Trump damages Endangered Species Act
July 12, 2026
The Trump administration has repealed a crucial part of the Endangered Species Act which could harm many plants and animals threatened by commercial exploitation and development.
Under the landmark environmental law, endangered animals and their critical environments are protected from logging, mining and other commercial destruction. The definition that includes wildlife habitats was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1995 when the justices ruled on behalf old-growth forest protection relied on by endangered spotted owls.
Despite strong support for the ESA, the departments of Interior and Commerce have removed the habitat protection clause. Habitat destruction is the single greatest threat to animal survival. The law has protected more than 1,700 species and their habitats since it was approved.
Now environmentalists fear potential catastrophic damage to species already teetering on the brink of extinction.
Stephanie Kurose of the Center for Biological Diversity said the plan would be “a death sentence for wolverines, monarch butterflies, Florida manatees and so many other animals and plants that desperately need our help.” Her remarks were made during an interview with The Guardian newspaper.
Scientists say the world is already in the grip of an extinction emergency with more than 1 million species threatened with extinction. The administration claims the full law interferes with private property rights.
Under the landmark environmental law, endangered animals and their critical environments are protected from logging, mining and other commercial destruction. The definition that includes wildlife habitats was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1995 when the justices ruled on behalf old-growth forest protection relied on by endangered spotted owls.
Despite strong support for the ESA, the departments of Interior and Commerce have removed the habitat protection clause. Habitat destruction is the single greatest threat to animal survival. The law has protected more than 1,700 species and their habitats since it was approved.
Now environmentalists fear potential catastrophic damage to species already teetering on the brink of extinction.
Stephanie Kurose of the Center for Biological Diversity said the plan would be “a death sentence for wolverines, monarch butterflies, Florida manatees and so many other animals and plants that desperately need our help.” Her remarks were made during an interview with The Guardian newspaper.
Scientists say the world is already in the grip of an extinction emergency with more than 1 million species threatened with extinction. The administration claims the full law interferes with private property rights.
Prehistoric man covered in useful yeast
Shutterstock photo
July 10, 2026
Scientists examining the corpse of a frozen prehistoric human being have discovered something extraordinary: living yeasts in his stomach and skin.
Dubbed Otzi the Iceman, the ancient hunter’s body is kept in a refrigeration chamber at 21 degrees Fahrenheit. He was discovered by two hikers in the Italian alps in 1991.
The find was considered one of a kind because Otzi was found with his ancient clothing and weapons intact. The chamber is within a museum in Bolzano, Italy that examines the circumstances surrounding the mummified hunter’s death, some 5,300 years ago.
Biologists surmise the yeasts came from the glaciers where Otzi lived and became part of his remains shortly after he died. Some of the yeasts are so well preserved that they could be used in making bread. Which is just what the researchers did by making sourdough in an experiment.
“It worked,” said Mohamed Sarhan, a microbiologist with the Eurac Research Institute for Mummy Studies in Italy. “As a dough it was very, very good.”
In fact, companies could use the yeasts to make bread or beer in the future, Sarhan added.
His remarks appeared in the journal Science. It has not been determined if the active microorganisms are harming the remains, but Sarhan says researchers will look into that possibility.
Otzi, who bears a resemblance to a prehistoric Willie Nelson, was likely murdered. Xrays showed an arrow in his shoulder and what appears to be blunt force trauma on his head.
His stomach contents revealed that Otzi ate Ibex, red deer meat and wheat the morning of this death. No sourdough bread.
Dubbed Otzi the Iceman, the ancient hunter’s body is kept in a refrigeration chamber at 21 degrees Fahrenheit. He was discovered by two hikers in the Italian alps in 1991.
The find was considered one of a kind because Otzi was found with his ancient clothing and weapons intact. The chamber is within a museum in Bolzano, Italy that examines the circumstances surrounding the mummified hunter’s death, some 5,300 years ago.
Biologists surmise the yeasts came from the glaciers where Otzi lived and became part of his remains shortly after he died. Some of the yeasts are so well preserved that they could be used in making bread. Which is just what the researchers did by making sourdough in an experiment.
“It worked,” said Mohamed Sarhan, a microbiologist with the Eurac Research Institute for Mummy Studies in Italy. “As a dough it was very, very good.”
In fact, companies could use the yeasts to make bread or beer in the future, Sarhan added.
His remarks appeared in the journal Science. It has not been determined if the active microorganisms are harming the remains, but Sarhan says researchers will look into that possibility.
Otzi, who bears a resemblance to a prehistoric Willie Nelson, was likely murdered. Xrays showed an arrow in his shoulder and what appears to be blunt force trauma on his head.
His stomach contents revealed that Otzi ate Ibex, red deer meat and wheat the morning of this death. No sourdough bread.
Giant octopuses lived in prehistoric oceans
Utsuki/Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences/Hokkaido University
May 7, 2026
Drawings of fantastic sea monsters devouring ships abound in literature. And who can forget Captain Nemo battling a giant squid gripping his submarine in “20,000 Leagues under the Sea? “
Those were works of fiction. But new evidence uncovered by two Japanese suggest that huge octopuses may have dominated the seas during prehistoric times.
During the Cretaceous period, 66 million years ago, at least one of the creatures may have been 62 feet in length, or the size of an 18 wheeled semitrailer truck.
The discovery would change the concept that prehistoric seas were dominated by sharks and giant marine reptiles.
“When you think of the Cretaceous, you immediately think of mosasaurs and plesiosaurs,” said Neil Landman, a paleontologist with the American Museum of Natural History who was not involved in the study. Landman made his comments for an article in the Journal Science.
To determine the creatures’ size, Hokkaido University researchers Yasuhiro Iba and Shin Ikegami developed a new technique to examine the fossilized remains of the octopuses. The animals’ soft tissues do not preserve well in prehistoric rocks so the only traces are the hard beaks they used to devour prey. Normally scientists extract the beaks and scan them using computerized tomography to make an image.
But the Hokkaido University scholars used a high-resolution photo process to assemble a 3-D full color model. Their study used 15 fossilized jaws from early octopus relatives that were already in collections along with more fossils from Hokkaido Cretaceous sediments.
Based on the size of the animals’ jaws, the researchers estimated that at least one octopus species may have been between 22 and 62 feet long.
Those were works of fiction. But new evidence uncovered by two Japanese suggest that huge octopuses may have dominated the seas during prehistoric times.
During the Cretaceous period, 66 million years ago, at least one of the creatures may have been 62 feet in length, or the size of an 18 wheeled semitrailer truck.
The discovery would change the concept that prehistoric seas were dominated by sharks and giant marine reptiles.
“When you think of the Cretaceous, you immediately think of mosasaurs and plesiosaurs,” said Neil Landman, a paleontologist with the American Museum of Natural History who was not involved in the study. Landman made his comments for an article in the Journal Science.
To determine the creatures’ size, Hokkaido University researchers Yasuhiro Iba and Shin Ikegami developed a new technique to examine the fossilized remains of the octopuses. The animals’ soft tissues do not preserve well in prehistoric rocks so the only traces are the hard beaks they used to devour prey. Normally scientists extract the beaks and scan them using computerized tomography to make an image.
But the Hokkaido University scholars used a high-resolution photo process to assemble a 3-D full color model. Their study used 15 fossilized jaws from early octopus relatives that were already in collections along with more fossils from Hokkaido Cretaceous sediments.
Based on the size of the animals’ jaws, the researchers estimated that at least one octopus species may have been between 22 and 62 feet long.
David Attenborough turns 100 years old
May 9, 2026
David Attenborough has spent most of his professional life describing the wonders of the natural world to television audiences.
He’s the undisputed voice of BBC documentaries, involving everything from Mountain Gorillas to rare birds to orcas. And he turned 100 years old this week.
Attenborough was a BBC executive who turned down the organization’s top job to make natural history shows. His 1978 series called “Life on Earth” traced the evolution of humans and attracted 15 million viewers in the United Kingdom. Not the most watched show in BBC history, but enough to excite the audience and leave them wanting more.
His influence over the scientific community has grown and at 100, it has never been greater.
“It’s impossible to overstate what Sir David Attenborough has given us,” said the BBC’s Jack Bootle. “His programmes have not only defined science and natural history broadcasting, but they have also changed how we see our planet and our place within it.” Bootle’s statement was included in coverage from the journal Science.
Scientists have honored Attenborough by naming 50 newly discovered species after him. They include a brightly-colored lizard in India and a carnivorous pitcher planet from the Philippines.
His contribution has included 100 film and television productions including the series “Blue Planet” and “Planet Earth.”
Each episode features Attenborough describing the movements of animals in personal terms from a script that, at times, feels like a storybook.
Photographic technology has matured throughout Attenborough’s career. Unlike the relatively static early shows, episodes now feature breathtaking color footage using photographic drones and advanced equipment capable of magnifying the smallest insect or rodent.
Attenborough has been a consistent advocate for conserving the environment, and he has had a direct effect on the public.
“Blue Planet II” discussed marine life being harmed by plastic pollution. Viewers responded, and began cutting their use of plastic. That phenomenon is referred to as the Blue Planet Effect, according to Science.
He’s the undisputed voice of BBC documentaries, involving everything from Mountain Gorillas to rare birds to orcas. And he turned 100 years old this week.
Attenborough was a BBC executive who turned down the organization’s top job to make natural history shows. His 1978 series called “Life on Earth” traced the evolution of humans and attracted 15 million viewers in the United Kingdom. Not the most watched show in BBC history, but enough to excite the audience and leave them wanting more.
His influence over the scientific community has grown and at 100, it has never been greater.
“It’s impossible to overstate what Sir David Attenborough has given us,” said the BBC’s Jack Bootle. “His programmes have not only defined science and natural history broadcasting, but they have also changed how we see our planet and our place within it.” Bootle’s statement was included in coverage from the journal Science.
Scientists have honored Attenborough by naming 50 newly discovered species after him. They include a brightly-colored lizard in India and a carnivorous pitcher planet from the Philippines.
His contribution has included 100 film and television productions including the series “Blue Planet” and “Planet Earth.”
Each episode features Attenborough describing the movements of animals in personal terms from a script that, at times, feels like a storybook.
Photographic technology has matured throughout Attenborough’s career. Unlike the relatively static early shows, episodes now feature breathtaking color footage using photographic drones and advanced equipment capable of magnifying the smallest insect or rodent.
Attenborough has been a consistent advocate for conserving the environment, and he has had a direct effect on the public.
“Blue Planet II” discussed marine life being harmed by plastic pollution. Viewers responded, and began cutting their use of plastic. That phenomenon is referred to as the Blue Planet Effect, according to Science.