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While constant, bright light appears to be the best way to","_key":"f1396895f5d10","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"text":" disrupt that sense of sight","_key":"25b2aa4f1582","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", evidence shows that other lighting methods aren’t as effective.","_key":"4c18b635bbfd"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9ba907a16c71","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"761f1e0af0c2","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Strobe lights, for example, didn’t prevent sharks from identifying prey even during the brief moments that the light flickers off.","_key":"b87835385f430"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Simply misunderstood","_key":"8657ff5469d20","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ab4296d7aa94"},{"_key":"aa720de85af8","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although shark attacks are relatively rare, they receive a lot of media attention due to their often vicious nature. 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Even Experts Aren’t Quite Sure.","_rev":"8mo9ZmDiJjo0jbbc0JYU0S","_createdAt":"2024-10-09T18:23:59Z","visibility":"true","_id":"790e730b-6f49-48ea-bbb5-ef6c16964291","_type":"story","category":"nature","author":{"_type":"reference","_ref":"phCNL32Gn"},"publishDate":"2024-10-10","id":"ArrVmEEy","body":[{"markDefs":[{"_key":"9290b513f8b3","_type":"link","href":"https://gizmodo.com/viruses-found-on-toothbrushes-are-unlike-anything-seen-before-2000508550"}],"children":[{"_key":"0965d2bbd55f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A seemingly endless assortment of bacteria exists everywhere on a microscopic level, but the bathroom is a particularly hospitable environment. That makes it an "},{"_type":"span","marks":["9290b513f8b3"],"text":"intriguing","_key":"0965d2bbd55f1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" place for scientists to start exploring, and a team at Northwestern University did just that.","_key":"0965d2bbd55f2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"00e08bd5a87e"},{"style":"normal","_key":"8316cf4c2452","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Operation Pottymouth","_key":"b60696027dda0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The researchers involved in this study were motivated by a desire to learn more about the assorted bacterial biomes that exist in and around ordinary homes. The research started out","_key":"249f7c4728ff0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" with a focus on toothbrushes","_key":"62d206659bf4"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", which inspired the study’s “Operation Pottymouth” nickname.","_key":"685a669e45b1"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8ae138c8924b","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"befac19ee860","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Lead researcher Erica Hartmann revealed that the variety of viruses on both toothbrushes and showerheads was far more diverse than anyone expected.","_key":"1c4763e23e950"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"5b5d72defe45","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“Not only did we find different phage on toothbrushes and showerheads, we found different phage on each toothbrush and each showerhead,” she said. “This amount of diversity is huge, and it isn’t because of anything specific to toothbrushes or showerheads. There are just","_key":"7cda3db0ba340"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" so many phage out there ","_key":"3869b7572632"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"waiting to be discovered.”","_key":"3cadfebaa17c"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"235155f2d4ae","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"With so much microscopic activity happening on your toothbrush, you might be concerned about safety. But the researchers determined that the viruses they commonly observed were completely harmless to humans.","_key":"f3cba1b09a980"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"075daacd002d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"c3c8a0876fac0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The phage factor"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ac22009e0b2c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It would be interesting enough if the study only led to discovering just how varied the bacterial biomes all around us actually are. But Hartmann says there are ","_key":"1ee4d790966a0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"even more valuable lessons","_key":"a4fc4ffdfcc2"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to be learned.","_key":"51c11123534f"}]},{"children":[{"_key":"59254e9701a70","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"She said bacteriophage (or simply “phage”) represents the “next frontier of biology.” It refers broadly to viruses that infect bacteria and begin replicating."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"720983c4da31","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“It could be that the next great antibiotic will be based on something that grew on your toothbrush,” Hartmann said. “Even if this doesn’t lead to some great new technology, it’s important to observe and record the diversity of phage because it","_key":"7712970d95310"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" expands our fundamental understanding ","_key":"4404de2f0456"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"of 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After Pan-chen — or Pen, as she’s often called — had been missing for about two weeks, she managed to find her way back home.","_key":"219a20aa44490"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b22058a37b01","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"24b947236cc9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The zoo was ","_key":"9efb688ced120"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"the only environment Pan-chen had ever known","_key":"79c90afc4e39","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", and since she wasn’t raised in the wild the chances were not good that she would have been able to survive for two weeks. 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But that doesn’t mean that only aquatic habitats will be affected by water deoxygenation."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"bac2491e03b0"},{"_key":"fb557f360647","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"According to the results of a study recently published in the Nature Ecology & Evolution journal, this troubling trend is just one of the “","_key":"e3510f2ce65d0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"planetary boundaries","_key":"5a56fa5122ff"},{"_key":"a698e2789745","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"” — along with ozone depletion, chemical pollution, ocean acidification, and climate change — that could inhibit how “humanity can continue to develop and thrive for generations to come.”"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"7f159a1de9d10","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As it relates to marine life, billions of humans, not to mention a host of other land animals, rely on water-dwelling plants and animals as a food source. So if such biodiversity begins to dwindle, it will have a ripple effect around the planet."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d75785a861a6"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"60d536ba2bc5","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Is there a solution?","_key":"5333c3ae5c280"}]},{"_key":"7ddcfe6639e9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Before figuring out how to fix this problem, researchers need to identify the causes. And ecologist Kevin Rose is among those who point out that as water gets warmer,","_key":"d48600336c620"},{"text":" its ability to hold oxygen decreases","_key":"f5c359d69c8e","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"text":". 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","publishDate":"2024-07-20","slug":"/story/2024/07/scientists-warn-that-our-water-is-losing-a-troubling-amount-of-its-oxygen"},{"_updatedAt":"2024-07-18T21:33:18Z","visibility":"true","summary":"There's still a serious risk in communities around the world.","id":"RFbzlibe","_id":"44be5506-5a21-4e6a-8a61-2c6176737e32","_type":"story","body":[{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2024-07-18/sparrows-lead-poisoning-children-blood-levels-health-mining/104075894","_key":"f90b02a86ab4"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although we’ve known about the dangers of lead for generations, resulting in its eradication from common sources like gasoline and paint, the threat still ","_key":"a62ed22e0d820"},{"_type":"span","marks":["f90b02a86ab4"],"text":"lurks","_key":"a62ed22e0d821"},{"_key":"a62ed22e0d822","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in communities around the world."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e4cc580f5ddf"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"That’s why experts are now turning to an unlikely ally in the fight against lead poisoning: sparrows.","_key":"c04f61fcfc8f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"647155f676a7"},{"style":"normal","_key":"12d1a46c7c93","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"How these birds help","_key":"114e027e7cd80"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"text":"Broken Hill is ground zero for lead exposure in Australia, having been built next to one of the largest such mines on the continent. 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kids are exposed to."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f3a979790bd5"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Macquarie University Professor Simon Griffith led the study to answer the question: “If a sparrow has got this much lead in the street, how much lead are ","_key":"33c071ab6a770","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"the children in that street ","_key":"1ebc93cfe3ea"},{"_key":"c1dc791cfbb2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"likely to have?”"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"fb4cd5d62cd1"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"More work to be done","_key":"19bc3898945c0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"00fda5129b48"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As Griffith explained, many people incorrectly believe they’re protected just because leaded gas is a thing of the 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One of the most ","_key":"f391d9abe6dc0"},{"text":"obvious","_key":"f391d9abe6dc1","_type":"span","marks":["172f90daf0ee"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" examples shows up at bedtime.","_key":"f391d9abe6dc2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"5d03b57d5e19"},{"style":"normal","_key":"1790bc71ca0d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Playing it cool","_key":"f887a149da070"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"e4f4939e8675","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Sleep experts like Stanford University professor Rafael Pelayo say that people generally get better sleep when they’re cool. 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But if your home doesn’t have such a system, Ebben says a ductless “mini split” AC unit can be installed that cools multiple rooms."}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Less expensive (albeit noisier) options include window or portable air conditioners.","_key":"470b45b5167b0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9271ee80f6a8"},{"style":"normal","_key":"799cebc1ee0e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"508ef63244460","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"More cooling tips"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"cf63b31083a6","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Aside from cranking up the AC, there are several other ways you can prepare for a cooler, more restful summer slumber.","_key":"73b2379b3db00"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Place a ","_key":"066f88a342d80"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"small fan ","_key":"f8d2c89904a3"},{"_key":"5e140feb39b3","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"on your nightstand and direct the air toward your face"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8889e1658458","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"7e9ddb90fcbd","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Keep your bedroom ","_key":"badfcab02b010"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"curtains closed ","_key":"170862a7bd45"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"throughout the day","_key":"d42de3faea71"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Steer clear of exercise ","_key":"275bc4eaf0a20","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"within three hours","_key":"c529e1cef631","_type":"span"},{"_key":"347215f54476","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of hitting the sack"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"493258c3c94f","listItem":"bullet"},{"_key":"8970c8275928","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Wear ","_key":"afc75dbd588c0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"cotton pajamas","_key":"bdf04ac06716"},{"marks":[],"text":" or sleep in the buff","_key":"1314873196ff","_type":"span"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_key":"aa8e650be4810","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Invest in a "},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"cooling pillow","_key":"6743e1918206","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" designed to move heat away from your body","_key":"d636c38bee53"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d09883fbcd7f","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And if the heat wakes you up during the night, consider getting up to take a cool shower in a dimly lit bathroom.","_key":"16e3ace41b6c0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"43c0c718dba7"}],"visibility":"true","_rev":"sg5qKPhBUZEyoyUWFtG18h","summary":"Keeping your cool at bedtime isn't always easy this time of year. 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But if you’re one of those creative individuals we’ve been discussing, you might want something a little less dull."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"94ec5c4cee5a","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"83fbf3e08101","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Study author Madeleine E. Gross boiled it all down into a succinct statement: “When tackling a creative problem, we often get","_key":"9baf898ae51e0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" stuck on the ‘obvious’ aspects","_key":"08036e084532"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", making it challenging to think outside the box and notice unusual elements within the problem space. Our study found that creative individuals do not perceive unusual information as odd; they process it similarly to typical information.”","_key":"965594496a9c"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"}],"title":"Do You Have A Creative Brain? 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But there are also","_key":"f5f24b6cfbaf0"},{"text":" cyclical patterns","_key":"5c7789559c8e","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that can make one hurricane season significantly more severe than the last.","_key":"2357ba1c1dc6"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As atmospheric scientist Brian McNoldy said the day before Beryl reached Category 5 status, this year is shaping up to be an unprecedented one.","_key":"e612747d281d0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"76576e8adea0","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"cb2260a93fbb","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"“With La Nina on the way and the ocean temperatures already looking like the second week of September, this is precisely the type of ","_key":"fb07beb488be0","_type":"span"},{"_key":"a4b880bb3e1e","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"outlier event "},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"that people have been talking about for months heading into the season,” he said.","_key":"5992fd9b7f00"}]}]},{"body":[{"style":"normal","_key":"a36207f872da","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There’s an often-repeated adage that advises: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”","_key":"ee6fc0e4ca790"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"9f45ad2aeaa9","markDefs":[{"_key":"dc9366d87049","_type":"link","href":"https://www.psypost.org/psychology-how-first-impressions-can-trap-us-into-making-suboptimal-decisions/#google_vignette"}],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Although it’s true that people frequently make ","_key":"76b11407a4860","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["dc9366d87049"],"text":"assumptions","_key":"76b11407a4861"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" based on a split-second initial encounter, that doesn’t mean it’s smart.","_key":"76b11407a4862"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"2d401afbcc59","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"What the research shows","_key":"5ff962e41b6a0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Experts recently conducted research for a study that was just published in Motivation Science … and the results are pretty eye-opening.","_key":"f23133ab0afc0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"46f1db3e1d4e"},{"children":[{"text":"Professor Chris Harris, who wrote the new report, explained how","_key":"7604fbcb50c40","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" inherent biases seem to influence our first impressions","_key":"7e2f99a7690c"},{"_key":"d91ee3863773","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" far more than the facts. He added that this can lead us to believe we’ve made the best choice in a situation even if a more rational approach would have resulted in an objectively better outcome."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f44b7fa7232d","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"cd2b5e061d2d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"“In other words, even when we get to make many repeated choices and even when the alternative is better, we might still continue","_key":"1517e07d24470","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" wrongly thinking that we have the best option","_key":"7d2f9e6ee4d2"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":",” Harris said. “I believe this research has implications for why stereotypes are so pervasive.”","_key":"0e0e3e4e5a10"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"e552ff168f900","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Two different experiments"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ee5b4b8e325c"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In one study, subjects were asked to choose balls from a bag that would either add or subtract points from their total. Because the bag with the lowest reward was shown more frequently, participants demonstrated a bias toward it despite the presence of a better option.","_key":"d65976205b910"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"241d375485a2"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"d680d46d95b70","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In another, researchers upped the ante with"},{"text":" an even bigger difference in reward probability","_key":"8626381b0cb5","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". While most participants finally shifted their preference toward the better option, it took longer than researchers anticipated.","_key":"048a1b599cbf"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"04e6cbff8cd9"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The same trend can play out in your everyday life.","_key":"28c76f84bec80"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c012495218e1"},{"style":"normal","_key":"e1dd35b2c729","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“Say you preferably interact with one group of people, this often means that you then interact less with other groups,” Harris said. “But as a result, it will be","_key":"0e71acd752d70"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" much more difficult to realize","_key":"e18c983df0ba"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" whether this other group is equally fun to hang out with or perhaps even more fun.”","_key":"804e2b1bd4c9"}],"_type":"block"}],"summary":"As it turns out, our intuition might not be all that reliable after all.","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"category":"nature","publishDate":"2024-07-01","_id":"353c1220-2dd0-4858-8360-4e625e849ba3","id":"dL8rSgyE","title":"First Impressions Might Not Be As Valuable As You’ve Been Led To Believe","_rev":"0sm0cIPrrxmscoBjhVWism","image":{"attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"path":"images/8mioycse/v3/472ea64fd869f9122d2b14f21a19fa33ab294c86-480x242.gif","_createdAt":"2024-06-30T20:22:17Z","originalFilename":"2b605903-9960-4b3c-8b4b-78868cd9c786.gif","extension":"gif","_rev":"0sm0cIPrrxmscoBjhVWe5d","mimeType":"image/gif","source":{"name":"season 21 rachel GIF by The Bachelor","id":"l0MYznthASduzAYuY","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/abcnetwork-abc-nick-l0MYznthASduzAYuY"},"size":1417319,"_id":"image-472ea64fd869f9122d2b14f21a19fa33ab294c86-480x242-gif","uploadId":"e5oxqCXQD9RaPbQNEHAc48Bigq3owXWW","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","sha1hash":"472ea64fd869f9122d2b14f21a19fa33ab294c86","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/472ea64fd869f9122d2b14f21a19fa33ab294c86-480x242.gif","assetId":"472ea64fd869f9122d2b14f21a19fa33ab294c86","_updatedAt":"2024-06-30T20:22:17Z","metadata":{"dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.9834710743801653,"height":242},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"M27v_hBV0g:m#Q0L-C^76fS2~WburqixIo","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"vibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":1.03,"background":"#765036","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"dominant":{"population":4.78,"background":"#7a080e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":3.74,"background":"#4f3026","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"muted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.01,"background":"#8c808c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightVibrant":{"background":"#d5b8a4","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#7a080e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":4.78},"lightMuted":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":1.9,"background":"#cfbfb9","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAKABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGAAAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQFBgj/xAAhEAEAAQMEAgMAAAAAAAAAAAABAgADEwQFEVEhQTEycf/EABYBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQBBf/EABsRAAMAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMSBBFR/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDnnbNZju45ZI8iIHdP66wlhxgsWKPtqtsduDdksIrz7KevRjh+p89UW62ao0OLKvaX4Y0bttYxj4HrmiquuCOoQOPyiqHeSk+j/9k="}},"crop":{"right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop"},"hotspot":{"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9315068493150683},"_type":"image"},"_updatedAt":"2024-06-30T20:23:43Z","_type":"story","visibility":"true","_createdAt":"2024-06-30T20:20:38Z","slug":"/story/2024/07/first-impressions-might-not-be-as-valuable-as-youve-been-led-to-believe"},{"_id":"8ec615e5-08ab-4a7b-94ef-91ff7dde9af4","body":[{"_key":"c6c26eb029a1","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"School’s out and the sun is shining, so it’s no surprise that many people choose summer as their favorite season. 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And if you don’t have AC, find a public place that does, like a mall, library, or coffee shop.","_key":"877b8618930e"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"aa95daaad7c5","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Pay close attention","_key":"073c20df0a420"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": The heat can take its toll on our cognitive and mental health, so you might start feeling more forgetful than usual. 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Even though there’s not an official tally of cases like there was during the pandemic, other statistics are pointing toward a troubling trend as we get deeper into summer.","_key":"d13f0fb9082b2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"cb6d38efaa4b"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"60ccae8d4313","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The rate of infection appears to be up in","_key":"24d3d5cc1e0c0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" more than three dozen","_key":"b28368c7ada4"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" states.","_key":"b46ca05ae27c"}],"level":1},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There’s ","_key":"9167045a40130"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"no U.S. state","_key":"f54cd19ce6fa"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" where cases are decreasing.","_key":"5392653cde3b"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"bf48834a3b37","listItem":"bullet"},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Reported COVID-19 hospitalizations ","_key":"27b9b8db3d810"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"spiked 25%","_key":"0c57d601fd90"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" between May 26 and June 1.","_key":"a141342e103b"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"80b7280a0a41"},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"In California, positive tests ","_key":"8801349739830","_type":"span"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"more than doubled","_key":"99c0c236e668","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" over the past month.","_key":"e08744279375"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"65690903e21d"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2bcbef51b2c2","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Infectious disease specialist Dr. Thomas Russo concluded: “It looks like the summer wave is starting to begin.”","_key":"ba5620f631ea0","_type":"span","marks":[]}]},{"_key":"602e3459c96a","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Analyzing the risks","_key":"8ee10600a63d0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Summer has typically ushered in an increase in COVID-19 cases since more people are indoors together during the hottest months of the year. 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And in fact, we did technically get an earlier start than usual.","_key":"2d4b0b4b97520","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.npr.org/2024/06/20/nx-s1-5013295/summer-solstice-2024-early","_key":"e54f9ec506e7"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although the summer solstice always occurs sometime between June 20 and 22, meteorologists say the exact ","_key":"54ce601df4390"},{"_type":"span","marks":["e54f9ec506e7"],"text":"moment","_key":"54ce601df4391"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that the season began was the earliest it had been in more than 200 years.","_key":"54ce601df4392"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"db55b7b45d1f"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Here’s some context","_key":"c5495ab258560"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ee911cc9df23"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The solstice refers to the precise time at which the north pole reaches its most direct sunward tilt. This year, that occurred on June 20 at 1:24 p.m. (using a time measurement dating back to the 1800s). The last time it happened that early","_key":"9ec56da538850"},{"text":" was in the 1790s","_key":"f492cbfde95d","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"text":".","_key":"6cdf7de84f0a","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"684755923e98"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And there’s a pretty simple explanation for the anomaly. Due to the roughly one-quarter of a day extra in each year — i.e., the reason leap years exist — we’re always on a pendulum in which solstices and equinoxes either get earlier or later every four years.","_key":"b02220af71920"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a81761c8413a","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"ae5c1c85fd07","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The current trajectory is the former, and that is going to continue until 2096, when the leap year solstice will arrive","_key":"e9dca3f5df970"},{"text":" bright and early at 2:32 a.m.","_key":"25ce454128b4","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" Eastern Time.","_key":"8f727342e5ff"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c8a64b6d58f5","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"As astrophysicist Ethan Seigel explained, that distant year will mark “the only summer solstice that people in the Pacific Time Zone of the Americas will experience on June 19 for several hundreds of years!”","_key":"499ac63191ba0","_type":"span","marks":[]}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"More than a moment","_key":"9f23a6ff539c0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f70cdb7b1ad9"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"We might put a lot of emphasis on the solstice itself, but that’s just a way to gauge the shift between seasons. 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A recent study, results of which were published earlier this week, determined that these animals"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" use specific sounds to call out individuals","_key":"299e4e123133"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" from within their herds.","_key":"62e733ece313"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e29594811e5c","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"b97aa3203d5e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"They might not sound like names as humans would recognize them (elephants emit low rumbles capable of spanning long distances) but they serve the same purpose.","_key":"e3302ae085ca0"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Ecologist Stuart Pimm of Duke University did not work on the study, but explained why it makes sense.","_key":"d551e0c6744d0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ecd365f009d2","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"“If you’re ","_key":"ca965f5ae3020","_type":"span"},{"text":"looking after a large family","_key":"b94b42429326","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", you’ve got to be able to say, ‘Hey, Virginia, get over here!’” he said.","_key":"2bbef39fcc7d"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6acfd4c84780"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Researchers used a computer model to predict which elephant was being called using audio recorded in nature. The results were","_key":"373902caf6e00"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" accurate 28% of the time","_key":"77e8e31d8b63"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", compared to just 8% when the program was given a different audio input.","_key":"44849be0fa2a"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2a0fdc8e7a71"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"72abd00a77b5","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Not just elephants","_key":"18683d3f17c00"}]},{"_key":"7617998709bf","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While elephants are the subject of this report, researchers say other species known for living in social and familial groups likely exhibit similar behavior. 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