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A recent <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mnrasl/article/535/1/L18/7760380">study</a> has revealed an unexpected consequence of the global lockdowns imposed in 2020 to curb the spread of COVID-19: a measurable cooling of the <keyword id="19899207" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="moon" source="keywords">Moon</keyword>'s surface. Indian researchers from the <keyword id="20178202" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Physical-Research-Laboratory" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Physical Research Laboratory" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Physical Research Laboratory">Physical Research Laboratory</keyword> (PRL) analysed night-time temperatures at six different locations on the Moon's near side between 2017 and 2023. Using data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, they discovered a consistent temperature drop of 8-10 Kelvin during the strictest lockdown period of April-May 2020 compared to previous years. For instance, the coldest temperature was recorded in 2020, with a value of 96.2 K at one location. In contrast, post-lockdown years like 2021 and 2022 saw a gradual warming trend as human activity resumed. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111772552" title="Newly discovered Moon caves could shelter astronauts as they set up lunar bases!" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The researchers posit that this unusual cooling can be attributed to a reduction in Earth's outgoing radiation during the lockdowns. As human activity slowed down, <keyword id="20107362" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="greenhouse-gas-emissions" source="keywords">greenhouse gas emissions</keyword> and aerosols decreased significantly. This meant less heat was trapped and re-emitted by Earth's atmosphere, resulting in a measurable decrease in the radiation reaching the Moon. Further, the Moon's surface acts as an amplifier of Earth's radiation signature. And this unique global event provided a rare opportunity to observe how changes in human activity on Earth can affect our nearest celestial neighbour. While the study presents a compelling correlation, the authors acknowledge that more data is needed to definitively establish the link between Earth's radiation changes and <keyword id="23366659" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="lunar-surface-temperatures" source="keywords">lunar surface temperatures</keyword>. They suggest that future Moon-based observatories could play a crucial role in studying Earth's climate and environmental shifts. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112222991" title="Scientists want to send our endangered species to the Moon to “save” them" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>This unexpected finding highlights the interconnectedness of our solar system and the far-reaching impacts of human activities on our planet. As we continue to grapple with the challenges of <keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">climate change</keyword>, understanding these subtle interactions between Earth and the Moon can provide valuable insights into our planet's complex systems. (With inputs from TOI)

The Covid lockdowns did WHAT to the Moon?!

The way our human ancestors left behind paraphernalia like their tools for us to learn about them, our successors will likely inherit a ton of trash on this planet from modern humans. Granted, we won’t be making the best of impressions. But that’s just who we are, we leave garbage everywhere we go — including the <keyword id="19899207" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="moon" source="keywords">Moon</keyword>. Believe it or not, scattered across the lunar terrain are not just American flags, science equipment, and astronaut boot prints, but also... bags of poop. Yes, you read that right! During the six <keyword id="21390038" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Apollo-missions" source="keywords">Apollo missions</keyword> that landed on the moon between 1969 and 1972, astronauts left behind a combined total of 96 bags filled with their urine, faeces and other <keyword id="23199695" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="human-waste" source="keywords">human waste</keyword>. Why, you ask? The decision was purely “practical”! <h2>The poo bags paradox</h2>Space missions have strict weight limits, and every pound counted when it came to safely blasting off from the <keyword id="20381887" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lunar-surface" source="keywords">lunar surface</keyword>. So instead of lugging their waste back to Earth, astronauts left it behind in favour of bringing home priceless lunar rock samples and scientific data. In fact, alongside human waste, they also left equipment like cameras, boots, and even golf balls from Alan Shepard’s famous moon swing in 1971. The thrash left behind by <keyword id="2278063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="apollo-astronauts" source="Orion">Apollo astronauts</keyword> on the Moon is frozen in vacuum-packed bags, and the question of whether it will survive is scientifically intriguing. The Moon’s environment is extremely hostile to life as we know it. As it has no atmosphere, there’s no protection against harmful radiation from the sun, and the temperatures fluctuate drastically from +120°C to -133°C throughout the day. These conditions make it highly unlikely that any Earth-based microbes could survive, let alone thrive, on the lunar surface. But some scientists disagree! <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111772552" title="Newly discovered Moon caves could shelter astronauts as they set up lunar bases!" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>Microbes’ journey to the Moon </h2>Despite these harsh conditions, some scientists believe the <keyword id="19911016" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bacteria" source="keywords">bacteria</keyword> in the poop may have survived. Some forms of bacteria are known to be extremely resilient and can potentially endure harsh environments. While it's a very slim possibility, “the introduction of terrestrial substances onto the moon or other celestial bodies could, permanently, jeopardize the existence of possible indigenous lifeforms,” says Hugo Lopez, a researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, in a 2020 study titled, “The Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites on the Moon: The Poo Bags Paradox”. Another theory is that, in the vacuum-packed bags, with no oxygen, moisture, or atmospheric pressure, the bacterial organisms might have entered a state of dormancy. In this state, they could theoretically be "revived" if reintroduced to more favourable conditions, such as Earth's environment or inside a lab for study. <h2>A long-standing question </h2>The survival of bacteria in these bags could provide important insights into the long-standing question ‘how microorganisms endure in space?”, which is crucial for understanding the potential of life on other planets and ensuring safety of humans on long-term space missions. However, it's also possible that the high radiation levels on the moon have killed off any remaining life forms in the waste, as radiation can damage DNA over time. For now, Mark Lupisella, a manager at <keyword id="19935155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NASA" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NASA" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NASA">NASA</keyword>’s Goddard Space Flight Center, has suggested a robotic mission to collect samples from the waste bags left at an Apollo landing site. The goal would be to study whether the microbes inside the bags have survived or spread in the lunar environment, a discovery that could provide essential insights for future <keyword id="19929542" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-exploration" source="keywords">space exploration</keyword>. Until then, whether the poop survives on the Moon is still an open question, but it offers an exciting opportunity for scientists to study the limits of microbial life and the conditions for survival beyond Earth! Though it’s an amusing thought that human waste is among our first interplanetary "artefacts," these remnants are part of an enduring legacy of exploration — and leaving trash everywhere. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111455720" title="ISRO&amp;#39;s Chandrayaan-3 moon mission continues to uncover lunar treasures at Shiv Shakti point" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Lunar loo: Did Apollo astronauts' 96 bags of poop and urine seed the Moon with life?

With millions of people across five continents experiencing scorching heat last month, the European Union's (EU) climate agency, Copernicus <keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">Climate Change</keyword> Service (C3S), confirmed on Monday that June was the warmest on record. It also marked the 12th consecutive month of <keyword id="20524196" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-temperatures" source="keywords">global temperatures</keyword> reaching <keyword id="22325521" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="1-5-degrees-Celsius" source="keywords">1.5 degrees Celsius</keyword> above the pre-industrial average. According to scientists at C3S, every month since June last year has been the warmest such month on record. In January, the world completed an entire year with the mean surface air temperature exceeding the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold. June was the 12th consecutive month with monthly average temperatures above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average. At the 2015 UN climate talks in Paris, world leaders committed to limiting the global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial period to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. However, a permanent breach of the 1.5-degree Celsius limit specified in the <keyword id="20104670" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paris-Agreement" source="keywords">Paris Agreement</keyword> refers to long-term warming over a 20 or 30-year period. Earth's global surface temperature has already increased by around 1.2 degrees Celsius compared to the average in 1850-1900 due to the rapidly-increasing concentration of <keyword id="20649149" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="greenhouse-gases" source="keywords">greenhouse gases</keyword> -- primarily carbon dioxide and methane -- in the atmosphere. This warming is considered to be the reason behind record droughts, wildfires and floods worldwide. According to new data, June 2024 was the warmest on record, with an average surface air temperature of 16.66 degrees Celsius, 0.67 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average for the month and 0.14 degrees Celsius above the previous high set in June 2023. "The month was 1.5 degrees Celsius above the estimated June average for 1850-1900, the designated pre-industrial reference period, making it the 12th consecutive month to reach or break the 1.5-degree threshold," C3S said in a statement. It was also the 13th consecutive month of <keyword id="21477127" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="record-high-temperatures" source="keywords">record-high temperatures</keyword>, a result of the combined effect of the 2023-24 El Nino event and human-caused climate change. While unusual, a similar streak of monthly global temperature records happened previously in 2015-16. "This is more than a statistical oddity and highlights a large and continuing shift in our climate. Even if this specific streak of extremes ends at some point, we are bound to see new records being broken as the climate continues to warm. This is inevitable, unless we stop adding greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and the oceans," said Carlo Buontempo, the director of C3S. The European climate agency said the global average temperature for the last 12 months (July 2023-June 2024) is the highest on record, at 0.76 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average and 1.64 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average. The world's sea surface in June was also the highest ever recorded for the month. Several countries experienced record-breaking heat and devastating floods and storms in June. According to an analysis by Climate Central, an independent group of scientists and communicators based in the United States, more than 60 per cent of the world population faced extreme heat that was made at least three times more likely by climate change during June 16-24. Climate Central said the blistering heat in June impacted 619 million (61.9 crore) people in India, 579 million (57.9 crore) in China, 231 million (23.1 crore) in Indonesia, 206 million (20.6 crore) in Nigeria, 176 million (17.6 crore) in Brazil, 171 million (17.1 crore) in Bangladesh, 165 million (16.5 crore) in the US, 152 million (15.2 crore) in Europe, 123 million (12.3 crore) in Mexico, 121 million (12.1 crore) in Ethiopia and 103 million (10.3 crore) in Egypt. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), northwest India recorded its warmest June since 1901. India, which experienced one of its hottest and longest heatwaves, recorded more than 40,000 suspected heatstroke cases and over 100 heat-related deaths. The intense heat overwhelmed the water supply system and power grids, with Delhi grappling with a severe water crisis. According to the IMD, 11 states recorded 20 to 38 heatwave days -- up to four times the usual number of such days -- during the April-to-June period. The mercury breached 50 degrees Celsius in parts of Rajasthan, with night temperatures hovering around 35 degrees Celsius in many places. Temperatures were most above average over eastern Canada, the western United States and Mexico, Brazil, northern Siberia, the Middle East, northern Africa, and western Antarctica. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-ipo-mukesh-ambani-led-telco-might-be-gearing-up-for-indias-biggest-ipo/articleshow/111519009.cms">Reliance Jio IPO – Mukesh Ambani-led telco might be gearing up for India’s biggest IPO</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/jio-vs-airtel-vs-vi-prepaid-plans-comparison-plan-benefits-and-price-comparison-after-tariff-hike/articleshow/111512587.cms">Jio vs Airtel vs Vi recharge plans comparison – plan benefits and price comparison after tariff hike</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/hp-envy-x360-14-review/articleshow/111407165.cms">HP Envy x360 14 review – feature-packed laptop with a sleek design</a>

June warmest on record; every month since July 2023 breached 1.5 deg C threshold

The deadly landslides in Kerala's ecologically fragile Wayanad district were triggered by a heavy burst of rainfall, made 10 per cent heavier by <keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">climate change</keyword>, according to a new rapid attribution study by a global team of scientists. Researchers from India, Sweden, the US and the UK warned that such events will become more common as the climate continues to warm. To measure the impact of human-caused climate change, the scientists from the <keyword id="12008149" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Weather-Attribution" source="Orion">World Weather Attribution</keyword> (WWA) group analysed climate models with high enough resolution to accurately reflect rainfall in the relatively small study area. The models indicated that the intensity of rainfall has increased by 10 per cent due to climate change, they said. The models also predict a further four per cent increase in rainfall intensity if the average <keyword id="21951013" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-temperature" source="keywords">global temperature</keyword> rises by two degrees Celsius compared to the 1850-1900 average. The scientists, however, said there is a "high level of uncertainty" in the model results as the study area is small and mountainous with complex rainfall-climate dynamics. Having said that, the increase in heavy one-day rainfall events aligns with a growing body of scientific evidence on extreme rainfall in a warming world, including in India, and the understanding that a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, leading to heavier downpours. According to scientists, the atmosphere's capacity to hold moisture increases by about 7 per cent for every one-degree Celsius rise in global temperature. The Earth's global surface temperature has already increased by around 1.3 degrees Celsius due to the rapidly rising concentration of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide and methane. Scientists say this is the reason behind worsening <keyword id="19912530" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="extreme-weather-events" source="keywords">extreme weather events</keyword>, such as droughts, heat waves and floods worldwide. The WWA scientists said that while the relationship between land cover, land use changes and landslide risk in Wayanad is not fully clear from existing studies, factors, such as quarrying for building materials and a 62 per cent reduction in forest cover may have increased the slopes' susceptibility to landslides during heavy rainfall. Other researchers have also linked the <keyword id="22597176" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Wayanad-landslides" source="keywords">Wayanad landslides</keyword> to a combination of forest cover loss, mining in fragile terrain and prolonged rain followed by heavy precipitation. S Abhilash, the director of the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), had earlier told PTI that the warming of the Arabian Sea is leading to the formation of deep cloud systems, resulting in extremely heavy rainfall in Kerala in a short period and increasing the risk of landslides. "Our research found that the southeast Arabian Sea is becoming warmer, causing the atmosphere above Kerala to become thermodynamically unstable. This instability is allowing the formation of deep clouds," he had said. According to the landslide atlas released by ISRO's National Remote Sensing Centre last year, 10 out of the top 30 landslide-prone districts in India are in Kerala, with Wayanad ranked at the 13th spot. A study published by Springer in 2021 said all landslide hotspots in Kerala are in the Western Ghats region and are concentrated in Idukki, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Wayanad, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. It said about 59 per cent of total landslides in Kerala have occurred in plantation areas. A 2022 study on depleting forest cover in Wayanad showed that 62 per cent of forests in the district disappeared between 1950 and 2018, while plantation cover rose by around 1,800 per cent.

Wayanad landslides linked to 10% heavier rainfall due to climate change: Study

In our ongoing search for <keyword id="582933" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="alien-life" source="Orion">alien life</keyword>, astronomers have scoured the cosmos, longing for a connection beyond our own world. While the dream of encountering intelligent beings remains distant, we might just have chanced upon a planet that mirrors our own with uncanny familiarity. In a remarkable revelation, astronomers have pinpointed a potentially habitable Earth-like exoplanet merely 40 light-years away, with temperatures only slightly higher than those on our planet. This intriguing new world, named <keyword id="21786745" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gliese-12-b" source="keywords">Gliese 12 b</keyword>, completes an orbit around its star every 12.8 days. Comparable in size to Venus and only slightly smaller than Earth, it boasts an estimated surface temperature of 42°C, cooler than most of the 5,000-plus confirmed exoplanets (planets outside our solar system). The key question now is its atmosphere. It might harbour an atmosphere like Earth’s, a nightmarish greenhouse scenario akin to Venus, or perhaps an entirely unique composition not observed within our solar system. Unravelling its atmospheric mysteries could unveil whether <keyword id="21786747" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gliese-12" source="Orion">Gliese 12</keyword> b is capable of sustaining temperatures suitable for liquid water. This, in turn, would be indicative of its potential to harbour life. This discovery could also offer insights into why Earth and Venus, despite their similarities, have evolved to house such different environments. NASA has underscored the significance of Gliese 12 b, highlighting it as one of the select few Earth-like exoplanets deserving of closer examination. Described as “the nearest, transiting, temperate, Earth-size world located to date,” it stands as a prime candidate for further exploration by the <keyword id="145694" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="James-Webb-Space-Telescope" source="Orion">James Webb Space Telescope</keyword>. <div type="image" title="Gliese 12 b vs Earth" msid="110383855" hostid="261" sizebytes="23944" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;This artist&amp;#39;s concept compares Earth with different possible Gliese 12 b interpretations, from one with no atmosphere to one with a thick Venus-like one.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Gliese 12 b orbits a cool red dwarf star named Gliese 12, located almost 40 light-years away in the constellation Pisces. The star is about 27% the size of our sun and has a surface temperature around 60% of the sun’s. The implications of this discovery extend beyond the confines of a single exoplanet. It has the potential to reveal whether most Milky Way stars, which are categorised as cool stars, can host temperate planets with atmospheres, which would make them habitable. Fascinatingly, the proximity between Gliese 12 b and its host star amounts to just 7% of the distance separating Earth and the sun. Consequently, the exoplanet receives 1.6 times more energy than Earth and experiences approximately 85% of Venus's solar radiation. This proximity also means the planet's surface temperature depends heavily on its atmospheric conditions. While estimates place Gliese 12 b's temperature at 42°C, Earth, in contrast, maintains an average surface temperature of 15°C. Reflecting on these discoveries, Larissa Palethorpe, co-lead of the research and a doctoral student at the University of Edinburgh and University College London, remarked: “It is thought that Earth's and Venus's first atmospheres were stripped away and then replenished by volcanic outgassing and bombardments from residual material in the solar system. “The Earth is habitable, but Venus is not due to its complete loss of water. Because Gliese 12 b is between Earth and Venus in temperature, its atmosphere could teach us a lot about the habitability pathways planets take as they develop.” This paper has been published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and can be accessed <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/531/1/1276/7679807" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">here</a>.

Earth 2.0? Astronomers have discovered the nearest-yet potentially-habitable planet with Earth-like temperatures!

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Water leaking into the Earth may be wrapping the core in crystals, a study has suggested.</li><li>The study may help explain a weird area in the outer core that has long puzzled scientists.</li></ul>Water leaking from the surface of the Earth could be changing the outer rim of our planet's core and wrapping it in a layer of crystals, according to a study.The experimental research could help crack the mystery of an elusive part of our planet known as the "E-prime layer," an area in the Earth's<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/earths-mysterious-core-is-a-lot-weirder-than-you-think-2023-9"> outer core</a> that has long baffled scientists.The research could also challenge the idea that the Earth's molten iron core is almost hermetically sealed, study author Dan Shim, a professor of Earth and Space exploration at Arizona State University, <a target="_blank" href="https://news.asu.edu/20231113-earths-surface-water-dives-deep-transforming-cores-outer-layer">said in a press release</a>."For years, it has been believed that material exchange between Earth's core and mantle is small. Yet, our recent high-pressure experiments reveal a different story," said Shim.The finding "points to a far more dynamic core-mantle interaction, suggesting substantial material exchange," he said.Another expert, however, said more evidence is needed to support this theory.<h2>We still don't know everything about our planet's insides</h2>The Earth's core is only about 1,800 miles under our feet, but it's more inaccessible than Mars.Intense pressures and high temperatures mean we can't go down there to see what's going on for ourselves.One way experts peer under our feet is by looking at how seismic waves are deflected by structures inside the Earth. And some of that data doesn't stack up with what we know about our planet.One of these mysteries is a zone on the outer rim of our Earth's iron core where seismic waves unexpectedly slow down.The zone, which measures between a few dozen to a few hundred miles in width, has tentatively been suggested to be a layer in its own right and was named E-prime.<h2>Water-logged minerals could spawn crystals around the core's rim</h2>Scientists haven't found a good explanation for that data yet, and that's important — understanding the Earth's core doesn't only help us decipher how our planet was formed and continues to evolve, but it could also shed clues on fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field.With their study, published in the peer-reviewed journal <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=5041ec4f38cc3cb91d6e2d9202453037b1c0be2db5746f9e2d2efcb3a3ecc026&amp;postID=6565b191bb2875d248be26e3&amp;postSlug=earths-core-may-be-coated-in-layer-of-crystals-study-2023-12&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41561-023-01324-x">Nature Geosciences</a> on November 13, Shim and his colleagues have put forward a new theory to explain the formation of the E-prime layer: that water leaking from the surface can reach the outside of the core and change its chemical composition.This water wouldn't seep into the Earth as a liquid. Instead, it would be carried by minerals that contain a lot of hydrogen and oxygen inside their chemical structure — these are called "hydrous" minerals.<div type="image" title="An artist's illustration shows transparent crystals emerging from a fiery substrate." height="370" width="370" msid="105762071" hostid="261" sizebytes="28676"></div>To support their hypothesis, the scientists simulated the high-pressure conditions of the outer core in the lab. They found that subjecting iron-silica alloys — which are thought to make up the core — to the hydrous mineral in these conditions generates hydrogen-rich and silica-poor elements, which would explain the bizarre seismic data around the E-prime layer.Meanwhile, the scientists believe the reaction would also spark silicate crystals. These would migrate toward the mantle, creating a dense layer of silica wrapping the core, per the press release."We found that when water reaches the core-mantle boundary, it reacts with silicon in the core, forming silica," said Shim in the press release.The idea is a tall order — scientists tend to think the core gets very little material from the mantle.If proven to be true, it could also rewrite what we know about how water moves around the insides of the Earth, and would have "profound implications for the geochemical cycles that connect the surface-water cycle with the deep metallic core," the scientists said in the press release.Jon Wade, Associate Professor of Planetary Materials at Oxford University, told Business Insider in an email the theory "requires further supporting evidence" to garner widespread approval, he said.There is some evidence that hydrous minerals can be sucked into the Earth — a 2014 study even suggested that there could be a reservoir of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/jun/13/earth-may-have-underground-ocean-three-times-that-on-surface">water-rich minerals</a> three times bigger than the surface oceans stored about 400 miles under the Earth's crust.But it's not clear whether that process would bring water all the way to the core, and if it did, whether enough water would make it that far inside the Earth to trigger a reaction on a scale that could explain the E prime layer, said Wade."Even if there is a fair amount of water transported to the deep Earth, there are lots of places (3000km of mantle) to 'lose' water to before it makes it the core-mantle boundary," he said. "So, could it happen? Yes, maybe. Does it? Don't know, probably a very minor amount at best," he added.For him, a "more likely route" would be that hydrogen was encased in the core by a reaction with the core materials, but at the point of the Earth's formation, for instance."Other mechanisms may be at play that achieve the same result. It's all kind of speculative but interesting to think about!" he said.Shim agreed that it's not clear how much water can reach the E-prime layer, but said even a small amount of water could trigger enough chemical reaction to create crystals.He added that his calculations show that he can explain the E-prime layer "reasonably well" with a range of water transportation scenarios.

Earth's core may be coated in a layer of crystals created by water leaking from the surface: study

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronal-hole-on-sun-blasts-solar-wind-toward-earth-2023-3">The sun</a> has a big year in 2024, starting with a total solar eclipse across the US.</li><li>As the sun builds to maximum activity, watch out for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/northern-lights-sky-friday-us-solar-winds-giant-hole-sun-2023-3">the northern lights</a> too.</li></ul>The sun was showing off all last year, with dramatic eruptions, sunspots, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/second-giant-coronal-hole-sun-solar-winds-space-weather-aurora-2023-3">giant "holes,"</a> and even a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-video-solar-tornado-plasma-2023-3">14-earths-high tornado of plasma</a>. But 2024 may be our star's biggest year yet.That's what giddy <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sun-polar-vortex-video-from-solar-plasma-break-2023-2">NASA</a> scientists told reporters at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco in December. In true NASA fashion, they're calling it the "heliophysics big year."<div type="image" title="solar flare" height="627" width="1089" msid="107672113" hostid="261" sizebytes="43108"></div>One of the main events this year will be a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-2024-total-solar-eclipse-cool-best-special-nasa-2024-1">historically cool total solar eclipse crossing the US in April</a>. It's estimated up to 7.4 million people will travel to the path of totality to witness the rare event.Another exciting event involves NASA's prime solar probe, which is set to skim <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sunspots-15-times-size-of-earth-solar-storm-into-view-2023-11">the sun's surface</a> in December, flying closer than any previous spacecraft.<div type="image" title="total solar eclipse 2019" height="1290" width="1960" msid="107188970" hostid="261"></div>Meanwhile, the Northern and Southern Lights are sure to have an impressive year, as well.Already, we've seen beautiful aurora reach as far south as Arizona within the last year. And as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sun-more-active-solar-storms-auroras-power-outages-grounded-flights-2023-2">stormy activity on the sun,</a> which helps spark aurora worldwide, is set to increase, we could continue to see the Northern Lights illuminate skies across the US at unusually low latitudes.For viewers in Australia, New Zealand, and South America, the Southern Lights (aurora australis) will surely make spectacular displays too.<div type="image" title="ribbons of green pink purple northern lights stretch across the night sky above homes and lights of a sprawling town" height="1500" width="2250" msid="107188973" hostid="261"></div>It will be about 11 years — a full <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/next-solar-maximum-2025-what-expect-cycle-2023-4">solar cycle</a> — before the aurora is so active again."<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-maximum-could-sooner-than-expected-2023-6">The sun</a> touches everything, and we are challenging you to experience the sun in as many ways as possible," Kelly Korreck, NASA's program manager for the upcoming eclipse, said during the AGU roundtable.<h2>The sun's big year kicks off with a total eclipse</h2><div type="image" title="A cheerleader smiles as she looks up at the sky holding eclipse glasses." height="1333" width="2000" msid="107672115" hostid="261" sizebytes="202708"></div>While the rest of us put on our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-where-when-see-solar-eclipse-united-states-nasa-map-2023-3">eclipse glasses</a> or look out for the pink and green ribbons of the aurora, astronomers will be busy at work. This year's solar events are a huge scientific opportunity.For example, NASA is launching three rockets during the April total solar eclipse, loaded with instruments to study how the sudden darkness changes our upper atmosphere.A total solar eclipse offers scientists a unique opportunity to observe the corona — the outer layer of the sun's atmosphere. The corona is over 100 times hotter than the sun's surface, but scientists can't explain why and it's one of the biggest mysteries in our solar system. Because the moon blocks the main disc of the sun during an eclipse, only the corona is visible.NASA's Parker Solar Probe and the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter will also be watching the eclipse from two different vantage points in space, as they orbit close to the sun. That extra data can help scientists get 3D observations of the corona, as well as validate measurements from Earth-based observatories.That's just one fleeting moment of the sun's big year. Throughout 2024, as solar activity builds, countless observatories and physicists will be watching closely.<h2>The sun will get more and more active</h2><div type="image" title="X-class solar flare erupting off the sun." height="747" width="800" msid="107188979" hostid="261"></div>When <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-flare-from-sunspot-caused-widespread-radio-blackouts-earth-2023-5">the sun belches</a> plasma and charged particles into space, they can speed toward Earth, travel down our planet's magnetic field lines toward the poles, and interact with molecules in our atmosphere to make the aurora. They can also bump satellites out of orbit and surge through technologies on the ground, triggering radio blackouts and meddling with GPS.<div type="image" title="solar flare red orange plasma erupting from the sun's surface" height="1500" width="1500" msid="107672116" hostid="261" sizebytes="153010"></div>There's always a steady flow of this "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-discovered-solar-wind-disappear-around-mars-2023-12">solar wind</a>," but eruptions on the sun can send a powerful flood of solar wind careening toward our planet. That's what scientists call space weather. These storms are happening more and more as the sun climbs toward peak activity.<div type="image" title="Solar Wind" height="360" width="640" msid="107188982" hostid="261"></div>People on Earth are safe from these blasts of solar activity, with the exception of rare cases where they might cause power or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/titanic-theory-suggests-aurora-borealis-solar-storm-affected-crash-2020-9">radio blackouts</a>. But as NASA and other space agencies send humans back to the moon and on to Mars, space weather will become a safety issue for them.Studying solar eruptions and flares can help scientists forecast space weather better in the future. That could be crucial for long-distance spaceflights."If we want to win the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-up-the-ante-space-race-sky-ladder-to-mars-2021-6">race to Mars</a> then we have to have awareness of space weather all over the place," Nour Raouafi, a lead scientist for the Parker Solar Probe, said at the roundtable.<h2>NASA to almost land on the sun at the end of the year</h2><div type="image" title="nasa parker solar probe plus sun mission illustration" height="1687" width="3000" msid="107188983" hostid="261"></div>The "crown jewel" of the sun's big year comes on December 24, though, Raouafi said. That's when the Parker Solar Probe will fly closer to the sun than any spacecraft has ever gone, about 3.8 million miles from its surface.For comparison, Earth is 93 million miles from the sun.On this close flyby, the probe will face unfathomably extreme heat and radiation, with temperatures as high as 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit.Collecting data so close to the source of the solar wind will help scientists understand how it forms. It will also fuel the study of the corona."This is a monumental achievement for all of humanity. This is equivalent to the moon landing of '69. Now we are basically almost landing on a star," Raouafi said.

Watch the sun show off all year with a total eclipse, strong solar storms, and NASA almost landing on the solar surface

<ul class="summary-list"><li>SharkNinja says its frying pans have a stronger nonstick coating because they're made at 30,000°F. </li><li>That's as hot as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sun-images-reveal-creepy-threads-holes-light-bridge-solar-surface-2023-5">certain parts of the sun</a>, which is only 10,340°F at its surface.</li></ul>Is there a limit on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/guides/kitchen/best-nonstick-pans">how hot a frying pan can get</a>?SharkNinja claims that its nonstick pans are manufactured under a maximum temperature of 30,000°F, which is almost three times hotter than <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sun-surface-photos-video-reveal-boiling-plasma-2020-1">the surface of the sun</a>. The company says the super hot temperature ensures that the nonstick coating on its pans is more resistant than competitor pans made at lower temperatures.In a proposed class-action <a target="_blank" href="https://www.classaction.org/media/brown-v-sharkninja-operating-llc.pdf">lawsuit</a> filed against the company, New Jersey native Patricia Brown argues that SharkNinja's claims are physically impossible.Brown purchased two 12-inch, nonstick frying pans made by SharkNinja in 2021, according to the lawsuit. SharkNinja advertised the pans under the premise that they wouldn't "stick, chip, or flake" because they had been manufactured at a scorching hot temperature of 30,000°F, unlike pans made at just 900°F that "rapidly lose nonstick."Brown says that claim is "little more than a glitzy, deceptive marketing technique," according to the lawsuit, which was filed in the New Jersey District Court on October 13.Brown says in the lawsuit that SharkNinja's nearly $60 pans lose their nonstick coating more rapidly than competitor pans priced under $10 or $20 and that manufacturing pans at a temperature of 30,000°F "defies the laws of physics and thermodynamics."On the company's product <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=469e421c5c16ef18bfc8a186cdd524b207a7d842757000e1fe6a699e6685703a&amp;postID=65357b392c036636d7967dd3&amp;postSlug=sharkninja-sued-pans-made-with-temperature-hotter-than-sun-2023-10&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ninjakitchen.com%2Fproducts%2Fninja-neverstick-premium-12-inch-fry-pan-zidC30030">page</a> for the pan, it explains that it creates its nonstick coating by fusing plasma ceramic particles "super-heated at 30,000°F" to the surface of its pans to create "a super-hard, textured surface that interlocks with our exclusive coating for a superior bond."But Brown says the company's messaging suggests the pans themselves are also being heated to a temperature of 30,000°F in the manufacturing process."Defendant would have the average consumer believe that their nonstick pans are manufactured at a temperature that would vaporize the aluminum pan base metal into gas," Brown says in the lawsuit, adding that the boiling point of aluminum is about 4,478°F. She also notes that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sun-surface-photos-video-reveal-boiling-plasma-2020-1">the surface of the sun</a> is a "blisteringly hot" 10,340°F, according to NASA — far below the company's maximum manufacturing temperature. While SharkNinja did not respond to Insider's request for a comment, there is evidence to suggest its claims are physically possible. Even in the early 2000s, the Danish cookware company Scanpan was coating its pans by heating up a mixture of ceramic and titanium to 30,000°F and firing the resulting plasma particles at the surface of its pans, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/food/2002/04/03/stuck-on-nonstick/48f31790-e136-4a85-bce1-7c7ae23b580b/">according to the Washington Post</a>. Brown's legal counsel told Insider that it's too early to comment on the case, but the lawsuit has gained the attention of some experts on advertising law.Gonzalo E. Mon, a partner at the law firm Kelley Drye &amp; Warren LLP who is not directly involved in the case, told Insider that the SharkNinja case initially caught his eye because the language of the complaint was "a little over the top" and he thought it might make for a catchy blog <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kelleydrye.com/viewpoints/blogs/ad-law-access/sharkninja-faces-heat-over-temperature-and-non-stick-claims">post</a>. In his post, Mon references a 2021 case, also cited by Brown, in which the National Advertising Division reviewed SharkNinja's claims. At the time, NAD didn't actually dispute SharkNinja's temperature claims, but they determined that SharkNinja didn't provide enough evidence that its cookware exhibited more resistance to "sticking, chipping, and flaking" than traditional nonstick pans, Mon noted in his post."One of the things that was interesting in this case is that they only tested one food. They tested scrambled eggs," Mon told Insider. "Clearly, one food was not enough for NAD, but they didn't say how many the company had to test."As Brown's case unfolds, Mon said he's waiting to see whether SharkNinja will present evidence on additional foods they've tested.While the lawsuit has not yet been certified as a class-action, Brown claims there are thousands of purchasers who have been hurt by the company's advertising.

A woman is suing SharkNinja for claiming that its frying pan is made at temperatures hotter than the sun

Imagine yourself as an extraterrestrial tourist, taking a well-deserved break on <keyword id="6359982" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="earth" source="Orion">Earth</keyword> after countless hours on your home <keyword id="46100" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="planet" source="Orion">planet</keyword>. As you approach Earth after a million-light-year journey, you expect to see the familiar blue dot. To your surprise, you encounter what appears to be Earth's <keyword id="42440" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="moon" source="Orion">moon</keyword>, isolated in the vastness of space. Although you might initially think there's been a cosmic mix-up, the reality is that you've stumbled upon <keyword id="6372165" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="mercury" source="Orion">Mercury</keyword>, the closest planet to the Sun. The confusion is understandable since Mercury and Earth's moon share striking similarities, including size and a landscape covered in craters. But there's more to this similarity than meets the eye. Both worlds boast towering mountainous ridges that stretch across thousands of kilometres — an intriguing result of their billion-year-long cooling process. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="A Planet in Contraction and Its Battle Scarps" comment="subhead" text="A Planet in Contraction and Its Battle Scarps">A Planet in Contraction and Its Battle Scarps</cmsannotation> While missions to explore the moon's surface are numerous, the same cannot be said for Mercury. However, older observations continue to unveil the planet's secrets, and the latest discovery indicates that Mercury is shrinking, with its most recent contraction occurring more recently than previously believed. Unlike Earth, Mercury features an outer crust encasing a molten metal mantle, with a crucial difference: its crust doesn't break into tectonic plates like ours. Consequently, as its molten interior cools and contracts (similar to how mercury in a thermometer shrinks with decreasing temperature), Mercury's outer shell attempts to contract as well. However, this solid and singular crust resists shrinking in the same manner. As energy accumulates, sections of the crust begin to push against each other, forming the snake-like ridges along the surface, giving the planet a wrinkled appearance. A similar process occurs on the Moon, albeit to a lesser extent. Although these structures, known as 'scarps,' suggest Mercury is undergoing contraction, they do not precisely reveal how long this tectonic activity has been ongoing. To determine that, scientists turn to impact craters on the planet's surface. Given that Mercury experiences frequent planetary impacts, researchers can estimate the age of a particular scarp by assessing whether it intersects with older craters. Additionally, if newer craters appear on top of the scarps, it implies that the scarps formed before the associated impacts. However, a team of scientists has introduced a new method for dating these scarps, shedding light on the last time Mercury contracted. This novel technique involves examining relatively smaller fractures on the scarps, known as "grabens." <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Closing Graben Holes and Filling Knowledge Gaps" comment="subhead" text="Closing Graben Holes and Filling Knowledge Gaps">Closing Graben Holes and Filling Knowledge Gaps</cmsannotation> As portions of Mercury's crust push against each other, some strips may become trapped and bend, leaving long, crack-like fractures on the scarps — similar to how a slice of bread bends, creating cracks along the fold. Interestingly, this phenomenon is also observed on the Moon. As Mercury cools, seismic activity causes the planet to shake, potentially loosening boulders and debris that eventually find their way into these grabens. Impacts from extraterrestrial bodies can also dislodge and shift terrain in a similar fashion. Therefore, the presence of unfilled grabens suggests that not much time has passed since their formation. Armed with this innovative parameter, scientists embarked on a quest to identify such surface anomalies on Mercury's crust. They identified not just one or two but a remarkable 48 large scarps marked by tiny grabens. An additional 244 scarps displayed "probable" grabens, though further examination is required to confirm their nature — perhaps the <keyword id="6973137" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="bepicolombo" source="Orion">BepiColombo</keyword> mission, operating in Mercury's orbit since early 2016, could aid in this endeavour. The team determined that most of these grabens are likely less than 300 million years old, indicating that Mercury's most recent contraction occurred relatively recently — possibly within the last few million years. The next piece of this puzzle will likely emerge once BepiColombo provides clearer images of Mercury. Until then, we hope our alien tourist enjoys the renowned Earthly beaches.

Mercury's shrinking history revealed through surface craters: insights from the planet's shriveling past

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Record temperatures across the country are increasing the physical strain of delivery work.</li><li>Delivery workers outside the hottest US states aren't used to working in dangerous temperatures.</li></ul>One hundred and twenty-four <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-09-30/the-growing-threat-of-urban-heat-islands" target="_blank" rel="noopener">degrees in Portland</a>, Oregon; 107 degrees in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/09/02/western-heatwave-california-fire-drought/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yosemite National Park;</a> 88 <a href="https://www.wcax.com/2023/04/13/burlington-temperature-soars-into-record-breaking-territory/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">degrees in Vermont</a> — in April. The climate crisis may be a creeping threat at a global level, but on the local level, it's playing out in big jumps. And when it is uncomfortably, unseasonably, intolerably hot, those jumps inspire the thought: "Wouldn't it be nice to skip the store and have that delivered?" But for the workers making those deliveries, their jobs are getting more dangerous with every degree — and these temperatures are no longer confined to certain regions of the country. The true toll of heat stress isn't known, and there's no simple fix to the risk it presents. Some of the best strategies to fight dangerous heat push against profits. "This is one of the most brutal jobs out there day in and day out," a FedEx contractor in the South said. "You can't just go out there and deliver 150 to 200 boxes on a whim. The next day you can't move. It takes time to acclimate." The contractor asked to remain anonymous because they are not authorized to speak with the media.When recruiting new drivers, they have a routine intended to scare applicants away."We're pretty brutal about it. If they stay after the brutal parts, we'll tell them about the good parts," the worker said. Traditionally, the cons of the job have been dealing with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/post-office-amazon-delivery-dog-bites-service-suspension-2023-2">territorial dogs</a> and prickly customers and the strain of carrying heavy packages. Now, the stress and outright danger of facing the heat are at the top of the list. "The <a href="https://eos.org/articles/in-the-pacific-northwest-2021-was-the-hottest-year-in-a-millennium" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pacific Northwest heat wave in 2021</a> pretty much showed that everywhere is vulnerable," Jeff Goodell, the author of "The Heat Will Kill You First," told Insider.Extreme heat threatens some 15 million people who power the "sweat economy," Goodell said. That number includes delivery drivers and everyone else whose jobs keep them outside at least some of the time — such as farm and construction workers — and the millions more who work inside poorly ventilated and barely temperature-controlled buildings and warehouses.In recent years, the number of delivery drivers reporting heat-related illnesses was second only to construction workers, according to Occupational Health and Safety Administration statistics <a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/heat-heightens-risks-to-delivery-workers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported by E&amp;E News.</a> And when it comes to delivery workers, at least, companies are coming to the realization that this major threat requires concerted attention. <div type="image" title="A sweaty Amazon driver wipes his face with a towel." height="2984" width="3978" msid="102147073" hostid="261"></div><h2>Heat deaths often stay hidden</h2>An ice chest, 15 bottles of water, and two towels: That's the daily checklist for a nearly 20-year-veteran UPS driver in Northern California who spoke to Insider. His first introduction to heat exhaustion in July 2017 changed his perspective forever. "I started feeling so weak that I was slumped over on the steering wheel. I was walking to a stop with a 10-pound package and it felt like 50," he said on the condition of anonymity. He staggered and then vomited. He didn't call an ambulance, but in hindsight, he said he probably should have. The temperature that day was 106 degrees. In the years since, the town where he's based hit a record 116 degrees. But heat can be dangerous even if it doesn't break records. The 2022 death of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ups-employees-shocked-death-24-year-old-driver-2022-7">24-year-old Esteban Chavez</a>, a UPS driver in Southern California, made national headlines. On the day he died, the high in Pasadena was 97 degrees, according to AccuWeather. Chavez wasn't the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/20/business/ups-postal-workers-heat-stroke-deaths.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first UPS driver to die</a> on the job on a hot day. He wasn't even the only delivery driver to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-sweltering-record-breaking-temperatures/story?id=100278677" target="_blank" rel="noopener">die that month,</a> ABC News reported.His death came less than a year before the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents UPS workers, began renegotiating its contract with UPS. The tragedy galvanized the union to make heat a top priority in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ups-teamsters-contract-negotiations-issues-pay-massive-strike-looming-2023-7">ongoing contract negotiations</a> — and it became an early win in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ups-teamsters-union-reach-deal-avoid-strike-contract-pay-2023-7">fraught negotiations that resulted in a last-minute deal on Tuesday. </a>The manner of death was described as "natural causes" by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office. <a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2023/36-work-related-deaths-due-to-environmental-heat-exposure-in-2021.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Labor Department statistics</a> show that between 32 and 56 worker deaths resulted from heat exposure each year between 2017 and 2021. Goodell said the low numbers are unsurprising since officials aren't always aware that heat has contributed to those deaths. "As our bodies heat up, our hearts are pumping faster and faster, trying to get blood to the surface of the skin to cool off. And that puts a tremendous strain on the heart," Goodell said. "In fact, most heat deaths are from some kind of cardiac failure."A UPS spokesperson told Insider via email that following the death of Chavez, the California Division of Occupational Health and Safety investigated UPS's heat training and programs and no citation was issued.<div type="image" title="A UPS driver keeps a towel on his head while driving along Broadway during warm weather on July 6, 2012 in New york City." height="683" width="910" msid="102147074" hostid="261"></div><h2>Companies are changing, but there's no simple fix</h2>UPS has agreed to equip all newly purchased vans with air conditioning and install fans in all cabs. It will also install heat shields to keep the floors of the vans cooler and add air-intake systems to funnel cooler air from the cab into the cargo bay.While adding air conditioning is a start, it's not a catchall solution. With just minutes between stops and hot air rushing in every time the door opens, "the vehicle is really no refuge from the heat," one Amazon delivery contractor operating in New York City told Insider. Amazon, FedEx, UPS, and the US Postal Service say they have mandatory heat-safety training for drivers covering how to stay cool and how to spot the signs of heat-related stress. Most facilities have ice machines, said xxx. UPS has brought in new company-issued gear — cooling sleeves and hats that when wet, stay 30 degrees cooler than body temperature for roughly 45 minutes. Amazon provides drivers with coolers, tumblers, electrolyte powder, cooling bandanas, and sunscreen, the company said."The big problem is that outdoor workers, whether it's at FedEx or the agricultural workers that I talked about in my book, whether it's the guys who are working on the asphalt crews here in Texas, they fear that if they take breaks and retreat to the shade in the middle of the day when it's really hot, they're gonna get fired," Goodell said. <div type="image" title="A black man in a postal uniform wipes his sweaty brow in the shade of his truck." height="1600" width="2133" msid="102147075" hostid="261"></div><h2>Heat protection is at odds with efficiency</h2>Water, ice, towels, and air conditioning help, but the one thing that's hard to provide is flexibility. "The driver calls and says 'I'm overheated and the manager says take 30 minutes. But the system says 'Hey whats wrong — you stopped for 30 min?," the Amazon contractor said on the condition of anonymity since they are not authorized to speak to the press. The [company/facility] now schedules extra staff on days when the temperature is forecasted to be over 89 degrees. In New York City, humidity is likely to make it feel much hotter and a predictable percentage of drivers will call out sick the following day, he said. An Amazon spokesperson told Insider that last year the company worked with its delivery contractors to adjust routes so drivers could take additional breaks — adding up to two hours of break time on some routes. "How often and how long breaks are needed is an important part of the conversations our drivers are encouraged to have with their managers," a UPS spokesperson said. A FedEx spokesperson said drivers are encouraged to take breaks when needed. Shade and water breaks can be lifesaving in the summer, but labor laws largely haven't caught up with climate science.Some states mandate shade and water breaks for outdoor workers — most don't. Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas recently signed a bill that effectively <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/16/texas-heat-wave-water-break-construction-workers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eliminated mandatory water breaks</a> for construction workers. What may be required in the long run is the one thing that most logistics companies — especially those delivering online orders expected in a few days — could struggle to do. They may have to slow down. "The simple fact is too much exposure to high temperatures is a health risk and a mortality risk," said Goodell. "And you can certainly imagine that delivery personnel can operate in high temperatures if they're well equipped. But there's a limit, and it's simple physics."

Scorching temperatures are making delivery a dangerous job &mdash; and it's only getting worse

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Danish musician <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Lnyf_H_6G/?utm_source=ig_embed">Amalie Bruun</a> shared on Instagram that her <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/parenting/when-can-baby-sleep-on-stomach">4-month-old son sleeps</a> outside "most of the time."</li><li>In Nordic countries like <a href="https://www.insider.com/places-to-visit-in-denmark-that-arent-copenhagen-2019-7">Denmark</a>, it's common to let babies nap alone outdoors, even as cold as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18767347">-16 degrees Fahrenheit.</a> </li></ul>Spotting a <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-much-do-newborns-sleep">baby napping</a> alone outside in frigid conditions isn't necessarily a cause for concern in Denmark, Finland, or any other Nordic country. In these places, parents commonly put their babies down for a nap outdoors because babies may get better sleep while being exposed to fresh air. The internet got to talking about the topic when <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Lnyf_H_6G/?utm_source=ig_embed">Danish musician Amalie Bruun posted a photo </a>to Instagram of herself with her 4-month-old son, Otto, exploring their garden. Otto was awake in the image, but Bruun shared that her son "sleeps outside most of the time." In January, Denmark's coldest month, the lowest average temperature reaches <a href="https://en.climate-data.org/north-america/united-states-of-america/tennessee/denmark-132722/">37 degrees Fahrenheit. </a>In Finland, where the practice is also common, parents will put their babies down for a nap outdoors when the temperature <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18767347">dips as low as -16 degrees Fahrenheit.</a>After Bruun's Instagram post, a number of parents from Nordic countries chimed in to share that they also have their babies nap outdoors, and why.Babies who nap outside may <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18767347">sleep longer,</a> get higher quality sleep, and are exposed to fewer germs as compared to when they sleep indoors, Katie Palmer, a London-based sleep consultant, told Insider.But the practice isn't without risks. A baby could develop hypothermia while sleeping outdoors during the winter. In the summer, there's the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/children.htm">risk of getting a sunburn</a> and developing <a href="https://myhealth.alberta.ca/health/AfterCareInformation/pages/conditions.aspx?HwId=av2589">heat exhaustion</a>. At any time of year, there are concerns around abductions and in urban areas, being exposed to air pollution. <h2>It's common for Nordic parents to leave a sleeping baby outside while they go to a restaurant or run an errand</h2>In Nordic countries, parents are generally more trusting than parents in the US, and may not think twice about leaving a sleeping baby outside in a stroller while they grab a drink or a bite to eat. To many parents, keeping a baby alone outside is preferable to bringing them into a noisy environment where they may get disturbed. But some sleep experts say a baby shouldn't ever be left sleeping alone — whether they're indoors or outdoors."My concern is supervision," Dr. Jennifer Shu, a pediatrician based in Atlanta, Georgia, told Insider. If parents aren't right nearby, they won't know, for example, if a baby has stopped breathing, she said.<h2><div type="image" title="baby stroller in the snow" height="3645" width="4860" msid="100287159" hostid="261"></div></h2><h2>For protection, parents will put their babies in a sleeping bag or keep a thermometer in the stroller</h2>Parents who put their babies to sleep outside typically implement a number of measures to make sure their babies are safe. Some parents use strollers with locking wheels and wedges to prevent the carriage from rolling away, Shu said. A mother from Finland who commented on Bruun's Instagram post said that she puts a thermometer in her child's stroller so that she can monitor the temperature outside. Parents will go so far as to attach a video monitor to the stroller so they can keep an eye on the baby from afar, Shu said. They may also bundle their <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21537988">babies in wool garments</a>, tuck them into a sleeping bag, and use insulated strollers, Shu added.In Denmark, daycare centers often even have a reserved area outdoors for nap time. "It's their custom," Shu told Insider of parents in Nordic countries who nap their children outdoors. "They apparently are prepared."<h2>In Nordic culture, children are encouraged to spend as much time outside as possible</h2><div type="image" title="Denmark Strollers" height="3000" width="4000" msid="100287162" hostid="261"></div>Parents in Nordic countries prioritize maximizing a child's time outdoors, often citing the motto: "There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing," Shu noted. According to that philosophy, babies and children can go outside at any time of year, so long as they're dressed properly. Educators in Denmark and Sweden apply that same concept to teaching too. Many schools there follow the <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/09/kindergarten-naturally/500138/">forest school model, </a>which promotes using the outdoors as a classroom. Sleep and play practices in Nordic countries differ vastly from those in the US. For American parents, there's pressure to put babies to sleep on a <a href="https://www.insider.com/no-inclined-sleepers-are-safe-for-babies-new-report-finds-2019-11">firm flat surface</a> at the same time each day and to adhere to the standards set by the American Academy of Pediatrics. That culture clash came to a head in a well-known 1997 case when Anette Sørensen, a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/26/anette-sorenson-denmark-new-york-baby-left-outside">Danish mother, was arrested</a> in New York City for leaving her baby to nap outside a restaurant, the Guardian reported. Sørensen was charged with child endangerment and <a href="https://nypost.com/2017/11/25/i-went-to-jail-for-leaving-my-baby-outside-a-restaurant/">spent 36 hours in jail</a>, according to the New York Post. Some parents say they would like to see standards around sleep ease up in the US. An American mom commented on Bruun's post and said she wished napping outside were more accepted and bemoaned the fact that parents in the US are "so uptight" about their approach to sleep.<div type="image" title="Baby napping in Denmark" height="3200" width="4267" msid="100287164" hostid="261"></div><h2>Babies don't adapt to cold weather as well as adults do</h2>But the risks associated with sleeping outdoors will quickly outweigh the benefits once temperatures drop below freezing, since babies can't regulate their body temperature as well as adults."A baby's temperature can drop four times faster than adults, and they can become hypothermic," Shu said. She recommended that parents keep their homes at a temperature of about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.Palmer said she wouldn't encourage her clients to put their babies to sleep outside, but she wouldn't outright dissuade a parent from doing so, if they were set on it."Provided that they were being safe and sensible and keeping an eye on their baby," Palmer said, "I wouldn't have any issue with them trying this."

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