#### Temperature Outlook and Precipitation Patterns
**Point 1**: NOAA's Climate Prediction Center forecasts above-average temperatures for nearly the entire U.S. between December 25 and 29, with the Midwest expected to experience the most significant warmth. [newsweek.com]
**Point 2**: Increased atmospheric river activity is predicted to bring higher-than-average precipitation, with rain likely in areas accustomed to snow, except for the Rockies and parts of the U.S.-Canada border where snow is more probable. [theepochtimes.com, cbsnews.com]

#### Historical Data and Future Implications
**Point 1**: Historical data indicates a decreasing trend in white Christmas probabilities across the U.S., attributed to long-term warming, with more areas experiencing a decline than an increase in snow chances. [cbsnews.com, npr.org]
**Point 2**: Despite the overall trend towards warmer and possibly rainier Christmases, certain high-elevation and northern regions still hold a significant chance for snow, reflecting the variability and complexity of weather patterns. [newsweek.com, npr.org, theepochtimes.com]

Unseasonably Warm Weather Likely to Diminish Chances of a White Christmas in the U.S.

#### Fossil Analysis Unveils New Insights
**Point 1**: Recent studies on 47-million-year-old fossils from Utah reveal Othniophyton elongatum, previously thought to be related to the ginseng family, as a unique species with no modern counterparts. [sciencealert.com, newsweek.com, independent.co.uk]
**Point 2**: Advanced microscopy techniques uncovered distinctive features in the fossils, such as intact stamens and simple leaves, differentiating Othniophyton elongatum from known plant families. [sciencealert.com, independent.co.uk]

#### Implications for Paleobotanical Research
**Point 1**: This discovery highlights the limitations of relying on morphological similarities to classify ancient plants, potentially skewing estimates of biodiversity in ancient ecosystems. [independent.co.uk]
**Point 2**: The research underscores the complexity of flowering plant evolution, suggesting that some ancient taxa cannot be easily placed within modern plant families or genera. [newsweek.com, independent.co.uk]

Discovery of Unique Prehistoric Plant Challenges Understanding of Ancient Flora

#### Discovery Highlights
**Point 1**: Researchers uncovered 27 new species, including a rare amphibious mouse, a tree-climbing salamander, and a "blob-headed" fish, during a 38-day survey in Peru's Alto Mayo region, emphasizing the area's rich biodiversity despite human impact. [theguardian.com, nbcnews.com, news.sky.com, nytimes.com]
**Point 2**: The expedition, involving 13 scientists and local Indigenous knowledge, documented over 2,000 species, with 49 classified as threatened, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts in human-dominated landscapes. [theguardian.com, nbcnews.com, news.sky.com, nytimes.com]

#### Conservation Implications
**Point 1**: The discovery of these unique species, including critically endangered monkeys and rare fish, underscores the Alto Mayo's ecological significance and the potential for undiscovered biodiversity in heavily human-affected areas. [theguardian.com, nbcnews.com, news.sky.com]
**Point 2**: Conservation International's findings call for immediate action to protect these species and their habitats from deforestation, agriculture, and over-exploitation, reinforcing the importance of preserving biodiversity even in densely populated regions. [theguardian.com, nbcnews.com, news.sky.com, nytimes.com]

Expedition Unveils 27 New Species in Peru's Alto Mayo

#### Breakthrough in Quantum Communication
**Point 1**: Researchers successfully demonstrated quantum teleportation over a fiber-optic cable while simultaneously transmitting internet traffic, challenging previous assumptions about the incompatibility of classical and quantum communications in shared infrastructure. [cosmosmagazine.com, sciencedaily.com, newscientist.com]
**Point 2**: This achievement paves the way for integrating quantum communication into the existing internet framework, potentially leading to a secure, unhackable quantum internet without the need for new infrastructure. [cosmosmagazine.com, sciencedaily.com, newscientist.com]

#### Technical Innovations and Future Prospects
**Point 1**: The team identified a specific wavelength of light and employed special filters to minimize noise, allowing single photons used in quantum communication to coexist with classical internet traffic without interference. [cosmosmagazine.com, sciencedaily.com]
**Point 2**: Future experiments aim to extend quantum teleportation over longer distances and to standard underground internet cables, with aspirations to further develop distributed quantum applications and entanglement swapping. [cosmosmagazine.com, sciencedaily.com]

Quantum Teleportation Achieves Milestone Using Existing Internet Cables

#### Unifying Ancient Britons
**Point 1**: Recent studies suggest Stonehenge was built to unify different prehistoric British peoples, highlighting its political and religious significance as a monument connecting diverse regions. [newsweek.com, nypost.com, independent.co.uk, cnn.com, news.sky.com, wtop.com]
**Point 2**: The Altar Stone's origin from northeast Scotland, combined with the diverse sources of other stones, underscores the monument's role in fostering connections across ancient Britain. [newsweek.com, nypost.com, independent.co.uk, cnn.com, news.sky.com, wtop.com, apnews.com]

#### Construction and Cultural Connections
**Point 1**: The transport of the Altar Stone and other materials over vast distances evidences advanced societal organization and long-distance trade networks in Neolithic Britain. [newsweek.com, nypost.com, independent.co.uk, cnn.com, news.sky.com, wtop.com, apnews.com]
**Point 2**: Architectural similarities between Stonehenge and northern Scotland, alongside the movement of people and goods for feasting and funerary practices, suggest a high level of cultural connectivity. [newsweek.com, nypost.com, independent.co.uk, cnn.com, news.sky.com, wtop.com, apnews.com]

Stonehenge's Unifying Purpose Uncovered by Researchers

#### Dual Protection and Cooling Effect
**Point 1**: A groundbreaking sunscreen prototype combines UV protection with a cooling effect using radiative cooling, keeping skin significantly cooler than both bare skin and existing sunscreens. [phys.org, sciencedaily.com, cosmosmagazine.com]
**Point 2**: Radiative cooling technology, which reflects or radiates heat away, is harnessed in this sunscreen by adjusting the size of titanium dioxide nanoparticles to achieve both UV protection and cooling. [phys.org, sciencedaily.com, cosmosmagazine.com]

#### Promising Commercial Potential
**Point 1**: Tested in hot and humid conditions, the sunscreen maintained its cooling effect and UV protection, with no irritation on skin, showcasing its stability and efficacy. [phys.org, sciencedaily.com, cosmosmagazine.com]
**Point 2**: At a cost of $0.92 for 10 grams, the sunscreen is competitively priced with current market options, highlighting its commercial viability, especially amidst rising global temperatures. [phys.org, sciencedaily.com, cosmosmagazine.com]

Innovative Sunscreen Prototype Cools Skin While Protecting Against UV Rays

#### Ethical and Methodological Concerns
**Point 1**: Elsevier retracted a 2020 study promoting hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 treatment due to ethical and methodological issues, including concerns over patient consent and study design. [theguardian.com, euronews.com]
**Point 2**: The investigation revealed potential ethical lapses, such as unclear patient enrollment timelines and whether patients consented to receive azithromycin, highlighting serious flaws in the study's conduct. [theguardian.com, gizmodo.com]

#### Scientific and Public Reaction
**Point 1**: The study, highly cited and initially influential, faced immediate scientific criticism for its small sample size and rapid publication, which raised doubts about its reliability. [iflscience.com, boingboing.net]
**Point 2**: Despite the retraction and subsequent findings debunking its claims, some continued to advocate for hydroxychloroquine, reflecting ongoing debates about scientific integrity and public health policy. [gizmodo.com, boingboing.net]

Controversial Hydroxychloroquine Study Retraction Sparks Debate

#### Ambitious Targets Announced
**Point 1**: President Joe Biden aims for a 61-66% reduction in US greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, based on 2005 levels, as part of the Paris Agreement's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). [theverge.com, abcnews.go.com, news.sky.com, npr.org, euronews.com, dailycaller.com, nytimes.com]  
**Point 2**: This goal includes a significant cut in methane emissions and is part of Biden's broader climate agenda, which he touts as the most ambitious in American history, emphasizing economic benefits and job creation. [theverge.com, news.sky.com, npr.org, nytimes.com]

#### Challenges and Reactions
**Point 1**: The targets are largely symbolic, facing potential disregard under President-elect Donald Trump's administration, which has previously undermined climate science and policies. [theverge.com, abcnews.go.com, news.sky.com, dailycaller.com, nytimes.com]  
**Point 2**: Despite the challenges, there is optimism among some officials and governors that state and local actions can continue to drive progress, even without federal support, highlighting the non-binding nature of the targets. [abcnews.go.com, news.sky.com, npr.org, euronews.com]

Biden Sets New US Climate Goals Before Trump's Inauguration

#### Formation Theories Evolve
**Point 1**: A collaboration between a physicist, a chemist, and a mathematician led to a groundbreaking hypothesis about the Moon's formation, suggesting it was the result of a Mars-size object colliding with early Earth, ejecting molten material that formed the Moon. [theconversation.com, rawstory.com]
**Point 2**: This theory, supported by the composition and the early close orbit of the Moon, explains its unique geological features and the ongoing process of the Moon receding from Earth. [theconversation.com, rawstory.com]

#### Revising the Moon's Age
**Point 1**: Recent studies, including one by UC Santa Cruz Professor Francis Nimmo, propose the Moon formed around 4.51 billion years ago, challenging the previous estimate of 4.35 billion years, by suggesting that lunar rocks' age reflects a remelting event rather than the Moon's initial formation. [nbcnews.com, sciencedaily.com, jpost.com, gizmodo.com]
**Point 2**: This new timeline accounts for the discrepancies in lunar rock ages and the difficulty in explaining a major Moon-forming collision 200 million years after the solar system's birth, aligning better with the early solar system's dynamics. [nbcnews.com, sciencedaily.com, jpost.com, gizmodo.com]

New Insights Suggest the Moon may Be Older than Previously Thought

#### Discovery and Immediate Impact
**Point 1**: Two North Atlantic right whales, one a juvenile and the other an adult female, were found entangled in fishing gear off Massachusetts, with the juvenile likely facing fatal injuries. [abcnews.go.com, nytimes.com, nypost.com]
**Point 2**: The entangled whales were spotted about 50 miles southeast of Nantucket during an aerial survey on Dec. 9, highlighting the ongoing threats to this critically endangered species. [abcnews.go.com, nytimes.com, nypost.com]

#### Conservation Efforts and Challenges
**Point 1**: NOAA and conservation groups are monitoring the whales and exploring possible responses to the entanglements, amidst calls for new safeguards against fishing and shipping impacts. [abcnews.go.com, nytimes.com, nypost.com]
**Point 2**: Despite a slight uptick in the whale population, experts warn of the species' extinction risk due to entanglements, vessel strikes, and climate change affecting food availability. [abcnews.go.com, nytimes.com, nypost.com]

Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales Entangled Off Massachusetts Coast

#### New Findings in Stellar Formation
**Point 1**: An international research team has identified a binary star system, dubbed D9, orbiting close to Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, using data from the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope. This marks the first observation of such a system near a black hole. [sciencedaily.com, livescience.com, mashable.com]
**Point 2**: The discovery suggests that stars can form and coexist in the intense gravitational field near a supermassive black hole, challenging the long-held belief that such environments are inhospitable to stellar formation. D9 is estimated to be 2.7 million years old. [sciencedaily.com, livescience.com, mashable.com]

#### Implications for Cosmic Understanding
**Point 1**: The existence of the D9 binary system indicates that black holes may not be as destructive as previously thought, allowing for the temporary survival of stellar pairs in their vicinity. This could have implications for the understanding of star and planet formation in extreme conditions. [sciencedaily.com, livescience.com, mashable.com]
**Point 2**: Future upgrades to observational tools, like the GRAVITY+ and METIS instruments, promise to provide more detailed insights into the nature of objects orbiting Sagittarius A*, potentially uncovering more binary stars and contributing to the understanding of stellar evolution near black holes. [sciencedaily.com]

Discovery of Binary Star System Near Milky Way's Black Hole Challenges Previous Assumptions

#### Continued Contributions
**Point 1**: Despite no longer being active, NASA's InSight Mars lander continues to offer valuable data on Martian dust accumulation and atmospheric dynamics through images captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's HiRISE camera. [theregister.com, space.com, mashable.com]  
**Point 2**: Science team member Ingrid Daubar highlighted the bittersweet nature of InSight's ongoing contributions, emphasizing the mission's success and the new insights gained about Mars' wind and dust cycle. [theregister.com, space.com, mashable.com]  

#### Dust Dynamics and Future Missions
**Point 1**: The imagery reveals how dust affects solar panels and surface features, aiding scientists in understanding Mars' climate and preparing for future missions. [theregister.com, space.com, mashable.com]  
**Point 2**: NASA's decision to cease communication efforts with InSight at the end of 2024 underscores the mission's finite nature but also its substantial scientific yield, particularly in studying Martian dust and seismic activity. [theregister.com, space.com, mashable.com]

InSight Mars Lander Provides Ongoing Insights After Retirement

#### Miscalculation Revealed
**Point 1**: A correction to a study on flame retardants in black plastic kitchenware revealed a mathematical error, significantly overstating the risk of exposure by an order of magnitude. The EPA's reference dose was miscalculated, making the estimated exposure seem much closer to the safety limit than it actually is. [wired.com, lifehacker.com, scientificamerican.com, arstechnica.com, gizmodo.com, latimes.com]
**Point 2**: Despite the correction, the study's authors maintain that the presence of flame retardants in black plastic products is a concern, emphasizing the need for more research and regulation to ensure the safety of plastic items made with recycled content. [scientificamerican.com, gizmodo.com, latimes.com]

#### Public Reaction and Implications
**Point 1**: The initial study prompted widespread public action, with many discarding black plastic kitchenware based on the urgent media reports sparked by the study's findings. [lifehacker.com, gizmodo.com, latimes.com]
**Point 2**: Experts and the study's authors stress the importance of accuracy in scientific communication, highlighting that while the corrected calculations reduce the perceived risk, the fundamental issue of toxic chemical contamination in recycled products remains a serious public health concern. [gizmodo.com, latimes.com]

Correction Alters Perception of Flame Retardant Risks in Black Plastic Kitchenware

#### Mission Overview
**Point 1**: The European Space Agency launched Proba-3, a pioneering mission involving two spacecraft designed to create artificial solar eclipses and study the sun's corona, from India. [npr.org, aljazeera.com]
**Point 2**: Proba-3 aims to answer fundamental questions about the sun's corona, such as why it is significantly hotter than the sun's surface, by utilizing a novel approach of precise formation flying. [npr.org, aljazeera.com]

#### Technological Innovation and Scientific Goals
**Point 1**: Unlike previous missions, Proba-3 uses two separate satellites to achieve a more precise block of the sun's light, allowing for clearer observations of the corona's inner part. [npr.org, theweek.com]
**Point 2**: The mission not only seeks to deepen our understanding of the sun's corona but also to demonstrate the feasibility of maintaining precise satellite formation, which could have future applications in space exploration. [theweek.com, aljazeera.com]

Proba-3 Mission Launches to Study the Sun's Corona Through Artificial Eclipses

#### Discovery and Dating
**Point 1**: Recent research led by the University of Arizona and involving the University of Alaska Fairbanks has pushed back the timeline of human-canid relationships in the Americas to 12,000 years ago, based on archaeological findings in Alaska. [sciencedaily.com, nypost.com, thedebrief.org]  
**Point 2**: The evidence includes a tibia from an adult canine found at Swan Point and a jawbone from Hollembaek Hill, both showing signs of early domestication and a diet rich in salmon, indicating human dependence. [sciencedaily.com, nypost.com]

#### Cultural and Scientific Impact
**Point 1**: This study challenges previous notions of dog domestication in the Americas, suggesting a complex relationship between early humans and canids that may not directly link to modern dog breeds. [sciencedaily.com, nypost.com, thedebrief.org]  
**Point 2**: It highlights the importance of collaboration with indigenous communities, such as the Mendas Cha'ag people, in conducting archaeological research, underscoring a long-standing partnership in the Tanana Valley. [sciencedaily.com, nypost.com, thedebrief.org]

Unveiling the Ancient Bond: Early Human-Canid Relationships in the Americas

#### Immediate Actions and Responses
**Point 1**: The USDA temporarily banned cattle imports from Mexico following the detection of the cattle screwworm in Chiapas, aiming to prevent the parasite's spread to the US. [wired.com, nypost.com, mexicodailypost.com]
**Point 2**: Mexico has intensified sanitary measures, including wound treatment, larvicide baths, and deworming, while establishing inspection stations to combat the screwworm's spread. [wired.com, mexicodailypost.com]

#### Long-term Concerns and International Efforts
**Point 1**: The illegal cattle trade across borders is highlighted as a significant risk for the disease's entry into the US, with calls for stricter enforcement against cattle smuggling. [wired.com, nypost.com]
**Point 2**: APHIS collaborates with Central America to eradicate the screwworm, emphasizing the importance of monitoring livestock and implementing control measures to protect American agriculture. [mexicodailypost.com]

Screwworm Threat Forces US-Mexico Cattle Import Halt

#### Financial and Operational Context
**Point 1**: Rivian, facing significant financial losses and a cash crunch, received a conditional commitment for a $6.6 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy to support its Georgia electric vehicle factory, aiming to bolster U.S. EV manufacturing. [theverge.com, denver7.com, wnd.com]
**Point 2**: The loan, part of Biden's climate agenda, is critical for Rivian's plans to produce its more affordable R2 and R3 vehicles in Georgia, despite the company's recent financial struggles and the broader EV industry's slowdown. [theverge.com, denver7.com, wnd.com]

#### Political and Industry Implications
**Point 1**: The funding comes as Rivian and the EV sector face a potential policy reversal with Donald Trump's presidency, who has vowed to cut EV subsidies and loans, including the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program. [theverge.com, denver7.com]
**Point 2**: Amidst decreasing consumer demand for EVs, this loan represents a significant bet on Rivian's ability to scale U.S. manufacturing and compete in the global market, despite mixed public sentiment towards EV adoption. [wnd.com]

Rivian Secures $6.6 Billion DOE Loan Amid EV Market Challenges

#### Admission of Pressure and Regret
**Point 1**: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged that Facebook censored content under pressure from the Biden administration, including COVID-19 information and the New York Post's Hunter Biden laptop story, expressing regret over these actions. [thefederalist.com, dailycaller.com, latimes.com]
**Point 2**: Zuckerberg criticized the government's influence as inappropriate, stating that with hindsight, Facebook made decisions it wouldn't make today and pledged to resist similar pressures in the future. [thefederalist.com, dailycaller.com, latimes.com]

#### Legal and Political Repercussions
**Point 1**: A Supreme Court decision in June upheld the federal censorship regime, ruling that plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge the government's speech suppression programs, despite evidence of a coordinated censorship effort. [thefederalist.com]
**Point 2**: The White House defended its actions during the pandemic as efforts to protect public health, while Zuckerberg's admissions have sparked debates on censorship, misinformation, and the role of tech companies in elections. [latimes.com]

Zuckerberg Admits to Facebook's Role in Censorship During Pandemic and 2020 Election

#### Lifelong Commitment and Daily Care
**Point 1**: Pet ownership is a long-term responsibility, with lifespans varying significantly across species, from 10-40 years for dogs and cats to 15-50 years for turtles. [stltoday.com, buffalonews.com, dailyprogress.com, tulsaworld.com]  
**Point 2**: Daily care demands include feeding, exercising, and providing companionship, which can be time-consuming and affect lifestyle choices, such as travel and housing. [stltoday.com, buffalonews.com, dailyprogress.com, tulsaworld.com]

#### Financial Implications and Budgeting
**Point 1**: Beyond the initial adoption fee, pet ownership involves ongoing expenses like food, healthcare, insurance, and potential emergency costs, necessitating careful budgeting. [stltoday.com, buffalonews.com, dailyprogress.com, tulsaworld.com]  
**Point 2**: Unexpected costs, including medical treatments and boarding, emphasize the importance of financial planning and setting aside funds for unforeseen expenses. [stltoday.com, buffalonews.com, dailyprogress.com, tulsaworld.com]

Science

DEC. 21, 2024

Unseasonably Warm Weather Likely to Diminish Chances of a White Christmas in the U.S.

NOAA's Climate Prediction Center forecasts above-average temperatures for nearly the entire U.S. between December 25 and 29, with the Midwest expected to experience the most significant warmth...

Updated 15 hours ago

Unseasonably Warm Weather Likely to Diminish Chances of a White Christmas in the U.S.

NOAA's Climate Prediction Center forecasts above-average temperatures for nearly the entire U.S. between December 25 and 29, with the Midwest expected to experience the most significant warmth...

Discovery of Unique Prehistoric Plant Challenges Understanding of Ancient Flora

Recent studies on 47-million-year-old fossils from Utah reveal Othniophyton elongatum, previously thought to be related to the ginseng family, as a unique species with no modern counterparts...

Updated 21 hours ago

Discovery of Unique Prehistoric Plant Challenges Understanding of Ancient Flora

Recent studies on 47-million-year-old fossils from Utah reveal Othniophyton elongatum, previously thought to be related to the ginseng family, as a unique species with no modern counterparts...

Expedition Unveils 27 New Species in Peru's Alto Mayo

Researchers uncovered 27 new species, including a rare amphibious mouse, a tree-climbing salamander, and a "blob-headed" fish, during a 38-day survey in Peru's Alto Mayo region, emphasizing the area's rich biodiversity despite human impact...

Updated 20 hours ago

Expedition Unveils 27 New Species in Peru's Alto Mayo

Researchers uncovered 27 new species, including a rare amphibious mouse, a tree-climbing salamander, and a "blob-headed" fish, during a 38-day survey in Peru's Alto Mayo region, emphasizing the area's rich biodiversity despite human impact...

Quantum Teleportation Achieves Milestone Using Existing Internet Cables

Stonehenge's Unifying Purpose Uncovered by Researchers

Innovative Sunscreen Prototype Cools Skin While Protecting Against UV Rays

Controversial Hydroxychloroquine Study Retraction Sparks Debate

Biden Sets New US Climate Goals Before Trump's Inauguration

New Insights Suggest the Moon may Be Older than Previously Thought

Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales Entangled Off Massachusetts Coast

Discovery of Binary Star System Near Milky Way's Black Hole Challenges Previous Assumptions

InSight Mars Lander Provides Ongoing Insights After Retirement

Correction Alters Perception of Flame Retardant Risks in Black Plastic Kitchenware

Proba-3 Mission Launches to Study the Sun's Corona Through Artificial Eclipses

Unveiling the Ancient Bond: Early Human-Canid Relationships in the Americas

Screwworm Threat Forces US-Mexico Cattle Import Halt

Rivian Secures $6.6 Billion DOE Loan Amid EV Market Challenges

Zuckerberg Admits to Facebook's Role in Censorship During Pandemic and 2020 Election

Preparing for Pet Ownership: Key Considerations Before Adoption