Hedgehogs Are At Risk of Extinction

 

Hedgehogs are at risk of extinction. The hedgehog  population in Europe has been reduced. The data on hedgehogs was collected by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The hedgehog is now classified as near threatened species. This decline in European hedgehog population is the result of habitat destruction. Hedgehogs migrate in response and find their way into gardens. The concern is that pesticides harm them. Efforts are being made for home owners to make their gardens safe for hedgehogs. Fears are mounting that the hedgehog will disappear by 2050. The expansion of roads makes life more precarious for hedgehogs. This forces them to cross roads for food and mates. Being hit by cars contributed to the reduction of hedgehog populations. Agricultural activity and industrial production destroyed hedgehog habitats over a number of years. This will negatively impact the ecosystem. Hedgehogs consume insects and without them the insect population would grow. It is possible that hedgehogs could be a natural insect deterrent for gardens. When any organism disappears the rest of the environment is effected. The new risk to hedgehogs reveals that any animal could fall into risk of endangerment, when previously secure. Ecological damage reduction should be taken into consideration with the building of new infrastructure.  

The Trinity Test Atomic Bomb Detonation (1945)

 

The Trinity test was the first time a nuclear weapon was detonated. This was truly the beginning of the Atomic Age. Humankind had unleashed nuclear power and would grapple with the consequences of nuclear arms races. Manipulation nuclear fission and chain reactions created one of the most lethal weapons in the world. After the detonation, public health was negatively effected. When an atomic bomb is used nuclear fallout remains. The residents of New Mexico close to the radius of detonation found radioactive debris in crops, land, and water. There remains footage of the detonation, which provides a glimpse into the power of the explosion. When citizens realized the disturbance, the US government lied and said it was accident. No attempts were made for evacuation or warnings. The increase in radiation resulted in higher rates of cancer and infant deaths. Further damage to the environment came from uranium mining. As more nuclear tests were being done during the Cold War, fallout spread throughout Nevada. Even if a person was not vaporized by an atomic bomb survivors would fall victim to disease.  

Colossal Squid Seen On Video

 

The Ocean is full of life. What the ecosystem and organisms residing there remain a mystery. The colossal squid was filmed for the first time. Now there is video confirmation of this type of cephalopod. The camera was able to capture the squid at a depth of  600 meters. Many questions are going to arise from this new footage. The behavior of the colossal squid is unknown. More research is required to understand how the organism functions in their natural habitat. Marine biologist speculate this squid shown on video is adolescent age. The colossal squid is believed to grow up to 7 meters. The total weight of this organism can be up to 500 kg. The colossal squid was first identified in 1925. Prior to this scientists and sailors could have seen these animals. The video confirmation only reveals how much is unknown about the Ocean. An estimated 2,000,000 marine species are in the Ocean. Zoologists and marine biologists have not classified them all. Large organism could be occupying most ocean floors and deep depths. The colossal squid must have an ability to illuminate its body. Depths that far in the ocean can be dark. The colossal squid's specific diet must be immense. Fish are a food supply, which could explain why these squids attain large size. With video cameras that can go deeper into the Ocean, marine biology will undergo rapid advancement. The colossal squid's eating habits, behavior, or possible migration patterns can become known. 

The 2025 Planetary Alignment

 

A planetary alignment will be visible in the night sky on February 28th, 2025. All planets can be seen. Getting a better view of Neptune or Uranus requires a strong telescope. Those who are located in the Northern Hemisphere can see this phenomena around 8:30 pm. The term planetary alignment can be misleading. The planets of the Solar System are not lined up perfectly. This is a depiction that comes from diagrams and various images. The term refers to planets being visible in the night sky simultaneously . The planets still remain far from each other in relation to solar orbits. Earth is situated in a place that allows other planets to be visible. Some in the general public call it a planetary parade. That is not specific to what is going on with the planets. The planets arranged on the same side of the Sun. Planetary alignments are of interest to astronomers for study. Conjunctions are planets between two other celestial bodies. Opposition describes refers to celestial bodies on other sides of Earth. The mechanics of orbits astronomers want to document. Planetary alignments can be frequent. Prior to the upcoming event, another happened in January. More will occur in a few years. 

Remembering Peter Higgs (1929-2024)

 

Peter Higgs was a British physicists that contributed to the understanding of matter. Higgs proposed an existence of a particle that explains why matter has mass. Back when Peter Higgs proposed the existence of the particle in 1964, the evidence was limited. Detecting particles has been a challenge. However, this is circumvented by technology. Theoretical physics required the use of mathematics as a means of  direct detection. The use of the Large Hadron Collider enable physicists  to detect the Higgs boson. The breakthrough came in 2012 confirming that Higgs' 1964 paper was correct. The discovery contributed to the understanding of the Standard Model. Peter Higgs won the Nobel Prize along with Francois Englert in 2013. The detection of the Higgs Boson also adds to figuring out the origins of the universe. The Big Bang remains a mystery and the birth of the universe is a puzzle.  Most of Peter Higgs' professional career was based at Edinburgh University. The hunt for the Higgs boson involved a large amount of scientists at CERN and data. Peter Higgs impact will be felt for years in the field of physics. The Higgs Boson has the nickname " the God particle." The particle is not a deity or an exact explanation of the creation of the universe. It is one segment to a larger picture. More particles could be discovered in the coming decades. This is dependent on the technology of  particle accelerators. The Higgs boson can best described as a force carrying fundamental  particle. The particle is part of the Higgs field, which explains how protons, electrons, and neutrons are granted their mass. The Higgs Boson has a mass of 125 billion electron volts. The unique attribute of the Higgs boson is that it lacks spin. That characteristic is not present in other elementary  particles. Peter Higgs work expanded humanity's understanding of the subatomic world. More will be discovered about the Higgs Boson as technology advances.   

Chemistry : The Periodic Table And Periodicity

 

The periodic table is a chart designed to classify known elements. The periodic table is a tool of chemistry which contributes to the understanding of matter. Phoenix Learning Group explains the periodic table as a map. The elements can be placed on the periodic table as metals, metalloids, and non-metals. Most of the elements on the table are metals. There are a total of 118 elements listed on the periodic table. The elements are organized by atomic number . The atomic number is the total number of protons in the element. The group represents elements with similar valence electron counts. The columns of the periodic table are the groups. The periods on the chart show elements with the same number of electron shells. The periods are placed in the rows of the chart. To determine the number of neutrons the atomic number must be subtracted from the mass number. Understanding the attributes of elements has enabled chemical engineering. These are the elements known on Earth. There remains a possibility more could exist in the universe. The two mots abundant elements are hydrogen and helium. 

The Base of The Human Brain Illustration From De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septum (1543)

 

Andreas Vesalius wrote De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septum, which revolutionized medicine. The seven volume work was the most detailed text on human anatomy. Vesalius was able to get bodies for dissection and this enabled him to give descriptions of the human body. Many of his discoveries disproved Claudius Galen's medical assertions. Galen's concepts had been dominant since the Roman Empire. Galen did not have the advantage of cadavers for dissection. The impressive element of Vesalius' work is the detailed illustrations of organs and their systems. The image of the human brain is the most incredible. The illustration shows the base of the brain. What can be seen are the cerebellum, olfactory bulbs, and optic nerves. The left and right hemispheres show both fissures and convolutions. The drawing is precise to a contemporary medical text. What was missing from Humani Corpis Fabrica was the depiction of neurons. The reason was a limitation of technology. Andreas Vesalius did not have access to a microscope. Without such tools certain parts of the human body could not be detected. Vesalius did not fully comprehend the brain's physiology. The understanding  of neurotransmitters and electrical impulses through the brain cells would come centuries later. Surgeons and doctors probably had a suspicion that the brain was responsible for the senses. The challenge was proving transduction to be true. The human brain is the most complex organ of the body. It controls movement, consciousness, thought, and involuntary biological function. There is more to uncover about this intricate organ. Vesalius put emphasis on an observational methods. The teaching of medicine and surgery changed to a more empirical approach.