Would You Wanna Live in a Moon Cave?
Plus: What Nobody Tells You About Sunscreen
Moon Caves Eyed for Lunar Living
For years, scientists and space enthusiasts have been trying to figure out how we could set up a permanent colony on the moon. The challenges are many. There’s no atmosphere and no protective magnetic field, so we’d have to deal with incoming space rocks and tiny meteors that would hammer the surface, solar storms that’d blitz exposed electronic equipment, and deadly temperatures that swing from frigid to frying. Recently discovered moon caves could be the answer to lunar living, proponents suggest.
Until now, evidence for such underground hovels has involved tantalizing photographs of more than 200 deep, dark, mysterious vertical pits. Scientists have speculated that the pits could be connected to networks of miles-long tunnels and gargantuan underground caverns as big as a small city, and in some cases 30 stories down. A new analysis indicates one of those pits, a gaping hole in the moon 328 feet (100 meters) deep and roughly the same diameter, is connected to a cave or tunnel at least twice as long as a basketball court, possibly many miles long, the researchers say.
—Robert Roy Britt
What Nobody Tells You About Sunscreen
There are several myths and misconceptions about the Sun Protection Factor rating (SPF). This dermatologist sorts it all out, once and for all.
First, let’s clear up a common misconception about the Sun Protection Factor rating (SPF) found in sunscreen products… The SPF doesn’t tell you how long you can spend in the sun without getting a sunburn.
—Annie Foley
Foley goes on to explain the difference between UVA and UVB rays, exactly how much more protection you get from SPF 100 vs. SPF 50 (neither is 100%) and how much of this goop you actually have to slather on to get the protection claimed by the ratings.
The Pandemic Problem: Humans Infect Animals Infect Humans Infect…
Wildlife and farm animals serve as reservoirs for Covid-19 and other common infectious diseases. Preventing future pandemics requires monitoring and protecting all species from zoonotic pathogens, these researchers argue. But first, we need to better understand the role played by rats, mice and other animals not typically included in studies of cross-species disease transmission.
Researchers have documented this phenomenon of human-to-animal transmission, colloquially referred to as spillback or reverse zoonotic transmission, in both domestic and wild animals. Wildlife may be infected either directly from humans or indirectly from domestic animals infected by humans. This stepping-stone effect provides new opportunities for pathogens to evolve and can radically change how they spread, as seen with influenza and tuberculosis.
—Anna Fagre and Sadie Jane Ryan
100 Straight Days of 100+ Degrees
They say it’s a dry heat here in Phoenix. Whatever. It’s too damn hot. On Wednesday in Phoenix, the high temperature was above 100° Fahrenheit (37.8° Celsius) …for the 100th straight day. The previous record stretch of 100° or above was just 76 days. Sure, that’s just one record, one summer, one city. But this sort of record-smashing has become common everywhere.
Across the planet, climate records aren’t just being broken. They’re being shattered. Whereas global warming used to generate records now and then, now the record days and weeks and months—and more of it each year—are the norm. July 22, 2024, was the hottest day ever recorded for average global surface temperatures. But that’s just one day, right? Not a big deal? Well, consider last year: July 4, 2023, was the hottest day ever recorded globally. Then the record was bested July 5. Then again July 6.
—Robert Roy Britt
The Story of Truly Toxic Books
Book lovers might enjoy inhaling the scent of old books, but some caution is in order. Surprising hazards are found in some vintage books.
The intricate designs, beautiful embossing, and vibrant colors of Victorian-era books (published between 1837–1900) can attract bibliophiles like bees to pollen. But some of the brilliant pigments that bring delight may also contain and be shedding harmful substances such as lead, chromium, and arsenic — hundreds of years after first manufactured.
—Annie Foley
If you suspect you have a toxic book in hand, or that several might be lurking at your favorite library or bookstore, Foley explains what to do.