Month: February 2020

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Science Has Brought a 3,000-Year-Old Mummy’s Voice Back to Life

In the vast pile of cool things offered to us by science, a talking 3,000-year-old mummy has got to come out somewhere near the top.

Laypeople, historians, archaeologists, and scientists alike have all been fascinated with the legacy of Ancient Egypt since we first discovered the remains of their society. Since they were remarkably advanced in many areas, we’ve gotten to know them better than most bygone civilizations – and now, because of the careful way they had of preserving their dead, we can also hear one of their voices.

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#nesyamun

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A team of UK scientists was able to reconstruct the vocal tract of one mummy using CT scans, 3D printing, and an electronic larynx. The project has been going on since 2013, and to make it come to life, experts from the areas of clinical science, archaeology, Egyptology, museum curation, and electrical engineering had to come together for the good of all.

Ok. Here it is:

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(You’ll want your sound on.) A replica of a 3,000-year-old mummy’s vocal tract has revealed how that mummy might sound if he rose from the dead. Using CT scans of the mummified Egyptian priest Nesyamun (his inner coffin lid is shown), researchers mapped the exact shape of the mummy’s vocal tract — which governs the unique sound of a person’s voice. When connected to an artificial voice box, a 3-D printed mold of the mummy’s vocal tract produces a sound somewhere between the vowels in “bed” and “bad,” researchers report. But Nesyamun’s undead utterance doesn’t quite mimic his original voice, because the mummy’s tongue, which affects the shape of the vocal tract, is dried up and flattened out. Rather, “we’ve created the sound that he would make if he was to speak as he currently lies in his sarcophagus,” electronic engineer David Howard says. The plastic mold of the priest’s vocal tract cannot say full words, but using a computer simulation of the vocal tract with a jaw and tongue that move, “we could make him speak,” Howard says. Using inscriptions in the mummy’s tomb and other ancient religious texts, the researchers may someday render vocal recordings of Nesyamun’s own prayers and the daily liturgy that he would have performed in his duties as a priest. . . . (?: © @leedsmuseumsandgalleries ?: D.M. Howard et al/Scientific Reports 2020) . . . #science #mummy #egypt #history #archaeology #ancientegypt #nesyamun #sarcophagus

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The six years of dedication resulted in returning the 3,000-years-gone Nesyamun’s voice to his throat. And yes, right now it’s just a single sound – but rest assured, they are working on more.

The amazing accomplishment was only possible because Nesyamun’s larynx and throat were remarkably well-preserved. This stroke of luck allowed scientists to totally reconstruct his vocal tract, which they then printed using a 3D printer, explained lead author and professor David Howard of the University of London to IFLScience.

“This process allows the sound of his tract as he is in his sarcophagus, which is a sound that his vocal tract can make – so it is his voice.”

That makes it sound a bit creepy, like something that happens at the outset of a horror movie, but it’s also cool.

“When it comes to any thoughts of producing running speech, things are different but there are possibilities. Combining knowledge of phonetics and linguistics with speech science means that we could use it to anticipate typical articulatory gestures that he would have used to change his vocal tract shape and therefore do this in software and create running speech. So that is an idea – there is a load of work to do to get anywhere near this but it is a distinct possibility for the future.”

In a twist of fate (or is it something more?) Nesyamun means “True of Voice” – he was a priest, incense-bearer, and scribe at an ancient temple at Karnak. He died around 1100 B.C.E. and due to his state of preservation, he’s one of the most-studied mummies in Britain’s “Voice of the Past” project.

As a history nerd, but an ancient history nerd first, this is just thrilling, one syllable or more.

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11 Costco Food Court Scenarios Only a True Fan Understands

Costco has a cult following, and for good reason. It’s a giant warehouse with amazing products at low prices. That is, if you can really use Peter Thomas Roth face cream in bulk.

There’re also cases of organic apples, huge tubs of fresh spinach and 10-pound bags of carrots available for purchase. Make regular, advance meal planning a part of your life and you’ll use it all before it all gets soggy–no problem.

Though maybe you should skip the produce if you’re single and not juicing for every meal. That’s okay, too! There’s always the food court.

In fact, for all you Costco converts, here is a list of 11 food court scenarios only we can look at and say, “Oh…yeah definitely.”

1.  The food court you deserve

No-nonsense and sells everything you need.

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Never could go wrong with #costcofood for lunch.

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2. $1.50 Hot Dogs

Between paychecks? Costco’s got you.

3. Fast food Italian

Want your cheap pizza flat or rolled up?

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#costcopizza#costcofood#delicious#imfull#好吃#我吃饱了#1218

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4. All. Beef. Hot dog.

Protein packed.

5. If you could get that BBQ Brisket in bulk…

Change it up with some smoky BBQ.

6. Delicious, hot pizza

Look so fresh, but they don’t deliver [sad face].

7. The pizza hotline is the only number you ever want to know by heart

It shoots a pizza shaped signal in the sky. Not really, but it should.

Photo Credit: Yelp

8. Can’t find Chicken Bake anywhere else

Only at Costco.

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The best thing ever.

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9. …but frozen Chicken Bake comes to the rescue!

When you can’t get enough chicken, cheesy goodness.

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Pure Joy. #costco #chickenbake

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10. Berry Sundaes are berry tasty

Yes, there’s even dessert!

11. And for anyone who wants to feel healthy, they’ve got smoothies!

Your calcium and fruit in a delicious shake.

See, Costco isn’t just for bulk shopping. For a few bucks (that you found in a pair of jeans you left on the floor last week), you can have a hot, filling meal or a frosty cold treat. Then, when you’re properly fortified, you’ll have the strength to wander from one end of Costco’s vastness to the other, picking your way through tables of track pants, jackets and pajamas.

So, make sure your membership is current, and head out to your local Costco for lunch or early dinner. While you’re there, pick up a nice rotisserie chicken for later.

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Check Out These Interesting Facts About True Crime and Criminals

True crime is incredibly popular – you can tell by the massive number of true crime TV shows, documentaries, movies, and podcasts that are available out there.

From the old stuff to the new, seemingly unbelievable stories, I find it all fascinating.

Here are 10 interesting crime facts for you to chew on…enjoy.

1. This is wild.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source

2. Cowboy Bob.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

3. Public Enemy Number One.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

4. The Zone of Death.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

5. Murder Mansion.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source

6. Did you know this?

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

7. Real-life crime fighter.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

8. French fries!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source

9. A real wiseguy.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source

10. Ice Cream Wars.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source

Some fascinating crime history right there.

What are some of the crime stories that you find the most interesting?

Share them with us in the comments!

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The HPV Vaccine Has Nearly Eliminated Related Cancers in England

Well, this is interesting…

HPV – the human papillomavirus – is the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection among sexually active people. One of the reasons it’s so transmitted is that most people show few or no symptoms and there’s not even a test for men, so there’s often no way to be warned that you might have it, much less be transmitting it. There are dozens of strains, most of which are virtually harmless.

But two strains, HPV16 and HPV18, are not at all harmless. In fact, those two strains alone cause 70% of HPV-related cancers.

 

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For the last decade there has been a vaccine available for teenagers, male and female, that targets HPV16 and HPV18 (as well as other higher-risk strains of the virus), but it (like other vaccines) has faced hesitancy from parents.

England, though, began a mass vaccination program in schools, and the results have been staggering.

The latest statistics from Public Health England suggest there has been a massive slowdown of new infections of HPV among sexually active young women.

Researchers used a group of 584 women between the ages of 16 to 18, and found that none of them were infected – compared to a rate of around 15% infection ten years ago, when the program began.

Dr. Vanessa Saliba, the consultant epidemiologist on the project, says the team also believes the report indicates a wider decline of the virus in England overall.

“This is clear evidence of the success of our immunisation programme, which continues to achieve high coverage. With millions of young women protected by HPV vaccination, we expect to see big reductions in cervical cancer in years to come and the introduction of the boys’ programme will accelerate this progress.”

Even though the vaccine targets the highest-risk strains, researchers also say there’s some evidence suggesting that other types of the virus have also declined.

England’s vaccination rates since the program began have soared to nearly 84%. Scotland has implemented a similar program with equally positive results, and Australia may well be the first country to eliminate HPV-related cervical cancer over the next 20 years.

There has been at least one study to suggest that even if HPV could be curbed, cervical cancer would remain a threat, since HPV is not the only known contributor to the disease, but scientists are quick to cast a shadow over those results.

Jonathan Ball, a molecular biology professor at the University of Nottingham, admits that the authors do “raise some important points highlighting that HPV vaccination isn’t the absolute panacea for cervical cancer prevention,” but also reminds us that “undoubtedly the current HPV vaccines are effective at preventing infection with the types of virus known to cause cervical and other cancers.”

It all boils down to this: we have a vaccine that has a 70% (or maybe better, if we can get the rates up high enough) chance of preventing your child from contracting at least one type of cancer, and we know that it works.

So, even if you can’t protect them from everything, you can protect them from this one thing, and isn’t that something to celebrate?

It’s definitely something to do. 

I mean, if you ask me.

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15 People Share the Biggest Mistakes They’ve Made in Life

All of us have regrets and things we wish we would’ve done differently in our lives. Some are more extreme than others, but, as the saying goes, “That’s life.”

In this AskReddit article, people went on the record and shared the biggest mistakes they’ve made in life…so far…

1. That’s not good.

“I tried to walk across a guard rail and ended up slipping and hitting my gooch in just the right spot that it tore my urethra. Had a catheter for about 3 months after that.”

2. Never be whole again…

“On my 16 birthday my much older brother killed himself. My regret is that I had called him to ask him to come out with my friends and I to celebrate at a local restaurant. But on the first ring thought “He probably doesn’t want to hang out with a bunch of 15-16 year olds” and hung up the phone. They found his body the next morning. I will never be whole again.”

3. Not happy with the choices.

“Choosing the wrong degree multiple times. A few years ago finally decided on Computer Science… and I fucking hate it. Only have like 8ish classes left so I would be stupid not to finish it but I have no desire to do anything computer science related.”

4. Debt for days.

“Quitting a job before I had another one (long story), which led to my savings being drained and my credit card debt soaring through the roof.

I’ve recovered about a year later, but my savings are basically non-existent as I spent all of my excess paying down debt.”

5. Still in therapy.

“Holding onto hate and resentment about my dad, has fucked up mentally. Instead of dealing with it in a healthy way, I’ve held onto the hate and resentment and have blamed him for everything wrong in my life. I’m in therapy now and trying to unlearn toxic behaviours.”

6. Just want to be functional.

“Tried to kill myself when I was 24. Did the whole inpatient thing and therapy. Now I’m 28, still living with my parents and struggling to win the battle with my mental health. Really frustrating. I just want to be a functional adult.”

7. That’s intense.

“Having a kid with wrong person. Really ends your life for the most part.”

8. A lot of people do this…

“Staying with someone for way too long because I thought I could help them.

I was 25 when I met her, she was broken and very needy. She had a lot of issues with herself, mainly she always felt insecure and inadequate. For those times when she was ok, everything was amazing and she was the best person to be around with. But those times were rare, she was jealous about anyone and everyone. I didn’t even hang around my friends anymore because she would make me feel guilty later on and she could never get along with them. I always thought I could help her, but only after everything fell apart did I realize that in my effort to always be there for her I broke myself.

We broke up 2 years ago, I’m now 33 and just starting to fix relationships that I’ve abandoned because I was too focused on her. I don’t blame her at all because that was my choice, but it’s been hard.”

9. Just let that go.

“Being scared of what people thought about me.”

10. You can quit!

“Starting to smoke.”

11. Now what?

“Being a floater. Meaning being friends with multiple friend groups in life without really being a solid part in any one. Left with none eventually.”

12. Still regret it.

“Probably dropping out of my dream college to be closer to my now ex.

Regret that decision every single day…”

13. Married to the wrong person.

“Getting married to the wrong person. It led to a lengthy divorce in which time my ex tanked me financially . It took me years to recover.”

14. This is very true.

“Losing friends because I didn’t put effort into maintaining the relationship. Nobody tells you when you’re a kid just how hard it is to make new friends once you’re past your college years.”

15. Say no to drugs.

“Took a very large dose of a research chemical thinking it’d be like acid, went clinically insane for like a year and require inpatient hospitalization. Took me two years after that to build my life up and have a career, but I was never totally the same. Such is life.”

Wow…some of those are pretty rough…

What do you think is the worst mistake you’ve made in your life so far?

Feel free to share with us in the comments. We’d love to hear from you. No judgment here!

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Experts Claim That 98.6 Is No Longer Reliably the Average Body Temperature

This is bad news for all of those kids headed to the nurse’s office, praying their thermometer spits out a temperature of 100 degrees or higher – you’re most likely starting from a point lower than 98.6.

The world’s “normal” body temperature was established back in the 19th century, and though most accept it as a reasonable average, doctors and scientists have always known that variables like gender, size, age, time of day, and other factors can play into the thermometer’s readout.

 

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Recent research, though, shows that not only has the average body temperature dropped since it was established by Carl Reinhold in 1851, it’s dropped significantly just since the 1970s – about 0.05 degrees Fahrenheit per decade, based on your birth year, explains Dr. Julie Parsonnet.

“People are stuck on the 98.6 number, but that number has always been wrong. There’s never been a real number because people vary.”

Also, Parsonnet and others involved in the study aren’t afraid to admit that there are still variables that remain unknown, as well. They looked at the temperatures of three groups of data – one from a study of Civil War veterans’ as they returned from war, another from a CDC record from the 1970s, and a third of Stanford health clinic patients from 2007 to 2017.

 

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Men born in the 2000s typically run about 1.06 degrees Fahrenheit lower than men born in the early 1800s. For women, they’re running around 0.58 degrees Fahrenheit lower than women born in the 1890s.

The researchers say it’s unclear what’s causing the continued decline, or what it could mean for our health moving forward. That people have grown both taller and heavier, and that metabolic rates have slowed, likely all factor in.

The fact that a good portion of the population in the mid-19th century could have been fighting diseases like syphilis, tuberculosis, and periodontal disease also means infections (and fevers) may have been raising the average.

 

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Doctors like Dr. Edward Ward, an emergency medicine physician at Rush University Medical Center, say that for now, the information won’t change they way they assess and treat patients.

“It’s not surprising that there will be changes (in normal body temperature) since the Industrial Revolution. As an ER doctor, I’m looking for abnormalities. …there’s a difference between having what is medically considered having a fever and feeling feverish. If someone is normal 96 and then suddenly they’re 99, they probably feel uncomfortable.”

Parsonnet and her team echoed the sentiment, stating that how you feel is more important than the numbers on your thermometer.

That said, they are excited to follow the research further.

“We are having human cooling, and we don’t know what that means, but its’ good to know that it’s happening.”

Until we know more, trust your instincts out there. You know your body better than anyone else, and if you feel like you’re ill or feverish, stay home until you feel better.

If you’re a kid, you could try printing off this research for your school’s nurse, but no promises.

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Cyber Security Experts Say Social Media Platform TikTok Isn’t Safe for Kids

Parents everywhere should be careful about letting their kids join social media platforms. You should talk to them ahead of time about the potential dangers, and also let them know that you’ll have access to their passwords and accounts and will be free to check their activity at any time.

Savvy parents are already doing these things, but every time a new app gets popular, they face a new learning curve. And while TikTok is super fun, very popular, and used by kids around the world, it probably comes as no surprise that people who are looking to prey on those kids are on it, too.

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A former basketball coach in Iowa was found to have sexually exploited and abused 400 boys. 400 innocent lives. Many of these children were led to believe they were chatting online with a teen girl sending nude images of themselves. Some were basketball players he coached. If you follow us on FB or Twitter, you can find the link to the news report. With the mission of protecting children we do not promote social media as harmless fun for children. Nearly every app and game has chat functions that enable strangers to talk to children – even with privacy filters, there is no way to 100% block communication from people unknown to a child. To suggest that children are capable of managing their own safety is naive at best. Predators continue to flourish on the internet because it takes a lot of time, often months, and some luck to catch them. For every perpetrator convicted there are countless that are harming children -even as you read this. Please, think long and hard before putting your child into the world of social media. Consider the many risks and few benefits that come from access to so many negative and unproductive influences. Talk to youth leaders about prevention training and policies to reduce risk and empower children to know they have a right to be safe. Make sure anyone you trust with your children knows you promote body safety. Awareness can deter abusers, be that voice. #rockthetalk #mamabeareffect #childsexualabuse #childexploitation #yso #youthsports #socialmediamom #preventionispossible #parenting #parentingblogger #parentingtips #socialmediasafety

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TikTok was developed in China and, since its launch in 2017, has been downloaded more than 80 million times – handily surpassing Snapchat in popularity. The platform allows 3 to 60 second videos and encourages interaction in multiple ways. The app allows users as young as 13 to sign up without parental consent.

Australian cybersecurity expert Susan McLean is adding her voice to the chorus yelling that the space is not even close to safe for kids, due to the access it gives people looking to groom and bully them.

“Any app that allows communication can be used by predators. TikTok does not have the same safety sessions as some of the more well-known apps and routinely do not remove accounts that have been flagged as potentially a predatory. …The data gathering is a huge concern and if the government is worried then it is not a place for kids.”

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Thank you so much Jenny Gatlin Breazeale for hosting a parents conference on Social Media-Balancing Safety & Reality at Elberta Elementary this evening. Parents were served soup, an awesome cookie bar for dessert….and there was child care for the young kids! We had a wonderful group of engaged parents and teachers. We laughed a lot, (back row I’m looking at you?), we cried some, and we learned so much from one another. This is my third year being invited back to speak with this community and I am SO THANKFUL for teachers, parents and administrators like Jenny that recognize the importance of education….and empowerment…when it comes to protecting our children online. As parents, as adults…WE get to lead this charge. WE can protect our children. Knowledge is power.

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Setting your kids’ accounts to private will keep them from being contacted directly through the app, but TikTok admits that “even with a private account, profile information – including profile photo, username, and bio – will be visible to all users.”

Reports from the United Kingdom claim that kids as young as 8 were getting bullied, groomed, and spammed with explicit messages.

A representative reminded parents that the app ages are 13+.

“TikTok is an app for users age 13 and over, and we’ve give the app a 12+ App Store rating so parents can simply block it from their child’s phone using device-based controls.”

Kids are vulnerable to predators on all social media apps – really anywhere online – so talking to yours about how to respond and what to do if and when something happens to them is vitally important. You and your kids should be aware of the dangers, no matter how tough the conversation, because you’ll need to partner up to keep your little loves – and hopefully others – safe online.

For now, definitely don’t let your under-13’s talk you into TikTok, and when they do age into the app, be sure you’re checking up on their activity regularly.

It’s a brave new world, parents, but we can do this together!

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People Discuss What Makes Them Immediately Lose Romantic Interest in Someone

You’ve probably been here before: you’re talking to someone or maybe you’re on a first date, things seem to be going just fine and then, BOOM…they say or do something that immediately makes you lose interest.

You know what I’m talking about, right?

AskReddit users shared the things that make them immediately lose interest in a person…let’s take a look.

1. So, back to me…

“When you come to them with a problem and they turn it into a conversation about them.”

2. Pity party.

“If they constantly make you feel bad for them. Felt so bad and was so worried about him for so long that the one time I needed the emotion I couldn’t have it.”

3. Take it down a notch.

“When they don’t know the difference between being funny and being obnoxious.”

4. I’ll take your word for it.

“If they say the words “I know I’m an asshole/bitch”. Like okay I’ll take your word for it. Also if it becomes apparent that they have no self-awareness.”

5. Forget the haters.

“They enjoy putting other people and their hobbies down.”

6. I’m back!

“Ghosting you then suddenly popping up out of the blue when they want attention. Yes Brittany I know what is happening when you call me, you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel and I resent the fuck out of being the bottom (wait that could mean another thing but you know the thing I mean.)”

7. Lack of situational awareness.

“Don’t know how to act in public/ are unaware of feelings other than their own.”

8. Who is the real problem here?

“If ALL of their exes were “toxic” or “crazy”

We all have one or two bad ones, but seriously it’s not ALWAYS that.”

9. That’s gross.

“Doing dumb things and should know better. We had a new guy join our Friday social group. Very nice guy. Attractive. At the bar, he took his old gum out of his mouth and stuck it to the bottom of the table. Really? So trashy.”

10. Definitely not cool.

“Selfishness. I am very considerate of others and I am slowly learning that I think I need someone that is too.”

11. Gimme something!

“When they have seemingly no opinion, no voice. When every answer is “I don’t care” or “I don’t know.” Like Jesus Christ I’m trying to find out what you like so that we can talk. Gimme something!”

12. Sounds pretty classy.

“Chewing tobacco. I’m also not a fan of smoking, but it’s not necessarily an instant deal breaker like chewing tobacco is. The truth is, I have seen too many men who would sit there and chew tobacco and then spit it into an empty Dr. Pepper bottle, and it grosses me out more than I can express.”

13. Let’s not meet again.

“Went out with a guy once who talked 90% of the time, 85% of that being about how much money he had made, how much he spent on his now ex wife, all the nice cars he had… I picked HIM up because he didn’t have a ride to meet up. He was legitimately confused why I didn’t want to spend the night with him when I went to drop his ass off. Never saw him ever again.”

14. This! Yes!

“Being rude to customer service people.”

15. Ugh! Run for the hills!

“If they say I love you on the first date. Creepy AF.”

I had a feeling these responses would be pretty enlightening.

Now it’s your turn! What immediately turns you off from a person?

Tell us about it in the comments!

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A Rescued Sea Turtle’s Digestive System Was Jammed Full of Plastic Trash

You probably know that trash dumped into waterways around the world makes its way to the ocean, where it’s endangering the lives of all manner of marine life.

It can be a difficult problem to look directly at because no one wants to see animals hurting because of human behavior, but until we recognize the power we have to fix the problem (i.e. reduce, reuse, recycle), nothing is going to change.

So we have to look.

Scientists rescued a green sea turtle from a fisherman’s net off the coast of Buenos Aires, in Argentina, and passed it to a conservation group called the Mundo Marino Foundation.

Workers there quickly figured out that the animal’s health was endangered by the amount of plastic trash clogging its gut.

“Through radiographic images, we could see foreign bodies inside. Therefore, we started a treatment with a medication that increases peristaltic movements (movements of the digestive tract) and allows it to excrete what we saw in images,” explained Ignacio Pena, a veterinarian at the Foundation.

The turtle – a member of an endangered species that faces grave threat due to the degradation of their habitat – spent a full month excreting over 13 grams (half an ounce) of nylon bags, netting, and other plastic trash.

Green turtles typically keep a herbivorous diet, but juveniles will branch out, and a young and inexperienced hunter like this one was can easily mistake trash for food, scientists say – particularly because many sea turtles will eat jellyfish, which look alarmingly like plastic bags floating along. The mistake is often deadly according to one 2018 study that found that a turtle who eats just one piece of plastic has a 22% chance of dying.

Pena says that this particular turtle, though, is doing well.

“Today the turtle is eating green leaves, mainly lettuce and seaweed. We’re viewing this with an optimistic attitude, the progress is favorable.”

Sadly, the same can’t be said for other turtles who have been found in a similar state – even at Mundo Marino, they’ve been unable to save many that came into their care.

Plastics are insidious for animals like turtles, says biologist and conservation manager Karina Alvarez, for a couple of big reasons.

“There is not only a risk of a mechanical obstruction due to plastic intake. The accumulation of non-nutritive elements in the digestive systems of these marine reptiles can cause them a false sense of being full, which gradually weakens them. …In addition, a large amount of gas could be generated in their organisms, product of the accumulated plastic. Which would affect their ability to dive, both to feed and to find more suitable temperatures.”

Please do your part to keep turtles like this one from accidentally ingesting your trash; put your garbage where it belongs, and try to find alternatives to single-use plastics wherever you can.

Think of the turtles (and the fish and the dolphins and whales and sea lions)!

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In the 1920s, a man convinced his wife…

In the 1920s, a man convinced his wife to pull out all her teeth and then refused to buy her dentures because it was ‘cheaper to feed her soup than solid food’. The wife took him to court and the man was told to get her two new sets of teeth and at least a […]