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Space scientists say they have identified what might be the "perfect explosion," but much work remains to fully explain the observation. The explosion, called a kilonova, was observed in 2017 and has been studied carefully since then. Astronomers say a kilonova happens when two neutron stars crash into each other. The rapidly growing explosion that they described went beyond the researchers’ expec...

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s family recently announced that he is receiving special care and is preparing for the end of his life. Carter is under hospice care. Hospice care means the former president is being looked after so he can live his remaining days comfortably. But he will not seek medical treatment to extend his life. In some cases, people under hospice care receive drugs so they...

In two recent studies, researchers say warm water is melting weak areas on Antarctica’s huge Thwaites Glacier. Two research papers describing melting recently appeared in the publication Nature. The research results came after an investigative effort involving a team of 13 American and British scientists. Teams spent about six weeks on the glacier in late 2019 and early 2020. 在最近的两项研究中，...

The size of the ship and the shoes seized Robert Ballard’s attention when he saw the wreckage of the Titanic from a submarine deep below the sea. “The first thing I saw coming out of the gloom…was this wall, this giant wall of…steel that rose over 100 and some feet above us,” Ballard told the Associated Press. “I never looked down at the Titanic. I looked up at the Titanic. Nothing was small.” In...

Avian flu has reached new areas of the world and has become a year-round problem, animal and disease experts warn. More than 20 experts and farmers on four continents spoke to the Reuters news agency about the problem. They suggested that record outbreaks will not stop soon on poultry farms. They also warned that farmers must view the disease as a serious risk all year, instead of doing prevention...

In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Carnival is back. The Carnival is a week-long celebration marking the beginning of the Easter season in the Catholic church. Brazil’s federal government expects 46 million people to join the festivities that officially begin Friday and run through Feb. 22. It features many parades filled with music and samba dancing. Among them is a group from Turma da Paz de Madurei...

Our planet is heating up due to something called the greenhouse effect. This is one of the reasons why Earth is seeing more extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, forest fires and floods each year. But what exactly is the greenhouse effect, and what can we do to reduce it? 由于称为温室效应的现象，我们的星球正在升温。这就是为什么地球每年都会发生更多极端天气事件，例如热浪、森林火灾和洪水的原因之...

Most of us would agree that being healthy is important. We are inundated with articles in health magazines talking about the latest fad diets, or adverts that offer potential miracle cures for obesity that are often too good to be true. One of the latest crazes is fasting, often referred to as intermittent fasting. But what is it? And how can it help us to lose weight? 我们大多数人都会同意健康很重...

For many of us, our closest encounter with wild animals is at a zoo. These places allow us to observe the behaviours and characteristics of amazing creatures from big cats to tiny amphibians. It's an enjoyable and educational experience for us, but is it the best environment for the animals? 对于我们中的许多人来说，与野生动物最亲密的接触是在动物园。这些地方让我们能够观察到从大型猫科动物到小型两栖...

A recent study says there are enough rare earth metals on Earth for new “low-carbon electricity generation” technologies. Rare earth metals come from minerals found in countries around the world. The researchers said more mining is needed to make more of the valuable metals available to industry. Rare earth metals are in demand for products such as magnets, wind turbines, solar panels and computer...

A new museum in Mexico aims to educate the public about the critically endangered axolotl salamander. The museum recently opened at Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City. The axolotl is native only to Mexico. The animal is extremely endangered in the wild because its natural environment is increasingly threatened. The salamander has captured wide attention for its ability to heal itself when its body get...

Indoor plants are a beautiful way to brighten up your home, especially in the gray months of winter. But there can be a dark side to houseplants if you have children or if children visit your home. It is important that you know which plants are toxic to young, curious humans.↳ Gardening expert Jessica Damiano recently wrote about the issue for The Associated Press. She said she often poi...

February 12 is not a holiday in the United States, but it may seem like one to many Americans because of one big game. Tens of millions of Americans will gather for parties at restaurants and homes around the nation. They will enjoy food and drink together. Then, these families and friends, in groups of all sizes, will settle around televisions. It is Super Bowl Sunday in America. 2 月 12 日...

A recently released study says the average yearly temperature on Greenland has increased by 1.5 degree Celsius above the average for the 20th century for a 15-year period ending in 2011. Scientists used examples of Greenland’s ice to get information about temperatures from hundreds of years in the past. Until recently, Greenland’s ice cores had not shown a clear sign of warming on the remotest nor...

The actor Ke Huy Quan has traveled an often-changing path on his way to America’s most important movie honors, the Academy Awards. The 51-year-old was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the 2022 film, Everything Everywhere All at Once. Few Oscar nominees this year have gone as far to reach the Academy Awards as Quan. Born in Vietnam, he and his family fled that country in 1978...

An Italian ship in waters near Antarctica has sailed further south than any ship has done before. The ship was able to make it so far south because of an unusual lack of ice in the Antarctic.↳ The ship, called the Laura Bassi, made it into the Bay of Whales in the Ross Sea. The location was confirmed by Italy’s Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics. The Laura Bassi is carrying scientist...

This week, Google researchers published a paper describing results from an artificial intelligence (AI) tool built to create music. The tool, called MusicLM, is not the first AI music tool to launch. But the examples Google provides demonstrate musical creative ability based on a limited set of descriptive words. AI shows how complex computer systems have been trained to behave in human-like ways....

Educators say children’s behavior reached crisis levels after the pandemic shutdowns. Now, many schools are facing pressure from critics to rethink the ways they discipline students. In recent years, some schools have adopted policies intended to reduce suspensions and expulsions. Some experts say suspensions and expulsions hurt students’ ability to learn and largely affect minority stud...

The Carter Center said recently that only 13 human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported worldwide last year. That is a major drop from 3.5 million cases of infected people in 1986. These early numbers are expected to be confirmed in the coming months. Still, the Carter Center, founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Eleanor Rosalynn Carter, said the last part of the inter...

A University of Michigan student is one of the world’s top “speedcubers,” a person able to quickly solve a Rubik’s Cube. He also is a talented violinist. Stanley Chapel says the two activities work well together. He adds that he has equal interest in both. But the 21-year-old says the violin has helped him succeed in speedcubing. Chapel is studying violin performance at the university’s...

A green comet will appear again in Earth’s sky for the first time in 50,000 years. The American space agency NASA says the comet's last visit came during Neanderthal times. It will come within 42 million kilometers of Earth on Wednesday before continuing on its path, unlikely to return for millions of years. Discovered less than a year ago, this green comet can be observed in the northern night sk...

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for a total ban on what it calls industrially produced trans fatty acids worldwide in 2023. The health organization said the artificially produced form of fat is responsible for half a million early deaths each year. Products containing trans fat are commonly found in baked goods and cooking oils. In 2020, the WHO said more than 58 countries have intr...

A new government report says half of the mass attacks in the United States over the past few years started as personal, family, or workplace disputes. The attackers, the report found, were mostly men. The attackers often have a history of mental health issues, money problems or domestic violence. Their weapons of choice: guns. The report was released Wednesday by the U.S. Secret Service’s National...

That is the sound of ducks. Are you picturing these birds fishing or floating on a nice lake somewhere? A normal reaction to be sure -- but these ducks are different. They live on a grape grower’s land in South Africa. The Vergenoegd Löw Wine Estate is in Stellenbosch. And the ducks are employees of the winemaker. 那是鸭子的叫声。您是否在想象这些鸟儿在某处美丽的湖面上钓鱼或漂浮？可以肯定这是正常反...

Police in California are investigating the deadly mass shooting Saturday night in the city of Monterey Park, near Los Angeles. The gunman killed 10 people -- five women and five men -- in an attack at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, a dance school. The city has a majority Asian-American population and is known for its Lunar New Year’s celebration. Traditional dances and a parade had been planned f...