Pet owners: Here’s your annual reminder to keep an eye out for foxtails when you’re taking your pup for a walk or letting your cat roam. These relatively unassuming grass seed pods are a major health hazard for pets as the sticky segments can “burrow into the skin, get stuck in the eyes, creep into ears, be inhaled into the nose, or even make [their] way into the lungs,” per veterinarian Erik Olstad. Learn what symptoms to look out for and how to avoid the dangers of the pesky plants.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to caring for jewelry: Here’s how to keep all your pieces in tip-top shape
Science
NASA Supercomputers Reveal Why Moon’s Sides Differ
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Scientists have long been aware of the differences between the near and far sides of the moon: The former features vast plains made of solidified molten rock, while the latter boasts rugged mountains. But in a new study published Wednesday, researchers created the most detailed lunar gravitational map to date, uncovering new insights into why the two surfaces contrast so dramatically. “We found that the moon’s near side is flexing more than the far side, meaning there’s something fundamentally different about the internal structure of the moon’s near side compared to its far side,” Ryan Park, supervisor at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a statement. His team’s findings suggest that volcanic activity billions of years ago created radioactive elements in the near side’s mantle, resulting in variations in gravity during the moon’s orbit around Earth. To get these results, the researchers analyzed data from NASA’s GRAIL mission and used NASA supercomputers to generate the new gravity map. “When we first analyzed the data, we were so surprised by the result we didn’t believe it,” Park said. “So we ran the calculations many times to verify the findings. In all, this is a decade of work.” Looking to the future, he believes the technique could be applied to study the interiors of other planetary bodies throughout the solar system.
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The Father-Son Duo Revolutionizing Homebuilding
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Right before Mother’s Day, two otters prepared to put their own motherly instincts to good use. Rescued southern sea otters Suri and Willow spent over two years growing up and learning maternal skills at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, and now they’re settling in at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, ready to impart their wisdom onto the next generation. In their new roles, Suri and Willow will hopefully teach orphaned otter pups survival skills like diving, foraging, and hunting. Back in 2022, the surrogate moms were found as orphans themselves at 2 weeks old, stranded on separate California beaches. “This is a full circle moment as we deliver on our promise to prepare this pair to potentially help rescued pups return to the wild after learning critical life skills,” Andrea Oake, manager of sea otters and sea lions at Shedd, said in a statement. The duo are part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sea Otter Surrogacy Program, a conservation initiative that’s helped protect this endangered species since the ’80s. “We are proud to play this role in their journey and to be part of this effort to expand the capacity of the surrogacy program,” Oake said. Watch Suri and Willow journey to California.
Environment
In Ohio, a 2,000-Year-Old Sacred Native American Earthwork Has Reopened to the Public
Ohio History Connection
Two thousand years ago, members of the Hopewell Culture — a group of Indigenous tribes that lived in what is now Ohio and other parts of the Midwest — began building a series of massive mounds and enclosures that exemplified their engineering skills and advanced knowledge of the cosmos. When Europeans arrived and eventually industrialized the region, many of these earthworks were destroyed or closed to visitors. Now, one site is accessible to the public for the first time in over a century, and it’s helping bring the structures the widespread recognition they deserve. Octagon Earthworks in Newark, Ohio, had been used as a private country club since 1910. But in 2023, the Octagon and seven other earthworks that comprise the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks were announced as the nation’s 25th UNESCO World Heritage site. Then, on Jan. 1, 2025, over a decade since it began negotiations on the area, the nonprofit Ohio History Connection took over the country club’s lease and opened the site’s (metaphorical) doors to all. “I want people to be able to see it,” Chief Glenna Wallace, of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, told the BBC. “I want people to be able to visit it and want people to realize that it is a cultural phenomenon. That it’s priceless.” See photos of the sacred earthwork.
In Other News
An already-approved migraine drug may prevent a plethora of symptoms hours before headaches begin (read more)
Egypt recovered a rare trove of smuggled ancient artifacts from the U.S. on Monday: Take a peek (read more)
Drawing from volcanic reservoirs, a power plant will generate clean electricity for 66,000 people in Dominica (read more)
This centuries-old dye tradition is being passed on to Maryland college students by a Korean-born artist (read more)
Leopards on live stream? Meet the feline celebs being broadcast on YouTube from South Africa (read more)
Inspiring Story
Shoot for the moon
As a youngster, Rosemary Coogan dreamed of being an astronaut, but she sidestepped that goal to work in astrophysics instead. Still, when the European Space Agency started looking for new recruits to travel to space, she applied — and was chosen out of over 22,000 people. Now she’s in the midst of training to commence an expected 35-year space career that may result in her becoming the first British astronaut to walk on the moon. “It’s incredibly exciting that we, as humanity, are going back to the moon, and of course, any way that I could be a part of that, I would be absolutely delighted,” Coogan said.
Photo of the Day
Shanell Owen / U.S. Department of the Interior
Tucked away by the northern Nevada city of Elko is Sunflower Flats, an expansive high-desert landscape that boasts open skies and wildflowers, which are in peak bloom from June to July. Visitors can hike, embark on scenic drives, and potentially get a glimpse of the sunflower fields the area is named after.
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