Gone are the days of handing mom a supply list the night before classes begin. According to a recent survey from TeacherLists, 20% of families now begin their back-to-school shopping as early as June, getting well ahead of the school year. Platforms like TeacherLists allow parents and students to see their exact classroom supply lists, but if you don’t have a kiddo in school, you can help out an educator by buying something off their list via AdoptAClassroom.org.
Whale Watching From Home: The Annual Beluga Cams Go Live Today
Madison Stevens / Polar Bears International
It’s one of Nice News’ favorite times of year: We can officially start tuning in to the Beluga Cams, two livestreams from Polar Bears International. They launch each July 15 to celebrate Arctic Sea Ice Day, which the nonprofit hosts to raise awareness about preserving arctic habitats. The cams are attached to a boat in Canada’s Hudson Bay. “The underwater cam (hydrophone included!) catches belugas swimming right up to the boat, new babies in tow. The above-water cam gives you sea birds, passing boats, and even the occasional polar bear,” Director of Science Alysa McCall shared with Nice News in an email. In addition to enjoying the show, you can play a role as citizen scientist through the Beluga Bits project. It involves examining photos and footage of the playful cetaceans to help track characteristics like age, sex, group size, and identifying marks. Over 40,000 users have collected more than 10 million classifications so far, per McCall, and the project even helped identify a jellyfish species previously unknown to live in the Hudson Bay. Thecams will go live at 10 a.m. ET — watch here.
Together With MarketBeat
7 Space Stocks Wall Street Is Watching This Year
Space has stopped being a moonshot bet and started being a business. Launch costs are falling, government contracts are flowing, and satellite constellations and orbital AI are turning what was once experimental into a scalable, revenue-generating industry. MarketBeat’s free report breaks down seven companies sitting at the center of this shift, from launch providers to satellite makers and the data platforms, with a clear look at how each one actually makes money. It also tackles the question on every investor's mind: What does the SpaceX IPO mean for the space economy? Get the full analysis below.
In Sweet News, Floating Sugar Found in Interstellar Space
NASA; JAXA
Astronomers got quite a treat when they detected the same sugar that’s found in raspberries floatingin the interstellar medium. It’s the first time a sugar has been identified in this part of space and, even sweeter, it offers new clues about the origins of life, according to a paper published this week. “This finding was unexpected,” lead author Izaskun Jiménez-Serra said in a statement. The team detected the compound, called erythrulose, after using radio telescopes to collect data from a large gas cloud near the center of the Milky Way and then comparing it to lab samples. Though erythrulose itself isn’t an essential building block for life, other sugars are — and how sugar came into existence in the universe has largely mystified scientists. This new finding confirms that sugar can form before stars and planets and suggests that if sugar can be found in interstellar space, life-building ingredients might be in other places, too. As Jiménez-Serra explained to the Associated Press, “The key ingredients for the origin of life could be present in other regions across the galaxy, opening the possibility for life to develop elsewhere in the universe.”
Health
EMTs in Arizona Cool Overheated Patients With Zippable Ice Baths
The Washington Post/Getty Images
Millions in the U.S. are currently under extreme heat warnings or heat advisories, making Phoenix’s innovative approach to treating overheated patients all the more relevant. Emergency responders in the Arizona capital, which sees temps topping 100 degrees for nearly one-third of the year, are using cold-water immersion bags for those suffering from hyperthermia(the opposite of hypothermia). Here’s how they work: First responders place a patient inside a giant plastic bag, fill it with lots of ice, and then zip the bag up to the person’s mid-chest. This full-body cooling can quickly lower a patient’s core temperature, prevent organ damage, and ultimately keep them alive. A 2020 study titled “A Body Bag Can Save Your Life” found the tactic saved an unconscious 87-year-old woman, bringing her oral temperature from 104 to 101 within 10 minutes of immersion. Although the method is often used in hospitals, the Phoenix Fire Department may be the only one in the country to use it routinely in the field and has found it to be very effective, CBS News reports. “Oftentimes what we see is when we put them in this bag … before we get to the hospital, they’ve gone from completely unresponsive to responding appropriately to us,” one medic told the outlet. See a CBS reporter test out the bag — and then brush up on tips to stay safe when it’s hot out (when in doubt, drink a glass of water).
In Other News
In a first for a U.S. city, NYC will enact a “click-to-cancel” policy to make it easier to end subscriptions (read more)
Phase 1 of a clinical trial is underway for a vaccine against the Ebola strain continuing to spread in Congo (read more)
Archaeologists deciphered the name of the earliest-known scientist in the ancient Americas (read more)
A long-necked, plant-eating dinosaur was identified in Thailand — see what it may have looked like (read more)
Soccer is (marine) life: A newly discovered sea snail was named in honor of a newly heralded goalkeeper (read more)
Inspiring Story
A wave of neighborly love
When 4-year-old Roman Butzlaff was feeling lonely after his parents separated, he started filling his cup by greeting and waving to his neighbors in Concord, North Carolina. His friendliness kicked off a ripple effect, bringing his neighborhood together for birthday parties and soccer games. “If the world was like this child, what an awesome, awesome place it would be,” said one community member.
Photo of the Day
Ryan Pierse—FIFA/Getty Images
The World Cup will soon come to a close, and superfan Sherjeel Ahmed has some serious swag to show for it. Ahmed, who is from London, attended 16 matches across 12 cities in the three host countries, and collected shirts from all 48 teams (though, if you’re counting, you’ll notice a handful were lost on his travels). There are three matches left, one of which is today: Here’s how to watch England vs. Argentina — aka Harry Kane vs. Lionel Messi.
Quince Has First-Class Suitcases at Economy Prices
Everyone deserves access to the finer things in life, and that includes travel. So Quince set out to create a line of affordable, best-in-class luggage that stands up to the wear and tear of every journey. The Expandable Carry-On Suitcase is ultra-light with a super sturdy polycarbonate shell, interior compression panels, and a removable laundry bag. Breeze through the airport with smooth-gliding, high performance spinner wheels, a TSA-approved lock, a handy telescopic handle, and YKK zippers.
