replacements early last year after it was caught red-handed slowing down older iPhones to preserve their aging batteries.
Consumers, he said, are taking advantage of the “significantly reduced pricing” to extend the lives of their current phones and avoid an upgrade.
“While Greater China and other emerging markets accounted for the vast majority of the year-over-year iPhone revenue decline, in some developed markets, iPhone upgrades also were not as strong as we thought they would be,” Cook said.
Though Cook did not acknowledge the eye-watering prices of Apple’s new iPhone XS and XS Max — which start at $999 and top out at $1,449 — as a contributing factor to Apple’s woes, he did point a finger at “US dollar strength-related price increases.”
He added that the ongoing extinction of carrier subsidies — which reduced the sticker shock of expensive handsets — contributed to the poor performance.
Sales of Apple’s cheaper iPhone XR have also been a thorn in Apple’s side since it hit stores in late October. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company has seen its stock drop more than 30 percent as numerous parts and chip suppliers for the iPhone have slashed sales forecasts.
The tech giant has gone as far as assigning members of its marketing team to work full-time on boosting sales, and has upped the amount it is willing to pay for devices traded in toward the purchase of a new iPhone, according to a report earlier this month.
As recently as last week, Apple was blasting out emails to shoppers that advertised the XR at $449 — provided customers trade in an older device.
Shares of Apple were down 7.4 percent in extended trading, at $146.
An Australian couple encountered a strange sight when they spotted a dozen venomous cane toads appearing to hitch a ride on the back of an 11.5-foot python. But the pair soon found out they’d accidentally stumbled upon an Outback orgy — or, an attempted one.
Paul and Anne Mock were at their home in Kununurra, a town in Western Australia, when they spotted the toads on what they thought was a “python express” on Sunday. The couple told Guardian Australia the town had just experienced heavy rainfall that filled their dam and “the lake was so full it had filled the cane toad burrows around the bank and they were all sitting on top of the grass – thousands of them.”
Paul Mock said he spotted Monty, the large python that lived on the residence, slithering toward him in an attempt to flee the water.
“He was in the middle of the lawn, making for higher ground,” Paul Mock said. “He was literally moving across the grass at full speed with the frogs hanging on.”
Paul Mock’s brother, Andrew, then snapped a photo of the 10 toads on the python and posted it on social media, prompting amusement followed by shock.
“68mm just fell in the last hour at Kununurra. Flushed all the cane toads out of my brothers dam. Some of them took the easy way out – hitching a ride on the back of a 3.5m python,” Andrew tweeted in a post that garnered more than 9,000 likes and hundreds of replies.
“A metaphor for the relationship between public transportation and the tech industry,” one person responded.
“Good idea: Riding public transit to eliminate carbon footprints. Better idea: Riding something that leaves behind no footprints,” another user wrote.
One person tweeted, “Bloody hell. Stuff of nightmares.”
However, Jodi Rowley, a senior lecturer in biological sciences at the University of New South Wales and amphibian expert, gave a more thorough explanation Monday of what exactly was occurring — and it was not “PG.”
“This is one of the most amazing videos I’ve seen!! Lots of *very* horny Cane #Toads (Rhinella marina) trying to mate with a large Olive #Python (Liasis olivaceus), with Giant Burrowing Frogs (Cyclorana australis) & Red Tree #Frogs (Litoria rubella) calling in the background!” Rowley explained on Twitter.
Rowley also posted a picture of a past incident when another indiscriminate cane toad was “trying to mate with a rotting mango” in North Queensland.
Male Cane Toads often get a bit carried away. This AMAZING video reminds me of the time I found a Cane Toad trying to mate with a rotting mango in North Queensland! pic.twitter.com/g2kUBvOUV1
Cane toads are pests in Australia — to humans, pythons and mangos, evidently — and known to damage ecosystems. Millions of the venomous amphibians have been invading communities, leading the government to ask residents to collect and dispose of them, according to the National Geographic.
Serve 1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla) in a bowl or jar and top with a generous handful of pomegranate seeds, half an apple (diced) and a spoonful of slivered almonds or hemp seeds.
Lunch: Black bean burrito bowl with farro
Mix 1 cup of cooked farro with a palm-size portion of black beans, ¹/₂ cup of chopped bell peppers, ¹/₂ cup of cherry tomatoes and a big handful of spinach. Top with a hearty scoop of salsa and a tablespoon of shredded, part-skim mozzarella cheese. Toss with a tablespoon of balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Snack: An apple with 1 to 2 teaspoons of nut butter
Dinner: Salmon with roasted veggies
Grill 5 ounces of salmon — about the size of two decks of cards. Toss ³/₄ cup each of Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, plus 1 sweet potato cut into 1 ¹/₂-inch chunks in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roast the veggies in a 400-degree oven and top with a dash of salt and pepper.
Day two
Breakfast: Apple-berry oatmeal
Top a half-cup of steel-cut oats (cooked in low-fat milk or unsweetened milk alternative) with ¹/₂ cup of blueberries and half a chopped apple. Top with cinnamon, vanilla extract and a sprinkle of chia seeds.
Lunch: Butternut-squash soup with barley and walnut salad
Warm up a coffee-mug size amount of low-sodium butternut-squash soup in the microwave or on the stove-top. (Look for the kind with little to no added sugar.) Serve it with two handfuls of salad greens topped with ¹/₂ cup of cooked barley, 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts and a squeeze of lemon, plus a tablespoon of olive oil and your favorite type of vinegar.
Snack: Several cups of air-popped popcorn or a cup of fruit salad topped with 1 tablespoon of slivered almonds.
Dinner: Stir-fry
Grill 3 to 4 ounces of chicken breast. Saute 1 ¹/₂ cups of sauteed asparagus, carrots and broccoli in a tablespoon of olive oil or sesame oil. Add chicken, plus garlic, ginger and low-sodium soy sauce for extra flavor. Serve over a cup of wild rice.
Day three
Breakfast: Avocado toast
Melt one or two slices of part-skim Swiss cheese onto 1 or 2 slices of sprouted, whole-grain toast. Mash up ¹/₄ cup of ripe avocado with sliced tomato and parsley. Top toast with avocado mash and a pinch of salt and pepper. Enjoy with an orange or half of a grapefruit.
Lunch: Salmon salad
Load up a bowl with 2 handfuls of arugula. Top with half of a roasted acorn squash and 3 ounces of canned or grilled salmon, plus a generous handful of pomegranate seeds and another handful of cooked white beans. Dress with 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Snack: A golf ball-size helping of hummus with baby carrots, jicama or sliced red pepper.
Dinner: Zucchini noodles and pasta with turkey meatballs or grilled tempeh
Mix a generous handful of cooked pasta with a generous handful of zoodles (zucchini noodles), sauteed in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 2 minutes over high heat. Top with 4 turkey meatballs, 1 cup of sauteed or steamed cauliflower, 1 cup of sauteed or steamed broccoli and ¹/₂ cup of low-sugar marinara pasta sauce.
Day four
Breakfast: Veggie omelet
Coat skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, heat to medium, then pour in 2 beaten eggs. Add a fistful of raw spinach, plus ¹/₄ cup each of sliced artichoke hearts and chopped mushrooms (sauteed in 1 teaspoon of olive oil), and cook, flipping in half once the eggs are set.
Lunch: Open-faced turkey sandwich
Toast a slice of whole-grain bread and spread with 2 small spoonfuls of Dijon mustard. Top with 2 or 3 slices of turkey, half of a sliced apple and a fistful of arugula.
Snack: Peanut butter spread over a banana and frozen
Dinner: Tuna niçoise salad
Put two handfuls of arugula in a bowl and top with a can of drained tuna, a handful of cherry tomatoes, 1 small potato (boiled and sliced thinly), a palm-sized amount of olives and fresh-squeezed lemon juice to taste.
Modal TriggerQuick tip: Make takeout work for you. Get your favorite indulgent takeout order, but also order a hefty vegetable dish. Cut the two dishes in half and either share or save the other half for leftovers. “One [half] is your favorite dish, like orange chicken, and one [half] is a healthy dish, like steamed vegetables,” Young says.Getty Images
Day five
Breakfast: Whole-grain waffle
Toast 1 frozen whole-grain waffle and spread a spoonful of almond butter on it. Top with 1 cup of sliced strawberries.
Lunch: Cauliflower bowl
In ¹/₂ tablespoon of olive oil, saute 1 cup of riced cauliflower over high heat. In a separate pan, use the other ¹/₂ tablespoon of oil to saute a cup of mixed veggies such as snap peas, carrots, broccoli and onions, plus a deck-of-cards-sized portion of chicken. Finish with 2 teaspoons of low-sodium soy sauce or teriyaki sauce and serve over cauliflower rice.
Snack: Cored and halved apple, baked at 350 degrees for 10 minutes with cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg to taste, plus 1 tablespoon of walnuts.
Dinner: Skirt steak or tempeh
Grill a deck-of-cards-sized piece of steak or tempeh. Toss ¹/₂ cup of sweet potatoes (cut into dice-sized cubes) with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and roast in a 400-degree oven. Then serve with a handful of kale leaves massaged with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, plus a tablespoon of dried cranberries. Serve next to your grilled protein.
Modal TriggerQuick tip: You don’t need to get out a scale and measuring cups to make sure you’re not overdoing it. Imagining everyday objects can be useful: A serving of fruit or veggies is the size of a baseball. The right amount of cheese would be about four dice. The right amount of cereal is about the size of your fist.Tamara Beckwith
![<strong>Quick tip:</strong> Make takeout work for you. Get your favorite indulgent takeout order, but also order a hefty vegetable dish. Cut the two dishes in half and either share or save the other half for leftovers. “One [half] is your favorite dish, like orange chicken, and one [half] is a healthy dish, like steamed vegetables,” Young says.](https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/Weight-Loss-Side-Takeout-1a.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=662)
