your science briefing for 02.24.2025

How a supernova may have affected evolution 2.5 million years ago, why stress makes you think in black and white, and the dismantling of American science continues.

Our solar system floats in a thousand light year wide region called the Local Bubble because its concentration of stars is a little on the low side. It was carved out by the aftershocks from supernovae in this region of space millions of years ago, and we’re pretty sure that Earth hasn’t been left entirely untouched by the cosmic rays from all those dying giants. The Late Devonian extinction 360 million years ago is one such example. A sudden burst of microbial evolution 2.5 million years ago could be another according to a new study… (ScienceAlert)

Look, here’s the thing. The International Space Station is an important hub of research and scientific activity, but it’s also kind of old. It could absolutely be replaced with far more modern designs, including inflatable craft prototypes that would be even easier to inhabit and more efficient and spacious. But that’s not why President Musk wants it de-orbited as quickly as possible. He wants NASA to focus on a new mission: to start colonizing Mars. The very same endeavor he predicted would kill a lot of astronauts in horrible ways when asked… (ArsTechnica)

Speaking of far-reaching, arbitrary edicts. NOAA scientists appear to have been told in no uncertain terms that briefings which link very clear and obvious effects of global warming to increasing storm intensity and severity, or an alarming increase in monthly global temperature averages, are now strictly verboten… (New Scientist)

We already know that stress raises your blood pressure, increases inflammation, ruins sleep, and interferes with decision making and other executive functions. Now, there’s evidence that it could also force you to think in very rigid, black and white terms. Yes, the experiment was on mice, but there seems to be a fair amount of research showing that similar processes are at work in human minds… (MedicalXpress)

One of the reasons why eggs are so expensive in the United States right now is a very bad outbreak of bird flu hitting virtually every large egg producer especially hard right now. Which is a pretty big deal. It’s not just that so many fowl have to culled and their eggs destroyed for safety. Bird flu also has the potential to jump to humans, which will create a replay of the COVID pandemic. But instead of helping contain the outbreaks, the Trump-Musk slash and burn of the federal government is actively making what is already a bad situation, worse… (The Hill)