Nature & Science Thread

[Samoa Looch]

Australia experiencing a heat wave at the moment.

• Victoria reaches above 47 °C (117 °F) in temperature for the first time since the 2019 Black Summer season.
• Extreme heat wave warnings and fire risk warnings are imposed across multiple regions of Australia, with temperatures reaching 12–16°C above average across multiple settlements.

Temperatures soar across the nation as heatwave continues

A widespread heatwave has large parts of the country's interior expected to reach highs of above 40 degrees Celsius throughout the day on Monday. See what's happening in your state.

www.abc.net.au

Everyone down there, please stay safe.

 

[Samoa Looch]

X's declining user base: Elon Musk's platform projected to lose millions of users in 2025

Millions of people have and will continue to leave X.

mashable.com

 

[Chris]

‘Murder Hornet’ Has Been Eradicated From the U.S., Officials Say

The hornet was discovered in a corner of Washington State. Five years later, a massive mobilization has eliminated the invasive species, at least for now.

www.nytimes.com

The hunt for the “murder hornet” in the northwest corner of Washington State began like a criminal investigation, with bee carcasses creating a crime scene and the public being asked to send tips about the potential culprit’s whereabouts.

Search grids were created. Traps were set. Soon, state entomologists were able to capture some of the wayward hornets, affixing tiny tracking devices on the insects to trace them back to their lairs. Crews wearing otherworldly protective equipment moved in to eliminate the nests.

Officials believe it all worked. On Wednesday, five years after the invasive hornets were sighted for the first time in Washington State, state and federal agencies announced that they had successfully eradicated the species from that hot spot and the nation. That dispelled their initial fears that the hornet might spread rapidly enough to establish itself in the United States for good.

 

[Grimoire Lenin]

If it's what I'm thinking of, yeah, the Japanese hornet is no joke.

 

[Chris]

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/19/fda-eli-lilly-weight-loss-drug-zepbound-no-longer-in-shortage.html

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said the active ingredient in Eli Lilly’s

weight loss drug Zepbound is no longer in shortage, a decision that will eventually bar compounding pharmacies from making cheaper, unbranded versions of the injection.

“FDA has determined that the shortage of tirzepatide injection products, which first began in December 2022, is resolved,” the agency said in a letter. “FDA continues to monitor supply and demand for these products.”