The Atacama desert in Chile is the driest in the world, yet it’s still transformed into a sea of hardy wildflowers each spring. This year, however, a rare winter bloom (reminder: Chile is in the Southern Hemisphere) has blanketed the desert in white and purple. It’s a pre-spring treat!
Starting in the fall semester, paying tuition will be one less thing to worry about for most medical students at Johns Hopkins University. The good news comes thanks to businessman Michael Bloomberg’s philanthropic organization, which donated $1 billion to cover tuition for students who come from households earning less than $300,000. Additionally, students from families who bring in less than $175,000 will also have their fees and living expenses covered, the university announced Monday. Bloomberg explained the gift’s goal is twofold: remove some of the obstacles that often stop lower-income students from pursuing the medical field and help improve life expectancy in the country, which has declined in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “As the U.S. struggles to recover from a disturbing decline in life expectancy, our country faces a serious shortage of doctors, nurses, and public health professionals — and yet, the high cost of medical, nursing, and graduate school too often bars students from enrolling,” he said in a statement. “By reducing the financial barriers to these essential fields, we can free more students to pursue careers they’re passionate about — and enable them to serve more of the families and communities who need them the most.” Read more about the “transformative” donation.
Listen up: hear.com released the world’s first hearing aid designed with conversation in mind, and the difference is as crystal clear as the sound quality. The Horizon IX is the biggest breakthrough in over a decade, packing top-notch German engineering into a tiny device. That’s not all, of course. It’s also rechargeable and Bluetooth-enabled, and comes with hear.com’s award-winning support, flexible payment options, and no-risk 45-day trial. Click below to join the more than 385,000 people who are hearing better than ever.
It’s a question many college graduates face: Where to next? A new report from ADP Research Institute may help answer that question with its rankings of the best cities for recent grads, based on average wages, overall affordability, and hiring rates. Ben Hanowell, the institute’s director of people analytics research, told CBS News the study’s aim was to focus on three common questions young people ask during job searches: “Where am I likely to find a job? What kind of salary will I earn? And how far will it go?” With those factors in mind, the study found that the No. 1 city is (drumroll please) Raleigh, North Carolina. Aside from being relatively affordable, Raleigh also offers wages above the 80th percentile and has the best hiring rate for those fresh out of school. Other top-ranked cities include Baltimore, Maryland, Austin, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia, which Hanowell explained was “surprising” because “these areas are not the traditional tech hubs or financial hubs you might think about for college grads.” See the rest of the top 10.
Science
Oldest Known Picture Story Beats Previous Record by 6,000 Years
Ratno Sardi
Archaeologists say they’ve found the oldest known picture story in a cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The scene is believed to be “at least” 51,200 years old and depicts three human-animal beings with a wild pig, according to a study published last week. Until now, the record holder for the oldest picture story was a life-size painting of a wild pig located just over 6 miles away on the same island, The Guardian reported. That depiction was believed to be created at least 45,500 years ago, making it thousands of years younger. Adam Brumm, a professor from Griffith University and study co-author, told the outlet the scene offers a lens into what was important to these early people “symbolically and perhaps even spiritually.” He added: “Storytelling is a hugely important part of human evolution and possibly even helps to explain our success as a species, but finding evidence for it in art, especially in very early cave art, is exceptionally rare.” Check out the picture story and explore the discovery site.
In Other News
Colombia’s deforestation rate fell to a 23-year low in 2023 thanks in part to greater protection of the Amazon.
A preventative medicine for HIV is showing promise in a clinical trial, as not one woman receiving the biannual injections has contracted the virus in nearly three years.
Sunken treasures: Divers discovered around 300 new objects from an ancient shipwreck at the bottom of the Aegean Sea off the coast of Greece.
The National Kidney Foundation is looking to improve transplant equity by removing a race-based question from the Kidney Donor Profile Index.
Is that a manatee? A biologist explains how this “sea cow” may have made its way to an artificial lake in South Florida.
Something We Love
Solar-Powered Outdoor String Lights These waterproof, solar-powered string lights will transform your yard or patio into an awe-worthy wonderland. Each 36-foot strand features eight lighting modes, and they come in an array of aesthetic options, including standard and Moroccan-style bulbs in a variety of colors.
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Inspiring Story
Cats can bring out the best in us
Making friends isn’t always easy — sometimes, we need a little nudge to get out there. Bootsy the cat provided that nudge for “two opposites” who live down the street from each other. “The cat has changed my life,” said Enid Morrison, an octogenarian who bonded with a neighbor in his late 20s, all because of Bootsy.
This breathtaking shot from Jose Miguel Picon Chimelis, titled “A Night With the Valkyries,” is one of the shortlisted images for the 2024 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. Check out the rest of the contenders.
Hear Discreetly With the Horizon IX
You’ve heard the phrase “good things come in small packages,” and nothing could be truer for hear.com’s Horizon IX hearing aid. The device is so small, people won’t even know you’re wearing it. The clarity and sound quality, though? That packs a big punch.*
