An environmental toxicologist in California is cleaning up areas contaminated with heavy metals or other pollutants using fungi and native plants in a win-win for nature.

Where once toxic soils in industrial lots sat bare or weed-ridden, there are now flowering meadows of plants and mushrooms, frequented by birds and pollinators: and it’s thanks to Danielle Stevenson.

Founder of DIY Fungi, the 37-year-old ecologist from UC Riverside recently spoke with Yale Press about her ongoing work restoring ‘brownfields,’ a term that describes a contaminated environment, abandoned by industrial, extraction, or transportation operations.

A brownfield could be an old railway yard or the grounds of an abandoned oil refinery, but the uniting factor is the presence of a toxic containment, whether that’s a petrochemical, heavy metal, or something else.

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A new drug tested in mice septupled the number of beta cells in the pancreas, reversing the symptoms of diabetes until the disease was gone.

This has never been achieved before in drug development, and the scientists behind the breakthrough are calling it a “functional diabetes cure.”

It took just three months for the mice cells to start excreting insulin again, which was achieved via a combination of two drugs: the first called harmine which is naturally found in plants which works to inhibit the enzyme DYRK1A, and the second which acts as a GLP1 receptor agonist, also found in the diabetes drug Ozempic.

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photo released by Shaurya Jain (right)

Every Virginian over 30 you could hope to meet will know someone who has collided with a deer in their car: the state is in the top ten nationwide for deer-related crashes.

These two high school seniors have just received a large grant to pursue their research into a device that detects cars and deer via artificially intelligent cameras, and helps both avoid collisions.

Shaurya Jain and Anmol Karan from Thomas Jefferson High School in Fairfax County received $15,000 after presenting their prototype.

The money came from the Animal Welfare Institute as a part of the Christine Stevens Wildlife Award, and it left the two young men feeling “honored.”

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The gold nugget obtained from computer motherboards in three parts. The largest of these parts is around five millimetres wide. (Photograph ETH Zurich Alan Kovacevic)

Scientists have developed a way to dramatically reduce the cost of recycling certain electronic waste by using whey protein.

Their method allows for the easy recovery of gold from circuit boards at a cost of energy and materials amounting to 50 times less than the price of the gold they recover—these are the numbers that big business likes to see.

Indeed, the potential for scalability depends on this sort of cost savings, something traditional e-waste recycling methods just can’t achieve.

Professor Raffaele Mezzenga from ETH Zurich has found that whey protein, a byproduct of dairy manufacturing, can be used to make sponges that attract trace amounts of ionized gold.

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Juvenile tortoises released into their natural habitat on Isabela Island ©Galápagos Conservancy

2023 was a banner year for the Galapagos Islands: that wondrous archipelago so famous for its giant tortoises and other endemic species.

The long-serving conservation organization the Galapagos Conservancy, also endemic to the islands, recently published its annual reportfeaturing standout figures like over 500 giant tortoises of 5 different species reintroduced to their natural habitat.

Additionally, a critically endangered species of albatross was identified to use giant tortoise feeding sites as take-off and landing areas. This key insight into co-dependency has given the Conservancy confidence that they can restore the populations of both animals to stable, flourishing numbers.

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Should anyone really be surprised that Secret Service made the decision to not protect Trump? (and that's the best-case scenario)

They've never taken the countless death threats against him seriously. Washington DC has done nothing but cry and scream that Trump is a Russian agent that is going to dismantle NATO, abolish the FBI, and otherwise upend the managerial world order. The US security state has never hidden their hysterical loathing of him.

It doesn't seem all that mysterious.

essentialsaltes said:

In a fight over books, Escambia County saw thousands of titles removed, two lawsuits and jobs lost — including that of its superintendent​

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School board wants to depose 7-year-old girl about what library books she wants to check out but can’t because they are banned​

The girl’s mother, Ann Novakowski, is part of the federal lawsuit by other parents and the free-speech group PEN America, among others, against the Escambia County School District for removing books from the library shelves. [appears to be the same suit as in the OP]

Novakowski argued there is no “meaningful distinction” between what she and her daughter would say and the mother’s testimony would be sufficient. She further said there is no dispute about the books the girl wants to check out that are no longer available, namely “And Tango Makes Three” and “When Aidan Became a Brother” along with “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding,” which is on restricted access.

“It would require young J.N. to devote time away from family and friends to prepare for her testimony and to face questioning by opposing counsel in deposition — an experience that is enormously difficult and stressful for adults, let alone a seven-year-old,” attorneys wrote.

“Plaintiffs have not shown specific harms will come to J.N. if she testifies, and cannot use her status as a minor as both a sword and shield in this suit,” the response said.

Dan Perez said:

Just go to BLUE LETTER BIBLE and it tell anyone what are verbs , nouns , adjectives and show the , Cases , Moods , tenses

dan p

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Thanks, but that is not a verse by verse commentary.

So, this seems to be about how idols modern-day can bring a country to its end.

Humanism

Historicism

Evolutionary false science

Mammon

The state

Victimization

Validation

These are considered idols.

I think there have been some undercover sins which have been helping to keep people deeply weak and so they do not know how to love >

Beauty discrimination

Arguing

Complaining

Unforgiveness

And we have ways very underestimated, which can keep a country going, right while certain people make it look as though the country will go down >

Prayer > 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Obedience > Genesis 22:18

Example > 1 Peter 5:3

Hey something amazing happened! A woman from my church (Barb) messaged me on Facebook, she needed help with her computer at work and she wanted me to come over and look at it (am in the IT field for my line of work), she picked me up at my apartment and we went down to her office after-hours and I had a look at it, as we were walking into the building I felt a presence (from God) walking behind, us, I think it may have been an angel! Then I went in to her office and looked at her computer and somehow I knew exactly what to do, we got evertything working, it was a quick fix!

DaisyDay said:

Yeah, but the socks are kinda funny.

I don't know if assassination socks would be funny though - I tend to think not.

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They could base it on Curt Schilling's bloody sock.

Michie said:

They are pretty sure it was natural causes. What natural cause is the question. I know he fell the day before but wanted to wait to see the doctor. Stroke? *shrug*

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I am thinking the Lord was preparing him to die for some upcoming event and pulled back out money and all the lime light to go back to Church to prep his death.

WarriorAngel said:

May we return to the great numbers of God fearing Church attendees.
We so so so need this.

We need to put the Holiness of the Eucharist back.
Our Lord among us. Like wow.

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Amen

Grafted In said:

My oppologies, Tony.

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No worries, brother.

tonychanyt said:

Moses commanded the weekly Sabbaths in Ex 20:


Moses also commanded other festival days of rest. E.g., Leviticus 23:


i.e. at the end of Nisan 14


Moses commanded that the day after Nisan 14 was to be a day of rest, whatever day of the week it fell on. Actually, the term high Sabbath is not in the Bible. The confusion came from John 19:


Jesus was crucified on Friday, Nisan 15, a Paschal day of rest. Nisan 16 was a weekly Saturday Sabbath day. There was a Sabbath day followed by another Sabbath day. I suppose that one can define the second Sabbath day as a High Sabbath day.

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I understand it to mean that when Holy days of celebration coincide with a sabbath day, it becomes a High Sabbath day. So for eg, a Saturday is Sabbath but when Passover or any other holy day occurs on a certain day it is also a day of rest. A high Sabbath day.

Leviticus 23 speaks of these days, when no ordinary work is to be done. A day of rest.

iluvatar5150 said:

This seems like a pretty easy technical legal fix - just make the database not subject to such requests. Restrict access to law enforcement and other government entities, and to individuals looking up their own information.

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That closes up the loophole of that one scenario like the newspaper using a FOIA request to get it and build an interactive map to publish.

Although, it doesn't necessarily solve the issues of hack or other technical failures...like for instance (hypothetically) if their system is on Windows, and a company...let's call them Crowdstrike... pushes a botched update that disrupts the system.

A display case at the Museum of Cheese in Paris – credit, Musee du Fromage, released to the media

Fromage, Formaggio, Käse, Queso: cheese—one of the Old World’s great romance stories.

In the heart of Paris, a new museum has opened dedicated to the ages-old craft of cheesemaking in France, the second most prolific producer on the continent (behind Italy).

At the newly-opened Musee du Fromage, visitors can learn about the history of cheese making, something which may have been going on for 5,000 years. They can learn about the story of various famous French cheeses, see cheese made, talk to real cheesemakers, and yes, taste them.

Continued below.

Dead Eye said:

What do you think of John 3:1-5 about being born again

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Spiritual rebirth is by sovereign choice of the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:3-5), who is as unaccountable as the wind (Jn 3:6-8).
Man has nothing to do with his spiritual rebirth, just as he had nothing to do with his natural birth.

A woman who rescued a dog from a shelter was amazed and overwhelmed to learn that the Siberian husky returned the favor.

Samantha Griffen might have died before the carbon monoxide detector even went off, but the husky, Luna, had other ideas.

Moving into a new house on 54th and Prestwick Sq, Marion, Indiana last June, her water heater started leaking, spilling the dangerous gas into the home.

Griffen had only adopted Luna, a now two-year-old husky, 6 months ago.

“I had a migraine, so I went into my room and was resting like I normally do and she was not going to let me sleep,” Griffin told WRTV.


“If she hadn’t gotten me outside, I would fallen asleep in here like completely fallen asleep and probably wouldn’t have woke up.”

Griffen said that Luna jumped on the bed and kept her from falling asleep until she took the dog outside, where, eventually, the CO1 detector did go off. She then got all the children out of the house as fast as possible and called her utilities company.

Continued below.

In Cambodia, 60 eggs were found in the nest of one of the world’s most endangered large reptiles which after hatching set a new record for an international conservation effort to save them.

It was believed the Siamese crocodile, with the distinctive bony crest running down its skull, was extinct in the wild until it was rediscovered in 2000. Almost all of the 400 animals remaining live in Cambodia.

A network of private-public partnerships have been organizing conservation measures to protect the species, including captive breeding and reintroduction programs, and village patrols to ensure their nests and habitat are not tampered with.

In May, locals in the Cardamom Mountains found a nesting site in an area that crocodiles hadn’t been released, suggesting they are expanding and breeding under their own powers: a tremendous sign for the species’ recovery.

“The hatching of 60 new crocodiles is a tremendous boost,” said Pablo Sinovas, who leads the Cambodia programme of conservation group Fauna & Flora International, which has been running a captive breeding program since 2012.


They’ve successfully reintroduced 196 crocs back into the wild, and it was they who deployed a team of conservationists to the nest site found in May for round-the-clock care and observation until every last one of the 60 eggs hatched, bringing their precious cargo into the world.

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Peace in Christ.

Christ Jesus the Lord takes out of our way the handwriting of “ordinances” ….that is, “dogmas” which means in ancient Greek “that which one thinks is true” or “opinion.”
The handwriting speaks of the governing church handwritings of ordinances such as “statements of faith,” church constitutions, church bylaws, creeds, etc, etc, etc. that many observe more than they observe the “handwriting” of God’s laws which are written within our hearts and minds.

His kingdom/government is within and does not come from observation of external man’s writings.

Col 2:13-15 KJV
(13) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

The church handwritings are “contrary” to us…..that is, “opposed” or “adversarial” to us.

They are the device of “Satan” (which also means “opposer” or “adversary”) used by the false prophets to deceive us into serving THE sin: judging others using the handwriting of ordinances. Judging another is not having love for them. We mortally perish with the using of their handwritings for the serving of the sin. The wages of the sin is the death….the death of the mortal body.

(14) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

But He forgives us for this….nailing it to His cross.

And so we who are the vessels of His mercy must go forth from them….making a show of them openly . They….the principalities and powers of man’s handwritings… have no power over us.

(15) And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

We have a commandment from the Father: “Arise, let us go from here”.

We show them that we love the Father when we depart from those who are worshipping their “graven images”….the graven-by-the-pen church scribes’ handwritings. We are to follow in His footsteps and also go to the Father who will then receive us.

John 14:30-31 KJV
(30) Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
(31) But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

For what agreement has the temple of God with “idols”…that is, IMAGES (the graven image of their handwritings)? “idol” = “image” = Greek “eidōlon” - an image (that is, for worship).

The “images” are their church handwritings of ordinances that they are careful to keep….bowing down to them.

2Co 6:16-18
(16) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols (images)? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

We have a commandment to come out from among them and be separate.

(17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

We show that we love the Father by doing so.

(18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

The “customs”….that is, statutes or ordinances…. of the people are empty. Their handwritings are dead works of the workman of the church scribes. A tree cut out of the forest is dead. There is no life in their church handwritings of ordinances.

Jer 10:
(3) For the customs (STATUTES/ORDINANCES) of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

Yet, they make it precious in their sight. They fasten it with nails and hammers…that is, they continue to preach them over and over again to their congregations making them “sure”…fastened… in the ears of many. Their handwritings do not move out of their churches. They are fixed and never move.

(4) They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

They appear outwardly righteous but they are not.

Be not afraid of their church handwritings of ordinances for they cannot do evil to you for not keeping them. They are powerless and empty. We make an open show of them by leaving this all behind.

(5) They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

Why be subject to their “ordinances”/dogmas? They have a show of wisdom in keeping them but do not do anything to save your mortal flesh. They are empty and cannot save anyone as all perish with the using up of them.

Col 2:20-23 KJV
(20) Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
(21) (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
(22) Which all are to perish with the using) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
(23) Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

Satan savors the things of men….their handwritings…and not the things of God.

Satan….the opposer… is transformed into a messenger of light (knowledge). He uses the handwritings of men to deceive many into being slaves to the sin by using that false knowledge (the handwritings of the ordinances of men which are opposite to us).

2Co 11:13-15 KJV
(13) For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
(14) And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Satan’s ministers also preach his handwritings as though keeping them are the works of true righteousness. The keeping of their handwritings do not save our mortal flesh. It only destroys it. They only come to steal, kill and destroy those they deceive.

(15) Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works

From south Texas comes the incredible story of how a TikTok content creator channeled his channel for good—rescuing a cat and a cat shelter by inspiring thousands in donations.

Broken by Victoria Lopez at My San Antonio, the story is a reminder of social media’s stunning potential to do good if it can just manage to capture enough people’s fleeting attention.

Spencer is the brains and motor behind the SB Mowing TikTok and YouTube channels, which document his hobby of finding people who can’t mow their lawns and doing it for them. With a combined following of 15 million people, it’s a great showing that kindness pays.

In Corpus Christi, Spencer was fighting back a terribly overgrown yard when he found a little tabby cat with puncture marks from a fight with a dog or another cat, which to Spencer’s mind seemed infected.

Spencer called rescue centers in the area to see if anyone would help the cat, who would later be named Esbee, and only one reached out: Edgar and Ivy’s Cat Sanctuary and Rescue.


Edgar and Ivy is run by Director Anissa Beal, who was falling into a growing financial pit attempting to fund the cat rescue center. She had vowed to call it quits at year’s end if she couldn’t manage to turn things around.

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Luke 8:18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”

That short phrase struck me to day as if I had never hear it. "Consider carefully how you listen."

akouete
ἀκούετε ;
you hear akoúō – properly, to hear (listen); (figuratively) to hear God's voice which prompts Him to birth faith

But to hear and to listen can be quite different. Almost leads more to "understand" Consider carefully how you understand.

16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.
17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open."

It is difficult not to bring this back to the political understandings in our country and in the world. Each position seems so sure of its own understanding, its own hearing and ability to listen. But listening first takes silence. I think of being home alone and hearing a strange sound. What was that? Turn the tv off and try to get as quiet as possible and then just listen closely. To listen without preconceived notions?

"Consider carefully how you listen."

mindlight said:

The world is becoming more, not less religious, because atheism is not that attractive an option and because atheists do not reproduce

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How silly!

How religious the world is is incalculable. All the sums I have seen depend on huge assumptions, such as the one that counts the children of practising Christians as Christians; it is just daft to refer to christian, Muslim or Hindu countries and include entire populations in the calculation.

Then again, so many Christians are prone to denying the Christianity of their co-religionists on doctrinal grounds.

I understand the religious optimism behind the contention. I don't think the optimism is warranted.

But I agree that atheism is 'not an attractive option'. Nobody says it is.

Sofiahh said:

Is it blasphemous to write "God" for example, and for that note to end up being disposed in the trash?

Can blasphemy also happen when a word that has sacred meaning which was written down goes through an act of disposal?

The context for this is bc when I was eating a snack, I noticed the wrapping had written on it the address of where it was made, and in the country where I live in I often see addresses (streets, cities, etc) with religious names on such food wrappers like “Holy Faith” or “Saint Peter” etc… Out of doubt, I have been collecting so many food wrappers with addresses like that due to me not knowing yet for sure what I should do with them, and I don’t want to offend the sacredness of the meaning behind such words by the way of disposing the wrapper…I’m terrified of the blasphemy against The Holy Spirit..

I now started to worry on even doing transactions with businesses that have food wrapped with addresses like that, bc it seems for some reason wrong to me to sell or buy something with such words and for that to probably end up in the trash by many..

Is there something in the Bible that can give some thought to this? What verses are out there talking about a similar topic to enlighten my conscience? Is it blasphemous to dispose of those wrappers in the trash?

I think I saw somewhere that Jews try not to write the name of God, idk why, maybe out of a similar fear as mine? And that they bury texts with sacred words instead etc… is there a way to treat the thing (paper, wrapper, etc) where a word with a sacred meaning has been written? Does the paper require a special treatment out of the sacred meaning of the word it may have?
And is it okay to transaction with a business that sells food wrapped in paper with an address which contains word that has a sacred meaning and for it to end in the trash by many?

I’m a non-denominational Christian btw


Pls help my conscience
Thank you!

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No, it's not.

You can stop worrying.