FUNGHI FROM YOGG SOTH

Mushroom that grows on insects could help treat cancer and viruses

Talker News - Wednesday
By Gwyn Wright via SWNS

(Pedal to the Stock via Shutterstock)© Provided by talker

A mushroom that grows on insects could help treat cancer and viruses, according to new research.

Scientists say the cordyceps fungus contains a compound called cordycepin that could be used in new cancer drugs and antiviral medicines.

The compound has been difficult to grow in a lab but a new method, where the mushroom feeds on insects instead of brown rice, enables it to produce 100 times more of the compound.

Growing more of the compound will give researchers more opportunities to study it, in turn helping them find new medicines for devastating illnesses.

Until now, the mushroom has been best known for its gruesome eating habits.

Its spores infect and kill insects before growing into fruiting bodies that sprout from the insect's flesh.

Cordycepin is also an antimetabolite that can stop cancer cells multiplying and spreading to other parts of the body.

Recent studies have also suggested the compound could be used to treat coronavirus.

The mushroom is usually grown in a lab on grains such as brown rice.

However, the researchers noticed that levels of the cancer-busting compound were very low when it was collected from mushrooms grown on grains.

They suspected the protein content of the grains simply wasn’t high enough to feed the mushroom.

Given what the team knew about the compound’s potential, they were keen to find another way of growing healthy mushrooms in the lab and using large volumes of the compound in medical research.

For the study, the South Korean team cultivated cordyceps mushrooms and fed them insects for two months before harvesting them.

The mushrooms were given crickets, silkworm pupae, mealworms, grasshoppers, white-spotted flower chafer grubs and Japanese rhinoceros beetles.

The mushrooms grew biggest on mealworms and silkworm pupae, which are eaten in parts of South Korea as a snack.

They grew least well on grasshoppers and chafer larvae, which are a type of scarab beetle.

However, the mushrooms that grew tallest did not produce the largest amounts of cordycepin.

In fact, the mushrooms grown on Japanese rhinoceros beetles didn’t grow as big but produced 34 times more cordycepin than silkworm pupae, which produced the least.

The team found the crucial ingredient for cordycepin production was the fat, not protein, content of the insect.

High levels of oleic acid may be needed for the compound to be produced.

Adding the acid to a low-performing insect food caused the amount of the compound produced to grow by 50 pe cent.

Study author Professor Mi Kyeong Lee from Chungbuk National University said: “Our research convincingly shows that a potential strategy for boosting cordycepin production in the growth of cordyceps would be to use insects with high oleic acid content,

“The cultivation method of cordyceps suggested in this study will enable the production of cordycepin more effectively and economically.

“However, securing edible insects is not yet sufficient for scale-up to industrial level.

“It is also thought that more efficient production may be possible through the use of other insects, which needs to be demonstrated by further study.”

The findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.

Famous DC red panda ‘Rusty’ has died

Elizabeth Crisp - Yesterday - THE HILL

“Rusty,” the red panda who famously escaped from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and made it to an Adams Morgan yard, has died at the age of 10, the zoo confirmed Friday.


Famous DC red panda ‘Rusty’ has died© Provided by The Hill

The red panda had been living at a facility in Colorado and recently became lethargic. He died last week.

The Pueblo Zoo is part of the Red Panda network that works to preserve the rare animals.

A spokesperson for the Pueblo Zoo told The Hill that Rusty was part of their Species Survival Plan and successfully mated with a female red panda, Priya, before his death. Their two babies, the female Momo and male Mogwa, were born in August 2021.

Pueblo Zoo spokeswoman Sandy Morrison said that the zookeepers and guests were “deeply saddened by his unexpected passing.”

The cause of death is unknown.

“We are lucky to not have had any escape issues with him. He was a typical independent red panda, but formed bonds with several of our Keepers who worked with him on a regular basis. Most days he could be found curled up on a branch or simply people watching while he chomped on his bamboo,” she told The Hill.

For Five U.S. States, Slavery Is Back On The Ballot

Spencer Jones - Yesterday

It’s unsettling that slavery is on any ballot in nearly 2023. But for voters in five U.S. states, it will be. The Huffington Post reported, “voters in five states are deciding whether to close loopholes that allowed convict labor as an exception to slavery.”


For Five U.S. States, Slavery Is Back On The Ballot© Provided by TravelNoire

The 13th amendment abolished slavery in the U.S. But in some state constitutions, there’s pro-slavery language. In the eyes of some, this is “just” a technicality, without any real tooth in the modern age. But others, especially Black people, argue that such language should have been eliminated across the board some time ago.

However, “constitutions require lengthy and technically tricky steps before they can be tweaked.”

Which Are The Five States In Question?

Alabama, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont.

The Huffington Post stated, “the proposed language going before Tennessean voters more clearly distinguishes between the two: ‘slavery and involuntary servitude are forever prohibited. Nothing in this section shall prohibit an inmate from working when the inmate has been duly convicted of a crime.'”

Several Officials Expressed Concern Over Their State Constitutions

“We have got to fix this and we’ve got to fix this right away,” said Raumesh Akbari, a member of the Tennessee State Senate. “Our constitution should reflect the values and the beliefs of our state.”

She added, “we understand that those who are incarcerated cannot be forced to work without pay, but we should not create a situation where they won’t be able to work at all.”

Related video: Slavery Is on the Ballot During the 2022 Midterms

Bianca Tylek of Worth Rises, a criminal justice advocacy group, shared similar sentiments:

“The idea that you could ever finish the sentence ‘slavery’s okay when … ’ has to rip out your soul, and I think it’s what makes this a fight that ignores political lines and brings us together, because it feels so clear,” she said.

Slavery Was Abolished In 1865

The 13th Amendment, which was ratified in December 1865, abolished slavery.

The wording is as follows: “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

Other States Have Pro-Slavery Language In Their Constitutions

The Huffington Post noted “that nearly 20 states have constitutions with language permitting slavery and involuntary servitude as criminal punishments.”

Starting in 2018, Colorado changed such language in its constitution. Shortly, Utah and Nebraska did the same.

The Prison Industrial Complex Is Linked To Slavery

The prison industrial complex is a modern-day form of slavery, which overwhelmingly impacts Black and brown people in the U.S.

The U.S is generally more concerned with taking punitive action against those who have broken the law, without looking at the root causes.

Angela Davis said, “imprisonment has become the response to many of the social problems that burden people who are ensconced in poverty. These problems often are veiled by being conveniently grouped together under the category ‘crime’ and by the automatic attribution of criminal behavior to people of color.”

She added: “homelessness, unemployment, drug addiction, mental illness, and illiteracy are only a few of the problems that disappear from public view when the human beings contending with them are relegated to cages.”

The Fate Of Incarcerated People In The Five States Is On The Line

The Huffington Post explained, “many incarcerated workers make pennies on the dollar, which isn’t expected to change if the proposals succeed. Inmates who refuse to work may be denied phone calls or visits with family, punished with solitary confinement and even be denied parole.”

Ruling could mean trials against Big Oil over state wetlands‎

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court has ordered a nine-year-old lawsuit filed against oil and gas companies over damage to Louisiana’s wetlands to be returned to state court for trial, potentially clearing the way for at least 41 similar suits to move forward.

A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday upheld a January decision by the late U.S. District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman of New Orleans, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported. The ruling returns the suit filed by Plaquemines Parish against Chevron USA, Exxon Mobil Corp., ConocoPhillips Co., BP America, and Shell to state court in Plaquemines Parish, the newspaper said.

Feldman correctly found that just because oil and gas exploration and production operations during World War II were conducted on behalf of the war effort, the companies were not acting under the orders of federal agents in a way that required the suit to be heard in federal court, the panel ruled.

“Today’s decision will make the history books,” John Carmouche, an attorney representing the parish and the state, told the newspaper. “Finally, Louisiana can be made whole for everything it has given to our nation in resources.”

Carmouche said the decision would apply to all 42 cases in which he is lead attorney, and should result in early trial dates.

“All parties agreed that this decision would apply to all cases. We can get to trial in eight months or less,” he said.

However, a spokesman for several of the oil and gas companies could not say if they would appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, or that they would agree to apply it to the other cases.

Jason Harbison, on behalf of the legal teams representing BP America, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil Corporation and Shell, said the companies are disappointed by the appellate decision.

“The allegations in this case, like the other similar parish lawsuits against oil and gas companies, challenge oil production practices going back for decades, including World War II, a unique period in the relationship between the federal government and the oil and gas industry,” Harbison said. “The companies continue to believe that these lawsuits implicate distinctive federal interests and deserve to be heard in a federal forum and are considering their options for further review.”

This is the fourth time that this first wetlands damage suit has been ordered returned to the Plaquemines court by federal judges.

A 43rd suit, filed on behalf of Orleans Parish, also was removed to federal court and could eventually be returned to state court.

The lawsuits were originally filed in state courts in Plaquemines, Jefferson, St. Bernard, St. John the Baptist, Vermilion and Cameron parishes between 2012 and 2017. The suits challenge the failure of the oil companies to comply with the State and Local Coastal Resources Management Act, a 1980 state law. Each suit contained language specifying that it was not challenging the companies with violation of any federal laws.

The parishes cited damage to wetlands stemming from the building of service canals, disposal of hazardous waste and saltwater, and other operations. Each asked that the companies either repair the damage or pay the parishes and state for the losses.

Still on hold is a proposed $100 million settlement between Freeport-McMoRan Co., the six parishes represented in the 42 lawsuits, and possibly another six parishes where the company operated. In 2020, the Legislature shot down a bill that would have set up a method of distributing the money among coastal parishes, and there has been no additional action on the proposal.

Carmouche and state officials had hoped the settlement agreement could have been used as a model for similar settlements with other oil companies listed as defendants in the suit.

The Associated Press

Extraordinary close up of ant’s face wins Nikon photo competition prize

A photographer took home a prize in a Nikon photography competition that celebrates microscopic photography for his remarkable shot of an ant’s face.

The Lithuanian photographer Eugenijus Kavaliauskas told Insider that he lives next to a forest, which made it easier for him to capture and photograph the ant whose face ended up being presented in stunning detail at the 2022 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition.

The picture of the ant’s face, magnified five times under a microscope, bears little resmeblence to what most humans might think of when they picture ants: the face in the photograph has red eyes and what appear to be golden fangs – sharp, intense features that struck at least one person as horrifying.

The photographer said in response, “There are no horrors in nature.”

“I’m always looking for details, shadows, and unseen corners. The main goal of photography is to be a discoverer,” Mr Kavaliauskas told Insider. “I am fascinated by the Creator’s masterpieces and the opportunity to see God’s designs.”

Mr Kavaliauskas, who has been awarded in the past for his photographs of birds of prey, did not take home first prize in the competition for his stirring and unusual image.

That honour, and the $3,000 that goes along with it, went to Grigorii Timin and Michel Milinkovitch of the University of Geneva. The pair were awarded for their vivid portrait of Madagascar giant day gecko’s front paw.


The prize-winning photograph taken by Eugenijus Kavaliauska of an ant’s face (Eugenijus Kavaliauska/Nikon Small World/Insider)

Nikon has held its photography competition for 48 years, aiming to show off the power of its technology and celebrate one of the many photographic disciplines.

The company recieved some 1,300 entries to its 2022 competition, and announced the winners last week.

For all but the very best, the prizes are humble — Mr Kavaliauskas recieved a Nikon retail item with a value of just $35.

For photographers who are interested in competing with the likes of Mr Kavaliauskas, submissions for the 2023 edition of the competition are now open.

 The Independent

'Iconic' Ghost Orchid Considered for Federal Protections as Population Dwindles Amid Climate Change

Abigail Adams - 

U.S. officials want to save an elusive flower found in remote stretches of Florida swamps as it faces the possibility of extinction amid climate change.


RHONA WISE/AFP via Getty© Provided by People

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday that the "ghost orchid" is on a list of candidates worthy of protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The perennial flower is currently being threatened by a number of factors, including "sea level rise and hurricanes," according to findings published Wednesday.

The ghost orchid's population "has declined by more than 90% globally," according to a joint press release from the three organizations — the Institute for Regional Conservation, the National Parks Conservation Association and the Center for Biological Diversity — behind a Jan. 24 petition that kicked off the process of considering the flower for federal protection.

George Gann, executive director at The Institute for Regional Conservation, said the move would "help us not only to save this icon of beauty from extinction but allow for recovery work to commence."

"Preventing extinction is the lowest conservation bar; our goal must be full recovery," Gann added.


RHONA WISE/AFP via Getty© Provided by People

Earlier this year, only an estimated 1,500 ghost orchid plants were left in Florida, according to Tuesday's release.

Melissa Abdo, a regional director of the National Parks Conservation Association, told ABC News that fewer than 750 mature orchids remained in the wild in the U.S. prior to Hurricane Ian. (It's still unclear just how much damage the storm caused to the flower's population, she added.)

The "iconic" flower's survival is put in jeopardy each time a hurricane hits the Sunshine State, Abdo explained.

"Park staff and conservationists alike want to do all they can to protect this really rare and beautiful plant," she told ABC News. "They need more help."

In addition to climate change, the ghost orchid is also threatened by "pest insects" and "competition from invasive plants," as well as the "poaching and overutilization of recreational areas."

For the next year, officials will review factors affecting the ghost orchid population to determine if the flower qualifies as a threatened or endangered species under federal law.

Elise Bennett, deputy Florida director and attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in Tuesday's press release that she hopes federal officials will approve protections "before it's too late" for the ghost orchid, which played a key role the Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep film Adaptation as well as the nonfiction book it was based on, The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean.

"The ghost orchid is a testament to how biodiversity can have a monumental impact on our collective spirit and imagination," Bennett said of the "rare and cryptic" flower.

Giant, Horrid Deep-Sea Louse-Like Creature Filmed Feasting on Fish Head

Aristos Georgiou - NEWSWEEK

A creepy video captured during a research dive off the coast of Florida shows a deep-sea creature feasting on the head of a fish.


A giant isopod feasting on a fish in the deep sea around 40 miles southeast of Key West, Florida. Giant isopods are an example of deep-sea gigantism.© NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

The video was featured in the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Office of Ocean Exploration and Research's "31 Dives of Halloween" web series, which is highlighting a host of fascinating deep-sea creatures in the run-up to the popular holiday.

The creature visible in the clip is a giant isopod of the species Bathynomus giganteus—a deep-sea scavenger that is a close relative of the pill bugs and sowbugs commonly found in homes and gardens.

Isopods are a type of crustacean that lives in both the ocean and terrestrial environments, of which there are about 10,000 species around the world.

Giant isopods, which belong to the genus (group of species) Bathynomus, are the largest of all isopods. They can grow much larger than their terrestrial relatives capable of reaching lengths of up to around a foot-and-half in length.

"Giant isopods are an example of deep-sea gigantism, which is where deep-sea animals grow exceedingly large," Stephanie Farrington, the biology science lead for the expedition during which the footage of the giant isopod was collected who is now working with NOAA Fisheries, told Newsweek.

"It is thought that this phenomenon increases efficiency, and thus food scarcity in the deep ocean may have led to the evolution of gigantism. Colder water also has a correlation with larger body size—typically the temperature of the bottom of the ocean is close to freezing," said Farrington, who specializes in deep-sea biology.

The video in question was captured during an NOAA research expedition in 2019 around 40 miles southeast of Key West, Florida at a depth of almost 4,000 feet. It shows a giant isopod estimated to be around 8 inches long snacking on a fish morsel.

Though giant isopods were first discovered in 1879, there is still much about their biology and behavior we do not fully understand given that scientists have yet to conduct extensive studies on them. This is why videos such as this are so important to researchers.

"Since they live at such great depths, they are very hard to study. Until modern history, the only way for us to access them was using trawls," Farrington said. "The advent of modern ocean exploration and deep submergence vehicles allows us to observe giant isopods in the natural environment. This in situ observation had made it possible to more frequently observe their behavior."

While scientists have a basic understanding of their diets, breeding habits and distribution, they are still learning new things about this group of animals. A new species was described just this year from the Gulf of Mexico.

Like all crustaceans, giant isopods have a hard exterior known as an exoskeleton. The bodies of these otherworldly creatures are divided into three segments, including the cephalon (head), pereon (thorax), and pleon (abdomen), according to Farrington.

They have 14 jointed legs, a fanned tail, known as a uropod, and two sets of antennae—one long pair and one short. They also have a set of strange appendages on their abdomen called pleopods that are part of their respiratory system.

Giant isopods have been collected or sighted at depths ranging from 170 to 2,140 meters (558 to 7,020 feet) around the world, according to Farrington. Bathynomus giganteus is found mostly in the Gulf of Mexico, the Straits of Florida, and as far south as Brazil, mostly on or near the sandy seafloor.

While more than 20 species of giant isopod have been described to date, B. giganteus is the only one to Farrington's knowledge that is found around the United States, with the exception of the newly identified species from the Gulf of Mexico.

Giant isopods are thought to have existed for more than 160 million years, evidence from the fossil record indicates.

B. giganteus is not on the endangered species list but it does face a number of threats. Hard-bodied invertebrates (those that have calcified body parts) are subjected to the threat of ocean acidification, which is a decrease in the ocean's pH caused by the increase in greenhouse gasses being absorbed into the ocean.

"Ocean acidification can literally dissolve or prevent the formation of calcium carbonate in shells and exoskeletons," Farrington said.

These animals are also subjected to plastic pollution and can be inadvertently caught by deep-sea trawlers.

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‘One word – Epic’: B.C. diver records incredible close encounter with octopus

Simon Little - 


Andrea Humphreys gets up close and personal with a giant Pacific octopus near Campbell River.

© Andrea Humphreys

That's how a Vancouver Island scuba driver is describing a recent eight-apendaged underwater encounter.

Andrea Humphreys is a school teacher in the Campbell River area, and a diver with plenty of experience. Over 12 years she's logged about 675 plunges, but in all that time she's never seen anything like what she captured on video last week.

Read more:
‘A big, big lad’: B.C. couple escapes close encounter with frightened sea lion

Humphreys and a group of divers had set out to take a friend from Newfoundland, who had never seen an octopus, out to try and view one of the cephalopods near Campbell River's Argonaut Wharf.

"Within probably two minutes, there's an octopus sitting there in the kelp right in the open ... pretty much unheard of in the daytime," she told Global News.

"Then the octopus climbed on this guy that had never seen an octopus before and was climbing all over his face and his mask."

Video: B.C. diver captures ‘epic’ octopus encounter

That alone would have been a thrill for the group, but things didn't stop there.

The creature, which Humphreys identified as a giant Pacific octopus, seemed to lose interest and climbed off her friend -- and took a shine to Humphreys.

Read more:
Video captures close encounter with orcas at Vancouver seaplane dock

What followed was a nearly 40-minute interaction with the multi-armed sea creature, during which it climbed all over her mask, face and camera.

"It just kept coming back to me, it wasn't interested in anybody else. It was just incredible to see and experience," she said.

"You can kind of hear my enthusiasm in the video, me shrieking and screaming, it was just total talking under water because I was so incredibly excited ... I've been diving so long and never had an encounter like that, and to finally be able to have one and have it for that long, that much time -- words can't even describe it."

Video: Researchers observe Red Sea octopuses ‘punching’ fish that compete for food

While Humphreys and the octopus got to know one another, she said her friends sat back and laughed, enjoying the spectacle.

The diver told Global News she's had a few animal encounters in her diving career, but nothing so up-close and personal. Divers are prohibited from approaching wildlife, she said, so the animal needs to come to you.

Now she's sharing the footage of the unforgettable encounter, hoping to generate public interest and awareness about the incredible life that flourishes unseen beneath the surface of our oceans.

"Being a teacher I think we all can learn," she said. "Having footage like this, where people see footage of octopus -- you see their heads, their eyes, you never really get to see underneath the octopus, and for it to be able to lift up, spread out, you can see inside the suckers ... it was such a cool experience I had to share it."

UFO sightings to be studied by former astronaut, handpicked NASA group

Andrew Wulfeck - 4h ago


The United States’ space agency announced it has selected 16 individuals to participate in the much-awaited study of unidentified aerial phenomena, or what are more commonly referred to as UFOs.

The team will kick off the study Monday and is scheduled to spend nine months reviewing previous observations and determining how to analyze data on future events.

The study will not determine if past reports of UFOs were legitimate but will pave the way for understanding what observations will be needed in future events to better understand the phenomena.

"Exploring the unknown in space and the atmosphere is at the heart of who we are at NASA," Thomas Zurbuchen, an associate administrator at NASA, said in a statement. "Understanding the data we have surrounding unidentified aerial phenomena is critical to helping us draw scientific conclusions about what is happening in our skies. Data is the language of scientists and makes the unexplainable, explainable."

HASTINGS MESA, UFO-like sunset over Hastings Mesa, between Ridgway and Telluride Colorado , resembles a spaceship landing.

 Photo by: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/

The members come from various backgrounds and includes former astronaut Scott Kelly. Kelly served as a pilot of Space Shuttle Discovery and once held the record for spending the most days in space.

Kelly has long believed that UFO sightings from Earth are not any type of alien-related event but told FOX News in 2018 that there is likely life beyond Earth.

"I think there is probably life in the universe. Hopefully intelligent life, but I don’t think they visit planet Earth," Kelly said.

"NASA has brought together some of the world’s leading scientists, data and artificial intelligence practitioners, aerospace safety experts, all with a specific charge, which is to tell us how to apply the full focus of science and data to UAP," Evans stated. "The findings will be released to the public in conjunction with NASA’s principles of transparency, openness, and scientific integrity."

NASA believes studying unidentified objects is essential for both air safety and national security. The agency said without having access to needed data, it is nearly impossible to verify a sighting and determine what’s behind the mystery.

The independent group is only one part of several ongoing missions that are constantly working to find signs of life in the universe.

The group’s independent findings are not expected to be released before mid-2023.

NASA UFO study team includes former astronaut, scientists and more

Mike Wall - SPACE.COM


NASA's highly anticipated UFO study is about to begin, and we now know who will conduct it.


An unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP), as captured by 

the sensors of a U.S. Navy jet.© DoD/US Navy

In June, the space agency announced that it had commissioned a panel to investigate UFOs, or, as they have recently been rebranded, "unidentified aerial phenomena" (UAP). The independent study will begin in the fall, cost less than $100,000 and last about nine months from start to finish, NASA officials said at the time.

Fall has arrived, and so has the study's start date — nearly, anyway. The panel will begin its work on Monday (Oct. 24), NASA officials wrote in an update today (Oct. 21).

Related: NASA hopes new study helps bring UFO research into the mainstream

The study doesn't aim to be the last word on UFOs. It will look at previously collected UAP observations (the unclassified ones only, leaving out sensitive military data), focusing on how they could be better organized and analyzed in the future to shed more light on mysterious sky sights.

"Exploring the unknown in space and the atmosphere is at the heart of who we are at NASA," Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) at NASA headquarters, said in today's update.

"Understanding the data we have surrounding unidentified aerial phenomena is critical to helping us draw scientific conclusions about what is happening in our skies," he added. "Data is the language of scientists and makes the unexplainable explainable."

We already knew that the study team will be chaired by astrophysicist David Spergel, president of the Simons Foundation, and that the NASA official orchestrating the effort is Daniel Evans, the assistant deputy associate administrator for research at the SMD.

But today's update revealed the full team. There will be 16 investigators from a variety of fields, from astronomy to oceanography to computer science to journalism. There's even a former NASA astronaut in the bunch.

In addition to Spergel, the team members are (in alphabetical order):

Anamaria Berea, associate professor of computational and data science at George Mason University, research affiliate with the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, and research investigator with Blue Marble Space Institute of Science in Seattle;

Federica Bianco, joint professor at the University of Delaware in the Department of Physics and Astrophysics, the Biden School of Public Policy and Administration and the Urban Observatory;

Paula Bontempi, dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island (URI) and a professor of oceanography at URI;

Reggie Brothers, operating partner at AE Industrial Partners in Boca Raton, Florida and formerly CEO and board member of BigBear.ai in Columbia, Maryland;

Jen Buss, CEO of the Potomac Institute of Policy Studies in Arlington, Virginia;

Nadia Drake, freelance science journalist and contributing writer at National Geographic;

Mike Gold, executive vice president of Civil Space and External Affairs at Redwire in Jacksonville, Florida and previously NASA associate administrator for Space Policy and Partnerships;

David Grinspoon, senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, and a frequent advisor to NASA on space exploration;

Scott Kelly, former NASA astronaut, test pilot, fighter pilot and retired U.S. Navy captain;

Matt Mountain, president of The Association of Universities for Research and Astronomy and a telescope scientist for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope;

Warren Randolph, deputy executive director of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Accident Investigation and Prevention for Aviation Safety department;

Walter Scott, executive vice president and chief technology officer at the space technology company Maxar;

Joshua Semeter, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Boston University and director of the school's Center for Space Physics;

Karlin Toner, acting executive director of the FAA's Office of Aviation Policy and Plans and formerly director of the FAA's global strategy;

Shelley Wright, associate professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego's Center for Astrophysics and Space Studies.

The above are shortened versions of the thumbnail bios given in today's NASA update. You can read the full versions in that post.

"NASA has brought together some of the world's leading scientists, data and artificial intelligence practitioners, [and] aerospace safety experts, all with a specific charge, which is to tell us how to apply the full focus of science and data to UAP," Evans said in the same statement.

The team's findings will be released to the public in mid-2023, when the study wraps up, NASA officials said.

Mike Wall is the author of "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or on Facebook.

Explosive-laden drone found near Nord Stream pipeline

IntelliNews - 

Swedish authorities investigating the explosion that ripped holes in the Nord Stream gas pipelines reported on October 20 they had found an explosive laden drone on the seabed near the pipelines.


Explosive-laden drone found near Nord Stream pipeline© IntelliNews

The Swedish armed forces were called in to remove and disarm the drone.

“We don't consider it to be dangerous to merchant vessels or the pipeline at this point,” Jesper Stolpe, Swedish Armed Forces spokesman, told Radio Sweden. The cable used to control the drone and to set off the explosive was cut, rendering the drone harmless, according to Stolpe.

The national identity of the drone has not been verified so far, as many countries use Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) of a similar construction, Stolpe said.

Swedish seismologists were the first to report several explosions near the pipelines, aftergas began to leak into the sea on the evening of September 26, raising the suspicion of sabotage.

The discovery of the still unidentified drone confirms those fears. Sweden has been conducting a joint investigation with Poland and Germany, however, despite requests to participate, Russia has been excluded. Sweden said this week that it has classified the results of the investigation on “national security” grounds.

It remains unclear who was behind the explosions, but the chief suspects, all of which have strong motives to destroy the pipelines, are Russia, the US, Ukraine and Poland. Russia has blamed the US and denied any involvement in blowing up its own multi-billion dollar pipelines, although technically the pipelines belong to Germany.

Previously it was argued that as the pipeline lies so deep in the sea that only countries with submarines could successfully carry out the attack, but use of a UUV considerably broadens the field of suspects.

The drone was found near one of the two strands of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline during a routine survey operation as part of the annual integrity assessment of the Nord Stream pipeline, Pipeline Journalreports.

The explosions rupture three of the four strands with one belonging to Nord Stream 2 remaining intact.

The sections of pipeline destroyed were in the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) approximately 120 km away from the island of Gotland. The gas leak that emptied tonnes of methane into the atmosphere in what some have called theworst emissions disaster ever.

Sweden immediately imposed a 5km no-go zone around the leak on shipping, afraid of further explosions.