Timothy Hopkins
@geologyrocks.bsky.social
Oklahoma native | M.S. degree in geology from the University of Tulsa| #Liberal| working as a geologist in Reno NV
A study has found that young chimpanzees develop distinct population-specific vocal patterns as they mature (ontogeny), challenging the long-held assumption that their calls are inflexible and determined solely by genetics. 🧪
Chimpanzees have accents too, study finds
A study has found that young chimpanzees develop distinct population-specific vocal patterns as they mature (ontogeny), challenging the long-held assumption that their calls are inflexible and determi...
phys.org
For a fossil described as a crustacean, it seemed to have an awful lot of insectlike traits. Overall, it looked a lot like a modern silverfish. But there was one big difference between this fossil and our current definition of an insect, which has six legs: This one had 24.
The World’s First Bugs Had Way More Legs (Gift Article)
Meet the earliest known insects. Shaking hands with them will take a while.
nytimes.com
BepiColombo spacecraft approaches Mercury after traveling almost eight years through the solar system; mission will allow scientists to study the planet’s geology, surface composition, and magnetic field
'A new mission starting today': 8 years after launch, BepiColombo begins Mercury arrival
"Arriving to Mercury is not as simple as other missions."
space.com
Psychedelic mushrooms contain a compound that may prevent nerve damage and pain caused by chemotherapy, new research using mice indicates; humans receiving cancer treatment will test the process in clinical trials later this year
Magic mushroom compound may prevent chemotherapy pain
Research in mice finds that psilocybin protects against nerve damage and sensitivity caused by common cancer drugs
science.org
A new study has shown that water drops routinely arrive at a surface carrying an electrical charge large enough to punch through an insulating coating. Not scratch it. Not slowly dissolve it. Electrically blow a hole in it, the way a spark jumps a gap.
Raindrops are tiny lightning bolts, and they’re corroding cars, study finds
Finding reveals an overlooked way that water can damage surfaces.
arstechnica.com
“We’ve been seeing some very strong El Niño events in the late 20th and early 21st century, and what we didn’t know was how unusual those are,” said Julie Cole, an environmental scientist at the University of Michigan.
El Niño is now stronger than at any point in the last 1,000 years, study finds
“One more warning sign here of what we're facing in a warmer world.”...
arstechnica.com
“ If you’re using one, you should disconnect it and throw it away. If you find a family member using one, you should intervene. With the Popanet proxy service alone running through 2 million devices, according to Google, chances are good that a home network near you is, too.”
Think twice before installing this device promising free movies
In exchange for free stuff, devices make home connections part of a proxy network.
arstechnica.com
Great song with terrific lyrics and great beat by the band Hounds: Remember Obama
Flashback: Your Weekly History Quiz, Aug. 29, 2026
Flashback: Your Weekly History Quiz, Aug. 29, 2026 (Gift Article)
Can you sort 8 historical events?
nytimes.com
Reno Has Long Known of Wildfire Risk. The Hawk Fire Proved It’s Real.
Reno Has Long Known of Wildfire Risk. The Hawk Fire Proved It’s Real. (Gift Article)
The Sierra Nevada region is a hot spot for wildfires and some see the Hawk fire as providing an impetus for hardening communities against catastrophe.
nytimes.com
A decades-old compound may point to a new way of treating obesity by making the body burn more energy rather than simply reducing appetite. In mice, TOFA increased energy use by as much as 18%, reduced body fat without significant muscle loss, and improved blood sugar.
Experimental compound helps burn fat without muscle loss
A decades-old compound may point to a new way of treating obesity by making the body burn more energy rather than simply reducing appetite. In mice, TOFA increased energy use by as much as 18%, reduce...
sciencedaily.com
My mom died from ovarian cancer so the discovery that 80%, including most fatal cases, don't start in the ovarians, they start in the fallopian tubes. Therefore, removing the fallopian tubes removes 80% of the cancer risk. The procedure takes 5 mins & can be tacked onto most any abdominal surgery.
Christian Bale really said “Dictatorship for Dummies” and didn’t even blink. Maybe running a country should require relevant education and job experience…not a résumé featuring a felon, con man, and failed businessman. #USDemocracy #RisingBlue
Well worth a read How to Stop a Lab Leak From Starting the Next Pandemic
Opinion | How to Stop a Lab Leak From Starting the Next Pandemic (Gift Article)
More than six years after the emergence of Covid-19, no one is keeping track of the risky virus experiments that are capable of starting a pandemic.
nytimes.com
“So far this administration has made our food less safe, not safer….By firing food safety experts, by reducing the number of inspections, by tracking fewer pathogens, and by failing to set up a traceability system that makes sure that we’re able to to clear the shelves quickly.”
How Cyclospora Evaded the U.S. Food Safety System to Sicken Thousands (Gift Article)
The Trump administration delayed a rule last year that could have sped up the effort to pinpoint the source of the contamination. Critics charge that food safety oversight has eroded overall.
nytimes.com
Covert CIA program said to be behind mysterious attacks on Galápagos boats. This sounds like a war crime, in my opinion.
Covert CIA program said to be behind mysterious attacks on Galápagos boats
A surveillance plane flew from El Salvador toward the fishing boats before drones attacked, flight data shows.
washingtonpost.com
“people who received the mRNA-based vaccine had much higher levels of antibodies against flu one month after vaccination. And those higher levels persisted for six months.
Here’s what the first mRNA flu vaccine could mean for flu season
Compared with standard flu shots, Moderna’s mFlusiva generates stronger, longer-lasting immunity and is more effective at preventing infection, data show.
sciencenews.org
I loved to watch Anthony Bourdain travel the world and give us his impressions of the food and culture.
The Gospel According to Anthony Bourdain (Gift Article)
Fans of the late writer and chef are cultlike in their devotion. But have they misunderstood his message?
nytimes.com
An invasive, malaria-carrying, insecticide-resistant mosquito that thrives in cities, where malaria has not been a major threat, has moved farther & faster across Africa than even scientists had feared. And many public health experts believe it is too late to eliminate, or even contain, it.
An Invasive Mosquito Is Spreading With Alarming Speed, Threatening Africa’s Cities (Gift Article)
The malaria-carrying mosquito is resistant to all insecticides. Scientists are scrambling to find ways to blunt the risk.
nytimes.com
Umberto Eco, writer: “The tragedy of the Internet is that it has promoted the village idiot to the level of bearer of truth”
The discovery that chronic inflammation is a cause of a myriad of illnesses could be this century's biggest medical breakthrough.
Inflammation Keeps Us Alive. It's Also Making Us Sick. (Gift Article)
The discovery that chronic inflammation is a cause of myriad illnesses could be this century's biggest medical breakthrough.
nytimes.com
My mom died from ovarian cancer “Ovarian cancer,” Dr. Stone told her, is a misnomer. Nearly all ovarian cancers — and nearly all fatal ovarian cancers — are actually cancers of the fallopian tubes. The 20% or so that start in the ovaries are different, Dr. Stone said, and usually can be cured.
There’s a Way to Prevent Ovarian Cancer. Few Know About It. (Gift Article)
The vast majority of cases begin in the fallopian tubes — and removing them can reduce the risk by nearly 80 percent.
nytimes.com
In This Costa Rican Forest, Monkeys Come Face-to-Face With A.I. CapuchinAI, a portable testing station equipped with a touch screen and facial recognition software, could help scientists study primate intelligence in the wild.
In This Costa Rican Forest, Monkeys Come Face-to-Face With A.I. (Gift Article)
CapuchinAI, a portable testing station equipped with a touch screen and facial recognition software, could help scientists study primate intelligence in the wild.
nytimes.com
Here’s something I just read and didn’t know: rising rates of obesity & diabetes are thought to be the biggest reason for the drop in men’s testosterone levels over the past half century (they’ve fallen 54%). This is because excess body fat converts testosterone to estrogen.
Eighty years ago, though the Arsenal of Democracy had vanquished the Axis and weathered a withering Depression, the recovering American people found themselves rich in bills but short on laughs. Enter Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, who debuted together on July 25, 1946.
Contributor: How Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis forever changed comedy
'Saturday Night Live,' Jerry Seinfeld and Adam Sandler all owe a debt to the suave Italian crooner clowning around with his gawky Jewish buddy.
latimes.com
The El Niño climate pattern that’s strengthening in the Pacific Ocean is on track to be the largest one in at least 150 years, researchers say. The El Niño will unleash a surge of heat from the ocean that, combined with human-induced global warming, will probably make next year the hottest on record
This El Niño is set to be the largest on record by a ‘mind-blowing margin’
Forecasters predict that the monster climate pattern will combine with global warming to push global temperatures in 2027 to new heights.
nature.com