Let's hear it for the worms! 🙌🏽
Named for their acorn-shaped front end, enteropneusts are actually more closely related to humans than to worms. They have a rudimentary nerve cord that is similar to ours, and they breathe oxygen using structures similar to a fish's gills.
Acorn worms are also connected to humans through the carbon cycle. They play a significant role in the redistribution of sediment and nutrients in deep-sea communities.
Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere mixes into the ocean at the surface. Tiny plant-like plankton transform carbon dioxide into organic material and are then eaten by larger animals. As these animals eat, poop, and die, they create a flurry of organic material known as marine snow. The sinking snow moves nutrients and carbon all the way down to the deep seafloor, where bottom-dwelling animals, like acorn worms, enjoy a bountiful feast. This cycle is known as the biological pump.
As they do their part to help regulate climate, we can do our part by drastically reducing our carbon dioxide emissions. The ocean is a powerful ally that has buffered us from the impacts of climate change—now it is our turn to act on climate change to safeguard the future of the ocean and its inhabitants.
EartHEAT
Artwork by @albedrillo on IG - Please don't remove credits
🔥🇦🇷 Argentina | Wildfire Reaches National Route in Patagonia
In Chubut Province, Patagonia, a major wildfire continues to spread and has reached National Route 40 on the stretch between Epuyén and El Hoyo.
🚧 Due to the advancing flames, traffic on the highway is under threat, with possible restrictions or temporary closures. Firefighting and emergency services are operating under difficult conditions, working to contain the fire front and prevent further spread.
🌡️ The situation is being worsened by hot weather, very dry air, and gusty winds, increasing the risk of rapid fire growth. Authorities urge residents and drivers to remain cautious and follow official updates.
📍 Epuyén — El Hoyo, Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina
🔗 Source: La Nación (https://www.lanacion.com.ar/sociedad/el-fuego-rugiendo-y-los-animales-gritando-continua-el-dramatico-incendio-en-chubut-y-el-humo-impide-nid08012026/)
No U.S. states had a record cold winter. Nine had a record hot one — Scientific American http://news.usaunify.org/TRcmGw
Norse Greenland Vanished
Imagine a thriving Viking colony in icy isolation—then total silence. From 985 to the 1400s, Norse settlers built churches, farmed livestock, and dressed like Europeans thousands of miles away. Yet they vanished without trace, unnoticed by the world. This 500-year mystery still baffles historians.
Key Facts
- Settled in 985 CE: Erik the Red led Norse from Iceland to Greenland's fjords.
- Peak population: Around 5,000 people in two main settlements—Eastern and Western.
- Daily life: Raised cattle, sheep, hunted seals; built stone churches and turf homes.
- Last signs: Church records until 1408; a 1540 wedding hints at stragglers.
- No bodies, no clues: Farms abandoned intact, tools left behind.
Historical Context
Norse arrived during medieval warm period, when milder climate aided farming in Greenland's harsh fjords. They traded walrus ivory and furs with Europe but clashed with Inuit newcomers over resources. Isolation grew as Europe's climate cooled, stranding them far from aid.
Historical Significance
Their disappearance reveals climate's power over societies. It shows how stubborn traditions—like refusing fish despite starvation—doomed them amid cooling temperatures and Inuit competition. This tale warns modern eyes: even advanced outposts crumble when nature shifts. Archaeologists still dig for answers in frozen ruins.
Ultra Wild: An Audacious Plan for Rewilding Every City on Earth by Steve Mushin. Graphic Universe, 2025. 9798765647073. 91pp.
This is inventor Steve Mushin's nonfiction graphic novel of ideas for saving the world from climate change. At its heart is the idea of rewilding the earth to capture carbon. Mushin takes inspiration from science and his own outlandish imagination to inspire others to use theirs. Some of the ideas he comes up with and illustrates: compost-firing cannons attached to toilets with legs, turning cities into vast forests where humans share space with animals with the help of recycled plastics and printers (including self-replicating bird-shaped printers), and much more. Mushin continually acknowledges the tough road ahead of us and the science at the heart of his solutions to climate change.
Epic. Oversized! Plus it's a beautifully illustrated and fun book full of science. It belongs in every school and public library.