Monthly Archives: March 2022

Over the past few months, a host of startups and projects looking to raise money in novel ways have settled on crypto and NFTs as their solution. Who can forget MoonDAO, which believes it can go from buying a seat on Bezos next low-Earth orbit rocket to a colony on the Moon with the help of NFTs, or FrontierDAO, which aims to fund research into commercial spaceflight with NFTs and explore the alchemy" between art and science?

Exploration Laboratories LLC, or ExLabs, isn't a bunch of crypto traders in a Discord, however. It's an e startup developing asteroid mining tech with staff who previously worked at NASA and SpaceX. ExLabs announced on Tuesday that it is pursuing unconventional additional seed funding as it strives to create vehicles that could someday extract resources from space: NFTs.

In an interview with Motherboard, chief engineer Miguel Pascual and head of operations Matthew Schmidgall emphasized that the NFTs were a side project; they're a means to an end.

"We're an aerospace company first doing an NFT project, Schmidgall said. "We aren't a company that's built around an NFT project. Our main focus isn't in figuring out how to solidify and corner all of the elements of the NFT ecosystemwe want to be a part of it and help it evolve into a format that actually works and is trustworthy."

Pascual said that the NFTs will both generate revenue and cultivate a community from which talent and ideas could be pulled.

The whole point of embarking on this side project is to be able to scale our engineering. And so, if talent exists within the community, specifically to contribute to the project on a significant level, we want to speak with those individuals directly, said Pascual. We have an opportunity to create some awesome artwork with really talented artists and share that vision for what that's going to be. But really, we just hope to be, you know, inspirational the same way SpaceX has been."

This NFT collection will be the first of three, aiming to let holders "experience what it would be like for humans to be out in space, off the planet, conducting industry research, and mining riches from space." As of right now, the firm has not announced the mint date, price, or token supply. ExLabs will also launch an "Exploration" token on Ethereum and distribute them as rewards for NFT holders.

Holders of the first Explorers Club NFTs will automatically become members and get 10 Exploration Tokens per day. The tokens can be redeemed for exclusive benefits including launching the holders name into space, advising on future company designs and community decisions, placing art on next-generation task vehicles, and possible ownership of actual asteroid fragments, the press release reads. Explorers Club members will be part of a community that supports an important advancement, and will witness the ambitious yet attainable goals of utilizing the limitless resources space has to offer come to life.

Although it might sound absurd, NFTs and tokens might just be a perfect fit for asteroid mining, which itself is a highly speculative venture.

The industry's bubble seemed to burst years ago. Major ventures such as Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries once led the hype cycle surrounding asteroid mining, raising tens of millions of dollars and recruiting NASA talent in the early 2010s. Those firms went defunct in less than a decade as they restructured their visions to abandon asteroid mining, were acquired by telecommunications companies, and had their assets sold or released to the public. But ExLabs believe the time is now riper than ever before, due to developments in rocket technology that have already occurred or are underway.

"A lot of the technology over the past 10 to 20 years has been forced to develop around a smaller payload volume and weight ratio in order to get these task vehicles into space, Schmigdall said. And now, with some of the new super heavy lift vehicles that are going to be coming into the marketnot the current ones, but you know the next generation, that changes the game as far as what the limitations are around what can be built and spent into space."

Costs have come a long way: since the Space Shuttle first took off in 1981 to the Falcon Heavy launches starting in 2018, the cost to take a kilogram into low earth orbit has plummeted from $65,400 per kilogram to $1,500 per kilogram. Asteroids, however, are not always in low-Earth orbit, and so part of ExLabs announcement also said the company is working on bringing asteroids into a usable orbit.

In 2013, NASA announced plans for such a mission to pull an asteroid into the Moons orbit then have asteroids set foot on it, but it was eventually scrapped in 2017. Some of the developed technology was repurposed for a recent NASA mission to test whether kinetic impact can slightly redirect an asteroids motion.

Still, that doesnt seem to have deterred Exploration Laboratories from trying to revive that dream again, or from using a new speculative asset to raise funding for the old speculative venture.

"We're taking web3 to space. Capture a real asteroid with your spot on the #ExplorersClub pre-sale list," the company tweeted in promotion of the coming NFT collection.

Read more:

Asteroid Mining Company to Launch NFTs to Fund Resource Extraction in Space - VICE

After two years of work, a four-function robotic rover developed for use on Mars by a 21-person Space Hardware Club (SHC) team at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama System, will be in summer competition at theUniversity Rover Challenge (URC)finals in the desert of southern Utah.

TheAdaptable Service Transport Research Apparatus (ASTRA)team recently earned a perfect score in the science category for its URC System Acceptance Review to advance to Utah. This is one of the most impressive SAR submissions by a novice team I have ever seen, a reviewer wrote. Kudos to you all.

Outfitted with a very dexterous main arm, ASTRA is equipped with cameras, a microscope, a spectrometer and the hardware and chemicals needed to conduct tests to detect life.

The URC, a project of The Mars Society, is the worlds premier robotics competition for college students. It challenges student teams to design and build the next generation of Mars rovers that will one day work alongside astronauts exploring the red planet.

Under URC rules, the rover has to fit inside a cube-shaped space that is 1.2 meters on all sides, or almost 4 feet. Once deployed, the rover can get bigger.

Our rover has a footprint that is 1.19 x 0.9 meters and is 1.19 meters tall when stowed, says team lead Shelby Tull, a senior in aerospace engineering from Nashville, Tenn., who founded the project. It gets taller when we deploy its antenna. At its heaviest, the rover weighs 46.9 kg, or 103.4 pounds.

The rover is designed to accomplish four unique missions, Tull says.

One of those missions is life detection. More specifically, it has to look at rocks and soil and tell whether there is extant life, extinct life or no life, she says. The other missions are extreme retrieval and delivery involving picking up heavy objects and carrying them across difficult terrain, equipment servicing involving dexterous tasks like using a keyboard, and autonomous navigation.

Using a vacuum and cyclonic separator, the rover can pick up either Earthly dirt or Martian regolith and perform a bicinchoninic acid (BCA) test by adding a mixture of copper sulfate and BCA to the sample. If the chemicals turn purple, that indicates protein, which can only exist if there is extant life.

We use our onboard spectrometer to look for pigments that are also only found with life, such as chlorophyll and carotenoids, Tull says.

For rock samples, the rover has a rudimentary arm with a camera and a microscope to take a closer look at samples.

On rocks, we are really looking for endoliths and hypoliths those are colonies of organisms that grow on, inside and underneath the rock, Tull says. We might see streaks of green or gray, which indicate plant or bacterial life.

or extinct life, the rovers cameras allow the team to search out two types of fossils: cast fossils and trace fossils.

Cast fossils are what you usually think of when you think about a fossil, the actual shape of the organism petrified into rock, Tull says. Trace fossils are other things that organisms leave behind, such as footprints or nests.

Primarily manually operated, ASTRA is also able to autonomously drive to Global Positioning System (GPS) waypoints over flat terrain using an on-board GPS sensor and magnetometer to drive to coordinates.

Advised by Dr. Gang Wang, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and Dr. Richard Tantaris, a mechanical and aerospace engineering lecturer, the SHC team is working to enable the rover to detect obstacles in its path so it can operate autonomously on rougher terrain.

The main arm is remarkably precise in operation, and thats the result of a lot of design work upfront, says electrical lead Thomas Bennett, a graduate student in aerospace systems from Charleston, S.C.

Getting it to be so dexterous didnt really take much fine tuning at all, it was basically that good from when we first turned it all on! Bennett says. Thats not to say we just got lucky though. We really did our homework when designing it. We selected components and designed it from the beginning to have the best balance of strength and dexterity.

Weight is always a consideration in long-distance spaceflight and so the arm went through several design revisions to implement the same mechanical structure using lighter and lighter components, Bennett says.As for the software that controls it, I have to thank UAHs Dr. Farbod Fahimi, he says. Dr. Fahimi is an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Taking his MAE 664 class taught me everything I needed to know, Bennett says. I even used one of my old assignments as a basis for the control software.

Tull says that for her, the most challenging part of developing the device was designing the biosensor module used to detect life.

We have no biology or chemistry majors on the team at this time, so we had to do a lot of homework to get it right. It was very difficult to sort through scholarly research without being familiar with all the vocabulary used in biochemistry! she says.

We were also in uncharted territory when designing the spectrometer, which involved a lot of research in optics. Thomas actually wrote an optical simulation program in MATLAB, which simulated the path that rays of light follow in our spectrometer. He got it right to within 60 microns!

Other team members think the arms design and fabrication were the most challenging parts, she says. Most mechanical components were fabricated in the UAH Research Machine Shop under the guidance of Jim Buckley, prototype development specialist. Final assembly and all electronics work was done in the Space Hardware Clubs lab in UAHs Optics Building.

It was pretty challenging finding enough room to work, but Id say weve managed it pretty nicely, Tull says. Space Hardware Clubs cage in the shop is full, and we have to share lab space with other Space Hardware Club projects, but working under difficult constraints is what engineers do.

The design and refinement process hasnt stopped as the team advances through the layers of URC review needed first before ASTRA can actually perform on the desert sand. Testing has revealed opportunities for improvement in the suspension, wheels and drivetrain.

Were hoping to end up with a suspension structure thats trapezoidal instead of the triangle we have now, with larger wheels and more of a speed reduction between our motors and wheels, Tull says.

The team is also working to enclose exposed electronics, fine tune the camera placement and smooth operation through upgraded software.

Our current biosensor is also only a prototype, and were going to be going back and remaking that from scratch in order to make it much more refined, she says. Lastly, we also need to finish our autonomous navigation system by adding obstacle avoidance.

The 21-member ASTRA team is large, Tull says, but other URC teams have as many as 90 members.

We are actually on the smaller side for a URC team, she says. I founded this project in February, 2020, with about five or six other people, so we have definitely grown.

When she founded ASTRA, Tull had a completely different goal in mind.

At the time, I was obsessed with the prospect of interstellar exploration and specifically studying exoplanets, she says. In the future, space probes will have to autonomously identify their own science targets, simply because they are too far away for researchers at Earth to make decisions in real time.

ASTRA started out as an autonomous science target identification rover project.

However, just a couple weeks after I got some friends together for my idea, we discovered the University Rover Challenge, which combined several of my interests with several of theirs.

While the experience has taught her a lot, from technical information and design work to project management, Tull says the most important lesson is the value of surrounding herself with people who know a lot more than she does about their own unique fields.

Theres an old adage, If youre the smartest person in the room, youre in the wrong room, which I have found to be very true through this project, she says. I have learned so much over the course of two years, but it all boils down to the amazing peers who I have worked with along the way.

(Courtesy of UAH)

Originally posted here:

UAH Space Hardware Club team's robotic rover on its way to summertime competition in Utah - Yellowhammer News

Dr Ashley Mortensen is one of a team of scientists at Plant & Food Research looking at honey bees and pollination. Image / Supplied.

Honey bees threat overstated but new research is protecting colonies.

New Zealand scientists are using huge helium balloons to carry traps for honey bees at mating sites so they can analyse the catch to see how many carry a mite called varroa.

Watch the video here:

Video / Supplied by P&FR.

The mite is one of the major threats to honey bee health and this 'sky fishing' will help tell how healthy the colonies in the area are, says Plant & Food Research scientist, Dr Ashley Mortensen.

Varroa is one of the biggest issues facing honey bees round the around the world; the mite feeds on honey bees and carries a variety of bee diseases that often, if left untreated, result in colony death.

The Plant & Food Research team has been actively working with beekeepers on how best to manage varroa in colonies since the mite first came to New Zealand in the early 2000s monitoring the amount of varroa in colonies, testing existing methods of treating colonies, and developing new treatments against varroa.

Myths surrounding honey bees (all the bees are dying and, by implication from food shortages, so will we) have more to do with hyperbole, says Mortensen.

"Our food supplies do currently rely on honey bees many of our common fruits, vegetables and seed crops are pollinated by managed honey bees. But there are more than double the number of colonies in New Zealand now compared to 10 years ago, so the idea that we're losing honey bees as a resource is just not accurate."

Mortensen is one of a team of people at Plant & Food Research dedicated to understanding the roles of honey bees and other insects in crop pollination, as well as helping beekeepers ensure the health of their colonies.

"Pollination is a key contributor to our $60 billion of food exports," says Mortensen. "Without pollination, plants don't produce fruit or seed.

"A lot hinges on having healthy pollinators in the field at the right time. Honey bees are currently the only pollinator widely managed as part of the farming system."

Bee Biology & Productivity team leader Dr James Sainsbury says: "Honey bee colonies need to be managed to ensure they stay healthy and free from disease and to ensure the impact on our native ecosystems is minimised, much the same as farmers manage cow and sheep stocks."

Colony health is a big focus for Sainsbury's team but that health is not only impacted by pests and diseases. The size and composition of the colony can also determine its productivity. However, little is known about the ideal make-up of a colony for specialised jobs such as pollinating cherries in early spring, pollinating kiwifruit grown under nets, producing monofloral mnuka honey or a combination of any of these.

Plant & Food Research is collaborating with Queensland University of Technology and the University of Otago to determine the ideal colony age and demographics to encourage the maximum number of workers to forage for pollen and/or nectar.

"By getting more bees out foraging, more pollen gets moved between flowers," says Sainsbury, "and more nectar gets brought back to the hive for honey-making. If a colony is structured to optimise those activities, the colony becomes more productive and more valuable to the beekeeper and, in the case of pollination, the grower as well."

Another Plant & Food Research project is trying to determine the best way to manage honey bees to pollinate crops grown under cover or in glasshouses.

"More crops are being grown under cover, to protect from weather events or to create longer growing seasons in climate-controlled environments," says Sainsbury. "As a rule, honey bees like space foraging 3km or more from their hive so we need to understand whether it's possible to manipulate the behaviour of a colony to focus on pollination in a confined space."

While honey bees are plentiful, land use change is having an effect on the 28 species of bee that are native to Aotearoa New Zealand. Of these, 27 are not found elsewhere and several are now threatened with extinction.

Most have evolved to feed on the nectar of native plants, including mnuka, a hugely desired resource for beekeepers who focus on producing honey - mnuka honey can sell for up to $5000 per kg overseas. These native bees, as well as other insects, are also pollinating crops. Research has shown boosting pollination with wild pollinators can contribute gains of up to $3000 per hectare.

"Native insects are important parts of our food production system," says Dr Brad Howlett, leader of Plant & Research's Beneficial Biodiversity team. "They may be better pollinators for some of our crops than honey bees if we can find ways to manage them.

"Unfortunately, they've been largely ignored historically, so we're only now beginning to understand how they're contributing, how we can encourage more of these species onto our farms and orchards, and the impact farming and land use change is having on the native insect population."

Howlett believes more research is needed about the role native bees play in the ecosystem and how farming practices might affect them.

Mortensen says: "We just don't know enough about our native bees and whether they'll react the same way as honey bees to many of our farming practices. We're trying to create a testing standard to assess the impact of agrichemicals on native bees as well as honey bees."

"There's so much more we need to learn about our native insects in Aotearoa New Zealand," says Mortensen. "When we say Save the Bees, we need to be thinking beyond honey bees and find ways to save our native species too."

See the article here:

Where would we be without bees? - New Zealand Herald

World famous blind mystic Baba Vanga, who predicted 9/11 and Brexit, predicted Putin would become 'Lord of the World'.

The fortune teller 'saw' may natural disasters and warned about conflicts before they happened, including with Russia or Ukraine.

She died in the mid 90s aged 85, but the Eastern European hinted at what we could expect in the future and became known as 'Nostradamus of the Balkans'.

READ MORE - We stayed in Edinburgh's fanciest penthouse that is popular with celebrities

It has now been suggested she predicted Vladimir Putin and Russia will dominate the world.

In a meeting with writer Valentin Sidorov, Vanga in 1979, BirminghamLive reported she said: All will thaw, as if ice, only one remain untouched - Vladimirs glory, glory of Russia.

"Too much it is brought in a victim. Nobody can stop Russia.

"All will be removed by her from the way and not only will be kept, but also becomes the lord of the world.

Before her death, Vanga predicted glorious future for Russia once more, the Daily Post reported.

According to the clairvoyant, Russia will be the worlds only superpower.

She also made a chilling prophecy about the use of nuclear weapons and World War 3.

Blinded after being picked up by a freak tornado as a child, Baba Vanga - born Vangelia Gushterova - believed she had the ability to foresee the future. She reportedly made hundreds of predictions in her 50-year career.

She shot to prominence after accurately predicting the sinking of the Kursk in 2000.

Her millions of followers believe she had paranormal abilities including telepathy and being able to communicate with aliens.

Her numerous predictions about world events and the state of humanity have become infamous, including claims she predicted the rise of ISIS and the fall of the Twin Towers.

The Irish Mirror also told of her chilling predictions today and how some of them have come true.

Specialists have since calculated that 68 per cent of her prophecies had happened - slightly less than the 85 per cent claimed by her followers.

These are some of her other previous predictions:

In 1980 the blind prophetess predicted that in August of 1999, Kursk will be covered with water and the whole world will weep over it.

Kursk was a Russian sub that Sank in the Barents Sea on August 12, 2000, killing all aboard.

In 1989 Baba Vanga said: Horror, horror! The American brethren will fall after being attacked by the steel birds. The wolves will be howling in a bush, and innocent blood will be gushing.

On September 11, 2001, planes hijacked by Islamic extremists hit the World Trade Center in New York, killing thousands of people.

According to Baba Vanga, the continent will cease to exist by 2016, and all that would remain will be empty spaces and wasteland, nearly devoid of any form of life.

Clearly not exactly right, but the UK did vote to leave the EU on June 23, 2016, creating a lot of turmoil.

She is reported to have said that chemical weapons would be used by extremists against Europe (or perhaps a nerve agent).

Baba Vanga had predicted that the 44th US president would be an African American, but she had also added that he would be the last one.

She claimed he would leave office at a time when the country would be in economic ruins, and there would be a huge divide between the northern and southern states as was the case during the American Civil War.

Baba also appeared to predict that the 45th president of the United States - who we now know to be Donald Trump - would be faced with a crisis which would bring the country down.

Her chilling prediction states: Everyone will put their hopes in him to end it, but the opposite will happen; he will bring the country down and conflicts between north and south states will escalate.

Some speculate the references to north and south could mean North and South Korea.

Babas predictions have been revisited after another mystic, who apparently foretold Donald Trumps presidency, claims to know the exact date World War 3 will start.

Self-proclaimed messenger of God Horacio Villegas believes nuclear war will break out on the 100th anniversary of the visitation of Our Lady of Fatima.

The clairvoyant claims to have envisioned Trump would win the US election as far back as 2015.

He reportedly predicted the billionaire businessman would become the illuminati king who will bring the world into WW3 .

Cold regions will become warm ... and volcanoes will awaken.

A huge wave will cover a big coast covered with people and towns, and everything will disappear beneath the water. Everything will melt, just like ice.

According to the prophetess, China will become a world power in 2018.

Shes probably out a few years here as China is already an economic and military powerhouse.

Weve also apparently got a change in the Earths orbit to look forward to some time before 2023.

A new energy source will be created and global hunger will start to be eradicated between 2025 and 2028. A manned spacecraft to Venus will be launched.

From 2033 to 2045 the polar ice caps will melt, causing ocean levels to rise.

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Baba Vangas predicted that body organs will be cloned by 2046, and that would be the easiest method of treatment.

Between 2072 and 2086 a classless, Communist society will thrive hand in hand with newly-restored nature.

A LOT happens from 2170 to 2256, including a Mars colony becoming a nuclear power and demanding independence from the earth, the establishment of an underwater city and the discovery of something terrible during the search for alien life.

Some time between 2262 and 2304 well crack time travel. Meanwhile, French guerrillas fight the Muslim authorities in France.

The secrets of the moon will be unveiled.

By 3797, everything on Earth will cease to exist. However, humans will be advanced enough to move to a new star system.

Read more:

Blind mystic Baba Vanga who predicted 9/11 and Brexit said Putin will be 'Lord of the World' - Edinburgh Live

A British restaurant chain serving Asian food inspired by the flavors of Japan is coming to Arlington.

Wagamama is expected to open in Clarendon this summer, the company announced. It will be located in a 5,100 square foot space at 2950 Clarendon Blvd formerly home to Oz Restaurant and the short-lived La Tagliatella and will be the first D.C. area location for the company.

Wagamama has over 200 locations in 27 countries, including several in New York City, and is in the midst of an expansion.

The Clarendon location of the vibrant full-service restaurant, known for its social and experiential eating-environment, will offer diners that same Wagamama experience, featuring beloved noodle dishes, signature ramens, and shareable plates inspired by Japanese, Chinese and Korean food, said a press release. Fresh juices, craft cocktails and an extensive sake, beer and wine list will also be prominent, making this a great destination for social occasions (including happy hour).

Wagamama will be open for lunch and dinner and will feature an expansive patio in addition to the large indoor dining space.

The full press release is below.

Leading international restaurant brand Wagamama will expand its U.S. presence with a Summer 2022 opening in Arlingtons Clarendon neighborhood. The 5,100 square foot restaurant, located at 2950 Clarendon Boulevard, will be the companys first location in the Washington, D.C. region and will serve an array of fresh, cooked-to-order Asian-inspired bowls, curries, and creative craft cocktails during lunch and dinner services.

Wagamama first opened in London in 1992 and quickly hooked diners on its bowl to soul dining philosophy, which has spurred the companys continuous expansion to over 200 locations in 27 countries. The Clarendon location of the vibrant full-service restaurant, known for its social and experiential eating-environment, will offer diners that same Wagamama experience, featuring beloved noodle dishes, signature ramens, and shareable plates inspired by Japanese, Chinese and Korean food. Fresh juices, craft cocktails and an extensive sake, beer and wine list will also be prominent, making this a great destination for social occasions (including happy hour).

We couldnt be more excited to open our first location in Northern Virginia and introduce Wagamama to Clarendon and the entire Washington, D.C. region, said Richard Flaherty, co-CEO of Wagamama USA. Our modern, pan-Asian cuisine will fit right in with the dynamic international community of the DC area, he continued. We look forward to bringing the elevated, high energy Wagamama experience to the Clarendon neighborhood this summer.

The restaurant, which hosts a multi-featured dining area and an expansive patio, will open for lunch and dinner daily. Final menus, operating hours, and design details will be made available closer to opening.

Excerpt from:

NEW: Asian food chain Wagamama coming to former Oz space in Clarendon - ARLnow

When Rasberry crazy ants appear in North America, they wreak havoc. The species is native to South America, but has now invaded Texas and big parts of southeastern US, kicking out native insects and causing major headaches for homeowners. Even a NASA space center was invaded by these ants. But now, researchers report, they may have met their match in the most surprising of opponents: a fungus.

Rasberry ants may sound cute, but theyre not just called rasberry ants theyre called Rasberry crazy ants, and theres a reason for that. They originate from South America, and are common in Colombia, where many farmers know and fear them. Not only do these ants move in and displace native insect species (making them a very dangerous invasive species), but they can even threaten farm animals. Farmers have reported cases where chickens were asphyxiated by the ants, and even larger animals such as cattle are attacked around the eyes, nostrils, and hooves. Rasberry crazy ants can also destroy entire ecosystems by building their own farms. Essentially, the ants farm with plant-sucking insects (aphids) that they use for feeding, which can dry out large areas of grassland.

The ants are also very resilient: a 2014 study found that they are able to cover themselves with formic acid as an antidote against the venom of fire ants the first known example of an insect being able to neutralize another insects venom. Colonies also have multiple queens, which enables them to survive if something happens to one of the queens.

All in all, rasberry crazy ants are excellent survivors, which is great for them, but bad for people whose houses they enter.

To make matters even worse, the species seems to be spreading throughout Texas and several parts of Mexico and the US. They often overrun houses, flooding the electrical system, AC, and any big enough holes they can find, causing shorts and a swarm of problems. Back in 2008, even NASAs Johnson Space Center had an invasion which was handled by Tom Rasberry, the exterminator who first identified the ants in 2002 and lent them his name.

But researchers have found something that may defeat these super invasive ants.

Some 8 years ago, Rob Plowes and Lawrence Gilbert at Brackenridge Field Laboratory were studying rasberry crazy ants gathered from Florida, when they noticed something unusual: some of them had bloated abdomens filled with fat. When they looked closer, the researchers found spores from a microsporidian (a group of fungal pathogens); it wasa species new to science. But the interesting things were just beginning.

Microsporidian pathogens often hijack the cells of insects and turn them into fat used to fuel spore factories. Theyre so-called hyperparasites parasites of parasites. Its not clear where this particular microsporidian species came from, but it seems to do a great job at parasitising the ants. Researchers observed 15 ant populations for 8 years, noting that every population that had the pathogen declined and most of them disappeared entirely. It was pretty surprising.

You dont expect a pathogen to lead to the extinction of a population, LeBrun said. An infected population normally goes through boom-and-bust cycles as the frequency of infection waxes and wanes.

While its not clear exactly why this fungus hits these ants so hard, this gave researchers an idea: since other species dont seem to be affected by it, what if the fungus was used as a way to control the ants?

They needed a test site to put their hypothesis to work and the perfect site eventually came. At Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco, Texas, in 2016, the rasberry crazy ants were causing mayhem. The park was losing its insects to the ants, and even snakes, lizards, and birds were severely affected. Rangers reported baby rabbits being blinded in their nests by swarms of ants. The situation was desperate.

They had a crazy ant infestation, and it was apocalyptic, rivers of ants going up and down every tree, LeBrun said. I wasnt really ready to start this as an experimental process, but its like, OK, lets just give it a go.

They gave it a go, and lo and behold it worked. The team was sneaky about it: they placed hot dogs around the exit chambers to attract local ants. But they also put ants infected with the mushroom next to the hot dogs, to get the two groups to mingle. They did merge and within a year, the fungus brought devastation to the ant colonies. Within a year, virtually all colonies were infected. Within two years, their population started to plunge. Now, theyre virtually non-existent, and the native species are returning.

Researchers arent sure how long this will last, or if its permanent. But it seems to be a way to get rid of these ants and all the harm they bring, and given how problematic the species are and how much theyre spreading, its worth the shot.

This doesnt mean crazy ants will disappear, LeBrun said. Its impossible to predict how long it will take for the lightning bolt to strike and the pathogen to infect any one crazy ant population. But its a big relief because it means these populations appear to have a lifespan, said LeBrun

I think it has a lot of potential for the protection of sensitive habitats with endangered species or areas of high conservation value, the researcher concludes.

The study was published in PNAS.

Read the original post:

Super invasive ants meet their demise at the hand of kryptonite fungus - ZME Science

This room was thumping, Plymouths Director of Elder Affairs Michelle Bratti said with a turn of her head towarda large open room where a dance class had just finished and women were coming out, smiling widely and toweling their faces and necks.

That room is just one of several at the Center for Active Living(CAL)at 44Nook Roadthat plays host to its 240 programs and activities.

While hundreds of the towns older residents know full well what the CAL has to offer, the center was recently awarded a grant from the Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging to promote its new Senior Welcome Wagon Program designed to introduce newcomers of a certain age to everything both the CAL and the town itself have to offer.

We are a full-service facility, Bratti said. We really run the gamut.

To spread awareness of the center, Bratti said residents turning 60 will receive a happy birthday card welcoming them to the Exclusive CAL Club. The town clerk's office assisted in helping them coordinate the effort.

Each month, the club will conduct a lecture speaker series as well as special welcoming events.

Plymouth has been named one of the best places to retire in Massachusetts, part of the grant proposal read. With over 16 55+ communities, Plymouths senior population continues to grow and a need for a welcoming initiative would not only be incredibly valuable but is also so important for engagement."

COVID-19not only impacted seniors ability to come to the center and take part in its social, physical and educational offerings, but it also kept many people restricted to their homes, a particularly painful situation for people living alone or those who found themselves physically cut off from their families.

With the pandemic receding, at least for the time being, Bratti said the 22,000-square-foot building next to Plymouth North High School is a great place to visit for an upbeat change of pace.

Were coming back, and we're coming back stronger than ever, she said. Its a welcoming place, a light airy place to come.

She adds its a far cry fromthe first senior center that opened in town in the early-'70s in a third-floor space with no elevators.

The CAL was built about 10 years ago, but the name changesenior center happened just a few years back.

More than just a rebranding for modern times, the change more accurately reflects how participants use the building.A recent survey of the centers guests showed that 45 percent take part in the CALs physical fitness progress, and 49 percent said they would like to see even more classes offered.

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In addition to artistic and physical programs, the mind is also kept sharp through a hot topic debate group and lifelong learning courses offered in-house by the Senior College of Bridgewater State University. There are also numerous support groups along with legal and financial services.

The police department, along with town officials, visit on a regular basis to answer questions and share information. The outreach also includes monthly visits from Select Board member Harry Helm, who is the boards liaison to the CAL.

While certainly helpful to existing patrons, those interactions are of particular importance to the people being sought out as part of the Senior Welcome Wagon.

We want people to know whats happening in their new town, Bratti said.

She said new plans and programs are always being added, and opportunities continue to present themselves. She noted, for example, a private grant that will allow the center to offer on-demand rides through GATRA for seniors wishing to come to the CAL.

We dont sit still here, she said.

To find out more about the CAL and its activities, visit its Facebook or YouTube pages or visit plymouth-ma.gov/center-active-living.

Link:

Plymouth CAL is coming back 'stronger than ever' with Senior Welcome Wagon - Wicked Local

The story of Virginias first representative legislative assembly begins in Jamestown colony, continues to Williamsburg and onto Richmond

Even after enduring their ocean journey, Virginias original settlers still felt a need to have some form of government. John Smith, who was the groups leader, headed the early Virginia Council. Eleven years later, the Virginia Company of London pushed through a series of reforms that became the Great Charter. These instructions were sent to George Yardley, who would become governor in 1619.

Yardley was charged with selecting two males from each of the 11 settlements that had spawned as more men, women and families arrived in Virginia. They were to attend an assembly for the purpose of passing laws and bettering the colony. The 11 that became known as burgesses joined the governor and a council appointed by the Virginia Company. The governor had veto power and could dissolve the assembly at any time. (The ability to dissolve the General assembly becomes significant 100 years later.) The meeting of the first assembly took place from July 30 through August 4, 1619. The meeting took place in Jamestown Church, the colonys largest building at the time.

Several committees were formed and charged with reviewing the Great Charter and new laws that addressed concerns brought to the assembly by the burgesses. Any law passed by the assembly was subject to approval by the Virginia Company in England. The House of Burgesses only met a few times after 1619 and the assembly wasnt recognized by the English crown until 1627. The Virginia Company continued appointing governors and issuing instructions, but a peoples representative form of government had begun. During the 1640s, the assembly evolved into a two-house form of government that continues in todays Virginia General Assembly. Other English colonies adopted the Virginia model and eventually, the democratic government of the United States of America did the same.

Jamestown Church, constructed in brick from 1639 onward, in Jamestown in the Mid-Atlantic state of Virginia, is one of the oldest surviving building remnants built by Europeans in the original 13 colonies.

As the English settlements moved west and north, new Indian tribes were encountered. Often, English colonists were not welcome and hostilities followed. Sir William Berkeley, Virginia governor, did little to protect the frontier. In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon formed an unofficial militia. They mistakenly killed some friendly Indians, which sparked retaliation and Governor Berkeleys anger. Bacons rebellion was underway. The two armies met in Jamestown and rather than giving up, Bacon burned the city including the church and the statehouse. Hostilities, fire, brackish drinking water and a second statehouse fire in 1693 convinced the General Assembly a move was necessary.

To learn more about Jamestown cultures from three continents, their struggles, tragedies and the shaping of a new nation, begin planning your visit at jyf.org

After considerable lobbying beginning as early as 1693 by students at William & Mary College, the General Assembly agreed. In 1699, Virginias government followed the colonial settlement inland trend and relocated to Middle Plantation, home of the college. The new capital city was designed a mile away and named Williamsburg. Although the Governors Palace took 16 years to build, it was designed and built to face the Wren Building on the colleges campus where the General Assembly met.

Construction of the Williamsburg Capitol building in Williamsburg began in 1701 and was completed in 1705, although the legislation moved in during 1704. The Colonial Capitol was a two-story H-shaped brick structure and functioned as two buildings. Each wing hosted one of the two houses of the Virginia legislature, the Council and the House of Burgesses. Due to the history of fires in the previous capitols, Harry Cary, the contractor, did not place fireplaces in the new capitol building. However, chimneys were added for fireplaces in 1723 to keep the capitol dry. Given the history of capitol fires, you probably expect another disaster. Almost 25 years later on January 30, 1747, the building burned.

It was considered by many legislators that now was the time to move the Capitol to a location that was better for trade and had access to navigation. Governor William Gooch preferred the Capitol be rebuilt. By a 40-38 vote, the burgesses agreed. Imagine the voices that were heard in that new Capitol building.

The walls of the new Capitol heard fiery speeches and major decisions. There was Patrick Henrys powerful speech against the Stamp Act and discussion on George Masons Virginia Declaration of Rights. It was men like George Washington, George Wythe, Thomas Jefferson and others whose voices played a part in the revolution. Following the Boston Tea Party, Governor Dunwoody dissolved the legislators as punishment.

The Virginia voices would not be quieted and they began meeting in Raleigh Tavern. After a series of Virginia Conventions on May 15, 1776, the 5th Virginia Convention declared freedom from England. The building was last used as the Capitol on December 24, 1779, when the General assembly voted to move the Capitol to Richmond in 1780.

A re-enactment of the first legislative assembly in Jamestown Settlement.

Colonial Williamsburg tells a compelling story of Virginia life and the Virginian Nation Builders who occupied early Williamsburg. Begin planning your tour by visiting online at colonialwilliamsburg.com.

It was 1785 that Jefferson, then the Ambassador to France, was asked to help design the new Capitol building. He called for a classical Roman temple style. Governor Patrick Henry laid the cornerstone that same year. The Capitol was completed in 1798. Its design and construction have influenced others both nationally and federally.

One very inspiring accent within the building is the statue of George Washington, the only one he ever posed for. Its his actual height of 6-foot-2 and hes presented as a statesman, soldier and farmer with implements that show each. Washington was 53 years old when he posed, after the American Revolution, but before his Presidency. The statue was installed in 1796. Throughout the guided tour historical statuary and paintings, newly restored legislative chambers and rare exhibit objects are showcased.

Our nations oldest legislative assembly served as the Confederate Congress from 1861-1865 and had its first multi-racial session in 1867-68. This marvelous structure is filled with history and a must see. Begin planning online at virginiacapitol.gov.

Make time for the Fort Monroe Visitor and Education Center. The fort served as a refuge for contraband during the Civil War. Add the Casemate Museum to your itinerary. Its at the fort and continues the fascinating story of this attraction. Standing near the entrance to Hampton University, the Emancipation Oak was the site of the first Southern reading of President Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Bring history forward at the Virginia Air & Space Science Center and 3D IMAX Theater. The new Space Explorer Gallery joins amazing exhibits, films and aircraft is a must see. Allow time for a ride on the vintage carousel just outside the Centers front door. VisitHampton.com

Theres much to explore in Newport News and The Mariners Museum and Park is a good place to begin. A 3D movie in the Explorers Theater followed by the USS Monitor Center, home of the Civil War ironclads gun turret and more, gets you going. Allow time for the miniature ships displays and the International Small Craft Center and more. Virginia Living Museum is Virginias animal attraction. Discover wonders from the Chesapeake Bay and a cypress swamp to a limestone cave and the Appalachian Mountains. Explore the wonders of space in the Abbitt Planetarium.

Jamestown Settlement and Colonia Williamsburg played a significant part in our history, but theres one place where our freedom was cemented. The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown blends vibrant exhibits, films and outdoor living history to tell the story of the original colonies and the Constitution. Theres still plenty to do in Williamsburg from a wealth of attractions and shopping to outdoor activities and restaurants. Remember to find time for the wonderful art museums within Colonial Williamsburg. Visitwilliamsburg.com

The Virginia Capitol is certainly an awesome reason to visit Richmond. There are plenty of additional options that will fit any itinerary. American Civil War Museum explores the war from all its complex perspectives Union and Confederate, enslaved and free African-Americans, soldiers and civilians. The ACWMs new theater and the film will open May 2022. Theres much to see in the gardens and architectural splendor of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Agecroft Hall, The Valentine and Maymont Mansion and Estate. Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia is a wonderful stop. You can learn more about the Virginia Museum of Fine Art in this guide. Start planning at Visitrichmond.com

By Dave Bodle

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Experiencing Virginia's Three Capitols is a Lesson in American History and Government - Leisure Group Travel