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In Guatemala, painted altar found at Tikal adds new context to mysterious Maya history (link is external)

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Just steps from the center of Tikal, a 2,400-year-old Maya city in the heart of modern-day Guatemala, a global team of researchers has unearthed a buried altar that could unlock the secrets of a mysterious time of upheaval in the ancient world. The altar, built around the late 300s A.D., is decorated with four painted panels of red, black and yellow depicting a person wearing a feathered headdress and flanked by shields or regalia. The face has almond-shaped eyes, a nose bar and a double earspool. It closely resembles other depictions of a deity dubbed the 'Storm God' in central Mexico.

Long-term health impacts of flooding revealed (link is external)

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A comprehensive study of the long-term health impacts of flooding -- via analysis of over 300 million hospitalizations records in eight countries prone to flooding events -- has found an increased risk of 26 per cent of all diseases serious enough to require hospitalization. This impact on the health of communities lasts up to seven months post event.

Role of social workers in addressing marginalized communities bearing brunt of climate disasters (link is external)

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A researcher spent a year living in a jjokbang-chon, an extremely impoverished neighborhood in Seoul, South Korea. While there, he calculated residents' carbon footprints, finding they contribute much less to climate change than their fellow citizens, and detailed how they suffer the effects of extreme heat and other climate issues. He advocates for social work to take a role in addressing such climate injustice in a way that does not remove already limited resources from such populations.

Stronger coffee with fewer coffee beans (link is external)

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Researchers have worked to optimize the use of coffee grounds in pour-over coffee. They recommend pouring from as high as possible while still maintaining the water's flow. In particular, the group found the thick water jets typical of standard gooseneck kettles are ideal for achieving this necessary height and laminar flow. Displaced grounds recirculate as the water digs deeper into the coffee bed, allowing for better mixing between the water and the grounds, and thus, results in a stronger coffee with fewer beans.

Rain barrel basics: Conserving water but not mosquito habitats (link is external)

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Researchers surveyed residential rain barrels to determine how often mosquitoes took up residence in rain barrels and what preventative measures would most effectively keep mosquitoes out. Taking these preventative measures will reduce potential health risks and ensure that rain barrels remain a safe, effective, and environmentally sustainable tool for managing stormwater runoff.

Researchers discover why plastic sheds dangerous fragments (link is external)

Environmental Feed -

The world is littered with trillions of micro- and nanoscopic pieces of plastic. These can be smaller than a virus -- just the right size to disrupt cells and even alter DNA. Researchers find them almost everywhere they've looked, from Antarctic snow to human blood. In a new study, scientists have delineated the molecular process that causes these small pieces to break off in such large quantities.

The lush past of the world's largest desert (link is external)

Environmental Feed -

The vast desert of the Arabian Peninsula was not always an arid landscape. A recent study reveals that this region was once home to a vast lake and river system. These favorable conditions fostered grasslands and savannahs, enabling human migration -- until drought returned, forcing populations to move. This research highlights the impact of climate cycles on landscapes and human societies.

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