Deep in the depths of winter’s early sunsets, it can sometimes feel like we’ll never emerge from the darkness. But today, we’ve made it: It’s the summer solstice, aka the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. We hope you get to revel in the extra sunshine today — here are some ways people around the world celebrate the occasion (turns out the movie Midsommar isn’t the most accurate portrayal).
Evidence of termites in your house or on your deck is the stuff of nightmares, but along the Buffels River in South Africa, thousands of mounds belonging to the insects hold precious insight into our past. The hills were recently determined to be the world’s oldest inhabited termite mounds, thought to date as far back as between 13,000 and 34,000 years ago. “This is more than just an interesting scientific find or historical curiosity,” researcher Michele Francis wrote for The Conversation. “It offers a window into what our planet looked like tens of thousands of years ago, providing a living archive of environmental conditions that shaped our world.” One of the most important findings is the further confirmation that termites play a significant role in Earth’s carbon cycle. Francis and her colleagues, who began researching groundwater in the area in 2021, determined that the mounds have been accumulating carbon for millennia. And by studying them, scientists could learn more about mitigating climate change. “This is a long-term carbon storage method that carbon storage companies are trying to replicate to reduce atmospheric carbon,” wrote Francis, adding that “integrating these findings into environmental policies can help promote practices that support natural carbon sinks.”
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Earlier this month we reported on a novel prostate cancer test being trialed in the U.K., and today we’re sharing another promising step forward in the field. Researchers have developed a fluorescent dye that sticks to prostate cancer cells, enabling surgeons to remove malignant tissue they otherwise would not be able to see. In a preliminary study involving 23 men, the dye (which you can see here) successfully attached to proteins on cancer cells, highlighting them for the surgical team with the help of a specially designed imaging system. Cutting out cancerous cells is crucial to curing the disease in early stages, but it can be extremely difficult to catch those that have spread outside the main tumors to lymph nodes and other areas of the pelvis. “We are giving the surgeon a second pair of eyes to see where the cancer cells are and if they have spread,” lead author Freddie Hamdy said in a press release. “It’s the first time we’ve managed to see such fine details of prostate cancer in real-time during surgery.”
Culture
Founded in 1887, This Thriving Prison Newspaper Informs and Empowers Inmates
Minnesota Department of Corrections
It’s no secret that local news outlets have been struggling to stay afloat in recent years, but a specific type of press has been thriving as of late: prison newspapers. One such example is The Prison Mirror, written and published by inmates at the Minnesota Correctional Facility — Stillwater. Founded in 1887, the monthly paper is one of the oldest of its kind in the U.S., and a source of both information and empowerment for the people it serves. “Having a newspaper, it’s beneficial to everybody. It informs the population. It gives you a voice,” Mirror staff member Paul Gordon told NPR. “There’s a quote I like: You can either be an agent of destiny or a victim of it.” Inmates submit everything from summaries of current events and legal explainers to book reviews, personal essays, and editorials. Another staff member, Richard Adams, recently set up a suggestion box in his cell to get a better sense of what pieces to include, and he wants to start an advice column for fellow fathers. “You have a choice while you’re here, where you can change or you can go back out there and do the same things that got you in here,” said Adams. “You can go back out there and at least try to make a difference.” Go inside the newsroom.
In Other News
Most Americansfavor forgiving medical debt for people facing hardships, according to a new poll.
The Perseverance rover made an eye-catching discovery, capturing images of geographic features “never observed before on Mars,” NASA said.
Joshua tree seedlings are sprouting in Southern Californiathanks to record levels of precipitation in the region, a sign of hope for the fragile species.
A 500 million-year-old fossil is believed to belong to one of our earliest ancestors — and scientists may have been looking at it upside down for over a century.
“LeeBeth” the massive great white shark has returned to the Massachusetts coast after a 6,000-mile voyage. Track her journey with the Sharktivity app.
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Inspiring Story
“This is her lifetime achievement award”
It’s graduation season, and collegians of all ages have been donning caps and gowns. And we do mean all ages. Back in 1941, Virginia Hislop had taken the required classes to earn her master’s degree in education from Stanford University, but hadn’t yet submitted her thesis when the U.S. entered World War II and she left to assist in the effort. This month, at 105 years old, the grandmother and former college director finally received her diploma — as well as a standing ovation.
France continues gearing up for the 2024 Olympics, displaying banners like the one above and otherwise adorning Paris. And part of that prep involved a jaw-dropping photoshoot featuring athletes from different disciplines posing against the city’s stunning architecture at various historic sites.
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