The first case of bird flu in cattle was reported on March 25, 2024. In less than a year, the virus has hit 973 herds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) first issued an order to test cows that farmers intended to move between states last April. Then, in December 2024, the agency issued a federal order for milk testing. The order stipulated that unpasteurized milk samples be collected from dairy processing faciliti ...read more
At the edge of our solar system, a host of large, icy bodies make up the Oort cloud, which appears to sport two spiral arms reminiscent of a disk-shaped galaxy. New research founded upon a simulation using NASA’s Pleiades supercomputer has proposed that the Oort cloud takes on this spiral as a result of a phenomenon known as the Galactic tide, centered around gravitational forces. A recent paper published in the arXiv preprint server presents an updated perspective on the Oort cloud, which ha ...read more
Over the past five years, many of us have encountered vaccines, whether through routine immunizations or COVID-19 shots. This well-established method helps prevent serious infections caused by harmful pathogens that have threatened human health for centuries. But some patients are afraid of the needle. Exploring alternative vaccine delivery systems could increase accessibility and encourage those who fear needles to receive necessary healthcare.While investigating the role of the skin in immunit ...read more
Ancient Mars may have been a beach paradise 4 billion years ago. A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that the Chinese Mars rover Zhurong detected evidence of an underground beach in an area that may have once been an ocean. Though Zhurong is now inactive, the evidence the rover has collected is vital to understanding the Red Planet’s history. These findings also help support the theory that Mars once had a massive ocean. "The structures don't look ...read more
What makes one a Hun and where did the Huns come from? Historians have long argued these questions about the fierce nomadic fighters who contributed to the fall of the Roman empire and the beginning of the “Dark Ages” in Europe.One dominant theory about Hunnic origin posits that the equestrian warriors originated in what is now Mongolia, during the Xiongnu Empire. They then swept westward toward Europe, pivoted south through Germany, leaving death and destruction in their wake. However, ther ...read more