Let's keep the SCIENCE!!!! coming in 2026

[Mendalla]

We often hear about the big mass extinction events, like the asteroid impact at the end of the Cretaceous or the "Great Dying" (caused, it is hyposthesized, by volcanic activity) at the end or Permian. There have also been smaller, sometimes more localized, events that caused turnover in the biodiversity of particular regions or continents. A little over a century ago, the first evidence for such an event happening in Europe at the end of the Eocene period, with mammal populations shifting from the ones that had been there to species previous more common in Asia. Over the past century, evidence has mounted for both the event and possible causes. It now appears that it was climate change caused by the northward movement of India that ultimately ended with it stuck to the bottom of Asia that was responsible. Eons had the story this week.

And 7 Days has an interesting story on how scientists have tried to figure out the musculature and thereby the hunting styles of mosasaurs. The mosasaurs are prehistoric aquatic reptiles related to modern lizards and snakes who were alpha predators in the ancient oceans when the dinosaurs dominated on land.

 

[jimkenney12]

We often hear about the big mass extinction events, like the asteroid impact at the end of the Cretaceous or the "Great Dying" (caused, it is hyposthesized, by volcanic activity) at the end or Permian. There have also been smaller, sometimes more localized, events that caused turnover in the biodiversity of particular regions or continents. A little over a century ago, the first evidence for such an event happening in Europe at the end of the Eocene period, with mammal populations shifting from the ones that had been there to species previous more common in Asia. Over the past century, evidence has mounted for both the event and possible causes. It now appears that it was climate change caused by the northward movement of India that ultimately ended with it stuck to the bottom of Asia that was responsible. Eons had the story this week.

And 7 Days has an interesting story on how scientists have tried to figure out the musculature and thereby the hunting styles of mosasaurs. The mosasaurs are prehistoric aquatic reptiles related to modern lizards and snakes who were alpha predators in the ancient oceans when the dinosaurs dominated on land.

Very interesting. Thank you,

 

[Jaebius]

We often hear about the big mass extinction events, like the asteroid impact at the end of the Cretaceous or the "Great Dying" (caused, it is hyposthesized, by volcanic activity) at the end or Permian. There have also been smaller, sometimes more localized, events that caused turnover in the biodiversity of particular regions or continents. A little over a century ago, the first evidence for such an event happening in Europe at the end of the Eocene period, with mammal populations shifting from the ones that had been there to species previous more common in Asia. Over the past century, evidence has mounted for both the event and possible causes. It now appears that it was climate change caused by the northward movement of India that ultimately ended with it stuck to the bottom of Asia that was responsible. Eons had the story this week.

And 7 Days has an interesting story on how scientists have tried to figure out the musculature and thereby the hunting styles of mosasaurs. The mosasaurs are prehistoric aquatic reptiles related to modern lizards and snakes who were alpha predators in the ancient oceans when the dinosaurs dominated on land.

The mosasaur story, Mendalla, is especially cool. Those creatures are amazing.

I love seeing how researchers use anatomy and biomechanics to infer behaviour from extinct animals. I appreciate the ingenuity involved in reconstructing how such incredible creatures hunted and interacted with their environment.

It's a good reminder that the natural world still has plenty of mysteries left to explore. That's something to be excited about

 

[Mendalla]

Ben Thomas, the owner and co-host of the channel, is doing his doctoral research on ichthyosaurs and they are pretty cool now, too. There's one that is a fairly recent find that apparently rivals blue whales for size.

 

[Luce NDs]

How can the world have so many mysteries when it was all made in a fixed sacrosanct manner ... that is too sacred to to change?

It appears there are exceptions to all open scales and thus prone to imperfection from only angels and demons ... nothing is beyond that as we approach clear space ...

Like reptile ... tongue stored one half in each cheek or hemisphere ... semi gourds? Imagine the variants from mules to blunders!

 

[ninj]

You had me at huge aquatic alpha preditors like lizards and snakes. I guess Anacondas are huge and scary enough for me on dry land. Even living Ontario. As an underwater threat? Oooh jeeze

 

[Mendalla]

IIRC, they used to be regarded as relatives of monitor lizards but not sure that has stood the test of time. Yeah, they are scary as hell. There's one in the first Jurassic World movie. As a bit of a gag, the park feeds it a shark. To be fair to the park, sharks did exist back then (they are older than the dinosaurs) so them being on the mosasaur's menu is entirely plausible.

 

[ninj]

I Am No Longer Pessimistic About the Survival of Complex Life on Earth, Thanks to Science - Reactor

Great news, everyone! New evidence points towards complex life being very robust.

reactormag.com

I think a bit of sarcasm buried in the facts. No hope for us, but the planet will survive. Written by your friend and mine @Mendalla

 

[Mendalla]

Very James piece, eh.

Yeah, I am pessimistic about us as a species, but I think life on Earth isn't going anywhere no matter how badly we stuff things up. There might be another "Great Dying" event (with us rather than the Siberian Traps as the cause) but life survived and started thriving again relatively quickly after that one.

 

[ninj]

In Conversation with CBC's Bob McDonald - THEMUSEUM In Conversation with CBC's Bob McDonald - THEMUSEUM

Despite having a hopeless, decades-long crush on Bob McDonald, I won't be buying a FIFTY DOLLAR ticket to see him give a talk. I understand it's fundraising for the museum, but I saw him in Montreal at a local library for free a few years back. Always very engaging and fascinating.

 

[Luce NDs]

Imagine a social science that actually worked for the populace instead of for a spot of the populace that doesn't give a damn about the greater numbers that actually power things ...

If masses would think and imagine ... consider the potential outcome being an improvement ... and reduction of the wealth differential ... another sign of schism ...

 

[Mendalla]

More technology than science, but this SciShow is a bit special to me. It is about how a pilot of a Hawker Hurricane fighter in WWII getting shot down led to the invention of Interocular Lenses (IOLs), two of which current reside in my eyes. Yes, they're the replacement lenses they put in after removing cataracts.