ALBERTA RED NECK REACTIONARIES
Hundreds watch bail review for GraceLife pastor jailed for COVID-19 violations; decision expected Friday morning

In an unusual move, she asked to appear simply as a “public health prosecutor” rather than by name, citing “some security (issues) that have arisen on this matter.”

Jonny Wakefield POSTMEDIA

3/4/2021
© Provided by Edmonton Journal Followers of Pastor James Coates gather outside the Edmonton courthouse where he was scheduled for a hearing regarding his release conditions. Coates is in remand after failing to comply with public health regulations at his GraceLife Church near Spruce Grove.

An Edmonton judge will rule Friday morning whether a pastor jailed after breaching COVID-19 health restrictions should remain behind bars pending trial.

Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Peter Michalyshyn heard arguments Thursday afternoon from lawyers for James Coates, the GraceLife Church pastor who has spent the past two weeks in the Edmonton Remand Centre.

Earlier this year, Coates was charged under the Public Health Act for holding worship services in contravention of COVID-19 restrictions.

The rules restricted gatherings to 15 per cent of a building’s fire capacity and required enforcement of physical distancing rules.

Coates was jailed last month for allegedly failing to comply with an undertaking requiring him to abide by the Public Health Act. The church has continued to hold services in his absence.

Dozens of supporters gathered outside the Edmonton courthouse Thursday morning, many of whom did not wear face masks. More than 350 attended the hearing via the court’s web conferencing software. Some failed to mute their microphones, leading to frequent disruptions.

© David Bloom Supporters of jailed Pastor James Coates march outside the Edmonton courthouse where he was scheduled for a hearing regarding his bail release conditions on Thursday, March 4, 2021.

James Kitchen, a lawyer with the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, said the undertaking Coates was asked to sign was a violation of his religious beliefs. He said Coates did not sign the undertaking because of an “inability” to agree to the conditions imposed on him.

“This is a matter of deep, deep personal conscience,” said Kitchen. “He is unable to disobey the God that he believes in.”

Kitchen said if his client is released, “he’s not going to hurt anybody, the only thing that will happen is he holds church again.”

He called the jailing of a pastor for holding religious services a “stain on the administration of justice.”

He added that even if Coates is convicted of the public health charges, jail time is not an available punishment under the act. He called the idea that the COVID restrictions are constitutional “suspect at best.”

© Provided by Edmonton Journal GraceLife Church in Parkland County defied Alberta government public gathering restrictions on Feb. 21, 2021, and held a church service where almost 300 people attended, many without face masks and ignoring social distancing regulations.

The prosecutor on the case, who concluded her submissions in less than a minute, told Michalyshyn that the only issue before him is whether there were legal errors in the original bail decision. She maintains there were none.

In an unusual move, she asked to appear simply as a “public health prosecutor” rather than by name, citing “some security (issues) that have arisen on this matter.”

Michalyshyn is expected to deliver his decision on Coates’ bail Friday at 9 a.m. The pastor’s trial is set to run May 3-5 in Stony Plain.

jwakefield@postmedia.com

JAMA Editor Apologizes for Tweet Saying 'No Physician Is Racist'
J. Clara Chan THE WRAP

3/3/2021

© TheWrap COVID-19 vaccine

The Journal of the American Medical Association's editor-in-chief apologized on Thursday for a tweet and podcast from the publication that questioned the existence of systemic racism in health care.

"The language of the tweet, as well as portions of the podcast, do not reflect my commitment as editorial leader of JAMA and JAMA Network to call out and discuss the adverse effects of injustice, inequity, and racism in medicine and society as JAMA has done for many years. I take responsibility for these lapses and sincerely apologize for both the lapses and the harm caused by both the tweet and some aspects of the podcast," Howard Bauchner, the journal's editor, said in a statement.

Earlier on Thursday, the JAMA Twitter account promoted a podcast with the question, "No physician is racist, so how can there be structural racism in healthcare?" The podcast episode also included the description, "Many physicians are skeptical of structural racism, the idea that economic, educational, and other social systems preferentially disadvantage Black Americans and other communities of color."

The tweet was later deleted after facing backlash on social media and from other members of the medical community.

The CEO of the American Medical Association, James Madara, also issued a statement on Thursday to say he was "deeply disturbed" and "angered" by the podcast.

"The AMA's House of Delegates passed policy stating that racism is structural, systemic, cultural, and interpersonal and we are deeply disturbed — and angered — by a recent JAMA podcast that questioned the existence of structural racism and the affiliated tweet that promoted the podcast," Madara said. "JAMA has editorial independence from AMA, but this tweet and podcast are inconsistent with the policies and views of AMA and I'm concerned about and acknowledge the harms they have caused. Structural racism in health care and our society exists and it is incumbent on all of us to fix it."

SpaceX denounces Justice Department’s subpoena in hiring practices investigation as 'government overreach'

Michael Sheetz CNBC

3/4/2021


SpaceX denounced the Department of Justice's subpoena for corporate hiring records, saying the inquiry from the DOJ's Immigrant and Employee Rights Section "is the very definition of government overreach."

"SpaceX draws the line at IER's overreaching attempt to bootstrap that lone, frivolous charge into the wide-ranging (and expanding) pattern-or-practice investigations the agency is now pursuing," the company wrote in a court filing.

The strong response comes as SpaceX's first public comment on the DOJ's investigation, which has been for months looking into whether the space company discriminates against applicants from foreign countries in its hiring.

© Provided by CNBC The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule stand upright on the launchpad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center ahead of the Demo-2 launch.

Elon Musk's SpaceX denounced a subpoena from the Department of Justice for its corporate hiring records, saying in a court filing that the investigation by the federal agency's Immigrant and Employee Rights unit "is the very definition of government overreach."

"SpaceX draws the line at IER's overreaching attempt to bootstrap that lone, frivolous charge into the wide-ranging (and expanding) pattern-or-practice investigations the agency is now pursuing," the company, represented by lawyers from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, wrote in the response.

The strong response comes as SpaceX's first public comment on the DOJ's investigation, which has been for months looking into whether the space company discriminates against applicants from foreign countries in its hiring.

SpaceX's fight against the DOJ's subpoena will be heard by a California federal judge later this month.

The DOJ has declined CNBC's request for comment on its investigation, while SpaceX has not responded to multiple requests for comment.

An investigation into hiring practices

The federal agency's Immigrant and Employee Rights unit launched a probe last year, after Fabian Hutter, a SpaceX job applicant, complained to the government that the company discriminated against him.

In an earlier interview with CNBC, Hutter said he believes SpaceX decided not to hire him after he answered a question about his citizenship status last March for a technical strategy associate position.

Hutter holds dual citizenship in Austria and Canada but is a lawful permanent U.S. resident, according to court records filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

But the DOJ unit is not only investigating the complaint, but also said it "may explore whether [SpaceX] engages in any pattern or practice of discrimination" barred by federal law.

Investigators in October issued a subpoena demanding that SpaceX provide information and documents related to its hiring and employment eligibility verification processes, to which SpaceX has not fully complied.

The company's lawyers argue that the DOJ's probe is overbearing given the original complaint.

"No matter how generously 'relevance' is construed in the context of administrative subpoenas, neither the statutory and regulatory authority IER relies on, nor the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, permits IER to rifle through SpaceX's papers on a whim and absent reasonable justification," SpaceX said.

"And even if IER could somehow belatedly justify its current investigations, IER's subpoena is excessively overbroad. IER's application for an order to comply with the subpoena should be denied," the company added.

Hiring policies in place

SpaceX is allowed to hire noncitizens who have a green card under U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Those rules say that only Americans or noncitizens with a U.S. green card can have physical or digital access to items on the U.S. Munitions List, which consists of defense-related equipment, software and other material.

SpaceX noted that it currently employs more than 9,500 people, "including hundreds of non-U.S. citizens."

In its response to the subpoena, the company detailed its side of the interview process with Hutter, highlighting that his resume "clearly stated that he was a dual Austrian and Canadian national."

He was among "hundreds" of applicants for the position and one of seven who advanced to a phone screening, the company said.

Doug Tallmadge, a SpaceX employee, had Hutter confirm his citizenship status in the interview, the firm said.

Tallmadge "did not ask" further about Hutter's citizenship in a follow-up interview, SpaceX added.

SpaceX says Tallmadge was "unimpressed" with the applicant's responses in the second interview, writing in an assessment that it was "unclear" what motivation Hutter had for wanting to work on the company's Starlink project.

The company did not hire Hutter or anyone else for the position and said it eliminated the role.

Federal Judge Michael Wilner is expected to hear the case on the morning of March 18.

The judge hinted in a previous filing that SpaceX could find it difficult to block the subpoena, referencing a prior decision he made in an unrelated case. In that other case, Wilner flatly rejected a company's arguments against complying with a subpoena for hiring information.

– CNBC's Dan Mangan contributed to this report.

ONTARIO
Firm hired to oversee final closure of 

De Beers mine site

Ontario’s first and only diamond mine is moving to the next phase of its closure plan with the appointment of Golder, a Canadian-owned engineering and environmental services consulting group, as the primary contractor who will oversee the remaining demolition and site rehabilitation.

Victor Mine, owned by The De Beers Group, is located approximately 90 kilometres west of Attawapiskat in the James Bay Lowlands. It opened in 2008 as only the second diamond mine in Canada.

The open pit operation also included its own airstrip located on the property. It ceased mining operations in June 2019.

De Beers reports that as of the end of 2020, approximately 65 per cent of the on-site infrastructure has been safely demolished, and around 40 per cent of the site has been rehabilitated with more than 1.2 million trees planted on the property since 2014.

The De Beers Group will remain accountable for the site, and will retain responsibilities for achieving site closure objectives, keeping in line with government regulations, as well as relationships with Indigenous communities, the company stated in a release.

All permits and licences remain in De Beers’ name.

A small site-based oversight team will work directly with Golder personnel throughout the process, in addition to the De Beers employees who will continue to be responsible for daily environmental monitoring.

Golder was chosen after what De Beers called an “extensive commercial process” which was undertaken throughout 2020.

Golder’s responsibilities will include the remaining closure activities, as well as the day-to-day management of the site. They will also handle the remaining infrastructure demolition work, and site rehabilitation through 2023.

“A similar model, hiring a prime contractor, was used during construction of Victor Mine, which opened ahead of schedule and on budget,” said Maxwell Morapeli, head of closure for De Beers.

“Golder has a strong track record of successful closure and rehabilitation of industrial sites around the world, including working with local communities where they operate. We look forward to benefiting from their experience as we continue the responsible closure of Victor Mine.”

Included in its contract with the De Beers Group is a commitment from Golder to work with local Indigenous contracting companies to provide necessary on-site services such as catering, housekeeping, and security.

Heavy equipment operators and other personnel will be hired from the Attawapiskat First Nation and will be provided training and other opportunities.

Golder and its sub-contractors have also hired 19 former De Beers Victor Mine employees to continue on-site work.

“We are proud to have been selected to lead the responsible closure of the Victor Mine,” said Greg Herasymuik, Golder's Canadian Region president. “As we manage activities at site, we are committed to providing employment opportunities and to continue involving the local community.”

Andrew Autio is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for The Daily Press. LJI is a federally funded program.

Andrew Autio, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Press

BC
Fairy Creek blockade to save old-growth watershed gets three-week reprieve

Fairy Creek blockade activists trying to protect some of the last stands of old-growth forest on southern Vancouver Island have won a three-week reprieve after a judge adjourned an injunction hearing on Thursday.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Power granted a request by the blockade’s legal team for more time to assemble materials necessary for a defence against the injunction.

Forestry company Teal-Jones had sought the injunction to remove the Fairy Creek blockades at various entry points to its Tree Farm Licence (TFL) 46 near the community of Port Renfrew until Sept. 4.

However, Power said it was in the interest of justice to allow the delay, so defendants could better prepare and the court could set aside more time to hear the matter.

Additionally, Power was unconvinced a short delay would be problematic given the blockade started in August 2020, but the forestry company did not apply for the injunction until Feb. 18, 2021.

“I am not persuaded that I should find urgency or prejudice to the extent that the plaintiff now alleges,” Power said.

“If, as the plaintiffs argued (that) there will be a prolonged civil disobedience campaign after a court order, it is, in my view, all the more important that any order that the court makes be made (based) on a full hearing.”

The blockade activists want to save pristine old-growth forest at the headwaters of Fairy Creek with yellow cedars thought to be 1,000 years old, as well as other remaining groves on near Camper Creek, Gordon River, and in the Upper Walbran Valley.

Pacheedaht First Nation elder Bill Jones, one of defendants named in the injunction application, says the Fairy Creek valley falls within the nation’s traditional territory and contains bathing pools with spiritual significance that are endangered by clear-cutting.

It was also in the public’s interest to adjourn the hearing, said defence lawyer Patrick Canning.

Demonstrators in solidarity with the Fairy Creek blockade gathered on the Victoria courthouse steps on Thursday, and in various other communities on Vancouver Island prior to the court decision.

Lawyers representing Teal-Cedar, a division of Teal-Jones, had argued that Power should grant the injunction immediately because a delay would endanger road building in the region necessary before logging could occur later in the spring and summer.

Any further delays due to the blockades would threaten timber harvesting and jobs at its mills, said the company’s lawyer Dean Dalke.

The elected council of the Pacheedaht Nation were also aware of and did not oppose the proposed logging activity in the region, Dalke said.

The request for an adjournment by the defence was to raise issues that wouldn’t, in fact, be a defence to an illegal blockade, he added.

Regardless of whether the defence arguments “would pass muster,” it was important to allot enough time to adequately hear them, Power said.

A two-day injunction hearing is now scheduled to start March 25.

Teal-Jones did not respond to a request for comment following the hearing decision before Canada’s National Observer’s publication deadline.

Rochelle Baker / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada’s National Observer

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

Australian court upholds landmark suit against Johnson & Johnson

AFP

 3/4/2021

An Australian court upheld a landmark class-action lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson for "negligent" marketing of pelvic mesh implants on Friday, paving the way for thousands of women to receive compensation in a costly setback for the US pharma giant.

© Mark RALSTON An Australian court upheld a landmark class-action lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson for "negligent" marketing of pelvic mesh implants

Johnson & Johnson had appealed the 2019 ruling that found the company guilty of "negligent" marketing and "deceptive conduct" while supplying thousands of pelvic meshes in Australia.

Victims said the mesh -- designed to support weakened muscles holding up the pelvic organs -- had caused disastrous side-effects including incontinence, infections and chronic pain.

"The risks were known, not insignificant, and on the respondents' own admission, could cause significant and serious harm," the judge said in the initial ruling.

A three-judge panel at the federal court dismissed the appeal on Friday, a decision that "confirmed that these women are entitled to be compensated for the losses and the life-altering complications that they have suffered as a result of these implants," said Rebecca Jancasukas, a lawyer for the claimants.

Shine Lawyers, which led the class action suit, said it would now vigorously pursue compensation claims possibly amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.

The three women involved in the 2019 suit were awarded compensation ranging from Aus$556,000 to Aus$1.28 million (US$430,000-US$1 million).

The remaining members of the class action will now bring their own individual claims to court.

Responding to Friday's ruling, Johnson & Johnson said it "empathises with all women who experience medical complications" but would review the court decision and "consider its options".

Worldwide, more than two million women have had the mesh products implanted in their bodies and the Australian ruling is just one in a series globally.

Early last year, a judge in California ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $344 million for false and deceptive marketing of pelvic mesh products used by tens of thousands of women in the state.

The company has settled similar claims with the state of Washington for $9.9 million and a coalition of 42 other states for $117 million.

dm/lb/j

RIP
Underwater archaeology pioneer George Bass dies at 88

Kristin Romey 

3/4/2021

Pioneering archaeologist George Bass, who played a critical role in the creation and evolution of underwater archaeology as a scientific discipline, died on March 2, 2021, in College Station, Texas. He was 88

.

© Photograph by Bill Curtsinger, Nat Geo Image Collection 01-george-bass

At the time of his death Bass still served as an advisor to the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA), the world’s leading research institute for the study of shipwrecks that he established in 1972. The institute is currently headquartered at Texas A&M University, where Bass, a distinguished professor emeritus, developed one of the first academic underwater archaeology programs.

Photograph by Courtney Platt, Nat Geo Image Collection 03-george-bass

“The world has lost a giant in the field, and I have lost a great friend,” said underwater explorer Robert Ballard, a past INA board member, in a statement provided by the National Geographic Society.
“Just as archaeologists work on land”

Bass was a graduate student studying archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania in 1960 when he was asked to investigate an ancient shipwreck discovered by Turkish sponge divers off Cape Gelidonya in southern Turkey. The 3,200-year-old Cape Gelidonya wreck, carrying a primary cargo of copper ingots, became the first shipwreck mapped and scientifically excavated in its entirety on the seafloor. At the time, it was the oldest known shipwreck in the world.

That title was superseded by the discovery and excavation of the Uluburun shipwreck in southern Turkey in the early 1980s. With the support of the National Geographic Society, Bass’s team documented and excavated an extraordinary trove of artifacts dating to the 14th century B.C., including precious objects from across the Near East and Europe that illuminated the complexity of trade in the ancient world.

Before leaving for his first shipwreck excavation in 1960, Bass’s only diving experience involved a few turns in a YMCA pool. Over the course of investigating dozens of shipwrecks dating from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages, however, he demonstrated that the scientific rigor of land-based archaeological techniques could be replicated in demanding underwater environments by archaeologists equipped with SCUBA or surface-supplied air.

“We had not come to dive for sport or for treasure,” Bass wrote in his first of many articles for National Geographic in July 1963. “Our aim was to proceed underwater just as archeologists work on land: To dig down layer by layer, carefully recording the position of each object in the cabin or hull before moving it or raising it to the surface.”
Inspiration to generations of archaeologists

Born in Columbia, South Carolina, on December 9, 1932, George Fletcher Bass was the son of an English professor and a writer, whose influence could be seen in the hundreds of articles and books the archaeologist published over the course of his career. Most notably, Bass also wrote for general audiences and non-specialists, beginning with early articles for National Geographic and his 1966 book Archaeology Under Water, which sparked wide interest in the burgeoning discipline.

“He was a public communicator of science at a time when that was particularly frowned upon by the academic community, and that communication of his research inspired the next generation of underwater archeologists,” says underwater archaeologist James Delgado, senior vice-president of SEARCH, Inc. and former INA president.

“George Bass not only opened a new world of wonders to archaeologists and historians, but also to the broader public," adds Fredrik Hiebert, the National Geographic Society's archaeologist in residence.

Under Bass’s guidance, INA expanded its work across geographical regions and historical periods, ranging from Revolutionary War-era vessels in Lake Champlain to an Ottoman frigate in Japan. In the 1990s, INA established a research center in Bodrum, Turkey, staffed by Turkish archaeologists and conservators.

“Wherever we were excavating, [Bass] made a concerted effort to bring local students and archaeologists on to the project; he also helped many students get to Texas A&M so that they could attend classes in the nautical archaeology program,” recalls Deborah Carlson, INA’s current president and a former student of Bass. “I know that was one aspect of his career that he was very proud of.”

Bass was a recipient of 36 research grants from the National Geographic Society over the course of 39 years, and was awarded the Society’s La Gorce Gold Medal in 1979 and Centennial Award in 1988. He received the nation's highest award for lifetime achievement in scientific research, the National Medal of Science, in 2002.

Bass is survived by his wife and longtime expedition partner Ann, and his two sons, Alan and Gordon.

U.S. oil production won't return to pre-pandemic levels, says Occidental CEO

Pippa Stevens CNBC

3/4/2021

Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub said Thursday that she doesn't envision U.S. oil production returning to pre-pandemic highs.

"I do believe that most companies have committed to value growth, rather than production growth," she said during a CNBC Evolve conversation with Brian Sullivan.

West Texas International crude futures, the U.S. oil benchmark, jumped more than 4% on Thursday to trade as high as $64.86 per barrel, a level last seen in January 2020.

© Provided by CNBC The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas.

Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub said Thursday that she doesn't envision U.S. oil production returning to pre-pandemic highs.

"I do believe that most companies have committed to value growth, rather than production growth," she said during a CNBC Evolve conversation with Brian Sullivan. "And so I do believe that that's going to be part of the reason that oil production in the United States does not get back to 13 million barrels a day."

She believes companies will focus on optimizing current operations and facilities, rather than seeking growth at all costs. But she added that oil demand is recovering faster-than-expected, driven primarily by China, India and the United States.

"The recovery looks more V-shaped than we had originally thought it would be," she said. The company's initial forecast had demand returning to pre-pandemic levels by the middle of 2022. Now, Hollub believes demand will return by the end of this year or the first few months of 2022.

"I do believe we're headed for a much healthier supply and demand environment" she said.

Her comments came after West Texas International crude futures, the U.S. oil benchmark, jumped more than 4% on Thursday to trade as high as $64.86 per barrel, a level last seen in January 2020.

She expects crude prices will be "a little better than where they are today" if her demand forecast for next year is correct, but she does not expect prices to go up "excessively" other than the short spikes that can occur from time to time.

OPEC and its oil-producing allies on Thursday decided to keep production levels largely steady into April, with Saudi Arabia also announcing that it would extend its voluntary one million barrels per day production cut.

The group first implemented unprecedented supply cuts in 2020 in an effort to provide a floor as oil prices tumbled to historic lows.

The energy sector has rebounded this year and is the top-performing S&P group by a long shot, but stock prices continue to hover well below prior highs as the focus on ESG investing, among other things, weighs.

Hollub reiterated Thursday that the company is working toward net zero carbon oil production through its heavy investments into carbon capture.

"We need to change the narrative .. it's not fossil fuels that's really the problem, it's the emissions," she said. "What we have to do is we need to get everybody focused on instead of trying to kill fossil fuels, we need to get everybody's attention on how do we use oil and gas reservoirs to our advantage."

"How do we use that to lower emissions all around the world, and that's exactly our goal. Our goal is to be the company that provides the solution," she said.

Shares of Occidental have surged more than 70% this year. The stock is still negative over the last year, however.

CNBC VIDEO

U.S. oil production won't return to pre-pandemic levels, says Occidental CEO (msn.com)

How Female Frogs Tune Out Useless, Noisy Males

Katherine J. Wu  THE ATLANTIC

3/4/2021

Before frat parties, there were frog ponds.

Literal breeding grounds for some of the world’s noisiest bachelors, these lusty pools are where amphibians gather to woo mates. And as any frog researcher will tell you, they’re “super, super, super loud,” says Valentina Caorsi, a bioacoustician at the University of Trento in Italy.

Some spots host hundreds of males from a dozen species, each belting out serenades that can register at more than 100 decibels apiece—close to what you’d hear at a rock concert or a rowdy nightclub. Sounds this intense can cause hearing loss; the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommends limiting exposure to such cacophony to less than 15 minutes a day. When scientists visit these ponds, they often don earplugs. “It hurts our ears,” says Kim Hoke, a biologist at Colorado State University.

If frogs of the female persuasion can’t identify their own species’ calls in this terrifying soundscape, they may lose out on an opportunity to reproduce. Fortunately, evolution has come up with a clever trick to cut through the chaos: a pair of lungs that can help female frogs home in on the come-hither calls of potential mates, according to a study led by Norman Lee of St. Olaf College in Minnesota, published today in Current Biology. Remarkably, the lungs accomplish this not by amplifying the sounds made by males of the same species, but by muffling the ruckus of other species. Frog lungs, Lee’s team has shown, are basically noise-canceling headphones that also happen to oxygenate the blood.

[Read: City frogs are the sexiest frogs]

The behavior probably isn’t conscious—just something frog lungs are naturally able to do, via some unusual vibratory shenanigans. But biologically speaking, “it seems incredibly smart,” says Amritha Mallikarjun, a cognitive scientist at the University of Pennsylvania’s school of veterinary medicine, who wasn’t involved in the study. “They’re taking sounds that aren’t interesting, and trying to reduce them.”

Humans, to be clear, cannot do this, at least not with our lungs. The tubes that connect our ears to our upper throats are closed off most of the time, so most of the sound waves that reach our brains come in through the holes on either side of our heads. Almost all frog ears, however, are permanently linked to the rest of the body, and thus privy to vibrations from the mouth, the lungs—even the opposite ear. (This interconnectedness means that, unlike humans, frogs don't experience a pressure differential between the outside and the inside of their heads; their ears probably don't pop when they travel on planes.)

Scientists have been studying the open floor plan of frog ears since at least the late 1980s, when they discovered that the lungs were likely sending vibrations up to the animals’ heads. (A smear of Vaseline on the frogs’ torsos, others confirmed, could dampen the effect.) But the purpose of this bizarre connection eluded researchers for decades.

Jakob Christensen-Dalsgaard, a biologist at the University of Southern Denmark and an author of the new study, spent much of his career convinced that lung vibrations served as a sort of rudimentary GPS, helping frogs determine the direction that sounds were coming from and thus pinpointing potential mates in space. But it turns out that they’re filtering for quality, not location: When filled with air, the organs enhance the frog’s ability to tune in to only certain sound frequencies and cast others aside.

To tease these possibilities apart, the researchers put female American green tree frogs in an acoustic chamber and played the animals a mélange of sounds from different spots in the room. They then used a specialized laser to measure how much their eardrums vibrated in response.

For the experiments to work, Lee, of St. Olaf College, had to become a pro at deflating and reinflating frog lungs. Squeezing the air out, he told me, is pretty simple—a matter of gently squishing the skin around their lungs. (Frogs don’t have ribs.) Bringing the animals back up to size is trickier. For that, Lee inserts a segment of plastic tubing into the frog’s mouth and blows into the other end, transferring a teeny puff of air from his human lungs into the frog’s much smaller ones.

In the team’s experiments, puffed frogs seemed no better equipped than squished frogs to map out the sounds engulfing them. Inflation status also had little effect on the females’ ability to hear males of their own species (which, for the record, sound a bit like a goose honking in falsetto). But aerated frogs seemed worse at detecting noises in a very specific frequency range—one that happens to overlap with the calls made by several other amorous amphibians.

Frog lungs, Lee and his colleagues discovered, vibrate within a range of about 1400 to 2200 hertz; the American green tree frog calls outside this range, while many of the toads and bullfrogs that share its habitat call within it. When these other species croon, female tree frogs’ lungs quiver, transmitting energy to the inner surface of the eardrums and instructing them to ignore similar sound waves they receive from the outside. It is, in a sense, an anti-eavesdropping device.

Lung-based interference can’t eliminate all the hubbub that females deal with in their environment. The maximum knockdown Lee’s team measured in the study was about 10 decibels. (For comparison, decent noise-canceling headphones can eliminate some 30 or 40 decibels of noise.) Still, “it’s an enormous bump down,” Mark Bee, a biologist at the University of Minnesota and an author on the study, told me. Frogs also might not want to completely deafen themselves to other sounds, which could alert them to the presence of predators or tasty prey.

The frogs’ ruse isn’t just impressive, experts told me. It’s also an elegant solution to a complex problem. In the world of acoustics, there are two ways to make a sound more audible. One is to boost the signal itself, in the hope that it will rise above the din. The other is to pare away the noise around it—a way of emphasizing the message without changing its contents.

Filtering out the nonsense of irrelevant males up front might also reduce the workload on frogs’ teeny brains, says Hoke of Colorado State University. When humans congregate at raucous parties or bars, they must devote a lot of neural resources to focusing on a single speaker at a time. What frogs have cooked up is a sexual sieve: “They don’t need to waste their resources processing it out,” she says.

[Read: How a frog became the first mainstream pregnancy test]

The study also highlights an oft-neglected part of courtship acoustics. For decades, scientists have meticulously documented the ways that male amphibians—ribbity Romeos that they are—change their behavior to make their voices stand out. Some croak, grunt, trill, and even squeak faster or with extra gusto; others will boot rival frogs out of their territory so they can hog the swampy stage for themselves, Bee told me. A few polite souls actually take turns to avoid getting drowned out.

But we don’t know nearly as much about what happens after signals are emitted, says Mariana Rodriguez Santiago, a neuroscientist at Colorado State University who wasn’t involved in the study. “The attention of academia has been very broadly focused on males and how they change what they’re doing,” she told me. Across the tree of life, females are often reduced to inert receptacles, or mere measures of males’ reproductive success.

That couldn’t be further from the truth, especially among tree frogs. Communication is a two-way street, and studies that focus on the female perspective—as this one did—are a powerful reminder that signal interpreters aren’t passive, Rodriguez Santiago said. Desperate messengers can scream and shout all they like, but none of it matters if no one hears them.

Mount Etna volcano eruptions on the rise

David Baratz, USA TODAY 

A general view taken on March 4, 2021 from Giarre, north of Catania, Sicily, shows the Mount Etna volcano spewing smoke.

17 SLIDES © Giovanni Isolino, AFP via Getty Images

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

THE REST ARE HERE

Mount Etna volcano eruptions on the rise (msn.com)