Month: April 2024
Americans have glasses on and fingers crossed that the skies are clear for the eclipse
A rare solar eclipse darkened skies and dazzled viewers across the US on Tuesday. The moon briefly blocked the sun’s rays, causing a partial solar eclipse and the longest annular eclipse of the year. The eclipse took place between 1:23 pm and 2:49 pm (local time) in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
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Solar eclipse rumors include radiation, food poisoning, and more
NASA has refuted the myths surrounding solar eclipses, saying that they are false. “During a solar eclipse, the Sun’s radiation is closer to the Moon, causing particles from the sun’s fusion to reach the Earth’s surface,” NASA said. “When the Sun’s radiation is closer to the Moon, the corona or outer layer of the sun is obscured by the Moon,” it added.
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What to look out for during Monday’s solar eclipse
Ahead of the April 8 solar eclipse, former NPR reporter and eclipse superfan David Baron shared with Life Kit, viewing totality “[is] like you’ve left the solar system and are looking back from some other world.” He added, “If you’re present in the moment…then you can enjoy it. It’s a good idea to scout out one or more locations within driving distance.”
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The CDC is protecting against bird flu
A bird flu expert said there’s no indication that the virus has adapted itself to spread efficiently between humans and to ” routinely cause severe disease”. “If you develop respiratory infections with bird flu, you can get very…sick with severe pneumonia because the receptors are deep in the lungs,” she added. There have been no reported cases of human-to-human transmission of bird flu in the US.
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The earthquake rocks Taiwan, causing buildings to collapse and triggering warnings of a storm
Taiwan authorities have suspended work and school in Hualien city after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit the island on Wednesday morning. Trains and subway services have also been suspended island-wide. A tsunami warning has been issued for parts of Taiwan’s Yaeyama, Yaeyama and Miyako islands and was later lifted. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.6.
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Cells inside a bag are capable of growing new cells inside people
US-based LyGenesis has developed an experimental method of using stem cells to produce personalised liver cells for people with liver failure. The researchers injected the stem cells into the abdomen of a person with liver failure and then monitored them for infection. LyGenesis claims to be the first company to perform such a test in the US.
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